While the 2020s got off to a rough start—due to, well… reasons—and many movies were delayed, rescheduled, or even scrapped, the decade has still delivered plenty of fantastic cinematic experiences. From thought-provoking dramas to groundbreaking blockbusters and innovative indie gems, the 2020s have already given us unforgettable films. And with it being the halfway point of this decade we at SAW decided to present an addition to our usual “Best of” series we do each year. Several writers here at SAW turned in a list of what they thought were the best films since the beginning of the decade, the entries on the list were tallied, and then ranked to give you SAW’s 50 Best Movies of the 2020s So Far!
*Every entry was mentioned on someone’s list at least once and the more times an entry was listed, the higher that movie was ranked. However, some 2024 movies may not appear because they have not been seen by our writers yet, or it could just be they weren’t good enough to make this list. Anywho, please let us know what you think of the rankings and which films you believe should be on the list that didn’t make the cut. Enjoy the list, check out more of our Best of 2024 series, and comment down below!*
30. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Skepticism dominated the discourse when Top Gun: Maverick appeared on the slate. How could a sequel nobody was asking for decades after the original movie possibly go well? But Tom Cruise and company proved everybody wrong, delivering a high-flying action classic that many people consider better than the original. It’s schmaltzy at times with the nostalgia, but the mission is well-conceived and the crew is just fleshed out enough to make us care—and that’s all it takes. It was a special treat in theaters, with the roar of the jet engines making it almost a roller-coaster ride. It’s an epic blast that might just be the most rewatchable film of the decade so far.
–Jacob Holmes
29. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
There’s no John Wick movie I wouldn’t eagerly watch, and Chapter 4 in the series is no exception. With the price on his head growing ever bigger, John (Keanu Reeves, obviously) once again dons the mantle of Baba Yaga as he takes the fight for his freedom to the High Table. Carving through new landscapes and new enemies with help from old friends, his journey is a beautiful, chaotic race to the finish. It’s hard to imagine John Wick being more John Wick, yet here we are. The action sequences are well-choreographed, the cinematography is stunning, and the intensity finds even higher heights.
–R.J. Mathews
28. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
After the film ended and I was reading through the credits, I laughed out loud because of course the director’s name is Eliza Hittman because only an emotional assassin could’ve made this film. After she discovers she’s pregnant, a teenage girl (Sidney Flanigan), along with her cousin (Talia Ryder), travels from rural Pennsylvania to New York City in order to get an abortion. There’s much more plot than the premise but it’s the little things that make this film riveting. The attention to detail paints a larger world than what we’re seeing. Even after the film’s big emotional scene (which is where the title of the film comes from), the film still makes you piece together the implications of her answers. It conveys emotion through a single tear and uses silence, not monologues, to give you everything you need to know. I still have my own theories as to what exactly happened but whether I’m right or not is irrelevant, what matters is that I feel for her in that moment, and not only do I, I see past that moment to a lifetime of hardships both past and in the future. Her entire life was summed up with a handful of words and I understood it completely. It’s a fully realized performance in a masterfully directed scene that unlocks the entire film. Out of everything I saw this year, that scene is what will stay with me for years to come.
–Sailor Monsoon
27. Dinner in America (2020)
I remember throwing Dinner in America on last year mainly because of Kyle Gallner who has been killing it lately in genre films and the premise sounded fun. “An on-the-lam punk rocker and a young woman obsessed with his band go on an unexpected and epic journey together through the decaying suburbs of the American Midwest.” That hooked me but to be honest, the first part of the movie was rough and I thought I had made a mistake and was ready to call it quits. Then it settled and became one of my favorite movies of the decade. It’s aggressive and tender. Quirky and sweet. Leads Gallner and Emily Skeggs are one of the cutest punk rock couples around. The punk rock rebellious tone is elevated by the perfect suburban Midwest backdrop in this new age rom-com.
–Vincent Kane
26. Minari (2020)
Minari took a while for me to appreciate. It’s the type of film that ticks along but before you know it, it’s completely worked its way under your skin. The plot follows a Korean immigrant family in 80’s America and it’s a story about the importance of family. But also the problems that families can bring and why we need to overcome those hardships. The beautiful direction from Lee Isaac Chung really adds to the atmosphere. It all has a melancholic feel to it but at the same time, you feel like there is a ray of sunshine just waiting to burst through. Steven Yeun is terrific in the lead role and you really can’t help but root for his character, even as his ambitions get the better of him. It’s a superb film and one that stayed with me for weeks after I’d watched it.
–Lee McCutcheon
25. Barbie (2023)
From the trailers alone, I expected Barbie to be fun, and I fully expected to enjoy it. Both were true, but Barbie was also so much more. Charming, thought-provoking, and bittersweet in its social commentary, Barbie takes on the patriarchy (and, yes, the matriarchy) and gift wraps it in a bold, dazzling pink package. This is one of the few movies to tackle feminism where I truly felt seen. Not everyone is going to “get it”, and that’s fine. The important thing is that this movie got people talking about so much more than plastic toy dolls. And the “I’m Just Ken” sequence is a masterpiece. I’ve seen Barbie many times already, and I don’t plan to stop there. It feels like I see or hear something new with every watch.
–Romona Comet
24. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
I had never heard of the YouTube shorts that this was based on when the first trailer dropped but the second Marcel opened his mouth and started talking, I immediately watched all of them before the film came out. I was immediately obsessed with this little shell and needed more of him in my life. I couldn’t wait to see how they were going to expand his short little interviews into a feature-length film but they figured it out. Just make the entire film out of little interviews and that’s when the film works the best. Listening to Marcel’s musings on life and his childlike excitement for everyday things is a delight. I could honestly listen to him talk about whatever he wants for as long as he wanted to talk. It’s like getting assaulted with joy every time he opens his mouth. Everything about that character tickles me pink. It’s when the film starts becoming a road trip adventure searching for his family that I start slowly checking out. It started to lose me a little before the beginning of the third act but then it won me over by the time the credits rolled. This was a damn fine year for stop-motion animation and if it wasn’t for Del Toro, this would easily be the best of the bunch.
–Sailor Monsoon
23. Drive My Car (2021)
Drive My Car is a three-hour ride that you never want to end. It is hypnotic from the jump and is a poetic stroll past death, rebirth, and the corridors of time. The film is stoic but evenly paced to never feel like a bore as we watch Yūsuke Kafuku face his biggest life challenge. We see Kafuku’s life get established long enough that we then know what he is going through as his life goes from completely purposeful to being one plagued with apathy and agony. Ryusuke Hamaguchi directs what feels like a rare epic that doesn’t feel too ambitious, as Drive My Car is the perfect definition of it. It’s about the journey, not the destination.
–Vincent Kane
22. Pig (2021)
I keep saying this, but Nicolas Cage CAN ACT. Yes, he does a lot of silly shit, but every once and a while there’s a performance that just blows everyone away. Pig is a very simple story: a solitary former chef has his pig stolen, and wants it back. This is not a John Wick-style revenge story though, or even a Taken-esque adventure. It’s an intimate and haunting drama. I went into this movie with no expectations and found myself moved by the beauty of Cage’s performance. It’s so good, just go watch it.
–Valerie Morreale
21. The Bikeriders (2024)
The Bikeriders just felt like a throwback to films we don’t get much of anymore. Men just being men. Men who just liked working on and riding bikes while drinking beer and hanging out. However, it is also a layered film about the freedom of a young man without responsibility and men who are tamed by responsibility. Austin Bulter and Tom Hardy are cool as hell here but Jodi Comer steals the show with her energetic presence in every scene. The all-star cast and banging soundtrack help round out this trip down memory lane.
–Vincent Kane
40-31 | 20-11
What do you think of the rankings so far?