December 27, 2020
Despite having to search and watch movies differently this year, 2020 has offered a wealth of storytelling in film with independent and often-marginalized voices receiving more time to shine through limited release strategies. It’s allowed for some stunning films to receive the accolades they deserve, such as Lee Isaac Chung’s
Minari, Kelly Reichardt’s
First Cow, and Chloé Zhao’s
Nomadland. What has been even greater to discover are the superb films directed by first-time filmmakers released this year.
There’s no shortage of variety here, from coming of age stories to some of the most unsettling horror this year. Their respective debuts all have been exciting to watch and gave viewers a group of newcomers worth looking out for in the future. Here are 12 of our favorite 2020 films directed by first-time filmmakers.
20 Great Movies Directed By Women in 2020
From new features by beloved directors to under-the-radar indies and thought-provoking documentaries.
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind.
Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year.
In this entry, we highlight essential movies from 2020 directed by women.
It’s obvious by now that the gender of a filmmaker, writer, lead actor, or anyone else involved doesn’t determine a movie’s greatness. But it’s also obvious that women filmmakers still face industry hurdles that their male peers don’t chief among them dramatic under-representation in the field and that one way to combat this issue is by showing up consistently for talented women filmmakers.
“
Thank you for the days / those endless days, those sacred days you gave me” So begins the classic 1968 single by the Kinks, and Tsai Ming-Liang has an apposite poster tagline here if he needs it. But altering any one element of this immaculate comeback feature––say, putting this very track against the closing credits––would be heresy, especially when it already contains a beautiful use of diegetic music in the theme from Chaplin’s
Limelight. I was lucky enough to see his tender, spellbinding new film at BFI London’s in-person, distanced screenings, and strongly hope others are afforded that pleasure when things open again in 2021––when it will most certainly appear on TFS’s list for the second year running. –
âCharm City Kings,â âBabyteethâ and Other Hidden Streaming Gems
You may have missed these under-the-radar movies this year. Nowâs your chance to catch up.
Jahi DiâAllo Winston plays Mouse, the hero of âCharm City Kings,â directed by Angel Manuel Soto.Credit.William Gray/HBO Max
Dec. 24, 2020
As 2020 sputters to its conclusion and film critics devise their year-end best-of lists (Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scottâs are here), the customary consensus begins to form around a handful of widely beloved titles: âFirst Cow,â âNever Rarely Sometimes Always,â âBeanpole,â âMartin Eden,â and the like. But a wide variety of at-home viewing options made this a particularly rich year for independent cinema, so in that spirit, this monthâs selection of hidden streaming gems focuses solely on the films of 2020 â from heartfelt indie dramas to searing documentaries to, yes, a thriller about a man and his po
Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant in Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Neon
Critic score: 98%
Audience score: 92%
Summary: In the 18th century, painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is whisked away to Brittany to paint a wedding portrait for the young Lady Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), and the two women grow closer than they ever expected.
Both critics and audiences agreed that the delicate period piece benefited from pairing its minimalist filmmaking style with raw emotional power. Beautiful, just flat out beautiful, wrote one viewer. I don t know why it took me so long to watch this masterpiece that left my heart wrenching.