The Best Movies of the 2020s So Far

The 2020s have already delivered extraordinary cinema despite pandemic disruptions. From intimate character studies to sweeping epics, here are the films defining the current decade.

1. Dune: Part Two (2024)

Denis Villeneuve completed his adaptation with a film that exceeded the original. The scope expands while the stakes intensify. Paul Atreides’ transformation into messiah feels tragic rather than triumphant.

2. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

The Daniels created a multiverse epic that’s really about a mother and daughter reconnecting. Michelle Yeoh anchors absurdist chaos with genuine emotion.

3. Parasite (2019-2020)

Technically released in 2019, its cultural dominance and Oscar wins defined early 2020. Bong Joon-ho’s class satire transcended every barrier.

4. Oppenheimer (2023)

Christopher Nolan made three hours of dialogue about atomic physics into a blockbuster. Cillian Murphy’s haunted performance anchors the moral complexity.

5. Poor Things (2023)

Yorgos Lanthimos found his most accessible film without sacrificing strangeness. Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter discovers the world with infectious curiosity.

6. The Holdovers (2023)

Alexander Payne delivered an instant classic about unlikely connections. Warm without sentimentality, funny without cruelty.

7. Past Lives (2023)

Celine Song’s debut explores love, regret, and the paths not taken. The final scene devastates with a single walk.

8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Animation pushed further than ever before. Each universe has its own visual language, and the emotional stakes match the spectacle.

9. The Batman (2022)

Matt Reeves reimagined Gotham as noir nightmare. Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is damaged and obsessive, earning the detective title.

10. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The sequel nobody expected to be great. Joseph Kosinski delivered visceral aerial sequences while Tom Cruise proved movie stars still matter.

11. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour epic about the Osage murders demands witness. Lily Gladstone’s performance is historic.

12. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Rian Johnson’s sequel proved Benoit Blanc could anchor a franchise. Tech billionaire satire with murderous puzzle-box structure.

13. Nomadland (2020)

Chloé Zhao’s meditation on grief and American drifters won Best Picture. Frances McDormand disappears into real communities.

14. The Fabelmans (2022)

Spielberg’s autobiography through the lens of young cinephilia. Personal and universal, his most intimate film.

15. Minari (2020)

Lee Isaac Chung’s family immigration story earned universal acclaim. Steven Yeun anchors a multigenerational American story.

16. Promising Young Woman (2020)

Emerald Fennell’s revenge fantasy with candy colors and dark intent. Carey Mulligan’s controlled fury drives an unforgettable film.

17. Sound of Metal (2020)

Riz Ahmed as a drummer losing his hearing. The sound design creates subjective experience that’s disorienting and profound.

18. Drive My Car (2021)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s three-hour meditation on grief, language, and performance. The Chekhov rehearsals become actual emotional catharsis.

19. Tár (2022)

Todd Field’s return after sixteen years gave Cate Blanchett a career-defining role. Power and accountability examined through classical music.

20. The Power of the Dog (2021)

Jane Campion’s slow-burn western reveals its shape gradually. Benedict Cumberbatch’s toxic rancher meets unexpected opposition.

Decade Themes

The 2020s have seen:

Theatrical comeback: After pandemic closures, films like Top Gun: Maverick and Oppenheimer proved audiences will return for the right experience.

International crossover: Korean cinema continued its breakthrough with Parasite’s success opening doors.

Auteur blockbusters: Directors like Nolan, Villeneuve, and the Daniels proved artistic vision and commercial success aren’t mutually exclusive.

Animation evolution: Spider-Verse and other films pushed what animation can achieve visually and narratively.

The decade is far from over. If the first four years indicate what’s coming, we’re in for remarkable cinema.

For more year-based lists, see our Best Movies of 2023 and Best Movies of the 2010s.