×
You will be redirected back to your article in seconds

The Best Under-the-Radar Films of 2020

Retaliation Farewell Amor The Climb
Saban Films/IFC Films/Sony Pictures Classic

In most years, the film industry manages to stir up a fair amount of noise for its wares, buying billboards and Super Bowl spots, trotting out movie stars on talk shows and using glitzy red-carpet premieres to put the latest movies on audiencesโ€™ radar. But 2020 wasnโ€™t like other years for reasons youโ€™re probably tired of reading about, and while smaller movies generally have a harder time breaking through under normal circumstances, pretty much anything that wasnโ€™t spelled T-E-N-E-T forward and backward failed to make much of a blip on the public consciousness.

Thatโ€™s why the Variety team put their heads together to identify the movies that might have escaped your notice in 2020. Itโ€™s a wide-ranging list with recommendations that run the gamut from Netflix comfort food (โ€œThe Half of Itโ€) to a documentary that dares you to spend less time in front of your devices (โ€œScreened Outโ€). Given the state of distribution this year, most of these movies went straight to streaming โ€” and all can be found there now. So if youโ€™re seeking something a bit more eclectic than the usual โ€œbest of the yearโ€ lists, look no further than these under-the-radar gems.