As 2020 comes to an end, it’s time to list the best movies released during the year. However, as you might have guessed, this year has been completely different for everyone and the coronavirus pandemic impacted all aspects of the entertainment industry.

With movie theaters closed and release dates being pushed back, the number of new movies was reduced significantly. Moreover, they’re spread among different streaming services or virtual film festivals, which made it hard to watch as many as I would have watched in a regular year.

So I’m listing the best ones I’ve seen considering all of the above, but I’m aware that there are more movies that I simply haven’t been able to watch yet.

10 – Emma.

This is probably the funniest adaptation I’ve seen of a Jane Austen novel. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title role and brings a different approach to the character. The supporting cast also shines, especially Bill Nighy, Josh O’Connor, Miranda Hart, and Johnny Flynn. Emma. tells the story of a young woman in the 1800s who likes to play matchmaker while determined not to find anyone for herself. And why is there a period at the end of the title? According to director Autumn de Wilde, it’s because it’s a period film. And this explanation fits perfectly with this film!

Available on HBO Max. Watch the trailer here.

9 – Disclosure

This eye-opening documentary shows us how transgender people have been represented in our popular culture through the years and how that impacts their own stories. Featuring interviews with Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono, Lilly Wachowski, among others, Disclosure shows the audience how movies and TV shows have taught us to think about transgender people (spoiler: not in a nice way), as well as the progress that has been taking place in recent years. But there’s still a long way to go.

Available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here.

8 – The Trial of the Chicago 7

If you like trial movies and if you enjoy Aaron Sorkin’s style (i.e., A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network), you will enjoy this one. As the title explains, it tells the story of the trial that followed the protest that took place in Chicago in 1968 against the Vietnam War. Originally eight protesters were arrested and tried, but the judge declares mistrial for one of them (activist Bobby Seale), after the most brutal scene in the movie. Based on real events and directed and written by Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 has a great cast (Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, among others) and it’s as relevant now as it would have been 50 years ago.

Available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here.

7 – Boys State

Every summer, teenagers all across the US go to Boys/Girls State, an intensive kind of camp where they learn about politics and have the task of forming a government. This documentary follows the Texas’s Boys State and it is a fascinating look at how teenagers currently think about the main issues that concern the country and what they would do to win an election (which says a lot about our politicians in power). Boys State wisely selects its subjects from different backgrounds and shows the audience how the division in views and values is already enrooted in our society from a very young age.

Available on Apple TV. Watch the trailer here.

6 – Nomadland

Nomadland definitely falls into the category of “movies that taught me something new about the country”. Written and directed by Chloé Zhao, it stars Frances McDormand as a woman who leaves her small town during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 to travel around the American West while living in her van. Based on a non-fiction book entitled Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, by Jessica Bruder, the movie is a raw portrait of what life is like for that group of people who don’t have a permanent address and travel the country, from job to job, either by choice or by necessity. Frances McDormand is absolutely perfect in this role and her performance is subtle and poignant. It is also interesting to note that most of the cast is composed by real-life nomads playing themselves.

Watched during the New York Film Festival. Current release date is February, 2021. Watch the trailer here.

5 – The Father

Very rarely do we find ourselves as confused as the protagonist of a movie. Usually the audience has the advantage of knowing the truth while witnessing the main character’s struggle. The Father, however, turns that perspective upside down and gives us the point of view of Anthony (brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins), an older man who is suffering from dementia and is dealing with a progressing memory loss. If Anthony questions his daughter’s (played by Olivia Colman) actions, so do we, as the audience is as confused as he is, which makes it way more interesting and appealing.

Watched during the AFI Festival. Current release date is February, 2021. Watch the trailer here.

4 – Sound of Metal

One of the worst things that can happen to a person, in my opinion, is to lose the thing responsible for their career and livelihood. That is exactly what happens in Sound of Metal when Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer in a rock band, finds out he’s losing his hearing. We follow his journey through his grief while he realizes his life will never be the same again. Riz Ahmed gives one of the best performances of the year.

Available on Prime Video. Watch the trailer here.

3 – The Assistant

Clearly based on how it was to work with Harvey Weinstein, The Assistant never actually shows us the producer, nor does it mention his name. Instead, we follow a whole day in the life of one of his junior assistants, a girl played by Julia Garner. Her character’s name isn’t mentioned in the film either, as people barely talk to her during the day. And it is the silence that guides the film. It is amazing how harrowing this movie can be. She is constantly mistreated by her boss over the phone and subsequently forced to write apologetic emails to him, always thanking him for the opportunity to work there. His other assistants are two extremely obnoxious young men who frankly couldn’t care less about her. Throughout that day, we see how she witnesses all of her boss’s enablers in action, from Human Resources to more senior women in the company. The Assistant proves that you don’t need a fast paced film or extraordinary events to have workplace harassment. Her day is scary enough.

Available on Hulu. Watch the trailer here.

2 – Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a difficult movie to watch, as it follows the saga a teenager from a small town in Pennsylvania has to go through to get an abortion. The scene that gives the movie its title is particularly heartbreaking, as Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) slowly breaks into tears while answering questions from the social worker at a Planned Parenthood clinic. It’s a movie about sorority, #metoo, hypocrisy, and the struggles women go through.

Available on HBO Max. Watch the trailer here.

1 – Soul

In some ways, Soul encompasses all of the themes of the movies listed above. It talks about our purpose in life and what is our spark: what is that thing that makes us want to be alive and enjoy life. It also talks about dreams and the dangers of obsessing about a particular goal. The animation is breathtaking and the original score is wonderful. Even though I still prefer Inside Out, Soul is an extremely relevant and intelligent movie that perhaps will only make sense to children once they grow up.

Available on Disney Plus. Watch the trailer here.

Let’s hope 2021 brings us a vaccine and more movies!