2020 has been all over the place, so it’s more than likely that you haven’t had the chance to see some of the year’s best films.
Here are my picks for the best movies of 2020 you might have missed.
Eternal Beauty
One of the most special films not just of this year, but in a long time, it’s a travesty that so few people saw director Craig Roberts’ beautiful comedy-drama Eternal Beauty.
Featuring a powerful and incredibly lovable performance from Sally Hawkins as a woman living with mental illness, Eternal Beauty shirks the dour approach that similar films have taken to its lead characters, instead offering a unique, positive and truly independent view on life – the kind that just makes my heart soar.
Read a full review here.
Babyteeth
2020 has been an emotional rollercoaster in itself, but none of this year’s films can claim that title quite as convincingly as director Shannon Murphy’s staggering Babyteeth.
Starring Eliza Scanlen as a teenage girl with a serious illness, the film blends soaring coming-of-age drama with immensely lovable, down-to-earth characters, yet never shies away from a sobering and heart-wrenching view of harsh reality. You’ll smile and you’ll cry, but there’s no denying that Babyteeth is one of the year’s very best movies.
Read a full review here.
The Eight Hundred
In a land where box office blockbusters still exist even in 2020, The Eight Hundred isn’t at the top of both China’s and the world’s highest-grossing list of the year for no good reason.
A far cry from the hulking CGI-heavy blockbusters that have plagued Chinese cinemas in recent years, The Eight Hundred is a masterpiece of war cinema, complete with a rich insight into the history of the Sino-Japanese War, thrilling action, an incredible ensemble cast, and gripping and challenging themes that you’d never come across in a Hollywood war movie.
Read a full review here.
Over The Moon
Yet another step forward for Netflix’s burgeoning animation department, Over The Moon is the most joyful family film of the year by a long, long way.
Without doubt an attempt by Netflix to step onto the same level as Disney’s legendary animations, Over The Moon is filled with gorgeous visuals, soaring adventure, touching emotion and even a number of great songs. It never quite has the show-stopping power of Disney’s ultimate classics, but it’s not far away, and is easily one of 2020’s best films for the whole family to enjoy.
Read a full review here.
Dick Johnson Is Dead
You’ll see countless Netflix Original Documentaries land on the service every week, but if there’s one this year which really stands out, it’s the gorgeous Dick Johnson Is Dead.
A deeply personal documentary that is for all intents and purposes a comedy movie, the film follows a daughter and her father preparing for the end of his life by enacting a series of bizarre fake deaths for him. It’s as unorthodox as things get, but the film has a very serious point to make, never shying away from the realities of life but facing up to them with a bright and unique attitude.
Read a full review here.
Unpregnant
There have been a number of excellent coming-of-age movies in 2020, and director Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s Unpregnant is easily one of the best.
The story of two former best friends taking a road trip across the US so that one of them can have an abortion, Unpregnant is a brilliant blend of delightful comedy and touching drama, all with a very clear and serious message to young women all around the world. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s an important story to tell – plus there’s a nice helping of ’00s nostalgia, something that I love to see.
Read a full review here.
Pixie
A rollicking caper featuring one of the most charismatic performances of the year, the hilarious British comedy Pixie is really not to be missed.
Injected with an ever-fresh sense of dark Irish humour, the film follows three friends who flee across the Green Isle after getting mixed up in a drug war between the mob and a gang of violent priests. Olivia Cooke is amazing in the lead role, and the movie has a brilliantly enjoyable brand of buddy comedy that makes it effortlessly lovable from beginning to end.
Read a full review here.
Yes, God, Yes
Another standout coming-of-age film of 2020, director Karen Maine’s brilliant Yes, God, Yes is as hilarious as it is a strikingly sobering portrayal of oppression.
The story of a Catholic teenage girl who, discovers the joys of masturbation, only to be taught that it is sinful by her elders. Complete with touching drama, moments of hilarious comedy, a healthy helping of ’00s nostalgia (always a bonus), and most of all a powerful demonstration of the hypocrisies of those who claim to want the best for us, Yes, God, Yes is a worthy watch in all regards.
Read a full review here.
All My Life
All My Life isn’t a perfect movie, and it’s more than fair to say that it’s a rather sappy romantic drama, but if there’s a film with a more positive, optimistic outlook on life, I need to see it.
Based on the true story of a young couple whose dream marriage is shattered by a devastating medical diagnosis, All My Life delights by relentlessly looking forward, and for all of its saddest moments, there are some dizzyingly gorgeous highs, not to mention an enormously lovable lead duo in Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr.
Read a full review here.
