The 20 Best Movies of 2020 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
and Keith Kimbell, Metacritic Film Editor – July 2, 2020

Which films have impressed critics the most during the first half of the year? Above, we rank the best-reviewed movies released in theaters* or on digital/VOD/streaming outlets between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Films are ranked by Metascore and must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible.

* Commonly found in urban locations during the Before Times, a theater was an enclosed public space where strangers came together to watch films projected on a screen.

15 of 21 photo by Grasshopper Film

86 #4 (tie): Vitalina Varela

Writer-director Pedro Costa (Horse Money) continues his singular examination of the people of Cape Verde with this story of the 55-year-old Vitalina, who arrives in Lisbon to bury the husband she hasn’t seen in more than 25 years. It’s a typically challenging and beautiful offering from Costa, featuring his Horse Money star Ventura as a struggling priest who knew Vitalina’s husband. The film won the Golden Leopard for best film and best actress at the 2019 Locarno International Film Festival.

“If nothing else, the impeccable craftsmanship is breathtaking, and if that’s not reason enough to seek out great cinema, nothing is.” —Andrew Crump, Paste

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