Though the decade is still very fresh, the best movies of the 2020s contain many hidden gems obfuscated by global events like the Covid-19 pandemic at the start of the decade. So far, the cinema landscape in the 2020s has been fairly predictable, as superhero movies have reigned supreme. Yet as much as they've dominated entertainment news cycles, plenty of super-hero free movies released in the 2020s have been instant hits. The best movies of the 2020s show a wide variety of things to love for all movie lovers.
Between riveting period dramas, a jaw-dropping sci-fi epic, and an instant classic from a cinema auteur, there have already been several great movies released this decade. With many more years to cover in the 2020s, it remains to be seen how much competition these movies will face (or whether so-called superhero movie fatigue really will set in and reshape the landscape). However, with some of these already iconic movies, they feel quite secure and worthy of being among the best movies of the 2020s.
10 Soul (2020)
- Stream now on Disney+
Pixar is the greatest animated movie studio working today, as it has created some of the most magical and imaginative animations of all time. Soul continues that trend and is one of the best movies of the 2020s. Soul marks the studio's 11th movie, and follows an aspiring musician who finds himself descending to the afterlife while desperately trying to return to his body and fulfill his unaccomplished dreams. Just like great Pixar movies Coco and Inside Out, the 2020 movie attempts to teach children about something deeper than simply being a goofy movie with talking animals. This time, the film is about mortality, and it breaks down life and death in a way that's smart and doesn't talk down to kids. Soul fits into the Pixar franchise as another heartwarming winner.
9 The Batman (2022)
- Stream now on HBO Max
The Batman starred Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, transforming the comic book movie into a gritty detective story. Even though the gold standard of Batman movies is the Dark Knight trilogy, there are so many ways The Batman is better than Christopher Nolan's movies, whether it's the portrayal of Carmine Falcone or the gothic aesthetic. But the best thing the movie does is build a world that audiences are begging to see more of, even though the film is already three hours long. While the DCU will introduce its own Batman, they were wise enough to leave Matt Reeves' Batman series to itself with The Batman sequel and a spinoff series on the way.
8 The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021)
- Stream now on Netflix
It's rare when a non-Pixar animated movie outdoes the famed studio when it comes to capturing the cultural zeitgeist, but The Mitchells Vs. The Machines did just that in 2021, becoming one of the best movies of the 2020s in the process. Though Netflix's original movies don't always have a great reception, The Mitchells vs. the Machines surprised everyone by delivering a funny, heartwarming, and action-packed adventure. The movie is about a dysfunctional family who is going through realistic struggles, only to find themselves in the middle of a robot apocalypse.
7 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Stream now on Starz
With Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony created a film that transcended the superhero genre and is generally one of the best movies of the 2020s all round. Though the genre has been extremely popular over the past 15 years, there are still thousands of naysayers out there. However, No Way Home isn't just a brooding, "serious" movie; it leans into being a comic book movie more than any other. It's full of fan service, intertwining the universe, including the triumphant returns of former Spider-Man actors Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. However, the movie makes it all matter to the story with emotional moments, some shocking twists, and an ending that sets up a new chapter for Tom Holland's Spider-Man.
6 RRR (2022)
- Stream now on Netflix
Despite India having its own massive movie industry, it is not often a Bollywood film catches on with an international audience in quite the same way as RRR — which undeniably is one of the best movies of the 2020s. The movie takes a loose approach to history in the story of the friendship between two friends whose differences and their shared determination helped to ignite a revolution. In many ways, RRR puts the superhero genre to shame with an adventure filled with over-the-top yet thrilling action while still being able to tell a gripping story with well-defined characters. On top of all that, the musical sequences add another element of fun.
5 CODA (2021)
- Stream now on Apple TV+
Every so often, there is a small indie movie that comes out of nowhere and surprises everyone. CODA is the most recent example of such a sleeper hit and one of the most crowd-pleasing movies of the 2020s. Emilia Jones plays Ruby, a young girl who is the only one in her family who is not deaf. The movie follows her struggles with dealing with her family while pursuing her dream of being a singer. The movie ended up winning Best Picture despite some stiff competition from bigger prestige movies. But this small family drama that was filled with light-hearted moments won over so many people and left plenty of tears in their eyes.
4 The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)
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- Stream now on HBO Max
The dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the great movies that can break the audience's heart while still making them laugh. Set on a small Irish island in the 1920s, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as two men whose friendship comes to an abrupt end when Gleeson decides he doesn't like Farrell anymore. It is a strange setup that sets the stage for an emotional and thought-provoking journey. The Banshees of Inisherin's other characters help to fill out the somber and dark story with Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon terrific supporting performances alongside Farrell and Gleeson, with all four being nominated for Oscars.
3 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- Stream now on HBO Max
Decades after the original movie was a popular yet cheesy 80s hit, few people could have predicted how successful the long-awaited sequel would be. Tom Cruise returns as Maverick, the hotshot fighter pilot who is assigned as an instructor at the TOPGUN school where one of his students is the son of Goose, the friend he lost. Top Gun: Maverick blew audiences and critics away in the summer of 2022 with its practical action sequences and epic feel mixed with a surprising bit of emotion. Not only did the movie earn a Best Picture nomination, but its massive box office success was praised for helping to save the theatrical movie-going experience.
2 Dune (2021)
- Stream now on HBO Max
Dune has had a long history in Hollywood, until director Denis Villeneuve got his hands on the property. Villeneuve elevated the source material into a genuine science-fiction epic, and the digital effects seamlessly blend in with the world better than almost any other sci-fi blockbuster of the last decade, catapulting Dune to its acclaim of being one of the best movies of the 2020s so far. And as the 2021 movie only told the first part of the story, the Dune sequel will be even better, especially considering how all the novel's most exciting parts come in the second half.
1 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
- Stream now on Showtime
With the MCU and the DCU playing around with the multiverse, it is quite interesting that Everything Everywhere All At Once came along and made the best, most exciting movie on the subject. Michelle Yeoh gives an Oscar-winning performance in the surreal action adventure from the directing team of The Daniels centering on a laundromat owner who is dragged into a multiversal war to save reality itself while doing her taxes. From Yeoh getting the role she deserved all these years to Ke Huy Quan's Oscar-winning comeback story to the utterly imaginative feel of the movie. Everything Everywhere All At Once feels like a turning point after the box-office-slumping Covid-19 pandemic and superhero-centric 2010s, and so far is undoubtedly the best movie of the 2020s.