Top 10 Movies of 2020-2021

Dave’s Movie Database: Top 10 Movies of 2020-2021 These are the top 10 movies of 2020-2021 based on their overall status in Dave’s Movie Database. The years have been combined because covid ravaged the industry in 2020, leaving very little in the way of film output.

#1. Spider-Man: No Way Home This was Tom Holland’s third outing as Spider-Man. Zendaya also returns as MJ and Benedict Cumberbatch appears as Doctor Strange. The movie also featured Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, who’d played Spider-Man in previous films, as alternate versions of the title character. Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina also reprise their roles as villains Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. IMDB.com: “With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear.” 2021 box office champ.

#2. Nomadland IMDB.com: Frances McDormand, “a woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.” 2020 winner of the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Picture, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Golden Globe – Best Drama, Producers Guild of America – Best Picture. 6 Oscar nominations including win for Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#3. The Power of the Dog IMDB.com: “Charismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.” Directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst. 2021 winner of the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Picture, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Golden Globe – Best Drama. 12 Oscar nominations, including Best PIcture. See DMDB page.

#4. Dune Timothée Chalamet stars in part one of director Denis Villenueve’s two-part epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel Dune. The film also starred Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista. 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#5. Coda IMDB.com: “When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her musical passion and her fear of abandoning her deaf parents.” Winner of Producers Guild of America – Best Picture, Screen Actors Guild – Outstanding Cast, Writers Guild of America – Best Adapted Screenplay. 3 Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. See DMDB page.

#6. West Side Story Director Steven Spielberg remade the classic 1961 film based on the hugely successful 1957 stage musical. While seemingly an idea doomed to fail, the movie was a success commercially and critically. Golden Globe – Best Comedy/Musical. 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

#7. No Time to Die This was the 25th film in the James Bond franchise and the fifth and final one to feature Daniel Craig in the starring role. IMDB.com: “James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.” 3 Oscar nominations.

#8. Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ) IMDB.com: “A renowned stage actor and director learns to cope with a big personal loss when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima.” 4 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Won the Oscar for Best International Film.

#9. Licorice Pizza Paul Thomas Anderson directed Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman play young adults “growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973” (IMDB.com). The cast also included Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, and Tom Waits. National Board of Review – Best Film. 3 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

#10. The Battle at Lake Changjin (Chang jin hu) IMDB.com: “In the fierce battlefield in the midst of the harsh weather conditions, Wu Qian Li and Wu Wan Li, two brothers soldier including the brave Chinese soldiers must fight together and find a way to cope with the invasion of US forces.” With a $200 million budget, the war epic was the most expensive film ever produced in China.

Other Links: Dave’s Movie Database: Eras Dave’s Movie Database: Movies of the Year Dave’s Movie Database: Awards Page Originally posted 3/1/2025; last updated 3/5/2025.