The 50 Best Movies of 2020

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 6, 2021

Here is Metacritic's final list of the 50 best-reviewed movies of 2020, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes films receiving at least 7 reviews from professional critics.

All films released between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 in at least one U.S. theater or directly to streaming or VOD/digital services were eligible for inclusion. Titles are ranked by Metascore (a weighted average of scores from top professional critics) prior to rounding based on scores as of January 3, 2021.

18 of 25 photo by Focus Features

91 Never Rarely Sometimes Always

(#6) After earning critical acclaim for her first two features (It Felt Like Love and Beach Rats), writer-director Eliza Hittman returned this year with her best film yet: an intimate drama focusing on Autumn, a quiet teenager growing up in rural Pennsylvania who has no viable options to terminate an unintended pregnancy. When her cousin Skylar gathers up enough money to get to New York City, their journey only gets more difficult. The very first film role for star Sidney Flanigan is also one of 2020's best performances, according to a variety of critic groups.

Stream it at HBO Max

“At once dreamlike and ruthlessly naturalistic, steadily composed yet shot through with roiling currents of anxiety, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a quietly devastating gem.” —Andrew Barker, Variety

Where To Buy