Metacritic's Best Films of 2020
by rubyfruit76 | created - 21 Feb 2021 | updated - 27 Feb 2021 | PublicBelow are the 2020 movies that critics rated most highly, according to Metacritic. Which of these do you think is the best? If you haven't seen any yet, which would you most like to see?
'Interested in seeing any that you haven't? Viewing information is provided beneath each movie.
Except for the first three, movies are listed in alphabetical order. Not any are listed here in order of Metascore.
There were so many ties that several of their picks couldn't fit below but were just a few points away from many of the films on this list here, including well known movies like 'Soul' and 'Da 5 Bloods.' See that full list here at Metacritic's Top 50 List. The list below is current as of February 26, 2021.
After voting, feel free to discuss here.
Vote in these related polls: Metacritic's Best Films of 2019, Metacritic's Best Films of 2018, and Metacritic's Best Films of 2017
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1. Hamilton (2020)
PG-13 | 160 min | Biography, Drama, History
The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.
Director: Thomas Kail | Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry
Votes: 113,636
Netflix
2. Nomadland (2020)
R | 107 min | Drama
A woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Director: Chloé Zhao | Stars: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Gay DeForest
Votes: 183,314
Amazon Prime
3. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music
Tensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927.
Director: George C. Wolfe | Stars: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo
Votes: 57,915
Netflix
4. 76 Days (2020)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Drama
Raw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.
Directors: Weixi Chen, Hao Wu, Anonymous
Votes: 1,405
Apple TV+ and DOGWOOF internationally; for information by country, go to 76daysfilm.com
5. Athlete A (2020)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts like Maggie Nichols.
Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk | Stars: Maggie Nichols, Gina Nichols, John Nichols, Steve Berta
Votes: 12,408
Netflix
6. Beanpole (2019)
Unrated | 130 min | Drama, War
1945, Leningrad. WWII has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Two young women search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.
Director: Kantemir Balagov | Stars: Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Vasilisa Perelygina, Andrey Bykov, Igor Shirokov
Votes: 12,249
Amazon Prime
7. Black Is King (2020)
TV-14 | 85 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Visual album from Beyoncé inspired by 'The Lion King'.
Directors: Emmanuel Adjei, Ibra Ake, Blitz Bazawule, Beyoncé, Pierre Debusschere, Jake Nava, Jenn Nkiru, Dikayl Rimmasch, Joshua Kissi, Kwasi Fordjour, Julian Klincewicz, Dafe Oboro | Stars: Beyoncé, Tina Knowles, Jay-Z, Blue Ivy Carter
Votes: 9,492
Disney+
8. Boys State (2020)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary
A thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.
Directors: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss | Stars: Ben Feinstein, Steven Garza, Robert MacDougall, René Otero
Votes: 5,718
Apple TV+
9. City Hall (2020)
272 min | Documentary
A look at Boston's city government, covering racial justice, housing, climate action, and more.
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Star: Marty Walsh
Votes: 722
PBS, which includes streaming it for free of the PBS website
10. Collective (2019)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
Director: Alexander Nanau | Stars: Dan Alexandru Condrea, Liviu Iolu, Razvan Lutac, Mirela Neag
Votes: 13,436
Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Google Play, YouTube
11. Crip Camp (2020)
R | 106 min | Documentary, History
Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Directors: James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham | Stars: James Lebrecht, Lionel Je'Woodyard, Joseph O'Conor, Ann Cupolo Freeman
Votes: 8,228
Netflix
12. David Byrne's American Utopia (2020)
TV-14 | 105 min | Documentary, Music, Musical
Spike Lee documents the former Talking Heads frontman's brilliant, timely 2019 Broadway show, based on his recent album and tour of the same name.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: David Byrne, Jacqueline Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman
Votes: 5,248
HBO, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime
13. Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
PG-13 | 89 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
A daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life.
Director: Kirsten Johnson | Stars: Michael Hilow, Ana Hoffman, Dick Johnson, Kirsten Johnson
Votes: 7,233
Netflix
14. Divine Love (2019)
101 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A woman uses her bureaucratic job to convince divorcing couples to stay together and is utterly committed to getting pregnant by her husband in a future of dance parties, ritualistic orgies and fundamentalist Christianity.
Director: Gabriel Mascaro | Stars: Dira Paes, Julio Machado, Antonio Pastich, Rubens Santos
Votes: 2,229
medium.com
15.
Small Axe (2020)
Episode:
Education
(2020)
TV-MA | 63 min | Drama, History
12 year-old Kingsley is held back by the unofficial segregation policies at his school.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Naomi Ackie, Jade Anouka, Temirlan Blaev, Nigel Boyle
Votes: 2,437
IMDb and Amazon Prime, where you can watch 'Education,' list this as an episode of a miniseries called Small Axe, directed by Steve McQueen. Metacritic, however, considers Small Axe a collection of five films, four of which made it onto their "Best of 2020."
16. First Cow (2019)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, Western
A skilled cook has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful business.
Director: Kelly Reichardt | Stars: Alia Shawkat, John Magaro, Dylan Smith, Ryan Findley
Votes: 21,945
Hulu, Showtime, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Fubo TV, YouTube
17. Gunda (2020)
G | 93 min | Documentary
Documentary looks at the daily life of a pig and its farm animal companions: two cows and a one-legged chicken.
Director: Victor Kossakovsky | Star: Gunda
Votes: 2,921
To be released March 25, 2021 in theaters in some countries; go to thevore.com for DVD and streaming information
18.
Small Axe (2020)
Episode:
Lovers Rock
(2020)
TV-MA | 70 min | Drama, History
A single evening at a house party in 1980s West London sets the scene, developing intertwined relationships against a background of violence, romance and music.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Dennis Bovell, Saffron Coomber, Frankie Fox, Daniel Francis-Swaby
Votes: 5,295
Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube
IMDb lists this as an episode of a miniseries called Small Axe. Metacritic, however, considers Small Axe a collection of five films, four of which made it onto their "Best of 2020."
19.
Small Axe (2020)
Episode:
Mangrove
(2020)
TV-MA | 127 min | Drama, History
Mangrove tells this true story of The Mangrove Nine, who clashed with London police in 1970. The trial that followed was the first judicial acknowledgment of behavior motivated by racial hatred within the Metropolitan Police.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Gary Beadle, Darren Braithwaite, Richie Campbell, Ben Caplan
Votes: 5,890
IMDb and Amazon Prime, where you can watch 'Mangrove,' list this as an episode of a miniseries called Small Axe. Metacritic, however, considers Small Axe a collection of five films, four of which made it onto their "Best of 2020."
20. Minari (2020)
PG-13 | 115 min | Drama
A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung | Stars: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Alan Kim, Noel Cho
Votes: 96,886
Limited release in theaters in some countries; also streaming at A24films.com, where you can sign up and buy tickets to watch it there.
21. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama
A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
Director: Eliza Hittman | Stars: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Eliazar Jimenez
Votes: 31,147
HBO, HBO Max, Amazon Prime
22. Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin (2019)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography
A journey where the viewer can see Werner Herzog's creative and personal vision which was shared with iconic travel writer Bruce Chatwin, the prolific author of 'In Patagonia' and a champion of the nomadic life.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Bruce Chatwin, Karin Eberhard, Nicholas Shakespeare
Votes: 1,294
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, Apple TV+, Google Play
23. On the Record (2020)
TV-MA | 95 min | Documentary
A former hip hop executive decides whether to make public her rape by one of the most powerful men in the music industry.
Directors: Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering | Stars: Sil Lai Abrams, Joe Biden, Tarana Burke, Kimberle Crenshaw
Votes: 993
HBO Max
24. Our Time Machine (2019)
86 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
When influential Chinese artist Ma Liang (a.k.a. Maleonn) realizes that his father Ma Ke, an accomplished Peking Opera director, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, he invites his father... See full summary »
Directors: S. Leo Chiang, Yang Sun | Stars: Ma Duo, Tianyi Huang, Ma Ke, Maleonn
Votes: 152
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV+, Google Play
25.
Small Axe (2020)
Episode:
Red, White and Blue
(2020)
TV-MA | 80 min | Drama, History
Spotlights the true story of Leroy Logan, who at a young age saw his father assaulted by two policemen, motivating him to join the Metropolitan Police and change their racist attitudes from within.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Neal Barry, Jack Bence, Stephen Boxer, John Boyega
Votes: 3,338
Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube
IMDb lists this as an episode of a miniseries called Small Axe. Metacritic, however, considers Small Axe a collection of five films, four of which made it onto their "Best of 2020."
26. Rewind (III) (2019)
86 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Digging through the vast collection of his father's home videos, a young man reconstructs the unthinkable story of his boyhood and exposes vile abuse passed through generations.
Director: Sasha Joseph Neulinger | Stars: Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Henry Nevison, Howard Nevison
Votes: 2,630
Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV+, YouTube
27. Time (I) (2020)
PG-13 | 81 min | Documentary, Biography
Fox Rich fights for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year sentence in prison.
Director: Garrett Bradley | Stars: Sibil Fox Richardson, Robert G. Richardson, Mahlik Richardson, Remington B. Richardson
Votes: 6,292
Amazon Prime
28. To the Ends of the Earth (2019)
120 min | Drama
A young Japanese woman finds her cautious and insular nature tested when she travels to Uzbekistan to shoot the latest episode of her travel variety show.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Atsuko Maeda, Shôta Sometani, Tokio Emoto, Adiz Rajabov
Votes: 1,846
Pluto TV, Amazon Prime, Vudu, iTunes, YouTube
29. The Vast of Night (2019)
PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
One night in New Mexico, in the late 1950s, a switchboard operator and radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency which could change the future forever.
Director: Andrew Patterson | Stars: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis
Votes: 44,892
Amazon Prime
30. Vitalina Varela (2019)
124 min | Drama
A Cape Verdean woman navigates her way through Lisbon, following the scanty physical traces her deceased husband left behind and discovering his secret, illicit life.
Director: Pedro Costa | Stars: Vitalina Varela, Ventura, Manuel Tavares Almeida, Francisco Brito
Votes: 2,470
Amazon Prime, Apple TV+
31. Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
TV-MA | 107 min | Documentary
A group of activists risk their lives fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Chechnya.
Director: David France | Stars: Olga Baranova, David Isteev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Maxim Lapunov
Votes: 3,137
HBO Max, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play
32. What the Constitution Means to Me (2020)
100 min | Drama
Live Broadway cast production of Heidi Schreck's play presenting multiple facets, historical perspectives and personal experiences with the U.S. Constitution.
Director: Marielle Heller | Stars: Heidi Schreck, Mike Iveson, Rosdely Ciprian, Thursday Williams
Votes: 763
Amazon Prime
33. The Wolf House (2018)
Not Rated | 75 min | Animation, Drama, Horror
Tells the story of Maria, a young woman who takes refuge in a house in southern Chile after escaping from a German colony.
Directors: Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León | Stars: Amalia Kassai, Rainer Krause, Karina Hyland, Carlos Cociña
Votes: 4,754
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV+
34. Wolfwalkers (2020)
PG | 103 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.
Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart | Stars: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney
Votes: 38,629
Apple TV+
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