Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2020

2020 was quite the oddball year, and unfortunately no industry was safe from the strife that the coronavirus pandemic caused. The film and theater industry were some of the worst hit, as major releases were pushed back and movie theatres shut down for a prolonged period of time. Some of my most highly-anticipated releases of the year got rescheduled, including A Quiet Place Part II, a film for which I had my reservation already scheduled for a press screening before it was cancelled at the very onset of the pandemic. So, as I write this list, I realize it will be unlike any other Top 10 list I’ve written, since the selection of films over this year was far more limited than any other in recent memory. However, as with 2020 as a whole, there were a few bright spots in an otherwise dreary year.

1. The Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell): Whannell’s spectacular new vision of the classic “Invisible Man” takes the top spot on my list. Thanks to the ever-present threat of something the audience cannot see, it succeeds at sustained suspense throughout the entire film. The film also features enthralling tension, compelling characters, chilling atmosphere and a remarkable performance by Elisabeth Moss, making The Invisible Man, in my opinion, of the films I’ve seen this year, not only the best horror film, but also the best film overall, and one of the best horror films that I’ve seen in the past few years.
2. The Vast of Night (Andrew Patterson)
3. Freaky (Christopher Landon)
4. The Gentlemen (Guy Ritchie)
5. Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley)
6. Tenet (Christopher Nolan): With Nolan as my favorite director, I had much anticipation for his time-warping sci-fi thriller. Though the film is a tad confusing and the characters could be more compelling, its ambitious concept – which might be one of the most creative and mind-blowing I’ve ever seen put to film – and its impressive execution of said concept warrants it a spot on this list.
7. The Social Dilemma (Jeff Orlowski): The only documentary to make my list, Netflix’s study of how social media influences our lives is both captivating and terrifying at the same time, showing the viewer how different sites get people addicted and make money off users. It is an eye-opening, timely and important doc that will make even the most frequent users of social media question their tendencies.
8. Followed (Antoine Le)
9. Get Duked! (Ninian Doff)
10. Sputnik (Egor Abramenko)

Where I have previously reviewed the film, the title is hyperlinked to that review. Where I have not, I have written a short description of the movie to help explain why I chose it.

Matt Patti

Matt Patti has enjoyed voicing his opinions on films from a young age. He has lived in the Baltimore, Maryland, area since 2015 and is a graduate of Stevenson University’s Film & Moving Image program. Matt is currently back at Stevenson University, working as the School of Design, Arts, and Communication's Studio Manager.