The 30 Best Movies of the 2020s (and Where to Watch Them)
A recent thread on X is about finding the most important films of the 2020s. It’s a good question, and it doesn’t seem strange to start looking for it now, given that this decade, which began with the Covid lockdown and escalated into multiple global wars and one of the most intense presidential campaigns ever, has lasted a very long time. currently about 30 years old. So, hey! Let’s drown our high cortisol levels in movie snacks and watch some of the key films of nearly fifty years. Along the way, we may even uncover some themes that speak to our troubling and generally unpleasant times.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
If the title doesn’t sum up the decade, I’m not sure what does. One of the darkest satires in recent memory, Ruben Östlund’s surprise Oscar contender is like at least three films in one, with narratives that at unexpected moments take sharp turns to the right, strike at greed and completely skewer capitalism – with memorable the centerpiece of aboard a luxury cruise ship, divided between the haves (passengers) and the have-nots (crew), culminating in literal explosions of vomit and shit. Great and fun if you have the courage for it.
Where to watch: Hulu , digital rental.
People’s Joker (2022)
Vera Drew’s highly autobiographical film seems like at least two miracles at once: first, that the carefully crafted low-budget satire was ever made, and second, that it was ever released. Drew draws on his clear love of DC Comics characters to tell his own story, using the Batman villain as his lens. In a dystopian world in which the Bat is a judgmental Big Brother, the real heroes are the oddballs, oddballs and freaks he watches over. It’s very strange, very personal and, perhaps best of all, feels like a keg of acid thrown in the face of our corporate IP movie world. Also starring Maria Bamford, Tim Heidecker, Scott Ackerman and Bob Odenkirk.
Where to watch: digital rental
RRR (2022)
Unlike many American blockbusters, there is not a dull moment in this action-packed Tollywood epic. A historical drama that deals with the national trauma caused by the British Raj. The film depicts two real-life revolutionaries who died as martyrdom for the cause of independence. None of this sounds like it would be much fun, and yet! Filled with brilliantly choreographed action scenes that put Marvel to shame, as well as inspired worthy musical numbers, RRR moves deftly between tones, with context making everything even more enjoyable. For me, find a more thrilling moment in cinema this decade than when a truck full of wild animals is forcibly released during a quiet meeting at the estate of a British politician.
Where to watch: Netflix
Oppenheimer (2023)
Barbie won the zeitgeist, but Oppenheimer won the awards. It’s OK! They are very different, and the weekend at Barbenheimer taught us that it doesn’t always have to be competition. This Best Picture Oscar winner follows the brilliant and controversial Cillian Murphy as the titular theoretical physicist who helped America develop the world’s first nuclear weapon during World War II. Amid a talky script peppered with occasional moments of bravura effects, writer-director Christopher Nolan never loses sight of either his complex lead role or the murky, ugly morality behind Oppenheimer’s work. Nolan’s real achievement here is that he treats the scientific, personal, and political aspects of the story with almost equal rigor, a reminder that change never occurs in a vacuum.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
On a sweaty, drunken, bluesy afternoon in Chicago in 1927, the great Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) shows up in the studio to record a new album. She has been signed by white promoters and is fully aware that their respect for her is entirely dependent on her profitability as a singer. She doesn’t care. As the session progresses, tensions rise and conflicts flare, especially between Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman’s Livie Green. Davis is so good that she practically embodies the blues legend, and Chadwick Boseman is excellent in his latest role.
Where to watch: Netflix
River (2023)
It’s a much smaller film (in many ways) than any other film on this list, but that’s precisely why this Japanese import feels like an important piece of counterprogramming. At a spa in tiny Kibuna, Japan, life moves at a snail’s pace for staff and guests until, paradoxically, a mishap in timing results in everyone living in a repeating two-minute time loop. For some, it’s a blessing to be able to hang out at the same time, while others are desperately trying to move forward. It’s a sweet, smart and often very funny film about the benefits of slowing down in our increasingly chaotic world and looking at life from as many perspectives as possible.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Robot Dreams (2023)
Who needs dialogue when a movie is so simple and effective? A shy and lonely dog from New York finds a robot companion and they become completely inseparable. Until they are separated. Beautifully animated, the film is cute as hell and often very funny, without being afraid to go deep and get a little dark. Take a handkerchief. In an era of entertainment so driven by nostalgia, the film’s message of the inevitability of change is refreshing. Moving forward is hard, sometimes heartbreaking, but often necessary and worth it.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Bo’s Afraid (2023)
When this decade ends, Handsome Boy Is Afraid will likely still be one of the wildest and most polarizing films we’ve ever encountered. Ari Aster, director of Hereditary and Midsommar, gives us his best or worst film, depending on who you talk to (I say best), about Beau Wasserman (Joaquin Phoenix), a middle-aged fool with extreme anxiety. Much of what happens is surreal and psychedelic, but often it feels like a very accurate representation of the world as seen through the eyes of someone who is constantly worried and afraid. And who the hell can’t relate to that? Patti LuPone gives a stellar supporting performance as Bo’s mother.
Where to watch: Paramount+ , digital rental.
Everything everywhere and at once (2022)
This innovative and absurd comedy-drama received the lion’s share of love at the Oscars, combining a heartfelt and genuinely touching premise with some of the most wonderfully sillier moments you’re likely to find in a major motion picture (show me another best film). Oscar winner who uses a butt plug so creatively). This deeply strange and relatively low-budget film was not as successful as it was, with much of the credit going to writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, as well as the consistently great performances from leads Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Xu, the wonderful Ke Hai Quan and Michelle Yeoh.
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
Candyman (2021)
Nia DaCosta ‘s Candyman is both a reboot and a sequel, introducing elements (and characters) of the original without getting bogged down by any of them. The original had good intentions in its commentary on race in America, but feels deeply compromised in its mission by its very white point of view. Here, by contrast, we delve much deeper into how our culture (and police) turn marginalized victims into villains, using incredibly inventive and clever visuals. It’s also scary, with some elements of brutal body horror! A legacy sequel done right.
Where to watch: Freevee
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Wildly and impressively kinetic , Da 5 Bloods is almost three hours long, but it doesn’t feel like it at all. Four veterans (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isaiah Whitlock Jr.) return to Vietnam in search of the remains of a fallen squad leader (Jonathan Majors) and the gold he helped them hide. Returning to the Vietnam War film genre with a special focus on the (often ignored) black American experience, Spike Lee brings new relevance to the stories of the period, drawing clear and direct lines between then and now. The acting is always great, including Chadwick Boseman in one of his final roles.
Where to watch: Netflix
Drive My Car (2021)
Japanese filmmakers are well represented on this list (and we’re not done yet). It’s just been a very good decade for Japanese filmmakers, at least in terms of films getting international distribution. The story on which the film is based, written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami ( Kafka on the Shore , IQ84 ), is only about 45 pages long, yet Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s adaptation is packed with material. It’s the story of a widowed theater director who forms a bond with a young woman tasked with taking him to Hiroshima for his latest project. There’s little incident and relatively little dialogue, although the cinematography and sound design make these silent moments exciting. Ultimately, this is a story about the transcendent beauty of human connection, even despite all the pain that divides us. It’s also a particularly timely film, given its central theme: Sometimes it’s OK to chat with a Lyft driver.
Where to watch: The Criterion Channel, digital rental.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
For all our technological connections, it seems that the real story of this decade is one of disconnection, whether that divide is political or physical. Filmmaker and naturalist Craig Foster spent a year building a relationship with the wild common octopus—a creature we discover can be startlingly intelligent in many recognizable ways and downright alien in many others. However, Foster and the octopus become something of good friends, hanging out and playing with each other as Foster gains deeper access to her underwater world. The dangers of this world and the naturally short lifespan of this species provide truly moving lessons about the profound fragility of life, and the joy and value of interacting with nature. This assumes that connection is possible if we want it (and know how to swim).
Where to watch: Netflix
Nimona (2023)
Ballister Baldheart, along with his boyfriend Ambrosius Goldenloin, is about to be knighted by the Queen, the first commoner ever to receive the honor. All was well until he was accused of murdering the queen and forced to flee, becoming the criminal the snobs had already mistaken him for. Luckily (or not), he is joined by Nimona, a teenage outcast who has been shunned due to her shapeshifting powers. The two work together to clear Ballister’s name, even though Nimona has a lot to teach Ballister about living authentically and not worrying about what haters think. Based on the graphic novel by N.D. Stevenson, Nimona had an incredibly rocky road to the screen, enduring delays, company closures, a pandemic, and pressure from Disney to end the weird stuff. Luckily, none of these dramas made it into the finished product (eventually streamed by Netflix). This is a heartfelt, joyful and funny fantasy set in a futuristic world full of medieval trappings.
Where to watch: Netflix
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
If you told me we’d get a major Godzilla movie this decade – well, I’d be ecstatic. But it is also doubtful. And here we are, with one of the best entries in a very, very long-running franchise, and a film that is a thrilling, truly moving and melancholic adventure in its own right. This is a prequel of sorts to the original 1954 film. In this film, kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) had several encounters with Godzilla over the years after World War II. This wartime trauma, which harkens back to the original film while simultaneously reflecting our own turbulent times, gives this film kaiju-sized emotional weight. Equally important, the masterful Oscar-winning visual effects make Godzilla scary again, and the action sequences have real weight and stakes. Eschewing the more-is-more approach of the American Godzilla series, writer-director Takashi Yamazaki reminds us that Japanese filmmakers truly know their king of the monsters.
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
The Challengers (2024)
Zendaya plays Tashi, a former professional tennis player turned coach who talks her husband Josh (Mike Feist) into avoiding a series of bad luck by forcing him into a low-level contenders tournament. Everything was fine until he looked online and saw his old friend and ex-boyfriend Tasha. Of course, this is a tennis movie—and, by all accounts, an impressively accurate one . I’ll have to take their word for it. But it’s from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, who has given us a smart and impressively horny bisexual romantic sports drama we never knew we needed. In this era of blockbusters for all ages, it’s great to see sex making a comeback on the big screen.
Where to watch: MGM+, digital rental.
Problemista (2023)
Julio Torres (creator of Los Espuquis and Fantasmas ) wrote, produced, directed and stars in this surreal autobiographical comedy about a toy designer from El Salvador working in the United States on a visa that is about to expire. What to do but, in desperation, agree to work with the quirky and fickle artist Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton)? The film is impressively stylish and very, very strange, but also deeply human in its bold assertion that maybe someone like Torres isn’t a complete monster if he believes in his own American dream. RZA, Greta Lee and Isabella Rossellini also star.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Barbie (2023)
Oppenheimer might have won the Oscar, but Barbie owned the conversation—and the box office—and the candy-pink pro-feminist made more money than any other 2023 film. Margot Robbie is perfect as a fish out of water doll stranded in the real world, Ryan Gosling is more than Kenof, and this is director Greta Gerwig’s third success in a row (after Lady Bird and Little Women ). The fact that this seems to have inspired more movies based on toys rather than movies that offer messages of personal empowerment and/or put women front and center kind of sucks, but hardly You can blame the movie for that.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Deciding to Leave (2022)
The plot here is simple, if elliptical: an insomniac investigating the death of a man in the remote mountains develops Vertigo- style obsessive feelings for the increasingly mysterious wife of the deceased, who doesn’t seem all that upset about becoming a widow . . Like most of writer-director Park Chan-wook’s films (including Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance , Oldboy , and The Handmaiden ), the film is nearly impossible to categorize into genres. It alternately feels like a romance, a thriller, and a mystery—or all three at once. The mysterious and beautifully shot film won the Park Award for Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Where to watch: Mubi, digital rental.
Hundreds of Beavers (2022)
A huge hit at festivals (the line for the screening in my hometown literally spanned the block), Hundreds of Beavers delighted road show audiences with its Looney Tunes- style charm and, naturally, plenty of beavers. 19th century apple jack (a type of booze) seller Gene Kayak starts a war with said beavers (played by men in giant, wonderfully absurd costumes) when one of the creatures eats through a support beam and destroys his house. The result is absolute comic anarchy, with one legitimately hilarious silent film style gag after another.
Where to watch: digital rental
Dicks: The Musical (2023)
There’s no socially uplifting theme or message here, but you have no idea what you’re in for unless you’ve seen this truly rowdy musical about a pair of twins separated at birth (Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson), both misogynistic assholes who start impersonate each other to reconcile their long-estranged parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). It’s a simple and silly premise, but things quickly get wilder and wilder. Evelyn’s mom’s vagina fell off years ago, recently departed dad Harrison keeps a pair of mutant “sewer boys” in a giant birdcage in his apartment, and the brothers become perhaps a little closer than the brothers should be. This is the most wonderfully, stunningly strange film in recent memory. And it stars Megan Thee Stallion! Simply perfect.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Wonka (2023)
I didn’t have high expectations for the Chocolate Factory prequel (I couldn’t imagine caring about Willy Wonka’s origin story), but boy, was I wrong. This is a wonderful, old-school family musical with modern production values that feels like an entirely refreshing throwback to a less cynical time. It boasts some catchy songs, as well as heartfelt (i.e. non-cynical) emotional beats that really hit the mark. Wonka is in the zeitgeist with this terrifying chocolate Willy Wonka experience , but Timothée Chalamet’s cast as our favorite chocolatier with vague menace certainly offers a superior option.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
No (2022)
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star as sibling caretakers of a rural California horse ranch, scions of a long line of black ranchers and horse trainers who are surrounded by… something? Wildly original if often irritating, Jordan Peele’s latest film offers no easy answers or standard interpretations, but the film’s Twilight Zone- esque feel is deeply unsettling and impressively entertaining. This is the rare Hollywood film in which it is truly difficult to predict what will happen next.
Where to watch: Starz, digital rental.
Zone of Interest (2023)
The banality of evil is another theme of our era, and Oscar winner Jonathan Glazer explores precisely this theme in the story of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (the always brilliant Sandra Hüller), living a supposedly ordinary life while being complicit in the extraordinary evil that always occurs outside the frame. It is very specific in its approach to the Holocaust and the real-life figures depicted in it, but also suggests, in a broader sense, that we are all capable of turning our backs on the horrors to which we are complicit, and even benefiting from them.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
A fascinating portrait of photographer, artist and activist Nan Goldin, renowned for her work documenting the HIV/AIDS crisis and then the more recent opioid epidemic following her own death from a fentanyl overdose. The film centers on a moral conflict: Goldin’s tireless work against the Sackler family’s companies for their role in the relentless marketing of OxyContin puts her in a difficult position when it comes to showing her work. As she calls on the art community to divest itself from these pharmaceutical giants, she is also beginning to question the value of showing her work in museums, many of which are heavily funded by the Sacklers. How much should an uncompromising artist compromise for the greater good? Nan’s experience is, of course, very specific, but it also speaks to the increasingly complex nature of good and evil in a world that seems to offer only a choice between lesser evils.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
If Anything Happens, I Love You (2020)
A very short (less than 15 minutes) film with an epic emotional punch. The film follows two parents grieving the death of their daughter in a school shooting, only to find themselves growing apart in the aftermath. Simple but beautifully animated, the Oscar winner finds hard-earned light in the darkness of heartbreak.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Worst Person in the World (2021)
Writer-director Joachim Trier’s latest film, despite its title and its reputation for disturbing cinema, is surprisingly sweet and life-affirming. Renate Reinsve brilliantly plays Julie, a medical student – for a minute – who has absolutely no idea what she wants to do with her life and is completely afraid of commitment to anyone or anything. She’s a 20-something slob in a way you’ve seen before in other, lesser films, but The Worst Person in the World exploits those tropes to their fullest potential, offering all the joys of cinematic romantic dramas we’ve seen. before, although it felt a little more like real life. No small feat.
Where to watch: Hulu , digital rental.
Past Lives (2023)
The always great Greta Lee plays Nora, whose family emigrated from South Korea to the United States when she was a child. Years later, and then several years later, she is reunited with childhood friend Hae-sung (Teo Yoo), forcing her to reconsider her life as it is and as it could be. In terms of plot, there’s nothing special about it, but the performances are beautifully drawn, and anyone who’s ever thought seriously about the roads less taken will find something interesting here.
Where to watch: Paramount+ , digital rental.
Sisu (2022)
A grizzled, broken-looking lone prospector wanders through northern Finland in the final days of World War II, hoping to sell his gold find in the city. Some Nazis leaving the country decide he’s an easy target, but it quickly turns out they’ve messed with the wrong guy. The formula here is a lot like 1940s John Wick , but with real Nazis. I didn’t expect it to be so relevant in this day and age, but here we are. Wild, over-the-top violence, but still a lot of fun.
Where to watch: Starz, digital rental.
My Father’s Dragon (2022)
Based on Ruth Stiles Gannett’s 1948 children’s novel of the same name, the film follows a boy named Elmer (Jacob Tremblay) and his shopkeeper mother Del (Golshifteh Farahani) as they leave their close-knit town for a bigger city when the promise of better circumstances fails to materialize. fast. However, Elmer’s patience is rewarded when a talking cat invites him to go on a wonderful candy-colored adventure. This film is directed by the wonderful Breadwinner and Cartoon Saloon, the production company behind animated films such as the wonderful Irish folk tale Wolfwalkers . It is aimed at young children, but does not insult the audience’s intelligence.
Where to watch: Netflix