The term “masterpiece” is often used for classic movies but there are a handful ofgreat films from the 2020sthat fit the bill, including some that flew under the radar. These could be indie movies, box office disappointments that are destined to become popular cult classics, or even streaming originals that were overlooked.
Of course, a few movies from the 2020s are clearly already masterpieces, whether it’ssummer blockbusters likeTop Gun: MaverickorBest Picture winners likeEverything Everywhere All At Once. Those are constantly recommended to others because of their quality but it’s those hidden gem films that most people don’t know about that end up being truly special.
Shortly before breaking out and becoming a household name thanks to 2022’sScreamand the titular role inWednesday,Jenna Ortega delivered her best performance inThe Fallout. Thisindie movie depicted how a school shooting impacted the lives of two girls who survived the ordeal.
Megan Park is excellent as a debut writer/director, capturing the harrowing shooting through the eyes of two girls hiding out in the bathroom while it happens. The sounds and screams are chilling and expertly played by Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. It also features an ending that will stick with you for a long time after the credits roll.
The Falloutisn’t a well-known movie but it holds an impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and helped make Park a director to watch(her follow up,My Old Ass, was also praised). Plus, school shootings are such an unfortunate staple of the world in the 2020s that the film is culturally relevant like a true masterpiece.
Another independent film that flew under the radar early in the decade wasHow to Blow Up a Pipeline. After debuting to praise at TIFF, the movie found a home on Hulu, yet still didn’t become all that well-known. However, based on the book of the same name, the film should be viewed for a long time to come.
How to Blow Up a Pipelinefollows agroup of environmental activists who come together to destroy an oil pipeline. The film looks at the climate crisis and social justice, but the most interesting bit is how it challenges the views of its antiheroes.
They’re doing something for the right reasons, but the way they’re going about it can be viewed as terrorism. That led to several controversies raised by authorities anda lot of classic masterpieces have been challenging in the same way. It’s the kind of thing that makes people come back to watch a movie over and over.
It’s rather difficult for a movie that was nominated for a major Academy Award to remain overlooked but that’s the case withAftersun. Written and directed by Charlotte Wells and loosely based on her own childhood, it tells a tear-jerking story about a father named Calum (Paul Mescal) who goes on vacation with his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio).
The relationship between the two characters is the focus of the film, yet it also looks at how Sophie remembers the vacation as an adult and Calum’s struggles with depression. The performances of both lead actors are tremendous, withMescal landing an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Wells took home a slew of accolades for her work onAftersun,and her eventual follow-up project is highly anticipated. Though it only grossed less than $10 million at the box office,Aftersunwas a critical darling that has been named on several lists as one of the best films of the decade.
Along the same lines asThe Fallout, 2020’sNever Rarely Sometimes Alwaysis a film that hits on an important topic of the time. The subject of a woman’s rights over her own body has been a constant source of discussion across America, andthis movie centers on someone who has to head to a neighboring state for an abortion.
InNever Rarely Sometimes Always, Autumn has to leave Pennsylvania alongside her cousin Skylar to get an abortion in New York, since it’s illegal in Pennsylvania. The girls deal with being lied to, being in uncomfortable situations, and more as they prepare for the procedure.
The film holds an outstanding 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received widespread acclaim.
Director Eliza Hittman captures how harrowing the situation is, including a captivating scene where Autumn is asked intrusive questions ahead of the procedure that hammers home the upsetting nature of the situation for women. The film holds an outstanding 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received widespread acclaim.
Filmmaker Makoto Shinkai is one of the most impressive people making movies these days and his animated projects have shown why.Shinkai had a few strong films early onbut he really broke through with 2016’sYour Nameand then added another success with 2019’sWeathering With You.
Shinkai was back at it in 2022 forSuzume, another film rife with a gorgeous animation style and a fantastical idea that shows his impressive level of creativity.Suzumecenters on the titular teenage girl who teams with a stranger to stop disasters in Japan after a supernatural worm is unleashed.
The premise is wacky on its own butthe stylish animation, surprisingly strong emotional beats, and pulse-pounding action make it something special.Suzumesits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and only lost toSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseandThe Boy and the Heronat major award shows and there’s no shame in that.
Thanks to the success ofThe Bear, Ayo Edebirihas become a well-known name in Hollywood, yet her best film is one that still didn’t become the hit it deserved to be.Bottomsstars Edebiri and Rachel Sennott (who also co-wrote the film along with director Emma Seligman) as two unpopular lesbians struggling in high school.
After an unfortunate run-in with a jock in their school, the girls start a “self-defense” club that turns into a fight club as they also battle the toxic masculinity from the jocks. At its core though,Bottomsis something of a rom-com since part of the reason for starting the club was to hook up with cheerleaders.
Edebiri and Sennott are fantastic, while the script is sharp with wit.
Edebiri and Sennott are fantastic, while the script is sharp with wit. The supporting cast is also impressive, including Kaia Gerber, Havana Rose Liu, and even former NFL player Marshawn Lynch. Though overlooked upon its release,Bottomsis destined to become a cult classic, especially within the LGBTQ+ community.
Though there have been plenty ofmovies about pro wrestling, only a few break through to become notable.The WrestlerandFighting with My Familystand out, butThe Iron Clawbelongs in that conversation. This tells the true story of the famous Von Erich family and the “curse” that has taken many of their lives.
Zac Efron delivers the best performance of his career as Kevin Von Erich, while Jeremy Allen White is great as his brother Kerry. The Von Erich family was all involved in wrestling, pushed by patriarch Fritz, and saw nearly every member die in tragic fashion, including multiple suicides.
The Iron Claw, named after the family’s most famous wrestling move, does a terrific job of capturing the heartbreaking nature of their story and is boosted by the performances of the cast. Many feel that it was unjustly overlooked by major award ceremonies, though, leading it to be underrated.
Some of the best movies in recent memory have come from South Korea, includingParasite, which was named the best movie of the century byTheNew York Times. Even so, plenty of their films get overlooked, including the Netflix original20th Century Girl.
On the surface,20th Century Girlsounds like a run-of-the-mill teen romance. A girl named Na Bo-ra is tasked with keeping tabs on Baek Hyun-jin, a boy who her best friend likes (as she goes away for heart surgery), only to fall in love with him herself. Despite the simple premise, the execution is expertly crafted.
The performance of Kim Yoo-jung carries the movieand by the time you get to the third act,20th Century Girldelivers a twist that changes everything and only adds to its emotional impact. It’s one of the most impressive Netflix original movies ever made, yet nobody seems to talk about it.
Damien Chazelle is one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood today, having madeWhiplash, La La Land,andFirst Man, including winning Best Director at the Oscars forLa La Land. That success allowed him to make a big-budget movie in 2022, which he did withBabylon.
Babylonhad all the makings of a Chazelle success, from his trademark directorial style to a fantastic cast (led by Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt) to one of the best scores ever included in a film. Despite all that, it bombed at the box office and received mixed reviews, sitting at just 57% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie is a technical marvel and the way that it pays homage to the history of cinema makes it the kind of movie that seems like it’ll only get better as time goes on.
However, people are starting to look back more positively onBabylon, with the likes of Stephen King stopping to praise it. The movie is a technical marvel and the way that it pays homage to the history of cinema makes it the kind of movie that seems like it’ll only get better as time goes on.
The journey to getNimona, an adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name, made into a film was a rough one that included the sale of a studio, cancellation, and more. OnceNimonawas released on Netflix, though, it proved to be one of the best animated films in recent memory.
Studio Ghibli, Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures Animation have been at the forefront of animated cinema, yetNimonais from Annapurna, leading to part of why it was unjustly overlooked.It holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating, was up for an Oscar, and took home an Annie Award.
The film focuses on a knight (Riz Ahmed) named Ballister, who was framed for a crime, who bonds with a shape-shifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) to prove his innocence. The LGBTQ+ romance between Ballister and a fellow knight, the animation style, and the touching story of friendship at its center makeNimonaa masterpiece.
