Year-End Lists

Glenn Kenny: Notable Films of 2020, the first ten in order of preference

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

• Vitalina Varela
  Pedro Costa
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• She Dies Tomorrow
  Amy Seimetz
• The Wolf House
  Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña
• Shirley
  Josephine Decker
• Joan of Arc
  Bruno Dumont
• Wasp Network
  Olivier Assayas
• Cut Throat City
  RZA
• Residue
  Merawi Gerima
• Possessor
  Brandon Cronenberg

Remainder, in order that is alphabetical

• The 11th Green
  Christopher Munch
• The Cordillera of Dreams
  Patricio Guzmán
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee
• The Deeper You Dig
  John Adams and Toby Poser
• F11 and Be There
  Jethro Waters
• Family Romance, LLC
  Werner Herzog
• Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds
  Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer
• The Ghost of Peter Sellers
  Peter Medak
• Ghost Tropic
  Bas Devos
• God of the Piano
  Itay Tal
• Let Him Go
  Thomas Bezucha
• Let Them All Talk
  Steven Soderbergh
• Mank
  David Fincher
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  George C. Wolfe
• Mr. SOUL!
  Melissa Haizlip & Sam Pollard
• My Psychedelic Love Story
  Errol Morris
• Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin
  Werner Herzog
• The Personal History of David Copperfield
  Armando Iannucci
• The State Against Mandela and the Others
  Gilles Porte and Nicolas Champeaux
• Synchronic
  Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
• System K
  Renaud Barret
• Tommaso
  Abel Ferrara
• To the Ends of the Earth
  Kiyoshi Kurosawa
• A White, White Day
  Hlynur Pálmason
• The Wild Goose Lake
  Diao Yinan
• Yourself and Yours
  Hong Sang-soo
• Zappa
  Alex Winter

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

Vogue: The 15 Best Movies of 2020

[see also 2022 • 2019]

• Emma.
  Autumn de Wilde
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire
  Céline Sciamma
• Kajillionaire
  Miranda July
• On the Rocks
  Sofia Coppola
• Palm Springs
  Max Barbakow
• The Personal History of David Copperfield
  Armando Iannucci
• Saint Frances
  Alex Thompson
• Bacurau
  Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
• Small Axe: Lovers Rock
  Steve McQueen
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman
• The Nest
  Sean Durkin
• An Easy Girl
  Rebecca Zlotowski
• His House
  Remi Weekes
• Sound of Metal
  Darius Marder
• Let Them All Talk
  Steven Soderbergh

Steve Erickson: Best Films of 2020, as published by Gay City News along with a list of shorts and a list of older films first seen this year

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014]

• Vitalina Varela
  Pedro Costa
• She Dies Tomorrow
  Amy Seimetz
• Possessor
  Brandon Cronenberg
• Still Processing
  Sophy Romvari
• Cenote
  Oda Kaori
• Small Axe: Lovers Rock
  Steve McQueen
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• Time
  Garrett Bradley
• Fourteen
  Dan Sallitt

Runners-up

• The Assistant
  Kitty Green
• The Grand Bizarre
  Jodie Mack
• I May Destroy You
  Michaela Coel & Sam Miller
• I Was at Home, But
  Angela Schanelec
• In Search of a Flat Earth
  Dan Olson
• Labyrinth of Cinema
  Nobuhiko Obayashi
• Mayor
  David Osit
• The Nest
  Sean Durkin
• Notes From a Journey
  Daniel & Clara
• On the Record
  Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

David Fear: The 20 Best Movies of 2020, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Collective
   Alexander Nanau
2. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
4. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
5. Bacurau
   Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
6. Time
   Garrett Bradley
7. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
8. Dick Johnson Is Dead
   Kirsten Johnson
9. Martin Eden
   Pietro Marcello
10. Nomadland
    Chloé Zhao
11. Tigertail
    Alan Yang
12. Beanpole
    Kantemir Balagov
13. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
    Charlie Kaufman
14. Night of the Kings
    Philippe Lacôte
15. The Vast of Night
    Andrew Patterson
16. She Dies Tomorrow
    Amy Seimetz
17. Boys State
    Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine
18. La Llorona
    Jayro Bustamante
19. The Assistant
    Kitty Green
20. Mank
    David Fincher

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

K. Austin Collins: Top 20 Movies of 2020, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2021 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
1. Time
   Garrett Bradley
2. Vitalina Varela
   Pedro Costa
3. Fire Will Come
   Oliver Laxe
4. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
   Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
5. Small Axe: Red, White and Blue
   Steve McQueen
6. City Hall
   Frederick Wiseman
7. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
   Steve McQueen
8. Fourteen
   Dan Sallitt
9. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
10. Residue
    Merawi Gerima
11. Tesla
    Michael Almereyda
12. Bacurau
    Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
13. Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Kirsten Johnson
14. The Vast of Night
    Andrew Patterson
15. She Dies Tomorrow
    Amy Seimetz
15. I Was at Home, But
    Angela Schanelec
16. Ham on Rye
    Tyler Taormina
17. The Assistant
    Kitty Green
18. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    Jason Woliner
18. The 40-Year-Old Version
    Radha Blank
19. Kajillionaire
    Miranda July
20. Mank
    David Fincher

honorable mentions

• Capone
  Josh Trank
• Collective
  Alexander Nanau
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee
• Gunda
  Viktor Kosakovskiy
• His House
  Remi Weekes
• La Llorona
  Jayro Bustamante
• Minari
  Lee Isaac Chung
• Nomadland
  Chloé Zhao
• Possessor
  Brandon Cronenberg
• The Wolf House
  Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña

Sean Burns: The 10 Best Films from 2020, as published by WBUR’s The ARTery

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012 • 2011]

• Bacurau
  Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
• Collective
  Alexander Nanau
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• Beanpole
  Kantemir Balagov
• City Hall
  Frederick Wiseman
• Small Axe: Lovers Rock
  Steve McQueen
• I'm Thinking of Ending Things
  Charlie Kaufman
• Vitalina Varela
  Pedro Costa
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
  Eliza Hittman
• David Byrne's American Utopia
  Spike Lee

Honorable Mentions

• Another Round
  Thomas Vinterberg
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee
• Lingua Franca
  Isabel Sandoval
• On the Rocks
  Sofia Coppola
• The Painted Bird
  Václav Marhoul

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2020

Little White Lies: The 30 Best Films of 2020

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2012]

1. Small Axe
   Steve McQueen
2. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
3. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
4. Promising Young Woman
   Emerald Fennell
5. About Endlessness
   Roy Andersson
6. Shirley
   Josephine Decker
7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
   Eliza Hittman
8. Time
   Garrett Bradley
9. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
   Charlie Kaufman
10. Rocks
    Sarah Gavron
11. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
    Céline Sciamma
12. Mank
    David Fincher
13. Parasite
    Bong Joon-ho
14. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
    Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
15. The Assistant
    Kitty Green
16. Babyteeth
    Shannon Murphy
17. Martin Eden
    Pietro Marcello
18. Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Kirsten Johnson
19. Liberty
    Albert Serra
20. Birds of Prey
    Cathy Yan
21. Bad Education
    Cory Finley
22. Bacurau
    Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
23. David Byrne's American Utopia
    Spike Lee
24. His House
    Remi Weekes
25. Isadora's Children
    Damien Manivel
26. Wolfwalkers
    Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart
27. Mogul Mowgli
    Bassam Tariq
28. Da 5 Bloods
    Spike Lee
29. And Then We Danced
    Levan Akin
30. She Dies Tomorrow
    Amy Seimetz

Matt Singer: The Best Movies of 2020, as published by ScreenCrush

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Da 5 Bloods
   Spike Lee
2. David Byrne's American Utopia
   Spike Lee
3. Soul
   Pete Docter
4. Sound of Metal
   Darius Marder
5. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
6. The Invisible Man
   Leigh Whannell
7. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
8. Collective
   Alexander Nanau
9. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
10. Small Axe: Lovers Rock
    Steve McQueen

Honorable Mentions (In Order of Preference)

• Another Round
  Thomas Vinterberg
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
  Kirsten Johnson
• The Trip to Greece
  Michael Winterbottom
• The Assistant
  Kitty Green
• Crazy World
  Nabwana I.G.G.
• Palm Springs
  Max Barbakow
• Bad Education
  Cory Finley
• Bacurau
  Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles
• Eurovision
  David Dobkin
• The Nest
  Sean Durkin

Joshua Rivera: The Best Movies of 2020, as published by The Verge, in no particular order

• The Assistant
  Kitty Green
• Bill & Ted Face the Music
  Dean Parisot
• Small Axe: Lovers Rock
  Steve McQueen
• The Invisible Man
  Leigh Whannell
• Birds of Prey
  Cathy Yan
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• La Llorona
  Jayro Bustamante
• Boys State
  Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
  Kirsten Johnson
• Da 5 Bloods
  Spike Lee

Ela Bittencourt: The Best Films of 2020, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll, "some films that made this year less sufferable and more humane"

1. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
   Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
2. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
3. Days
   Tsai Ming-liang
4. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
   Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
5. The Calming
   Song Fang
6. letter to a friend
   Emily Jacir
7. Sertânia
   Geraldo Sarno
8. The Year of the Discovery
   Luis López Carrasco
9. Never Gonna Snow Again
   Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert
10. Shiva Baby
    Emma Seligman

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: The Best Films of 2020