Freeze Frame: Russ’ Top Ten Movies of 2020

As we begin a new year, it’s time to look back at the best movies of 2020. Here’s the cream of the year’s cinematic crop.

 

10) End of Sentence (Not rated)

John Hawkes and Logan Lerman star in a sweetly sentimental comic drama about the attempted reconciliation of an estranged father and son.

 

9) Nomadland (R)

Frances McDormand stars in Chloe Chow’s effective low-key drama about homeless seniors who travel from one part-time job to another.

 

8) The Outpost (R)

“The Outpost” is a gripping and completely immersive account of US troops ambushed in Afghanistan’s Battle of Kamdesh in 2009.

 

7) News of the World (PG-13)

America’s dad Tom Hanks stars in his first Western. It plays like a combination of “True Grit” and “The Searchers.”

 

6) Minari (PG-13)

Stephen Yeun stars in the touching and realistic drama “Minari,” the story of a Korean American who attempts to start a small farm in 1980s Arkansas.

 

5) The Social Dilemma (PG-13)

The important and harrowing documentary “The Social Dilemma” focused a searing spotlight on how in spite of its founders’ good intentions, social media has evolved into a nightmare of misinformation.

 

4) Soul (PG)

“Soul” is Pixar’s heartfelt and intelligent animated fantasy about finding one’s purpose in life.

 

3) Mank (R)

Gary Oldman stars in the outstanding showbiz drama, “Mank,” about alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, the scribe of “Citizen Kane.”

 

2) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (R)

“The Trial of the Chicago Seven” is Aaron Sorkin’s surprisingly timely courtroom drama concerning the legal troubles of peace activists in 1968. The verdict: It’s compelling, beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

1) Hamilton (PG-13)

“Hamilton” is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s clever, absorbing and inventive hip-hop history lesson about a founding father, perhaps the most unlikely hit musical of all time.

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