GARY'S TOP FILMS OF 2020

We had the joy of seeing some of these in the cinema and we have to say we watched LOADS more films year because we could watch them at home (and because Manchester has been locked down for most of the year!).

2020 really made us think about how whilst all films benefit from being seen on the big screen our film viewing increases when we’re given the option to watch it at home. We watched a lot of these film directly from distributor’s websites or websites that supported local art house cinemas. HOME have been amazing pivoting to online film watching. Will this be how film evolves when everything goes back to normal?

What will the future be for film in 2021? Who knows? But with loads of blockbusters being shifted from the slate from 2020 we know that our year this year became more focused on smaller film, films released by streamers and films made by women. For us it meant an amazing year of powerful films that rocked our world. Who needs James Bond and Marvel when you have amazing film makers crafting gorgeous narrative and documentary films?

Big shout out to Reclaim the Frame who champion films made by women who pushed and promoted many of the great films of 2020.

Here’s most of the films I saw this year from my favourite all the way down to least inspiring but I would recommend watching each and every one. If it’s not on the list then I still need to watch it - sorry Trial of the Chicago Seven and Mank! I’ve put Steve McQueen’s “collection of films for BBC1” Small Axe on this list as individual films because they kind of were! The series also features on my TV list…which all goes to show how 2020 was the year of blurring film and telly.


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  1. Parasite

  2. Small Axe: Lover’s Rock

  3. Small Axe: Mangrove

  4. Invisible Man

  5. Little Women

  6. Uncut Gems

  7. Da 5 Bloods

  8. Host

  9. Soul

  10. Rocks

  11. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

  12. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

  13. Clemency

  14. Queen and Slim

  15. Onward

  16. The Nightingale

  17. Calm With Horses

  18. Small Axe: Education

  19. The Lighthouse

  20. Monsoon

  21. Disclosure

  22. Beyond The Visible: Hilma af Klimt

  23. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

  24. 1917

  25. Small Axe: Alex Wheatle

  26. Make Up

  27. You Don’t Nomi

  28. Small Axe: Red White and Blue

  29. Happiest Season

  30. Circus of Books

  31. Alice Guy Blanche 

  32. Tenet

  33. Lucy + Lynn

  34. Dick Johnson is Dead

  35. The Lovebirds

  36. Hustlers 

Gary Williams