100 best movies of 2020, according to critics

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 11

In the documentary “Red Penguins,” director Gabe Polsky recounts the unlikely true story of the Americans who attempted to get rich by investing in the Moscow hockey team after the Soviet Union fell. The investors’ attempts to increase attendance soon give way to outrageous publicity stunts, such as bringing strippers and actual bears to the rink.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 13

“Little Zombies” is the name of the rock band formed by four orphaned Japanese teens at the center of Makoto Nagahisa’s most recent film. The movie is notably hyperstylized, including over-the-top elements of musicals and celebrity satire.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 13

“Howard” celebrates the life and work of songwriter Howard Ashman, who worked on Disney projects like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin,” before dying of AIDS at 40. Alan Menken, who worked with Ashman on several major films, composed the movie’s score.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 16

Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch’s documentary “Mucho Mucho Amor” centers on Walter Mercado, a gender-noncoforming astrologer who became an iconic face in Latin American TV. The Netflix film focuses on both his career and personal life, including interviews with other Latinx entertainment stars, as well as Mercado’s family members.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 17

This Chinese neo-noir follows mob leader Zhou (Hu Ge), who's forced to go on the run after accidentally murdering a cop. During his time on the lam, Zhou finds himself falling for a mysterious woman (Gwei Lun-mei) with her own secret motives. "The Wild Goose Lake" competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 28

In “The Whistlers,” Romanian police officer Cristi (Vlad Ivanov) journeys to the Spanish island of La Gomera to learn its inhabitants’ ancient whistling language. Through using this special code, he hopes to free imprisoned businessman Zsolt (Sabin Tambrea), who has important ties to the mob.

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 42

Based on Susan Scar Merrell’s book of the same name, “Shirley” stars Elisabeth Moss as a fictionalized version of famous horror author Shirley Jackson. The biographical drama begins as Shirley and her husband (Michael Stuhlbarg) open their house to a young couple (Logan Lerman and Odessa Young), and she finds an unlikely, complicated muse—one of her young guests, Rose (Young).

- Metascore: 76
- Reviews: 47

In “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” acclaimed screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin adapts the real-life story of seven activists (originally, eight) who were charged for their involvement with protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The Netflix original features numerous A-list stars, including Jeremy Strong, Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eddie Redmayne.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 7

This French animated film centers on stray dog Marona, who is suddenly hit by a car. With the help of a mix of hand-drawn and computer-generated animation, Anca Damian’s film includes several flashbacks of Marona’s life, as she considers all of the people she’s loved.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 7

"Incitement" centers on activist-turned-assassin Yigal Amir, tracking him for a year up until he killed Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Due to the movie's controversial subject material, a Toronto International Film Festival screening had to be evacuated due to a security threat. However, Yaron Zilberman's film went on to be selected as Israel's entry for the Oscars' Best International Feature Film category.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 8

David Osit’s documentary spends two years following Musa Hadid, the mayor of Palestine’s capital city of Ramallah. In his review, Indiewire’s Eric Kohn wrote that “Mayor” offers “a striking new perspective on [the West Bank struggle], with a personal on-the-ground quality matched by great tonal ambitions.”

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 8

As “Buoyancy” opens, a 14-year-old Cambodian boy named Chakra (Sarm Heng) is sold into slavery, becoming the property of a Thai fishing ship captain (Thanawut Kasro). Rodd Rathjen’s crime drama was inspired by real-life instances of Southeast Asian human trafficking.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 9

This documentary looks into CRISPR, a groundbreaking gene editing process that could give people the ability to impact their unborn children’s genetic makeup and cure major diseases. “Human Nature” features several interviews with the genetic engineers and scientists who are making this technology possible.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 9

In Maite Alberdi’s documentary, a private detective hires an 83-year-old Chilean man named Sergio to help determine if a retirement home is abusive. The official Sundance synopsis for “The Mole Agent” describes it as “a unique meditation on compassion and loneliness that will infiltrate your heart and never let go.”

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 12

Produced by Ryan Murphy, this Netflix documentary pays tribute to the nearly 70-year romantic relationship between former baseball players Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel. The two kept their relationship a secret for decades, and now navigate the difficulties and joys of getting older and coming out late in life. "A Secret Love" was directed by Chris Bolan, the couple's great-nephew.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 20

When “Corpus Christi” protagonist Daniel is released from a Polish youth detention center, his dreams of becoming a priest are initially dashed due to his criminal history. However, when he poses as the new priest of a rural parish, he and the traumatized parishioners attempt to find redemption in each other.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 29

“Little Women” and “Sharp Objects” breakout Eliza Scanlen stars in “Babyteeth” as Milla, a terminally ill teenager who enters into a relationship with local drug dealer Moses (Toby Wallace). The film was adapted from Rita Kalnejais’ 2012 play of the same name.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 36

Lauded for its allegorical depiction of caring for a family member with dementia, “Relic” starts as elderly matriarch Edna (Robyn Nevin) goes missing, forcing her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) to track her down. Soon, Kay becomes convinced that a malevolent force is feeding off of her mother.

- Metascore: 77
- Reviews: 39

“The Personal History of David Copperfield” puts a comedic, modern spin on Charles Dickens’ classic tale, with Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel taking on the titular role. The story explores Copperfield’s life, tracking his ascent from young orphan to respected Victorian author.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 7

Narrated by actress Laura Dern, this HBO documentary delves into psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis' research about the psychology of murders. Other professionals like Richard Burr, Catherine Yeager, and Park Dietz were also interviewed for "Crazy, Not Insane."

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 7

Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer star in “Spontaneous,” playing two high school seniors who fall in love as their classmates start to suddenly explode around them. “It’s at times a horror film, at times a teenage romance, sometimes a comedy, other times an allegory of teenage angst,” wrote San Francisco Chronicle writer G. Allen Johnson. “But that’s what makes it strangely wonderful and fresh.”

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 7

Halina Dryschka’s new documentary celebrates Hilma af Klint, who created abstract paintings in the early 1900s, years before supposed pioneer of abstract art Kandinsky began working. Still, the painter’s work was only recently credited due to a recent Guggenheim exhibition, something that the film questions.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 8

Political activist Stacey Abrams worked with documentarians Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés on “All In: The Fight for Democracy.” The documentary explores the history of American voter suppression, and features an original song by artist Janelle Monaé entitled “Turntables.”

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 8

Rebecca Zlotwoski’s French coming-of-age indie centers on Naima (Mina Farid), a teenager whose life gets turned upside down when her older cousin Sofia (Zahia Dehar) draws her into her free-spirited lifestyle. Zlotwoski received the Director’s Fortnight prize for best French-language movie at 2019’s Cannes Film Festival.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 9

In the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," director Jeff Orlowski uncovers how social media negatively impacts users through the spread of conspiracy theories, data mining, and surveillance. Apart from featuring interviews with social network execs like former Pinterest president Tim Kendall, the film also includes dramatizations of a teenager (Skyler Gisondo) becoming addicted to social media.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 9

“My Darling Vivian” pays homage to Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash’s first wife and the mother of his four children. Although Vivian is often pushed to the side in honor of June Carter Cash, Matt Riddlehoover’s documentary shines a light on how she dealt with intrusive fans and largely raised her daughters alone. The movie features interviews with Vivian’s children, love letters between her and Cash, and family home videos.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 11

“Robin’s Wish” delves into iconic entertainer Robin Williams’ final days. It explores Lewy body dementia, the disease for which Williams received a diagnosis shortly before he died, while also honoring his career and talents.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 29

“The Painter and the Thief” tracks the friendship that unexpectedly blooms between a Czech artist—Barbora Kysilkova—and Karl Bertil-Nordland, who stole two of her paintings. Benjamin Ree’s documentary received the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Storytelling at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 35

Set in the French commune of Montfermeil after the conclusion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, “Les Misérables” references Victor Hugo’s novel to tell the story of a cop who discovers tensions between the police and vulnerable citizens, when he works in a poor neighborhood as part of the Paris Anti-Crime Brigade. The movie was France’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 2020 Academy Awards, and later clinched the nomination.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 35

Evan Rachel Wood leads "Kajillionaire" as a young woman called Old Dolio Dyne, whose con artist parents have trained her in the art of swindling since birth. However, when a newcomer (Gina Rodriguez) joins the family's operations, her presence threatens to blow their latest scheme.

- Metascore: 78
- Reviews: 46

Adapted from Ian Reid’s 2016 book of the same name, this psychological drama begins as an unnamed young woman planning to break up with her boyfriend Jake agrees to meet his parents at their remote home. Soon, their awkward dinner grows surreal, as Jake’s complicated psyche and past relationships come to the fore.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 13

This Canadian Screen Award-winning film satirizes former Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King’s (Dan Beime) rise to power. CityNews Toronto praised Matthew Renkin’s dramedy, noting that it “subverts the mystique around politicians by mocking patriotism, propaganda, and Canadian identity.”

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 14

“La Llorona” takes inspiration from the folktale of the same name, following the ghost of an indigenous Guatemalan woman (María Mercedes Coroy) as she haunts the Guatemalan general (Julio Diaz) who ordered the genocide that killed her and her family decades ago. RogerEbert.com writer Monica Castillo praised Jayro Bustamante’s movie as “not just a creepy story, but a painful reflection of injustice.”

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 16

“Fourteen” explores the close bond between two friends—Jo (Norma Kuhling) and Mara (Tallie Medel)—that deteriorates over the course of 10 years. As social worker Jo struggles more and more with undiagnosed mental health issues and the bad influences of boyfriends, Mara tries to help her move on.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 16

Aubrey Plaza stars in "Black Bear," playing a filmmaker who goes on a lakeside retreat and stays with a troubled young couple (Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon) who are expecting their first child. Soon, the three of them become embroiled in a conflict that blurs the line between fiction and reality, delving into dark truths about gender politics and art.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 17

In this sequel to 2015’s “Shaun the Sheep Movie,” Shaun (Justin Fletcher) and his flock must return their new alien friend home before the evil Ministry for Alien Detection can imprison her. The animated comedy was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2020 BAFTAs.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 18

Arthur Jones’ directorial debut delves into the backstory behind the iconic Internet meme Pepe the Frog, and the struggles of creator Matt Furie to reclaim Pepe from alt-right members who co-opted his work. “Feels Good Man” debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and received a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 29

HBO’s “Bad Education” centers on Long Island school district superintendent Frank (Hugh Jackman), who scrambles to hide an embezzlement scheme threatening the district’s pristine reputation with the help of his assistant, Pam (Allison Janney). The movie won the Emmy Award for Outstanding TV Movie.

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 30

Jude Law and Carrie Coon lead “The Nest,” playing a wealthy couple whose life together spirals after husband Rory (Law) suddenly moves his family to a remote English country manor. The official Sundance Institute synopsis hails Sean Durkin’s thriller for “blurring social critique and character drama.”

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 42

After a six-year feature film hiatus, acclaimed director David Fincher returned with "Mank," which retells the story of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz's (Gary Oldman) initial writing of "Citizen Kane." The movie was inspired by a script written by Fincher's late father, and Variety critic Owen Gleiberman hailed it as "a dizzying time-machine splendor."

- Metascore: 79
- Reviews: 43

In “The Assistant,” Julia Garner plays an aspiring film professional and young assistant at a major entertainment company. Over the course of one day, she endures harassment that shines a light on how misogynistic workplace abuse is often ingrained in day-to-day proceedings.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 7

“Cane River” was the only feature film made by director Horace B. Jenkins, whose death shortly before its completion in 1982 kept it from theaters until now. Featuring an entirely African American cast and crew, the film centers on a forbidden romance that shakes the rivalry between two Louisiana communities.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 8

In “Jezebel,” a teenage girl named Tiffany (Tiffany Tenille) begins to work as a cam girl to support herself after her mother’s death. The semi-autobiographical film is based on director Numa Perrier’s own experiences in the cam world in the 1990s. Perrier also stars in the film, playing Tiffany’s older sister Sabrina.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 10

The Netflix documentary “Disclosure” details the history of transgender representation in Hollywood, also touching on how these depictions have impacted cultural attitudes towards the trans community. Several prominent trans creatives like Lilly Wachowski, Jen Richards, and Laverne Cox provide commentary throughout the film.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 11

"White Riot" recounts the story of the 1970s British protest movement "Rock Against Racism." Using new interviews and archival footage, the documentary reveals how 1976 punk artists rallied together to take on the far-right U.K. political party National Front.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 12

Helmed by director Taghi Amirani, “Coup 53” tells the true story behind Operation Ajax, a coup staged by MI6 and the CIA in order to displace Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh. Amirani himself was involved in uncovering the plot. Actor Ralph Fiennes lends his voice to read a transcript from an interview with MI6 operative Norman Darbyshire, who admitted to working on Coup 53.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 13

Acclaimed documentarian Barbara Kopple recently released “Desert One,” which digs into the history behind a failed 1980 U.S. military effort to rescue American hostages during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Kopple utilizes a variety of sources, including interviews with major figures (from President Jimmy Carter to some of the hostages), as well as archival footage from the era.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 14

“A White, White Day” was Iceland’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2020 Oscars. The film follows an off-duty Icelandic police chief (played by Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson) who goes to treacherous lengths to find out if a local man had an affair with his late wife.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 25

After a close friend died of the coronavirus, documentarian Alex Gibney set out to make a film about the United States’ failed response to the global pandemic. Also directed by Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, the film features interviews coordinated brilliantly by cinematographer Ben Bloodwell, who sent many subjects filming kits so they could record scenes safely.

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 27

Director and star Radha Blank plays a fictionalized version of herself in "The Forty-Year-Old Version," which follows a weary playwright who decides to chase stardom by becoming a rapper at 40. Rolling Stone critic K. Austin Collins described the comedy as a satire of "the theater world, middle age, New York, the racial and gendered expectations of commercial art."

- Metascore: 80
- Reviews: 37

“She Dies Tomorrow” opens as a woman named Amy (Kate Lyn Sheil) becomes convinced she will die the next day, sharing this belief with everyone she meets. Director Amy Seimetz based the allegory on people’s reactions to her admitting that she has anxiety attacks.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 8

“The Truffle Hunters” centers on a group of elderly Italian men who are passionate about scavenging for rare white Alba truffle mushrooms in the Piedmont forests. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film also “suggests a melancholy sense of a disappearing way of life dating back to old-world Europe.” The documentary is set to be officially released in the U.S. on March 12, 2021.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 8

In Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” the extent to which Phillipines President Rodrigo Duterte has utilized social media to spread misinformation is revealed. It also focuses on Rappler founder Maria Ressa, whose critiques of Duterte’s administration led to her risking her life.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 8

“Make Up” opens as young British couple Ruth and Tom (Molly Windsor and Joseph Quinn) go on a remote vacation in Cornwall. But when Ruth seemingly finds evidence of Tom's infidelity, she spirals down a dangerous web of obsession.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 13

During her last summer in Harlem before college, teenager Ayanna (Zora Howard) strikes up an unexpected and passionate romance with older music producer Isaiah (Joshua Boone). However, the sometimes harsh realities of adulthood soon threaten their relationship, and the course of Ayanna's own future.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 15

“The Go-Go’s” revolves around the popular ‘80s band of the same name, who were also the first all-female group to hit number one on the charts with songs they'd written and performed themselves. In the Showtime documentary, its former members document the band’s rise, discography, and fall, in their own words.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 19

In her feature directorial debut, Emmy- and Oscar-winning actress Regina King tells the fictionalized story of a one-night meeting between civil rights icons Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge). “One Night in Miami” is based on Kemp Powers’ play of the same name.

- Metascore: 81
- Reviews: 27

Riz Ahmed stars in “Sound of Metal” as a metal drummer whose life is turned upside down as he starts to lose his hearing. Hollywood Reporter critic John DeFore wrote that “without romanticizing deafness, ‘Sound of Metal’ makes a case for acceptance and embracing the inevitability of unpredictable change.”

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 10

“House of Hummingbird” takes place in Seoul, South Korea, as 14-year-old Eunhee (Ji-hu Park) begins to reckon with her adolescence through chance encounters and romantic exchanges. In 2020, The Guardian listed Bora Kim’s film at #18 on its list of the best modern South Korean films. It also won the Grand Prix from the Generation 14plus International Jury at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 12

In "Residue," a filmmaker (Obinna Nwachukwu) who wants to write a script about his childhood is shocked to return and find that his old neighborhood is unrecognizable due to gentrification. "'Residue' is a fleeting and haunting lament for what is lost to gentrification, and other tolls on Black life in America," wrote The Guardian critic Radheyan Simonpillai. "But at the same time, we're discovering a bold and sensitive new voice."

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 23

“Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets” takes place on the final night of business for iconic Las Vegas dive bar The Roaring 20s, as its staff and patrons reflect on its legacy. The documentary’s synopsis describes it as “a carefully constructed yet oddly affecting record of an American sensibility at once straining to survive and ready for the end.”

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 26

The Brazilian film “Bacaru” distinguished itself by winning the Jury Prize at 2019’s Cannes Film Festival. The story follows a woman named Teresa (Bárbara Colen), who returns to her home village only to find out that American visitors have created a disturbance there while on a dangerous hunting trip. Soon, tensions build to a standoff between the villagers and the visitors.

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 26

In “The Climb,” best friends Kyle (Kyle Marvin) and Mike’s (director and star Michael Angelo Covino) close bond is seriously fractured after Mike sleeps with Kyle’s fiancée, Ava (Judith Godrèche). The Los Angeles Times’ Carols Aguilar called it “a wholehearted and hilarious ode to a fraternal bond more profound and enduring than any romantic attachment.”

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 29

“Sorry We Missed You” centers on a British working-class couple who take delivery-driving jobs, only to end up trapped in a modern-day form of labor exploitation. Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday praised Ken Loach’s drama as “an unsparing look at the human costs of the gig economy.”

- Metascore: 82
- Reviews: 49

One of Spike Lee's 2020 releases, "Da 5 Bloods" shares the experience of four African American veterans who return to Vietnam to locate their late squad leader's remains and the gold that they buried decades ago. Delroy Lindo in particular has received praise for his leading role as conflicted veteran Paul.

- Metascore: 83
- Reviews: 7

Jia Zhangke’s documentary explores the history of Shanghai’s people and architecture from the mid-1800s until modern times. Using interviews with 18 individuals, from politicians’ kids to ex-soldiers to artists, the director paints a portrait of growing up and living in the major city.

- Metascore: 83
- Reviews: 16

This pandemic-centered documentary centers on Wuhan, China healthcare workers and patients as they attempt to get through the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Daily Dot reporter Michelle Jaworski described “76 Days” as “an eye-opening look at the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic that showcases the best of humanity within the walls of several Wuhan hospitals.”

- Metascore: 83
- Reviews: 19

“Driveways” examines the unlikely, close bond that forms between a lonely boy named Cody (Lucas Jaye) and his retired next-door neighbor Del (Brian Dennehy) over the course of a summer. The film received nominations for Best Female Lead (for Hong Chau) and Best First Screenplay at 2020’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.

- Metascore: 83
- Reviews: 24

“Saint Frances” focuses on Bridget, a thirty-something who bonds with the six-year-old she’s nannying, while terminating an unwanted pregnancy and figuring out what she wants from her life. Writer and star Kelly O’Sullivan based the movie on her own abortion experience, telling TIME that she wanted to create a realistic and “non-traumatic depiction of abortion.”

- Metascore: 83
- Reviews: 41

In "Palm Springs," wedding guests Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) slowly fall in love after getting trapped in a time loop. FilmWeek praised the movie for being an "inventive new take on 'Groundhog Day,'" with "more on its mind than the run-of-the-mill rom-com."

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 10

After learning that his father has Alzheimer’s, Chinese artist Ma Liang invites him to collaborate on a complex stage show involving large mechanical puppets, named “Papa’s Time Machine.” In tracking their artistic process, the documentary explores impending loss and how art can preserve memories that are eventually lost to the passage of time.

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 19

Beyoncé released the Disney+ film “Black Is King” as an allegory for the African diaspora, and as a visual companion film to her 2019 album “The Lion King: The Gift.” Like “The Lion King,” it centers on a young prince (Folajomi Akinmurele), who must reclaim the kingdom that was stolen from him as a child.

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 22

In “On the Record,” the directors (Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering) share stories of sexual harassment and abuse allegations made against major hip-hop figure Russell Simmons, most notably rape allegations from record executive Drew Dixon. Executive producer Oprah Winfrey withdrew from the project soon before its release, citing “creative differences.”

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 26

In the aftermath of a deadly siege of Leningrad during World War II, two young women (Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina) struggle to find solace in one another and find a way to move forward after tragedy. “Beanpole” was Russia’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Oscars.

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 32

This Sundance prize-winning film shines a light on the week-long Boys State program, which American Legion has run in Texas since 1935. While the 1,000 participants are there, they build a mock representative government to learn about how modern American democracy operates.

- Metascore: 84
- Reviews: 35

“The Vast of Night” unfolds in 1950s New Mexico as switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) and radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) uncover a mysterious alien radio frequency. The story was based on real UFO “incidents,” such as the Kecksburg Incident and the Foss Lake disappearances.

- Metascore: 85
- Reviews: 9

“Nomad” director Werner Herzog was inspired to make his new documentary after his friend, British travel writer Bruce Chatwin, gave Herzog his well-worn rucksack before passing away from AIDS. The director then sets out on a trek to honor Chatwin’s life, dividing the documentary into eight travel chapters.

- Metascore: 85
- Reviews: 12

In the documentary “Athlete A,” Indianapolis Star reporters break the news of doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse and assaults of Olympic female gymnasts. The movie dropped on Netflix in June, after originally being scheduled to debut at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.

- Metascore: 85
- Reviews: 14

“Star Wars” actor John Boyega demonstrates his acting versatility in Steve McQueen’s “Red White and Blue,” playing London police officer Leroy Logan. After witnessing racist police misconduct, Leroy founded the Black Police Association in an attempt to reform the institution.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 8

Set in the near future, "Divine Love" follows a religious registry clerk who attempts to use her career and faith to stop couples from getting divorced. To do so, she often convinces them to take part in her "Divine Love" therapy sessions, in which couples swap lovers in erotic experiences in order to salvage their sexual chemistry.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 9

Based on the real-life story of Colonia Dignidad, “The Wolf House” finds a woman named Maria (Amalia Kassai) taking refuge at a Chilean house while on the run from German religious zealots. However, things turn nightmarish when the pigs there begin turning into human figures.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 10

Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in “The Father,” which centers on an elderly Welshman (Hopkins) who struggles to accept his dementia diagnosis and help from his adult daughter (Colman). The movie was praised for its depiction of memory loss and aging, and is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on February 26, 2021.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 17

David France’s documentary reveals the extent of the homophobic 2010s purges that took place in Russia’s republic of Chechnya. “Welcome to Chechnya” includes interviews with many of the gay refugees who were tortured and detained during Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s anti-gay campaign.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 21

As “Vitalina Varela” opens, its titular protagonist has just traveled from Cape Verde to Lisbon, Portugal for the first time to attend her husband’s funeral. While there, she discovers the turbulent secret life that he led during their marriage.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 22

Based on Celtic folklore, "Wolfwalkers" tells the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between young wolf hunter Robyn and a young girl named Mebh, whose people are rumored to turn into wolves at night. The film has been particularly praised for its animation, which was done by the studio Cartoon Saloon.

- Metascore: 86
- Reviews: 29

“Crip Camp” follows the 1970s teens of Camp Jened, an upstate New York camp dedicated to giving teens with disabilities a summer to remember. It then flashes forward, as many of the campers become American disability activists. The documentary was executive-produced by the Obamas, and won the Audience Award at 2020’s Sundance Film Festival.

- Metascore: 87
- Reviews: 7

Filmmaker Marielle Heller directed this filmed version of Heidi Schreck’s Broadway show of the same name. In the mostly one-woman show, Schreck uses numerous anecdotes and historical records to question the meaning of the U.S. Constitution, particularly what it means for women.

- Metascore: 87
- Reviews: 12

Over the course of Sasha Joseph Neulinger’s “Rewind,” the documentarian combs through his family home videos to process his own childhood sexual abuse. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote that “watching the movie is like staring at a blurred image of the past that gradually, over 86 minutes, comes into terrifying focus.”

- Metascore: 87
- Reviews: 28

In “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” tensions flare as legendary blues singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and her band gather for an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago. Notably, the musical film features late actor Chadwick Boseman’s performance, as trumpeter Levee.

- Metascore: 88
- Reviews: 17

Longtime documentarian Frederick Wiseman's latest endeavor dives deep into the inner workings of Boston, Massachusetts' city government. RogerEbert.com writer Peter Sobczynski noted that "['City Hall'] allows viewers to see that while the system as a whole may not work perfectly for everybody all the time, it is nevertheless driven by individuals doing what they can to help it evolve."

- Metascore: 89
- Reviews: 8

In “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” filmmaker Kristen Johnson processes her father’s inevitable death from dementia by staging his eventual death in comical and outrageous ways. Washington Post writer Ann Hornaday praised Johnson for creating “a dread-fulfillment fantasy that brims with love, humor, and, of all things, life.”

- Metascore: 89
- Reviews: 16

When music teacher and passionate jazz musician Joe (Jamie Foxx) ends up in another realm where souls are developed, he’s tasked with helping a soul-in-training (Tina Fey) regain their faith in life in order to come back to Earth. The film is set for release on Disney+ on Christmas Day, and initially received a 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

- Metascore: 89
- Reviews: 41

Loosely adapted from Jonathan Raymond’s 2004 book “Half Life,” Kelly Reichardt’s latest film follows King-Lu (Orion Lee) and Cookie (John Magaro), two unlikely friends living in the Oregon frontier in the early 19th century. The two hatch a scheme to make a living by making baked goods using stolen milk from a wealthy Englishman’s cow, creating a story about compassion amid early American capitalism.

- Metascore: 90
- Reviews: 24

As part of his “Small Axe” anthology, filmmaker Steve McQueen dramatizes the landmark British civil rights case of the Mangrove Nine. In 1971, several Black activists were charged with inciting a riot after their peaceful protest against police brutality turned violent, but they were able to successfully defend themselves in court.

- Metascore: 90
- Reviews: 42

All fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit hip hop musical were able to experience the show when a professional recording of "Hamilton'' was released on Disney+ in July 2020. The musical retells the tumultuous story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

- Metascore: 91
- Reviews: 23

Garrett Bradley’s documentary centers on matriarch Fox Rich, who advocates for prison abolition and the release of her husband, who was sentenced to 60 years. The film was made using video footage from two decades, and examines the shattering impact that American mass incarceration has on families (particular Black families and families of color).

- Metascore: 91
- Reviews: 34

In “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Pennsylvania teenager Autumn heads on a treacherous journey to New York City with her cousin Skylar to receive an abortion. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury prize at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. Director Eliza Hittman was inspired to make the film after reading about Savita Halappanavar, an Irish woman who died in 2012 after being denied access to an abortion.

- Metascore: 93
- Reviews: 26

Filmmaker Spike Lee directed this recorded version of beloved musician David Byrne’s Broadway show of the same name. The A.V. Club critic Erik Adams argued that “American Utopia” is “the right movie for 2020,” adding that “the key to [the film’s] resonance isn’t so much one of joy versus despair as it is connection versus isolation.”

- Metascore: 95
- Reviews: 23

“Collective” follows several Romanian journalists as they expose the secret health care fraud behind a 2015 Bucharest nightclub fire that claimed multiple lives. In his review of the documentary for Variety, Jay Weissberg called it “a documentary for our times, deserving of widespread exposure.”

- Metascore: 95
- Reviews: 25

This installment of Steve McQueen's "Small Axe" anthology tells the story of two young lovers (played by Michael Ward and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) who meet and fall in love over the course of a 1980s West London reggae party. The official BBC synopsis notes that the film is "an ode to the romantic reggae genre called Lovers Rock, and to the youth who found freedom and love in its sound."