Year-End Lists

Cinema Scope: Top Ten Films of 2020

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Days
   Tsai Ming-liang
2. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
   Anders Edström and C.W. Winter
3. The Year of the Discovery
   Luis López Carrasco
4. The Last City
   Heinz Emigholz
5. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
6. The Woman Who Ran
   Hong Sang-soo
7. Malmkrog
   Cristi Puiu
8. DAU. Degeneration
   Ilya Khrzhanovsky
9. City Hall
   Frederick Wiseman
10. Fauna
    Nicolás Pereda

Robert Daniels: Top 25 Films of 2020

[see also 2021 • 2019]

1. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
2. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
3. One Night in Miami
   Regina King
4. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
5. Night of the Kings
   Philippe Lacôte
6. Martin Eden
   Pietro Marcello
7. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
   Charlie Kaufman
8. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
9. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
10. Time
    Garrett Bradley
11. Babyteeth
    Shannon Murphy
12. The Platform
    Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
13. John Was Trying to Contact Aliens
    Matthew Killip
14. Sound of Metal
    Darius Marder
15. I'm Your Woman
    Julia Hart
16. Small Axe: Mangrove
    Steve McQueen
17. Song Without a Name
    Melina León
18. Pillars
    Haley Elizabeth Anderson
19. The Assistant
    Kitty Green
20. Rewind
    Sasha Neulinger
21. The Vast of Night
    Andrew Patterson
22. Blow the Man Down
    Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy
23. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
    George C. Wolfe
24. Impetigore
    Joko Anwar
25. Wolfwalkers
    Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

Some film that barely missed the cut but I loved nonetheless

• The 40-Year-Old Version
  Radha Blank
• A Sun
  Chung Mong-hong
• Another Round
  Thomas Vinterberg
• Black Bear
  Lawrence Michael Levine
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee
• Ema
  Pablo Larraín
• His House
  Remi Weekes
• I'm No Longer Here
  Fernando Frías de la Parra
• The Invisible Man
  Leigh Whannell
• Kajillionaire
  Miranda July
• La Llorona
  Jayro Bustamante
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman
• Promising Young Woman
  Emerald Fennell
• Relic
  Natalie Erika James
• She Dies Tomorrow
  Amy Seimetz
• Vitalina Varela
  Pedro Costa

Dennis Lim: Top 10 Films of 2020, as posted by The Film Society of Lincoln Center

[see also 2017]

1. Days
   Tsai Ming-liang
2. The Year of the Discovery
   Luis López Carrasco
3. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
4. The Last City
   Heinz Emigholz
5. Los Conductos
   Camilo Restrepo
6. The Calming
   Song Fang
7. The Woman Who Ran
   Hong Sang-soo
8. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
   Anders Edström and C.W. Winter
9. Undine
   Christian Petzold
10. The Metamorphosis of Birds
    Catarina Vasconcelos

Ten more, alphabetical

• Cenote
  Oda Kaori
• Expedition Content
  Ernst Karel and Veronika Kusumaryati
• Fauna
  Nicolás Pereda
• The Inheritance
  Ephraim Asili
• Isabella
  Matías Piñeiro
• Malmkrog
  Cristi Puiu
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman
• Notturno
  Gianfranco Rosi
• The Salt of Tears
  Philippe Garrel
• The Two Sights
  Joshua Bonnetta

Ten short/medium-length films, alphabetical

• Apiyemiyekî?
  Ana Vaz
• Apparition
  Ismaïl Bahri
• Figure Minus Fact
  Mary Helena Clark
• In the Air Tonight
  Andrew Norman Wilson
• In My Room
  Mati Diop
• Look Then Below
  Ben Rivers
• The Plastic House
  Allison Chhorn
• Point and Line to Plane
  Sofia Bohdanowicz
• A Thousand-Year Stage
  Daphne Xu
• While Cursed by Specters
  Burak Çevik

Brian Darr: Top Ten Films of 2020, as published by Filmmaker Magazine as part of the reconstructed Village Voice Film Poll

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

• The Beast Must Die (1952)
  Román Viñoly Barreto
• The Brilliant Biograph: Earliest Moving Images of Europe (1897-1902)
• Days
  Tsai Ming-liang
• Film About a Father Who
  Lynne Sachs
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• Fourteen
  Dan Sallitt
• The Giverny Document (Single Channel)
  Ja’Tovia Gary
• Nomadland
  Chloé Zhao
• Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
  Vishnu Dass
• Undine
  Christian Petzold

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020, as reconstructed by Mike D’Angelo for Filmmaker Magazine

[see also 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
2. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
3. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
4. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
5. The Assistant
   Kitty Green
6. Time
   Garrett Bradley
7. Dick Johnson Is Dead
   Kirsten Johnson
8. Martin Eden
   Pietro Marcello
9. Bacurau
   Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
10. Vitalina Varela
    Pedro Costa
11. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
    Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
12. Collective
    Alexander Nanau
13. Da 5 Bloods
    Spike Lee
14. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
    Charlie Kaufman
15. City Hall
    Frederick Wiseman
16. Sound of Metal
    Darius Marder
17. The Nest
    Sean Durkin
18. Kajillionaire
    Miranda July
19. Beanpole
    Kantemir Balagov
20. Promising Young Woman
    Emerald Fennell
21. Another Round
    Thomas Vinterberg
21. David Byrne's American Utopia
    Spike Lee
23. Driveways
    Andrew Ahn
24. Fourteen
    Dan Sallitt
25. Wolfwalkers
    Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart
26. Days
    Tsai Ming-liang
27. Minari
    Lee Isaac Chung
28. I Was at Home, But
    Angela Schanelec
29. To the Ends of the Earth
    Kiyoshi Kurosawa
30. The Grand Bizarre
    Jodie Mack
31. The Whistlers
    Corneliu Porumboiu
32. The Father
    Florian Zeller
33. The Vast of Night
    Andrew Patterson
34. Tenet
    Christopher Nolan
35. Shirley
    Josephine Decker
36. Soul
    Pete Docter
37. Possessor
    Brandon Cronenberg
38. She Dies Tomorrow
    Amy Seimetz
38. Sorry We Missed You
    Ken Loach
40. Saint Frances
    Alex Thompson
41. Let Them All Talk
    Steve Soderbergh
42. The Invisible Man
    Leigh Whannell
43. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
    George C. Wolfe
43. Small Axe: Mangrove
    Steve McQueen
45. A White, White Day
    Hlynur Pálmason
46. Malmkrog
    Cristi Puiu
46. The Painter and the Thief
    Benjamin Ree
48. Swallow
    Carlo Mirabella-Davis
49. An Easy Girl
    Rebecca Zlotowski
50. Bad Education
    Cory Finley

This list summarizes other lists, including these:

• A.V. Club: A.A. Dowd: The Best Films of 2020
• A.V. Club: Charles Bramesco: The Best Films of 2020
• A.V. Club: Noel Murray: The Best Films of 2020
• A.V. Club: Vikram Murthi: The Best Films of 2020
• ARTery: Sean Burns: The 10 Best Films from 2020
• Atlantic: David Sims: The 10 Best Films of 2020
• Esquire: Nick Schager: The Best Movies of 2020
• GCN: Steve Erickson: Best Films of 2020
• Glenn Kenny: Notable Films of 2020
• Los Angeles Times: Justin Chang: The Best Movies of 2020
• New Yorker: Richard Brody: The Best Movies of 2020
• RogerEbert.com: Monica Castillo: Top Ten Films of 2020
• RogerEbert.com: Odie Henderson: Top Ten Films of 2020
• Rolling Stone: David Fear: The 20 Best Movies of 2020
• Scott Tobias: Top 10 Films of 2020
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jordan Cronk: Top Ten Films of 2020
• Slant: Ed Gonzalez: Best Films of 2020
• Variety: Peter Debruge: Best Movies of 2020
• Village Voice Film Poll: Brian Darr: Top Ten Films of 2020
• Vox: Alissa Wilkinson: The 25 Best Movies of 2020
• Vulture: Alison Willmore: The Best Movies of 2020
• Vulture: Bilge Ebiri: The Best Movies of 2020

Reverse Shot: Best Films of 2020

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Days
   Tsai Ming-liang
2. Martin Eden
   Pietro Marcello
3. Time
   Garrett Bradley
4. I Was at Home, But
   Angela Schanelec
5. Bacurau
   Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
6. Vitalina Varela
   Pedro Costa
7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
8. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
9. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
10. Malmkrog
    Cristi Puiu
10. To the Ends of the Earth
    Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Nashville Scene: The 2020 Jim Ridley Film Poll. "An international assemblage of critics, filmmakers, podcasters, teachers, actors, exhibitors, publicists, festival programmers, artists and even a beloved horror host stepped up to get hierarchical and reflective. We do this every year in honor of the late, great Jim Ridley, who believed strongly in the value of conversations about film."

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017]

1. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
2. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
3. Possessor
   Brandon Cronenberg
4. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
   Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
5. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
   Charlie Kaufman
7. Vitalina Varela
   Pedro Costa
8. Spontaneous
   Brian Duffield
9. The Invisible Man
   Leigh Whannell
10. She Dies Tomorrow
    Amy Seimetz
11. David Byrne's American Utopia
    Spike Lee
12. Driveways
    Andrew Ahn
13. Da 5 Bloods
    Spike Lee
14. Mank
    David Fincher
14. Tenet
    Christopher Nolan
16. Collective
    Alexander Nanau
17. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    Eliza Hittman
18. Time
    Garrett Bradley
19. Bacurau
    Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
20. Promising Young Woman
    Emerald Fennell
21. Birds of Prey
    Cathy Yan
22. City Hall
    Frederick Wiseman
23. The Assistant
    Kitty Green
23. Emma.
    Autumn de Wilde
25. Gretel & Hansel
    Oz Perkins

This year’s installment of David Ehrlich’s video countdown: The 25 Best Films of 2020

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Time
   Garrett Bradley
2. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
3. World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime
   Don Hertzfeldt
4. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
5. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
   Charlie Kaufman
6. Bacurau
   Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
7. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
8. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
9. Bad Education
   Cory Finley
10. Swallow
    Carlo Mirabella-Davis
11. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    Jason Woliner
12. Babyteeth
    Shannon Murphy
13. Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Kirsten Johnson
14. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
    Steve McQueen
15. Shirley
    Josephine Decker
16. Vitalina Varela
    Pedro Costa
17. Ema
    Pablo Larraín
18. Another Round
    Thomas Vinterberg
19. Taylor Swift: Miss Americana
    Lana Wilson
20. Beanpole
    Kantemir Balagov
21. I'm Your Woman
    Julia Hart
22. Wolfwalkers
    Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart
23. First Cow
    Kelly Reichardt
24. Mank
    David Fincher
25. Emma.
    Autumn de Wilde

Marya E. Gates: Favorite Fifteen Films of 2020

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Driveways
   Andrew Ahn
2. Emma.
   Autumn de Wilde
3. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
4. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
   George C. Wolfe
5. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
   Charlie Kaufman
7. What Did Jack Do?
   David Lynch
8. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
9. Eurovision
   David Dobkin
10. Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Kirsten Johnson
11. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
    Eliza Hittman
12. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
    Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
13. Da 5 Bloods
    Spike Lee
14. Monsoon
    Hong Khaou
15. The Assistant
    Kitty Green

Jason Shawhan: The 10 Best Films of 2020, as published by Nashville Scene

1. Possessor
   Brandon Cronenberg
2. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
3. She Dies Tomorrow
   Amy Seimetz
4. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
5. Bacurau
   Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
6. Vitalina Varela
   Pedro Costa
7. After Midnight
   Jeremy Gardner and Christian Stella
8. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
9. Zombi Child
   Bertrand Bonello
10. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
    Hitesh Kewalya

Honorable Mention

• And Then We Danced
  Levan Akin
• Ask Any Buddy
  Evan Purchell
• Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
  Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht
• Gretel & Hansel
  Oz Perkins
• The Invisible Man
  Leigh Whannell
• Nomadland
  Chloé Zhao
• Welcome to Chechnya
  David France
• The Whistlers
  Corneliu Porumboiu