Top films of the 2020s so far

By Jay Collura     4/22/25 10:58pm

As my time as the Thresher’s film columnist comes to an end, and with the decade almost half over, I wanted to spotlight my 10 favorite films of the 2020s. Despite a global pandemic, a writers’ strike and the decline of movie theaters, the 2020s have given audiences a great selection of cinematic experiences.

Before I get to the list proper, here are two honorable mentions: “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which is the best action film of the decade, and “Tár,” a delightfully devious psychological drama that just barely missed out. Now, in alphabetical order:

“Aftersun” (dir. Charlotte Wells, 2022)

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It’s fitting that “Aftersun” comes first on this list because it’s my favorite of the decade so far; Charlotte Wells’ debut is an incredible meditation on how people come to understand their parents. Structurally, the film is strikingly progressive, accurately depicting the process of internal reflection. The protagonist Sophie and the audience piece together a profound image of who her father was as a person, and then reconcile the inherent incompleteness of this image with the profound influence it has had on Sophie’s life. The result is beautifully inventive, devastating and personal — this movie will hit you like a truck.

“Challengers” (dir. Luca Guadagnino, 2024)

In a word, “Challengers” is electric. No other film this decade had me leaving the theater as fired up as Luca Guadagnino’s latest, a tense tennis thriller interlaid with a deliciously trashy love triangle. The film is cinematic kinetic energy, building up absurd character dynamics emblematic of the primal spirit of competition and watching it manifest on and off the court. Guadagnino astutely observes the relationship between human desire and interpersonal contest, crafting an unconventional but riveting sports flick. I’d be remiss not to mention Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ house music soundtrack, which propels the film to new heights.

“Dune: Part Two” (dir. Denis Villeneuve, 2024)

I distinctly remember seeing “Dune: Part Two” for the first time. Forty-five minutes into the movie, Chani and Paul sit on the sand, conversing. The excellent Hans Zimmer score begins to swell, and the two kiss for the first time. Some of the best action sequences of the decade are to follow — Paul riding the sandworm, the black-and-white arena and the final knife confrontation — yet this was the only time my friend, sitting behind me, shook my chair in disbelief at how good the movie was. This speaks to how sublime “Dune: Part Two” is: it has the power to suck you into its world almost immediately and never let go, matching and often surpassing its totemic genre contemporaries.

“The French Dispatch” (dir. Wes Anderson, 2021)

“The French Dispatch” is maybe the most “Wes Anderson” movie Wes Anderson has made, which is precisely why I love it. It’s a maximization of his style: across three stories, nearly every single actor he’s ever worked with appears to deliver quirky, sarcastic dialogue and ponder about love, art and loss. All of this is filtered through journalism, which gives the film a robust structure and gives Anderson the excuse to use every possible trick in his aesthetic playbook. “Asteroid City” may also deserve this spot, but the creativity and humor in “The French Dispatch” make it an absolute delight.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2023)

Martin Scorsese’s latest is the movie I have written about the most for the Thresher: it’s the only film I’ve ever written a five-star review for and given a top spot in a year-end list. Despite this, there will always be more to say. Scorsese's newest masterpiece meditatesates  on America’s tradition of violence: it reflects on how our society has narrativized cruelty and how Scorsese, as a filmmaker, has guided these narratives. The work is the accumulation of Scorsese’s life and career, and the movie will undoubtedly help define the 2020s and the career of one of the great American directors.

“Licorice Pizza” (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021)

“Licorice Pizza” is the cinematic equivalent of a summer vacation. Paul Thomas Anderson constructs a surprisingly nuanced coming-of-age film about Alana and Gary, two characters trying desperately to grow up. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the film is jubilant, as Anderson’s golden cinematography captures a warm nostalgia and a deep romance tempered by a sense of honesty that nostalgic period pieces often lack. Being with the characters is a delight as Anderson throws them into increasingly hilarious situations, developing a messy relationship that gleefully encapsulates misguided young romance. It’s a film you can vibe out to or critically analyze; either way, the filmmaking will reward you.

“May December” (dir. Todd Haynes, 2023)

“May December” is the best-written film of the 2020s thus far; Samy Burch’s script starts with a simple core idea, and each scene branches out to entangle the viewer in its investigation. The concept in question is performance, as Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman portray two women who must convince themselves that they are something they are not. Interrogating how people effectively perform for each other was remarkably prescient following pandemic-induced isolation, but Burch and director Todd Haynes go beyond this superficiality to reveal something more sinister, unveiling the true nature of self-deception. It’s a shocking watch, but the questions it raises are appropriately detailed and fundamentally human.

“Nickel Boys” (dir. RaMell Ross, 2024)

RaMell Ross’s formal experimentation in “Nickel Boys” is one of the most exciting cinematic developments in the 2020s. Ross’s use of first-person perspective enables him to create a deeply compassionate story about friendship in the face of oppression. The film is constructed of fragmented memories shot from the main characters’, Elwood and Turner, points of view. Each image feels impossibly realistic and detailed, perfectly sequenced to produce a wave of precisely timed emotion. The movie is appropriately upsetting, portraying the injustice of the Jim Crow era, but also remarkably hopeful, finding beauty in unlikely places. In an era defined by a lack of cinematic ingenuity, “Nickel Boys” pushes the art form forward.

“Oppenheimer” (dir. Christopher Nolan, 2023)

It’s ridiculous that Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” made nearly a billion dollars at the international box office. It’s a fundamentally challenging film: a three-hour biopic about theoretical physics. But the overwhelming box office success speaks to Nolan’s ability to blend his perfected blockbuster sensibilities with intriguing explorations of history and philosophy. The film is the logical endpoint for the filmmaker who made “The Dark Knight” and “Dunkirk,” as “Oppenheimer” deftly transitions between stunning beauty, sweaty intensity and profoundly dark ambivalence. The confluence of ego, process and terror is written onto the face of Cillian Murphy, who, like the audience, is left to deal with the existential terror of his own decisions.

“Red Rocket” (dir. Sean Baker, 2021)

After his record-breaking night at the Oscars, it’s impossible not to recognize Sean Baker as a central figure in 2020s cinema. While “Anora” is excellent, I prefer his 2021 film “Red Rocket,” which encapsulates Baker’s signature interests as a filmmaker, constructing a richly textured depiction of Americana and ambition. Shot against a backdrop of oil refineries, a deep corruption clouds the film, manifesting itself in the characters and their pursuits. The film moves like a classic, comedic hangout film, but eventually the grip of the American Dream tightens and the audience is shown just how far people will go to get what they think they are owed.

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