We’re in March of 2021, and yet 2020 feels like it will never end. But it’s finally time to wrap up at least one aspect of the year from hell. Over the next two weeks I will count down my top ten movies of 2020.

For the purposes of the list, I’m using this year’s Academy Awards definition of 2020 as January 1, 2020, through February 28, 2021. That allows me to include movies that had to skip the usual “one week in New York and Los Angeles” qualifying period before opening wide earlier this year. This isn’t much different than any year, where I don’t catch up with many Oscar contenders until January or February.

Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to watch every movie I thought might make this list. The three movies I missed that I think might have had a fighting shot at the top ten are Another Round, The Father and First Cow. I reserve the right to retroactively slot any of them into this list if I eventually see them (or anything else worthy of inclusion).

All that aside, let’s get to the countdown.

Best Films of 2020
#10 – Palm Springs

Most of the films on this list had special resonance because of the events of 2020 — the pandemic, the fight for racial justice, the divisive election.

Palm Springs, a sci-fi romantic comedy about a man and woman forced to relive the same day over and over again, hit a lot harder at the height of COVID quarantine, when days and weeks were bleeding together into a different kind of surreal time loop.

Written by Andy Siara, directed by Max Barbakow, and starring the immensely charismatic duo of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs was certainly well-timed, but it works as far more than a salve for pandemic fatigue.

The movie offers a thoughtful metaphor for marriage, which finds you navigating the monotony of daily life with the one person among billions who ended up by your side. It explores guilt, forgiveness, anger and acceptance.

Those heady issues are wrapped up in a bright, witty, easily rewatchable package. The film reminds me of The Good Place, a wonderful TV series that similarly mined deep topics through a lens of delightful absurdity.

Palm Springs is also further proof that J.K. Simmons’ presence makes any movie better. He does great work in a small but key role here.