Never Rarely Sometimes Always – I'm Thinking of Ending Things – Nomadland – Dick Johnson Is Dead – Time – Tenet – Minari

2020: World Premieres
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The Movies of 2020: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating // Last update: July 31, 2025

Top Ten List

1.  Never Rarely Sometimes Always Dir. Eliza Hittman. Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder A
2.  Time Dir. Garrett Bradley. Documentary about marriage surviving incarceration A–
3.  Days Dir. Tsai Ming-liang. Lee Kang-sheng, Anong Houngheuangsy A–
4.  Notturno Dir. Gianfranco Rosi. Documentary about the modern Middle East A–
5.  Nomadland Dir. Chloé Zhao. Frances McDormand, David Strathairn A–
6.  Sweat Dir. Magnus von Horn. Magdalena Kolesnik, Julian Swiezewski A–
7.  The Careless Crime Dir. Shahram Mokri. Babak Karimi, Razie Mansori A–
8.  Quo Vadis, Aida? Dir. Jasmila Žbanić. Jasna Djuričić, Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler A–
9.  Zola Dir. Janicza Bravo. Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo A–
10.  The Disciple Dir. Chaitanya Tamhane. Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid A–


Full Listing of Films Screened
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

Never Rarely Sometimes Always Dir. Eliza Hittman. Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder A

The Careless Crime Dir. Shahram Mokri. Babak Karimi, Razie Mansori A–
Days Dir. Tsai Ming-liang. Lee Kang-sheng, Anong Houngheuangsy A–
Dear Comrades! Dir. Andrei Konchalovsky. Yuliya Vysotskaya A–
Dick Johnson Is Dead Dir. Kirsten Johnson. Documentary about facing death A–
The Disciple Dir. Chaitanya Tamhane. Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid A–
Nomadland Dir. Chloé Zhao. Frances McDormand, David Strathairn A–
Notturno Dir. Gianfranco Rosi. Documentary about the modern Middle East A–
The Painter and the Thief Dir. Benjamin Ree. Documentary about fragile bond A–
Quo Vadis, Aida? Dir. Jasmila Žbanić. Jasna Djuričić, Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler A–
Sweat Dir. Magnus von Horn. Magdalena Kolesnik, Julian Swiezewski A–
Time Dir. Garrett Bradley. Documentary about marriage surviving incarceration A–
Zola Dir. Janicza Bravo. Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo A–

Finding Yingying Dir. Jiayan Shi. Documentary about missing college student B+
Gunda Dir. Viktor Kossakovsky. Documentary about pig and other farm animals B+
The Human Voice Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Tilda Swinton, Agustín Almodóvar B+
The Killing of Two Lovers Dir. Robert Machoian. Clayne Crawford B+
Lovers Rock Dir. Steve McQueen. Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Micheal Ward B+
Mangrove Dir. Steve McQueen. Shaun Parkes, Malachi Kirby, Rochenda Sandall B+
The Many Lives of Kojin Dir. Diako Yazdani. Documentary about a queer Kurd B+
MLK/FBI Dir. Sam Pollard. Documentary about surveilling Martin Luther King, Jr. B+
Never Gonna Snow Again Dir. Małgorzata Szumowska. Alec Utgoff B+
New Order Dir. Michel Franco. Samantha Yazareth Anaya, Dario Yazbek Bernal B+
No Ordinary Man Dir. Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt. Documentary B+
Poppy Field Dir. Eugen Jebeleanu. Conrad Mericoffer, Radouan Leflahi B+
Things We Dare Not Do Dir. Bruno Santamaria Razo. Documentary B+
The Woman Who Ran Dir. Hong Sang-soo. Kim Min-hee, Song Seon-mi B+

40 Years a Prisoner Dir. Tommy Oliver. Documentary about MOVE members B
Another Round Dir. Thomas Vinterberg. Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen B
Apples Dir. Christos Nikou. Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Anna Kalaitzidou B
Beginning Dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili. Ia Sukhitashvili, Rati Oneli B
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets Dir. Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross. Michael Martin B
Boys State Dir. Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss. Documentary about young politicos B
City Hall Dir. Frederick Wiseman. Documentary about Boston mayor's office B
Crip Camp Dir. James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham. Documentary about civil rights B
The Father Dir. Florian Zeller. Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams B
The Forty-Year-Old Version Dir. Radha Blank. Radha Blank, Peter Kim B
małni – towards the ocean, towards the shore Dir. Sky Hopinka. Documentary B
Mank Dir. David Fincher. Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins B
The Mole Agent Dir. Maite Alberti. Documentary about undercover stunt B
Night of the Kings Dir. Philippe Lacôte. Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu B
No Hard Feelings Dir. Faraz Shariat. Benny Radjaipour, Banafshe Hourmazdi B
Pieces of a Woman Dir. Kornél Mundruczó. Vanessa Kirby, Shia Labeouf B
Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time Dir. Lili Horvát B
Relic Dir. Natalie Erika James. Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin B
Supernova Dir. Harry Macqueen. Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood B
There Is No Evil Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof. Baran Rasoulof, Kaveh Ahangar B
Twilight's Kiss Dir. Ray Leung. Tai-Bo, Ben Yuen, Patra Au Ga Man, Lo Chun Yip B
The Wasteland Dir. Ahmad Bahrami. Touraj Alvand, Ali Bagheri, Majid Farhang B
Wendy Dir. Benh Zeitlin. Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin B

After Love Dir. Aleem Khan. Joanna Scanlan, Nathalie Richard, Talid Ariss B–
Ammonite Dir. Francis Lee. Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones B–
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Dir. Jason Woliner. Sacha Baron Cohen B–
Emma Dir. Autumn de Wilde. Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Bill Nighy B–
His House Dir. Remi Weekes. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith B–
I'm Thinking of Ending Things Dir. Charlie Kaufman. Jessie Buckley B–
Isabella Dir. Matías Piñeiro. María Villar, Agustina Muñoz, Gabriela Saidón B–
Kala Azar Dir. Janis Rafailidou. Penelope Tsilika, Dimitris Lalos, Michele Valley B–
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Dir. David Midell. Frankie Faison B–
Let Them All Talk Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen B–
Little Girl Dir. Sébastien Lifshitz. Documentary about a young trans girl in France B–
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Dir. George C. Wolfe. Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman B–
Mama Gloria Dir. Luchina Fisher. Documentary about trans community elder B–
Memory House Dir. João Paulo Miranda Maria. Antônio Pitanga, Aline Marta B–
Minari Dir. Lee Isaac Chung. Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho B–
Palm Springs Dir. Max Barbakow. Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons B
She Dies Tomorrow Dir. Amy Seimetz. Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams B
The Truffle Hunters Dir. Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw. Documentary B–
Wojnarowicz: F**k You F*ggot F**ker Dir. Chris McKim. Documentary B–

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of...) Dir. Cathy Yan C+
Bruised Dir. Halle Berry. Halle Berry, Sheila Atim, Danny Boyd Jr., Adan Canto C+
Da 5 Bloods Dir. Spike Lee. Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis C+
Disclosure Dir. Sam Feder. Documentary about trans* representation C+
Farewell Amor Dir. Ekwa Msangi. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah C+
French Exit Dir. Azazel Jacobs. Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, Imogen Poots C+
The Invisible Man Dir. Leigh Whannell. Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge C+
My Father Marianne Dir. Mårten Klingberg. Hedda Stiernstedt, Rolf Lassgård C+
One Night in Miami... Dir. Regina King. Eli Goree, Kingsley Ben-Adir C+
Promising Young Woman Dir. Emerald Fennell. Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham C+
Saint-Narcisse Dir. Bruce La Bruce. Félix-Antoine Duval, Tania Kontoyanni C+
The Trial of the Chicago 7 Dir. Aaron Sorkin. Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp C+
The Way Back Dir. Gavin O'Connor. Ben Affleck, Janina Gavankar C+
Your Name Engraved Herein Dir. Patrick Kuang-hui Liu. Edward Chen C+

Beyto Dir. Gitta Gessl. Burak Ates, Dimitri Stapfer, Ecem Aydin, Beren Tuna C
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Dir. David Dobkin C
Hillbilly Elegy Dir. Ron Howard. Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams, Glenn Close C
Isaac Dir. Ángeles Hernández, David Matamoros. Pepe Ocio, Iván Sánchez C
The Life Ahead Dir. Edoardo Ponti. Ibrahima Gueye, Sophia Loren, Abril Zamora C
Miss Juneteenth Dir. Channing Godfrey Peoples. Nicole Beharie, Alexis Chikaeze C+
My Octopus Teacher Dir. Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed. Documentary about sea life C
News of the World Dir. Paul Greengrass. Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel C
Shiva Baby Dir. Emma Seligman. Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Danny Deferrari C
Soul Dir. Pete Docter. Voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Angela Bassett C
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation Dir. Lisa Immordino Vreeland C

Breaking Fast Dir. Mike Mosallam. Haaz Sleiman, Michael Cassidy C–
I Care a Lot Dir. J Blakeson. Rosamund Pike, Eiza González, Peter Dinklage C–
Nora Highland Dir. Ryan Spahn. Marin Ireland, Michael Hsu Rosen C–
On the Rocks Dir. Sofia Coppola. Rashida Jones, Bill Murray, Marlon Wayans C–
Shirley Dir. Josephine Decker. Odessa Young, Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg C–
Sublet Dir. Eytan Fox. John Benjamin Hickey, Niv Nissim, Miki Kam C–
Summer of '85 Dir. François Ozon. Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin C–

Antebellum Dir. Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz. Janelle Monáe, Kiersey Clemons D+
The Glorias Dir. Julie Taymor. Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson D+
Tenet Dir. Christopher Nolan. John David Washington, Robert Pattinson D+