Theaters may have been closed for months, but the best movies of 2020 still found a way to entertain, delight and move us. They also provided a much-needed distraction from, well... *gestures broadly at everything*.
The best movies of 2020 run the gamut from silly comedies to politically relevant dramas to action-packed superhero flicks. Documentaries about two icons of the music industry are on our list, as is the filmed production of the award-winning, blockbuster Broadway musical Hamilton.
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While many 2020 movies were delayed until next year (or even later), many others found a new way of reaching us: streaming. Yes, it’s not just for binge-watching TV shows. Some movies also broke ground by becoming available for premium video on demand, at movie theater prices from the comfort of your own home.
Check out our picks for the best movies of 2020 so far, in alphabetical order, plus a list of our most anticipated films for the rest of the year.
An American Pickle
I didn't think 2020 would mark the year Seth Rogen grew up, but this year has been full of surprises. In this Pickle, Rogen has two roles: Herschel Greenbaum, an Orthodox Jewish factory worker who gets brined to the future in a giant vat of pickles, and Ben Greenbaum, Herschel's only living relative when he wakes up in our times. The two barely ever get along, but when their differences become too grating to stand, both get in hot water with the public.
Both humorous and poignant, An American Pickle touches upon how today's generation is living a life that their ancestors would have no way to understand. — Henry T. Casey
Stream it on HBO Max
Beastie Boys Story
The group once known as the B.E.A.S.T.I.E. Boys started way back in history, with Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D. But today, the rambunctious and often dysfunctional trio is down one, and the remaining boys have become men. And here to tell their complete story on their own terms for the first time, Michael Diamond and Adam Horowitz have drafted Spike Jonze for the unenviable position of corralling them both.
This documentary, shot live on stage, mixes a ton of archival clips with on-stage storytelling, to take us from their origin story (explaining the above acronym) to how they broke up and got back together, and why music industry legend Rick Rubin wanted them to act like pro wrestlers. — Henry T. Casey
Stream it on Apple TV Plus
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
You may have missed the DC movie we never knew we needed because they buried the name Harley Quinn at the end of a Fiona Apple album-length title, but now’s a perfect time to hit play, puddin’. That's because you can now stream Birds of Prey — a neon-soaked, fourth-wall-breaking, bone crunching bit of hysterically funny film — on HBO Max (or rent it from somewhere else if you don't have a Roku or Fire TV).
And you should be watching it — not just for Margot Robbie's excellent performance as Ms. Quinn, but for her excellent supporting cast, including Rosie Perez as the hard-boiled det. Renee Montoya and Mary Elizabeth Winstead who is charmingly awkward as Huntress. — Henry T. Casey
Stream it on HBO Max or rent it on Amazon or Apple
Da 5 Bloods
A Spike Lee joint is always going to be incisive and politically pointed, but Da 5 Bloods was particularly timely, with Netflix releasing it during the surge of Black Lives Matter protests in June. The film flashes back to a different era of protests and violent government response, the Vietnam War, and the empty promises given to Black soldiers who fought and died for America and were treated like second-class citizens at home.
The movie is mostly set in the present day, when a group of Black veterans — led by an incandescent Delroy Lindo — return to Vietnam to search for the remains of their fallen leader. Oh, and some buried treasure. Da 5 Bloods blends an old-fashioned adventure with social commentary to create an absorbing and striking tale that fits right in with Lee’s best work. — Kelly Woo
Stream it on Netflix
Emma
If Parasite is the apotheosis, the entree if you will, in 2019’s cinematic “eat the rich” feast, then the 2020 version of Emma is the sugary cream puff of a dessert. Every generation has its adaptation of the Jane Austen classic — shout out to my fave, Clueless — and this one brings its own delightful vision to the familiar tale. This adaptation is quite the visual feast in a very twee way. The palette is dominated by pink; if this was set in modern times, the titular heroine (Anya Taylor-Joy) would totally carry a rose gold iPhone.
Emma is “handsome, clever and rich.” So rich, she doesn’t need to get married, which is why she spends her time matchmaking for friends. Misunderstandings and hijinks ensue. While Emma may have a lot of money and time, she’s also naive, inexperienced and stuck-up. It’s deeply satisfying when she’s brought down a few pegs by her dishy neighbor Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn). But since this is a sweet story, it’s equally wonderful to see a humbled Emma get her happy ending. — Kelly Woo
First Cow
Imagine a world where a cow is an incredibly novel sight to see. That's life for Cookie Figowitz (John Magaro) who finds himself in the Oregon Territory during the time of the Gold Rush, where his cheffing skills are malnourished by a lack of supply. A beautiful and especially soft film, First Cow would have benefited greatly from being seen in the constrained environments of a movie theater, but after debuting at film festivals in 2019, First Cow barely spent any time in U.S. theaters before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and shut every movie house down.
So, it's time to put your phone on silent and watch as Figowitz and his new friend King Lu (Orion Lee) happen upon a form of income: being able to bake using ingredients that they abscond with in the dead of night. Very much a delicate independent movie, First Cow will reward you for as much as you're willing to let it. — Henry T. Casey
Hamilton
The Oscars can go fly a kite, because Hamilton is certainly one of the best movies of 2020. Hamilton the movie is a blended recording of Hamilton the award-winning Broadway musical. Bless Disney Plus for bringing it to the masses, many of whom had heard about the phenomenon but couldn’t see it on stage. But let’s truly give thanks for creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and his astonishing, history-laden, hip-hop-influenced songs. We also can’t forget the cast’s stunning performances, led by Miranda as the Founding Father and Leslie Odom Jr. as rival Aaron Burr.
We fall squarely on the side that Hamilton isn’t merely a recording of a stage performance. Director Thomas Kail used several recordings of live performances in front of audiences, as well sequences filmed without an audience for close-ups. What resulted was a gorgeous, entertaining and heartstopping movie that should definitely be a contender for Best Documentary (if the Academy gets its act together). — Kelly Woo
Stream it on Disney Plus
The King of Staten Island
As unlikely a movie star Pete Davidson looks, he more than holds his own as the lead of Judd Apatow’s first directorial project in years. It helps that he’s essentially playing a version of himself: An aimless, unemployed high school dropout who spends his days smoking weed and hanging out with friends. Like Davidson, his character Scott’s dad was a firefighter who died on the job (in Davidson’s case, on 9/11).
When his incredibly patient mother (Marisa Tomei) starts dating another firefighter, Ray (Bill Burr), Scott is not happy about it. After an attempted pharmacy robbery with his friends that goes awry, Scott finds himself without anyone to turn to — except Ray and his station buddies. The King of Staten Island makes excellent use of Davidson’s surprising vulnerability and charm. The result is a soulful, tender tale of growing up. – Kelly Woo
The Lodge
The latest horror movie to show the influence of director Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) focuses on children still grieving the death of their mother, and their father's insistence that they need to accept their new stepmother Grace (Riley Keough). And where else do you go to bring a family together, than a remote lodge cabin in the iciest days of winter? Predictably, things get weird fast, and Grace's childhood trauma — growing up in a cult — becomes a topic of conversation.
One of the neat tricks of The Lodge is that the film plays with your instincts about who is the true villain here. While the father, Richard (Richard Armitrage) is always a bit of a nuisance to all, you'll spend multiple scenes trying to figure out if kids Aiden and Mia (Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh) are out to get Grace or if their potential new step-mom is actually evil. And, yes, Hulu will tell you The Lodge is a 2019 movie, but its main theatrical release came in 2020. —Henry T. Casey
Stream it with Hulu or rent it on Amazon or Apple
Miss Americana
Taylor Swift has been extremely famous for half her life, the subject of both devotion and disdain. This documentary from director Lana Wilson looks at the woman behind the myth and the legend. Some of the film is a fascinating peek at Swift’s songwriting process during the making of her 2019 album Lover. But most of the focus is placed on Swift’s political awakening and emergence, after remaining quiet during the 2016 presidential election.
In Miss Americana, she fights against her management team (including her own father) to take a stand against conservatives. “F--- that, I don’t care,” the pop star says at one point about President Donald Trump possibly retaliating against her. This liberal has been liberated. — Kelly Woo
Stream it on Netflix
The Old Guard
In a year devoid of the normal (enormous) number of superhero blockbusters, Netflix flew in to save the day with The Old Guard. It’s not your typical superhero flick, though, with a moral weight and meditative quality that balances the thrilling action sequences. Charlize Theron stars as Andy, the leader of a unique and mysterious group of warriors who are seemingly immortal. Shoot them full of bullets and moments later, they heal and kick your sorry ass. For centuries, they’ve been helping people while keeping their existence a secret.
That secret comes out into the open, though, when a billionaire pharmaceutical CEO discovers their abilities and wants to use the warriors as money-making lab rats. When two of the warriors are captured, betrayed by one of their own, Andy and new recruit Nile (KiKi Layne) go in, guns blazing. But their rescue mission is hampered by a troubling development: Andy may not be as immortal as she thought. What happens when a superhero isn’t so super anymore? It’s a fresh and interesting question and one we hope to see more of in the eventual sequel. — Kelly Woo
Stream it on Netflix
Palm Springs
Andy Samberg (SNL) and Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) co-star in a romantic comedy that starts off by being a fun night at the worst desert wedding ever, but soon becomes a never-ending spiral of bad decisions and zero repercussions. Samberg plays Nyles, who wakes up one morning (or so it seems) with no interest in Misty (his current girlfriend) even though they have a wedding to attend. But once Nyles makes it through to the dinner, he starts chatting up Sarah (Milioti) the sister of the bride, who seems as out of place at the wedding as Nyles is with Misty.
Then there's this incident with a hunter and a mysterious cave, and I should probably stop there. Watch Palm Springs. Just don't get stuck in a loop of watching it over and over again. You have a life to live, just like Nyles and Sarah. – Henry T. Casey
Stream it on Hulu
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The heart wants what it wants, and often it has no interest at all in getting married. That's the story at the root of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, where Héloïse has been put into an arranged marriage that she has no emotion for. Her only way out, so far, has to stop her parents from successfully commissioning a portrait of herself, which has to be done before she is wed. Enter Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a portrait artist who travels to the remote island in Brittany, France where Héloïse is spending her pre-marital days, and defies every attempt at having her image painted.
So, Marianne does her best to paint Héloïse without her knowledge or consent. But as she gets to know Héloïse more closely, this task becomes a bit of a challenge. One of the most intense movies of 2020, Portrait of a Lady on Fire was screened at smaller independent theaters near the end of 2019 but got its nationwide release this past Valentine's Day. — Henry T. Casey
Stream it with Hulu or rent it on Amazon or Apple
Relic
Relic stars Emily Mortimer as Kay, a woman whose widowed mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) has gone missing. So, Kay and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) travel to Edna's home together, to try and figure out what's gone wrong. But while Edna eventually is found, the trouble truly begins once Kay and Sam realize that there's something terrifying going on in this house.
Edna's dreary house is filled with a creepy spirit that is making plenty of things go bump in the night (no, it's not a Babadook), and whatever is haunting this family seems to have a disturbing habit of rapidly aging Edna's skin.
Relic, the directorial debut of Natalie Erika James, is at its core a film about fears of growing old and the issues involved with passing off our elders to care services, rather than care for them ourselves. It proves that James will be a force to be reckoned with in the future of horror, especially for movies with a bit of nuance and depth. — Henry T. Casey
Shirley
Rough around the edges and difficult to endure at social functions, Shirley Jackson (Elizabeth Moss) is an unstable literary genius at the center of this award-winning movie. Shirley is not a biopic of the author of the same name, but instead a story that is about her, and told with the conventions of her Gothic fiction.
Shirley begins, though, by giving us the impression that students Fred and Rosie Nemser may be its actual protagonists. Fred's started to assist professor Stanley Hyman (Michel Stuhlbarg), and the two come to an agreement that Fred and Rosie should move in with Shirley and Stanley. There, they start to buckle of the pressures of both of their hosts, as Stanley manipulates and Shirley is abusive toward all. Shirley gives Moss the kind of difficult character material that she seems to savor in the moment, a rare chance to not be the victim of someone else's torment. — Henry T. Casey
Stream it on Hulu or rent it on Amazon or Apple
Sonic the Hedgehog
The Sonic the Hedgehog movie isn't one of the best films of the year, but it certainly was one of our favorites. And once we all sat down at the local megaplex near our office, the smiles spread across our faces as the film embraced the joyous and corny nature of the retro game series. But while Ben Schwartz's voice work of the iconic hedgehog impressed, the movie truly thrived because of a return to form from Jim Carrey, who was just extremely extra in every moment.
As Dr. Robotnik, Carrey is constantly entertaining, even turning praise of a coworker's coffee brewing method into a memorable moment. Sonic succeeds as a film because it doesn't take itself too seriously, but its story has enough heart and care that you might find yourself feeling a thing or two about the cool and rad hedgehog. — Henry T. Casey
Best movies of 2020: Still to come
- Bill and Ted Face the Music (August 28)
- Tenet (September 3)
- Mulan (September 4)
- I’m Thinking of Ending Things (September 4)
- The Devil All the Time (September 16)
- Antebellum (September 18)
- Enola Holmes (September 23)
- Ava (September 25)
- The Glorias (September 30)
- Wonder Woman 1984 (October 2)
- Candyman (October 16)
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (October 16)
- Death on the Nile (October 23)
- Black Widow (November 6)
- Deep Water (November 13)
- No Times to Die (November 20)
- Soul (November 20)
- Free Guy (December 11)
- Dune (December 18)
- West Side Story (December 18)
- Coming 2 America (December 18)
- News of the World (December 25)
- Best family movies on Netflix
- What's new on Netflix this month
