Top 10 Movies of the 2020s

How We Ranked the Top 10

We weighted each film against the qualities that separate a great movie from a merely popular one, leaning on aggregate critical reception from Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Letterboxd, and IMDb, plus criticism and awards coverage from outlets like Variety and RogerEbert.com. In rough order of priority:

• Story and screenplay — the heaviest single factor
• Direction and craft — vision and execution behind the camera
• Performances — the acting that grounds the film
• Rewatchability — how well it holds up on a second or third viewing
• Cultural impact — how far it reached beyond the theater
• Where-to-watch access — how easily you can see it today

A film that dazzles visually but forgets its characters drops fast; a movie that lingers and rewards repeat viewing climbs. The winners balance all six.

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert | Year: 2022 | Runtime: 139 min | Rated: R | Where to watch: Max / rent on Prime Video

The Daniels' maximalist multiverse comedy is the defining film of the decade so far, sweeping the top Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting prizes. Michelle Yeoh plays a laundromat owner who discovers she must connect with versions of herself across parallel universes to save reality — and her family. With Oscar-winning turns from Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis and near-universal critical acclaim, it married absurdist spectacle to a genuinely moving story about empathy between a mother and daughter.

Pros:

• A historic sweep of the major Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director
• Michelle Yeoh delivers a triumphant, Oscar-winning lead
• Ke Huy Quan's comeback won Best Supporting Actor
• Endlessly inventive yet deeply emotional

Cons:

• Frenetic editing and tone overwhelm some viewers
• The runtime feels dense on first watch

Verdict: The most ambitious and acclaimed film of the decade so far.

2. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 💎 BEST VALUE

Director: Joseph Kosinski | Year: 2022 | Runtime: 130 min | Rated: PG-13 | Where to watch: Paramount+ / rent on Prime Video

Joseph Kosinski's long-delayed sequel is the best value on this list — a crowd-pleasing blockbuster that streams widely and never loses its thrill on repeat viewings. Tom Cruise returns as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, training a new class of pilots for an impossible mission, with real in-cockpit flight footage that put audiences inside the jets. It became one of the decade's biggest global hits, earned strong critical praise, and won an Academy Award for its sound work while reviving the theatrical experience.

Pros:

• Real in-cockpit footage delivers genuine, weighty thrills
• Tom Cruise anchors one of the decade's biggest global hits
• Won an Academy Award for its sound
• Pure rewatchable spectacle on any screen

Cons:

• The plot leans heavily on nostalgia and formula
• Supporting characters get thin development

Verdict: The decade's best blockbuster and the easiest pick to rewatch.

3. Oppenheimer (2023)

Director: Christopher Nolan | Year: 2023 | Runtime: 180 min | Rated: R | Where to watch: Peacock / rent on Apple TV

Christopher Nolan's biographical epic about the father of the atomic bomb was a dominant force at the Academy Awards, taking Best Picture and Best Director among its many wins. Cillian Murphy won Best Actor as J. Robert Oppenheimer, with Robert Downey Jr. taking Best Supporting Actor as his rival. Shot largely on IMAX film and a surprise global hit as half of the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, it proved a long, dialogue-heavy drama could be a worldwide event.

Pros:

• A dominant awards run, including Best Picture and Best Director
• Cillian Murphy's Oscar-winning, haunted lead performance
• Shot on IMAX film for overwhelming scale
• Made a long, talky drama a worldwide blockbuster

Cons:

• Dense, non-linear structure can confuse first-time viewers
• The runtime is demanding

Verdict: A towering, ambitious historical epic for grown-up audiences.

4. Dune: Part Two (2024)

Director: Denis Villeneuve | Year: 2024 | Runtime: 166 min | Rated: PG-13 | Where to watch: Max / rent on Prime Video

Denis Villeneuve's epic conclusion to the first Dune novel is large-scale science fiction at its most assured. Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides, uniting the Fremen of Arrakis against the empire that destroyed his family, with Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Austin Butler in support. A major box-office success and a critical favorite, it stunned audiences with its desert vistas, sandworm sequences, and Hans Zimmer score. It is the rare sequel that surpasses its predecessor.

Pros:

• Breathtaking large-format visuals and sound design
• Timothée Chalamet anchors a sweeping ensemble
• A sequel widely judged better than the first film
• A commercial hit built on serious science fiction

Cons:

• The long runtime demands commitment
• Newcomers may struggle without Part One

Verdict: Spectacular, intelligent blockbuster science fiction at its peak.

5. The Zone of Interest (2023)

Director: Jonathan Glazer | Year: 2023 | Runtime: 105 min | Rated: PG-13 | Where to watch: Max / rent on Apple TV

Jonathan Glazer's chilling drama observes the family of an Auschwitz commandant living in a tidy home beside the camp wall, never showing the horror directly but letting its sound design carry the dread. Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller play the couple whose ordinary domestic life is staged against unspeakable atrocity. An Academy Award winner, including for Best International Feature, and a critical standout, it ranks among the decade's most formally daring films.

Pros:

• A devastating concept executed with rigorous restraint
• Won at the Oscars, including Best International Feature
• Sandra Hüller delivers a coldly precise performance
• Sound design that conveys horror without showing it

Cons:

• The clinical distance is deliberately hard to sit with
• Offers no conventional plot or catharsis

Verdict: A formally bold, unforgettable meditation on complicity.

6. Past Lives (2023)

Director: Celine Song | Year: 2023 | Runtime: 105 min | Rated: PG-13 | Where to watch: Paramount+ / rent on Prime Video

Celine Song's debut is a tender, restrained romance about two childhood friends from Korea reunited in New York decades later. Greta Lee plays Nora, now married, and Teo Yoo plays Hae Sung, the boy she left behind, in a film built on longing and the lives we don't live. An Oscar-nominated critical favorite, including a Best Picture nod, it announced Song as a major new voice with one of the decade's most quietly affecting dramas.

Pros:

• Greta Lee delivers a subtle, deeply felt lead performance
• Oscar recognition, including a Best Picture nomination
• A mature, restrained take on love and roads not taken
• An assured, remarkable directorial debut

Cons:

• The quiet pacing requires patience
• Understated to the point some find it slight

Verdict: A gentle, aching romance and a stunning first feature.

7. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson | Year: 2023 | Runtime: 140 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Netflix / rent on Prime Video

This Sony Pictures Animation sequel pushed its medium even further than the first film, layering distinct animation styles for each universe Miles Morales visits. Shameik Moore returns as Miles, reuniting with Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen Stacy and confronting a vast Spider-Society. A major box-office and critical success and an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature, it cemented the franchise as the most visually daring in modern animation.

Pros:

• Astonishing, multi-style animation unlike anything else
• A global hit that thrilled critics
• Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen gets a rich emotional arc
• A Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination

Cons:

• Ends on a cliffhanger that frustrates some viewers
• The sprawling plot can overwhelm younger kids

Verdict: A bold, gorgeous animated epic that raises the bar again.

8. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Director: Martin McDonagh | Year: 2022 | Runtime: 114 min | Rated: R | Where to watch: Hulu / rent on Apple TV

Martin McDonagh's darkly funny tragedy reunites Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as lifelong friends on a remote Irish island whose friendship abruptly, inexplicably ends. What plays as comedy slowly reveals itself as a parable about loneliness and stubbornness, set against the distant rumble of the Irish Civil War. A multiple-Oscar-nominated critical favorite, it earned Farrell a Golden Globe and confirmed McDonagh as one of the sharpest writers working.

Pros:

• Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are perfectly matched
• A strong awards run for a small, character-driven film
• A screenplay that turns comedy into quiet devastation
• Gorgeous Irish island setting and cinematography

Cons:

• The bleak ending leaves viewers unsettled
• Slow, talky pacing won't suit everyone

Verdict: A bleakly funny, beautifully acted fable about friendship and pride.

9. Decision to Leave (2022)

Director: Park Chan-wook | Year: 2022 | Runtime: 139 min | Rated: Not Rated | Where to watch: Mubi / rent on Prime Video

Park Chan-wook's elegant detective romance won him Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival and stands among the decade's finest world cinema. A married detective (Park Hae-il) investigating a death becomes obsessed with the dead man's widow (Tang Wei), and the film unfolds as both a mystery and an aching, restrained love story. Its meticulous craft and emotional control made it a critics' favorite and a high point of Korean filmmaking.

Pros:

• Park Chan-wook won Best Director at Cannes
• Tang Wei delivers a magnetic, mysterious performance
• Intricate visual storytelling rewards close attention
• A restrained, grown-up romance rare in modern cinema

Cons:

• The labyrinthine plot demands full concentration
• Subtitles and a slow burn deter casual viewers

Verdict: A sumptuous, intelligent mystery from a master filmmaker.

10. Nomadland (2020)

Director: Chloé Zhao | Year: 2020 | Runtime: 107 min | Rated: R | Where to watch: Hulu / rent on Apple TV

Chloé Zhao's quiet road drama opened the decade with a major awards run, taking Best Picture and Best Director. Frances McDormand won Best Actress as Fern, a widow who lives out of her van and travels the American West after losing everything in the recession. Blending real nomads with its fiction and embraced by critics, it is a hushed, humane portrait of resilience.

Pros:

• A top-tier awards run, including Best Picture and Best Director
• Frances McDormand's award-winning lead performance
• Blends real nomads with fiction for documentary realism
• Gorgeous, naturalistic cinematography of the West

Cons:

• The plotless, meditative structure tests some viewers
• Somber tone offers little uplift

Verdict: A quiet, compassionate film that earns every honor it won.

What Makes a Great 2020s Movie

• A screenplay with something to say — From *Everything Everywhere* to *The Zone of Interest*, the best films pair ambition with a clear point of view.
• Practical craft that earns its scale — *Top Gun: Maverick* and *Dune: Part Two* prove real footage and large-format shooting still beat weightless effects.
• Performances that ground the spectacle — Yeoh, Murphy, McDormand, and Farrell make their films linger.
• Formal daring — *The Zone of Interest* and the *Spider-Verse* films succeed by inventing new ways to use their medium.
• Emotional truth — *Past Lives* and *Nomadland* show that quiet, human stories endure alongside the blockbusters.
• Rewatch value — A great movie rewards a second viewing, whether it's the layers of *Oppenheimer* or the thrills of *Maverick*.

What matters less than the hype: opening-weekend records, streaming-chart placement, and franchise branding. A movie that nobody returns to fades fast — staying power is the only verdict that counts.

Which One Should You Watch Tonight?

Choose based on your mood: for spectacle and thrills, pick *Top Gun: Maverick* or *Dune: Part Two*. For emotional depth, choose *Past Lives* or *Nomadland*. For intellectual challenge, go with *Oppenheimer* or *The Zone of Interest*. For pure fun and invention, *Everything Everywhere All at Once* or *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* deliver.

What to Look For

• Fit for your taste and viewing context
• Ease of access and where the film currently streams
• Honest critical and audience reception over marketing claims

FAQ

What is the best movie of the 2020s so far? Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) earns our top spot for its dazzling invention, its emotional core, and its historic sweep of the major Academy Awards.

What is the best value movie on this list? Top Gun: Maverick (2022) is our value pick — it streams widely and remains pure, rewatchable spectacle no matter how many times you've seen it.

Which 2020s movie won the most Oscars? Everything Everywhere All at Once won seven Oscars, and Oppenheimer (2023) also won seven, dominating their respective Oscar nights among the films on this list.

Are there strong non-English films from the decade? Yes — Decision to Leave (2022) from South Korea and The Zone of Interest (2023) both rank here, with Park Chan-wook winning Best Director at Cannes.

Which 2020s film best shows where animation is headed? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) pushed animation further than any film of the decade, layering distinct styles for each universe.

Are these movies easy to stream today? Most are — titles here live on Max, Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, and Mubi, with the rest available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Bottom Line

For the 2020s so far, Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) is our Best Overall film — an inventive, deeply felt multiverse epic that swept the major Oscars. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) is our Best Value, a widely streamable blockbuster that thrills on every rewatch. If your taste leans toward epic science fiction, world cinema, or quiet drama, use the list above to route yourself to *Dune: Part Two*, *Decision to Leave*, or *Past Lives* instead. Judge a decade by what still holds up — and even this early, these ten do.

Related on PULSE

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• [Top 10 Movies on Netflix](/knowledge/mv0015)
• [Top 10 Movies on Max](/knowledge/mv0016)
• [Top 10 Musical Movies of All Time](/knowledge/mv0014)
• [Top 10 Fantasy Movies of All Time](/knowledge/mv0012)

Sources

• Wikipedia — Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Wikipedia — Top Gun: Maverick
• Wikipedia — Dune: Part Two
• Wikipedia — Oppenheimer (film))
• Wikipedia — 2020s in film
• Wikipedia — Nomadland
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — official site
• Rotten Tomatoes — Top 100 Movies of the 2020s
• Metacritic — Best Movies of the Decade So Far
• Letterboxd — Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films

*2020s movies review — best 2020s films, rankings, ratings, where to stream, and a review of the top picks of the decade.*

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