"Home Isn't Always a Place, Is It?" 2020's Movies that Rekindled My Love for Cinema

My favorite movies of the 2020s so far

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For those on my email list: this might be too long to read in full in email format. You will be able to read the full article on Substack.

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Hard to believe, but we are already halfway into the 2020s. (*screams*)

There have been a lot of films that have come out within the last five years, but since it’s the start of the second half of the 20s, I thought I’d revisit some of my personal favorite films from the decade so far and share with you why you should watch them. There’s a little bit of everything here; book adaptations, musicals, short films, thrillers, and more. The one thing that connects them all, though, is that they all made me fall in love with movies all over again, whether it be because of the storytelling, the cinematography, the direction, or even the score. Some movies have the capability of touching or stirring your soul more than others, and these are those movies for me from the past five years.

**This will be spoiler free, I promise.**

But first! Before the real list, here are some honorable mentions. These movies are just personal favorites that I liked a lot and even if they aren’t movies that will define this decade, they were enjoyable.

• Wolfwalkers (2020)

Really beautiful animation in this one! It was like watching stained glass move. Plus, a very cute story of an unlikely friendship between two young girls. Perfect for autumn!

• Soul (2020)

Incredibly poignant reflection on life and death with charm that only Pixar can bring. I cried during the end (like I normally do with Pixar movies), so make sure you have tissues nearby!

• CODA (2021)

A lovely story of a girl who lives with deaf parents and her struggle of wanting to share her music with them. As a coming of age story, it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before, technically, but it’s a great story nonetheless.

• Elvis (2022)

Say all you want about Austin Butler not shaking the Elvis accent, his portrayal of Elvis was incredible. Blew me away. I was obsessed with this movie for a few months.

• Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

I might get some flack for not putting this one on the actual list, but this is a movie I had to see a few times to fully appreciate. It’s trippy and fast and multilayered and fascinating. It also made me realize how much of a genius Michelle Yeoh is.

• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

The fact that this was all made out of wood? Insane! Definitely a darker take on the Pinocchio story (it is Guillermo del Toro, after all, it’s going to be dark) but I loved it.

• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)

Had to include this one since it was one of my favorite books when I was younger! Judy Blume had a death grip on that story, but for good reason. She was just waiting for a director like Kelly Fremon Craig to bring it to life, and boy, did she do a wonderful job.

• Wicked (2024)

Had to include this one, I mean, c’mon, it’s epic. Cynthia Erivo is a STAR. I’m already seated and ready for part two!

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Now, the actual list (this is not a top ten list because I realized there were eleven):

1. Emma (2020)

Starting the decade off strong! Those who know me know that I love Jane Austen, and love Austen adaptions even more. They can be a hit or miss, but this blows all other Jane Austen adaptations out of the water. The director, Autumn de Wilde, is a photographer first, so every shot in this movie looks like it could be hung on your wall as artwork. Plus, this movie is one of my top four on Letterboxd. I love it so much, so it had to be on this list!

2. The French Dispatch (2021)

This might have mixed reactions (as it did when it first came out) but something about this movie just *clicked* for me when I first watched it in theaters. The story is told as if we are going through the sections of a newspaper; first art, then politics, food, and even ending with the obituaries. It’s less about the stories in the newspaper than it is about the writers who tell the stories, and it’s Wes Anderson at his finest.

3. tick…tick…BOOM! (2021)

The one musical that made this list! There have been several good musicals that have come out in the last five years, but this one takes the cake. It’s a story about Jonathan Larson who wrote “tick…tick…BOOM!” as an autobiographical musical about turning 30 and feeling the pressure of getting older. It’s a beautiful homage to the real Larson, and is a love letter to Rent-heads, Sondheim fanatics, and theater lovers everywhere.

4. The Menu (2022)

To this day, this is one of my favorite movies I’ve watched in theaters. Calculating and sharp, The Menu has so many fantastic twists and turns, sometimes darkly funny and other times causing me to grip the edges of my seat. Performances from Ralph Finnes and Anya Taylor-Joy are fantastic and memorable, and I encourage everyone, even if you aren’t a fan of horror or thrillers, to watch this.

5. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

Get the tissue box ready for this one. Based on the beautiful book by Charlie Mackesy, this short film follows the friendship of four unlikely friends who navigate the world in the boy’s search for home. So many fantastic one liners in this that touched my heart. You won’t want to miss the thirty-five minutes of pure kindness in this.

6. Barbie (2023)

You had to have seen this one coming. Very often, I reminisce on Barbie summer. Gosh, how I miss it! It was so inspiring and uplifting and fun! Greta Gerwig delivers her most ambitious project yet in this one as a “stereotypical” blonde Barbie doll tries to understand where she fits in the world. The costumes, sets, and performances in this are mind-bogglingly good, and I will never not cry at the ending.

7. Oppenheimer (2023)

You probably saw this one coming too. You have to have the other half of Barbenheimer! Nolan’s Oppenheimer is epic in scale and in story. It’s a warning sign, reminding us of how time is a circle and how men in power also hold great responsibility. I will never forget how I felt leaving the theater after seeing this absolute monument of a film.

8. The Holdovers (2023)

Yes, a Christmas movie made the list! But one of the best Christmas movies I’ve seen, to be fair. The Holdovers feels like it came out a few decades ago by the way it’s shot (it almost has a Dead Poets Society quality about it), but it still feels fresh and profound. It reminds us of how important it is to stay connected and kind during the holidays, and how everyone, no matter how much you claim to know them, is dealing with their own grief and troubles.

9. All of Us Strangers (2023)

Moving. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about how tender and sad All of Us Strangers is. The story follows a young man who sees the ghosts of his parents as young people before they died and tries to form a connection with them again as a grown man. Definitely have the tissue box close because this is a movie that will break your heart and then heal it back up again.

10. Challengers (2024)

Ah, yes, the thing that took summer 2024 by storm (other than Charli XCX’s Brat album, of course). I swear, everyone was learning tennis after this movie. It follows the rivalry between two young men vying for the attention and love of a young woman who is a pro at tennis. It’s electrifying, sharp, and hot, in a very literal sense (the characters are constantly sweating in the heat). If you know Luca Guadagnino for Call Me By Your Name, trust me, this feels very different in tone.

11. The Substance (2024)

I just watched this movie for the first time a few weeks ago and, wow. What a trip. I personally agree with everyone that this movie deserves all the awards, especially for Demi Moore’s performance and Coralie Fargeat’s directing. It is an unflinching look at how women’s bodies are scrutinized, especially in the entertainment industry, and is so clever in how it presents its subject material. I’m planning on writing a review on it for next week, so keep an eye open! **Trigger warning: lots of gore in this. Many times I had to look away because of how gross it is, but that’s kind of the point of the movie.**

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Now, if you’re asking “where’s Sing Sing? Or The Banshees of Inisherin? Or Nickel Boys? Or Aftersun?” These are just a few movies that I still have on my list and hope to watch sometime soon. As far as other movies that didn’t make that you feel should have…I’m sorry. I guess? What’s great about movies is our ability to have all different tastes and genres that we enjoy. This list is purely subjective and just for fun.

I’m sure that by the end of the 20’s, my list will change as more movies come out. It will be interesting to see what my list looks like in another five years! If you’re still around with this blog (or if I am, for that matter), it will be a Christmas miracle.

That’s all for now! The first month of the new year flew by, didn’t it?

See you in February. :)

- Lillian