I had quite a few requests about posting the individual lists of those who participated in our 2020 critics poll of the best movies of the year. The following are *most* of them as about a dozen or so decided to abstain from having their lists revealed publicly due to their still being works in progress. Still, these are 100 or so lists here, the most mentioned titles being “Nomadland,” followed by “First Cow” and “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.” Given the drastic distance between the top 3 and then fourth place, I am quite confident that these three will be the most listed films of the year, all three directed by women, and all three having been theatrical released during the course of the year.
Thelma Adams, AARP
Lovers Rock
Gunda
First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Zappa
Swallow
Another Round
The Assistant
Mr. Jones
Carlos Aguilar, RogerEbert
Wolfwalkers
Minari
Nomadland
I Carry You With Me
The Climb
I’m No Longer Here
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
La Llorona
Los Lobos
Fernando Andres
Kajillionaire
Boys State
Spree
Tesla
The Climb
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Assistant
Mank
Bacurau
Shithouse
Ethan Alter, Yahoo News
Kajillioniare
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Nomadland
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Lovers Rock
Circus of Books
Wolfwalkers
The Assistant
She Dies Tomorrow
The 40-Year-Old-Version
Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
The Wolf House
The Vast of Night
Beanpole
Bacurau
Nicholas Bell, IONCINEMA.COM
Dau: Natasha
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Antebellum
The Surrogate
The 40-Year-Old Version
Beanpole
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
I’m thinking of ending things
Possessor
Sputnik
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Ammonite
Tenet
Hamilton
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Alex Biese, Asbury Park Press
Da 5 Bloods
Hamilton
Ride Your Wave
Weathering With You
Palm Springs
The Invisible Man
Shirley
A Secret Love
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Class Action Park
Alex Billington, First Showing
Nine Days
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Pieces of a Woman
Feels Good Man
Another Round
The Truffle Hunters
Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
City Hall
Vitalina Varela
Fourteen
Ham on Rye
Tommaso
Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Kajillionaire
Da 5 Bloods
The Whistlers
Dick Johnson is Dead
An Easy Girl
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
On the Rocks
Lovers Rock
Time
City Hall
Sean Burns, WUBR
Bacurau
Collective
First Cow
Beanpole
City Hall
Lovers Rock
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Dick Johnson Is Dead
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Ben Cahlamer, the Movie Revue
Minari
Uncle Frank
Soul
On the Rocks
The Hunt
Promising Young Woman
Amy Campbell, GQ
Babyteeth
Bad Education
Beastie Boys Story
The Climb
Crip Camp
Da 5 Bloods
The Devil All the Time
On ther Rocks
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Hamilton
Erik Childress, WGN Radio
Da 5 Bloods
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Spontaneous
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Shirley
Nomadland
Mank
The Painted Bird
Minari
Jordan Cronk, Film Comment
DAU
I Was at Home, But...
Liberté
Martin Eden
Vitalina Varela
Freja Dam, Sound Venue
Portrait of A Lady on Fire
The Cave
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Assistant
First Cow
Shirley
Another Round
Manhola Dargis, The New York Times
Martin Eden
City Hall
Gunda
American Utopia
Bacurau
First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Collective
The 40 Year Old Version
Beanpole
A.A. Dowd, The AV Club
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
The Assistant
The Climb
Fourteen
Nomadland
First Cow
The Grand Bizarre
Vitalina Varela
Beanpole
Time
Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
Mangrove
First Cow
The Nest
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
City Hall
Kate Erbland, IndieWire
Emma
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Soul
Promising Young Woman
Saint Frances
The Trial of the Chicago 7
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
One Night in Miami
Minari
Pieces of a Woman
Chris Evangelista, Slash Film
Possessor
I’m thinking of ending things
Shirley
Nomadland
The Invisible Man
First Cow
Minari
Da 5 Bloods
Freaky
Mank
David Fear, Rolling Stone
Collective
Lovers Rocks
David Byrne’s American Utopia
First Cow
Tigertail
Bacurau
She Dies Tomorrow
Dick Johnson Is Dead
La Llorona
Minari
Isaac Feldberg, ArtsFuse
First Cow
La Llorona
Possessor
I’m thinking of ending things
Minari
Collective
Residue
Driveways
City Hall
The Invisible Man
John Lynn Fernandez, ICS
To The Ends of the Earth
The Wild Goose Lake
Bacurau
Mank
La Casa Lobo
Fire Will Come
A Girl Missing
Collective
Yourself and Yours
First Cow
Marshall Fine, NYFCC
The Outpost
The Climb
White Noise
Farewell Amor
Mangrove
Candace Frederick, Harper’s Bazaar
House of Hummingbird
Relic
Cuties
Mr. Soul
The Lodge
Miss Juneteenth
Coming Home Again
Tigertail
On the Record
Da 5 Bloods
Roger Friedman, Showbiz 411
Nomadland
Let Them All Talk
The Outpost
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Rainy Day in New York
King of Staten Island
Greyhound
Da 5 Bloods
Tenet
Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
An Easy Girl
The Climb
Promising Young Woman
Ammonite
Beanpole
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Da 5 Bloods
The Surrogate
Keni Fujishima, Freelance
City Hall
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Free Time
Collective
Time
Fourteen
She Dies Tomorrow
His House
Nomadland
Lovers Rock
Jean-Jacky Goldberg, Les Inrockuptibles
First Cow
The Vast of Night
Palm Springs
The Climb
The King of Staten Island
Wrong Missy
Enorme
Trial of the Chicago 7
Soul
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona
The Trial of the Chicago 7
First Cow
Beastie Boys Story
Da 5 Bloods
Vast of Night
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Boys State
The Go-Gos
The Assistant
Relic
Karen Gordon, CBC Radio
Nomadland
Sound of Metal
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Promising Young Woman
First Cow
Soul
One Night in Miami
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Vitalina Varela
Sorry We Missed You
Mank
Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
Nomadland
Minari
Soul
First Cow
The White Tiger
Emma
Kajillionaire
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
Dick Johnson is Dead
Angie Han, Mashable
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
First Cow
Da 5 Bloods
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Palm Springs
She Dies Tomorrow
Promising Young Woman
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Lovers Rock
Time
Glenn Heath Jr.
First Cow
The Woman Who Ran
The Cordillera of Dreams
Da 5 Bloods
Martin Eden
Odie Henderson, RogerEbert
Da 5 Bloods
Lovers Rock
Hamilton
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Nomadland
Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
David Byrne’s American Utopia
The Platform
First Cow
Nomadland
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Tenet
Borat 2
Lovers Rock
The Painter and the Thief
The Nest
Matt Hoffman, Film School Rejects
Anne at 13,000 Feet
Black Bear
Bacurau
Undine
The Nest
Let Him Go
Nomadland
Letter to You
Ema
The Assistant.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Nomadland
Mank
Minari
Tenet
First Cow
Andrea Hudson, Freelance
Birds of Prey
The Invisible Man
Da Five Bloods
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Wendy Ide, The Guardian
Nomadland
The Assistant
Wolfwalkers
Soul
Mangrove
First Cow
Matthew Jacobs, Huffington Post
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Minari
Dick Johnson Is Dead
First Cow
Kajillionaire
Bad Education
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Bacurau
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Richard T. Jameson, Film Comment
First Cow
The Vast of Night
Relic
She Dies Tomorrow
Da 5 Bloods
Nate Jones, New York Magazine
Da 5 Bloods
Emma
First Cow
The Invisible Man
Lovers Rock
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Palm Springs
Tenet
The Trip to Greece
Dave Karger, TCM
Sound of Metal
The Father
Nomadland
On the Rocks
Pieces of a Woman
Don Kaye, Den of Geek
The Assistant
Class Action Park
Da 5 Bloods
The Father
The Invisible Man
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
New Order
Relic
Sound of Metal
Trial of the Chicago 7
Robert Koehler, Film Comment
Vitalina Varela
Liberte
City Hall
First Cow
Martin Eden
Eric Kohn, IndieWire
First Cow
Lovers Rock
Collective
Nomadland
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Time
The Climb
The Mole Agent
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Bacurau
Harry Knowles, Aint It Cool News
Da 5 Bloods
Radioactive
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Mank
Possesor
His House
Bad Education
The Vast of Night
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things
Color Out of Space
Joanna Langfield, The Movie Minute
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Minari
Soul
Nomadland
Lovers Rock/Mangrove
Da Five Bloods
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
The Nest
Minari
Collective
Bad Education
Nomadland
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Bacurau
Freaky
Let Them All Talk
Shithouse
Pascal LeDuff, Critique Film FR
Another Round
Hotel by the River
Kill it and Leave This Town
Corpus Christ
The August Virgin
Summer of 85
The Woman Who Ran
Fried Barry
Un Pays Qui Se Tient Sage
Três Verões
Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
Nomadland
Collective
Freaky
Saint Frances
The Father
Sylvie’s Love
Animals
Let Them All Talk
Minari
Shirley
Willow Catelyn Maclay, Patreon
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Fourteen
Tomasso
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
Lingua Franca
The Assistant
First Cow
Still Processing
The History of the Seattle Mariners
The Woman Who Ran
Joey Magidson, Awards Circuit
Promising Young Woman
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Ther Way Back
Letter to You
The King of Staten Island
Spontaneous
Palm Springs
Mank
Banana Split
Steven Mears, Film Comment
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Nest
Tommaso
First Cow
Premature
Driveways
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Climb
Bacurau
Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment
Promising Young Woman
The Prom
Minari
Bad Education
Sound of Metal
Todd McCarthy, Deadline
The Father
Nomadland
Minari
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Promising Young Woman
The Outpost
The King of Staten Island
Da Five Bloods
Mank
Mangrove
Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage
Sound of Metal
Babyteeth
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Collective
Shadow of Violence
One Night in Miami
She Dies Tomorrow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Minari
The Other Lamb
Jack Moulton, Letterboxd
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Lovers Rock
Minari
Mangrove
Dick Johnson is Dead
Sound of Metal
The Climb
Welcome to Chechnya
Wolfwalkers
Kajillionaire
Noel Murray, The AV Club
Dick Johnson Is Dead
The Whistlers
Hamilton
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
Kajillionaire
Samuel Murrian, Parade
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Nomadland
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Relic
Lovers Rock
Promising Young Woman
Wolfwalkers
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night in Miami
Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Promising Young Woman
Minari
Nine Days
Soul
I’m thinking of ending things
Nomadland
Mank
The Killing of Two Lovers
The Father
Dick Johnson is Dead
Johnny Olekisnki, New York Post
Mank
Boys State
Trial of the Chicago 7
On The Rocks
The King of Staten Island
Van Papadopoulos, Cannes Classic
The Lighthouse
The Last Dance
Desert One
Trial of the Chicago 7
Seven
Tenet
Claudia Puig, USA Today
The Father
Emma
Minari
New Order
Rewind
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mangrove
Wander Darkly
Dick Johnson is Dead
La Llorona
Jordan Raup, The Film Stage
Time
First Cow
Vitalina Varela
City Hall
Lovers Rock
Tesla
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Hill of Freedom
Yourself and Yours
Martin Eden
Mara Reinstein, US Weekly
Promising Young Woman
The Prom
Da Five Bloods
The Trial of Chicago 7
Palm Springs
Minari
Bad Education
Nathaniel Rogers, The Film Experience
The Human Voice
And Then We Danced
Nomadland
Minari
Another Round
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Minari
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Ammonite
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Film Comment
Last Year in Dachau
Bottled Songs: My Crush Was a Superstar
Cenote
First Cow
Francer Against the Robots
Schoolgirls
Her Socialist Smile
MLK/FBI
Vitalina Varela
Women According to Men
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
Martin Eden
Nomadland
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Kajillionaire
Mangrove
The Nest
Welcome to Checnya
Ther Invisible Man
Dick Johnson is Dead
Bacurau
Dan Sallitt, Director
Young Ahmed
Yourself and Yours
Hill of Freedom
Joan of Arc
I Was at Home, But...
José
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
Borat 2
City Hall
First Cow
Martin Eden
The 40 Year Old Version
Palm Springs
Bacurau
American Utopia/Lovers Rock
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Soul
Dan Schindel, Hyperallergic
Vitalina Varela
First Cow
Dick Johnson is Dead
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
The World of Tomorrow 3
Bacurau
Tesla
History of the Seattle Mariners
Time
Still Processing
Michael Sicinsky, Freelance
Circumstantial Pleasures
Labor of Love
Figure Minus Fact
Siberia
Lovers Rock
Nasir
Malmkrog
Her Socialist Smile
Meridian
The Inheritance
Zack Sharf, IndieWire
Sound of Metal
Lovers Rock
Minari
The Nest
The Assistant
Radheyan Simonpillai, Now Toronto
First Cow
Lovers Rock
Residue
Nomadland
The 40-Year-Old Version
David Sims, The Atlantic
First Cow
Lovers Rock
The Nest
I'm thinking of ending things
Mank
Nomadland
Bacurau
Minari
Tenet
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Jeff Sneider, Collider
Sound of Metal
Crip Camp
Tread
Boys State
Assassins
Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Trial of the Chicago 7
I’m Your Woman
The Vast of Night
Save Yourselves
Palm Springs
Collin Souter, RogerEbert
Soul
American Utopia
Sorry We Missed You
Bacurau
Boys State
Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast
Dick Johnson is Dead
Nomadland
Mangrove/Lovers Rock
City Hall
Borat 2
Sasha Stone, AwardsDaily
Mank
Spree
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Nomadland
Ammonite
The Way Back
One Night in Miami
On the Rocks
Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle
Vitalina Varela
Babyteeth
The Hole
The Nest
Time
Mank
Dirty God
Lovers Rock
The Truth
Bacurau
Cedric Succivalli, Venice Days
Residue
La Llorona
Lingua Franca
Vitalina Varela
Corpus Christi
Amy Taubin, Film Comment
Time
Gunda
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Tesla
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Da 5 Bloods
The Monopoly of Violence
MLK/FBI
Coded Bias
Collective
Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert
Nomadland
Da 5 Bloods
Lovers Rock
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
David Byrne’s American Utopia
The Nest
She Dies Tomorrow
I’m thinking of ending things
Time
Wolfwalkers
Andrea Thompson, Freelance
First Cow
Miss Juneteenth
Residue
Cuties
The Assistant
Anne Thompson, IndieWire
Nomadland
Da 5 Bloods
The Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night in Miami
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
David Byrne's American Utopia
Lovers Rock
Farewell Amour
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Brian Truitt, USA Today
Trial of the Chicago 7
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
The Sound of Metal
His House
The Invisible Man
The Vast of Night
The 40-Year-Old Version
She Dies Tomorrow
Hamilton
Boyd Van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
The Whistlers
Beanpole
Shirley
Collective
Wolfwalkers
The Woman Who Ran
Undine
The Disciple
Promising Young Woman
Summer of 85
Jeffrey Welles, Hollywood Elsewhere
Nomadland
Mank
The Trial of the Chicago 7
The Father
Tenet
Promising Young Woman
The Outpost
Pieces of a Woman
Minari
The Trip to Greece
Bad Education
Susan Wloszczyna, Gold Derby
Nomadland
Minari
One Night in Miami
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Mank
Pieces of a Woman
Bad Education
Blow the Man Down
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,
Stephanie Zacharek, Time Magazine
First Cow
Collective
The Trial of the Chicago 7
David Byrne's American Utopia
Lovers Rock
Emma
Wolfwalkers
Nomadland
Miss Juneteenth
Bill & Ted Face the Music
Alex Zalben, Decider
Palm Springs
A Secret Love
Hamilton
Birds of Prey
Class Action Park
Bad Education
Crip Camp
The New Mutants
Emma
Miss Americana