In 2020, The Film Magazine published hundreds of pieces, from deep readings of classics and analyses of “so bad it’s good” films to reviews of new releases and coverage of major festivals. Our content ranges from Top 10 lists and ranked round-ups to thoughtful essays and interviews. A team of twenty regular writers, supported by dozens of guest contributors, created much of the year’s most insightful and engaging film writing on the web. Their enthusiasm, expertise and dedication helped The Film Magazine grow in readership and reputation throughout the year.
Below we celebrate the 20 most popular articles published on The Film Magazine in 2020. Each entry here was written and released during 2020. Rankings are based on total readership, not average daily traffic, so pieces published earlier in the year or those spanning multiple pages have an advantage in accumulating visits and clicks.
These twenty articles reflect the kind of coverage and features that resonated most with readers in 2020 and point toward the content we’ll continue to prioritize into 2021.
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Articles that nearly made the list: Pitch Perfect Movies Ranked; No, You Are – Deconstructing Dinesh D’Souza’s Interview with Richard Spencer; Final Destination Movies Ranked; Happiest Season (2020) Review.
20. Misbehaviour (2020) Review
Author: Annice White
Twitter: @annicewhite_
Misbehaviour dramatizes the real-life feminist protests that disrupted the 1970 Miss World competition. Featuring Keira Knightley and Jessie Buckley, the film received a measured appraisal on The Film Magazine, where Annice White described it as a respectable watch—a film you’ll want to see, even if it ultimately feels more suited to the small screen.
Read here.
19. The Only Movies Your Douchebag Ex Has Ever Seen – Top 10
Author: Joseph Wade
Twitter: @JoeTFM
Joseph Wade’s tongue-in-cheek Top 10 profiles the film-bro archetype—those people who loudly champion Tarantino at parties or rhapsodize about arthouse cinema on campus. Witty and pointed, the list struck a chord on social media with readers who recognized (or had dated) that particular type of film fan.
Read here.
18. 5 Reasons Why Klaus Is An Amazing Christmas Film
Author: Sophia Patfield
Published late in the year, this upbeat celebration of the independent animated film Klaus quickly rose in popularity. Sophia Patfield offers five compelling reasons to watch the movie beyond the holiday season—though readers should be aware that the piece may contain minor spoilers.
Read here.
17. Safdie Brothers Movies Ranked
Author: Leoni Horton
Twitter: @inoelshikari
Josh and Benny Safdie’s profile rose dramatically with Uncut Gems, and Leoni Horton, who has written extensively about the brothers, ranks their films here. The piece explains her choices clearly and highlights the brothers’ evolution as distinctive contemporary auteurs.
Read here.
16. M. Night Shyamalan Directed Movies Ranked
Author: Joseph Wade
Twitter: @JoeTFM
Since The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan’s career has been polarizing, producing both misfires and masterpieces. Joseph Wade, whose academic work focuses on film authorship, ranks Shyamalan’s feature films and provides context for where each one sits within the director’s varied body of work.
Read here.
15. Pirates of the Caribbean Movies Ranked
Author: Charlie Gardiner
Twitter: @funnyoldworldx
From 2003 to 2017 the Pirates franchise was one of Hollywood’s biggest moneymakers. With a reboot on the horizon, this ranking re-evaluates all five films—acknowledging their highs and lows—to determine which instalments hold up best today.
Read here.
14. Dirty Harry Movies Ranked
Author: Mark Carnochan
Twitter: @MarkJurassic
Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry films, spanning the 1970s through the early 1990s, remain culturally resonant. Mark Carnochan revisits all five entries and assesses how well each film has aged, identifying the strongest and weakest instalments in the series.
Read here.
13. 10 Excellent Non-Christmas Films Set at Christmas
Author: Louis B Scheuer
Twitter: @louisbscheuer
Published just days before Christmas, this curated list highlights ten notable films that take place during the holidays without being traditional Christmas movies. The selection appealed to readers looking for seasonal viewing that’s a little different.
Read here.
12. Christopher Nolan Films Ranked
Author: Joseph Wade
Twitter: @JoeTFM
With Tenet the year’s most talked-about blockbuster, Christopher Nolan remained central to film conversation in 2020. Joseph Wade ranks Nolan’s eleven features and offers perspective on where each film sits within the director’s distinctive, high-stakes body of work.
Read here.
11. Disney Renaissance Movies Ranked
Author: Sam Sewell-Peterson
Twitter: @SSPThinksFilm
Sam Sewell-Peterson takes on the beloved collection of Disney Renaissance films with a warm, thoughtful ranking that treats these childhood classics with respect. The piece became a frequent favorite on the site after its release in May.
Read here.
10. Election (1999) Review
Author: Christopher Connor
Twitter: @chrisconnor96
Christopher Connor’s review of Alexander Payne’s Election arrived during a politically charged year, and the piece’s clear analysis and cultural context helped it gain wide readership online and in social shares.
Read here.
9. Every Oscar Nominated Best Picture Horror Film Ranked
Author: Joseph Wade
Twitter: @JoeTFM
Only a handful of horror films have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Joseph Wade lists and ranks those rare entries, providing context for their crossover appeal between genre audiences and the film establishment.
Read here.
8. Panic! At the Movies: An Emo Top 10 Watchlist
Author: Leoni Horton
Twitter: @inoelshikari
For readers who lived through the emo era of the 2000s and early 2010s, this watchlist evokes the music, fashion and cinematic mood of that period. Leoni Horton assembles ten films that capture the sensibility and nostalgia of the scene.
Read here.
7. 100 Greatest Films of the 2010s
Authors: Jason Lithgo, Joseph Wade
Twitter: @CosmicJase, @JoeTFM
Jason Lithgo and Joseph Wade compiled an extensive list of the decade’s standouts, drawing on years of film study and criticism to rank 100 films that defined cinema during the 2010s.
Read here.
6. Twilight Movies Ranked
Author: Leoni Horton
Twitter: @inoelshikari
Although Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have moved into indie cinema, the Twilight series remains culturally significant for many fans. Leoni Horton ranks the five films with a tone that celebrates the franchise rather than condemning it.
Read here.
5. Back to the Future Movies Ranked
Author: Annice White
Twitter: @annicewhite_
A short, affectionate ranking of the three Back to the Future films for fans of time-travel adventure and 1980s cinema.
Read here.
4. The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) Review
Author: Leoni Horton
Twitter: @inoelshikari
Dee Rees’s 2020 film The Last Thing He Wanted earned a low score in The Film Magazine’s review, but Leoni Horton’s clear, engaging analysis drew strong traffic—especially via search and social platforms—putting this review near the top of our most-read list.
Read here.
3. High School Musical Trilogy Ranked
Author: Emma Kershaw
Twitter: @emmagkershaw
Emma G Kershaw ranks the three original High School Musical films with fondness and positivity, celebrating the series’ charm for readers who grew up with these Disney Channel favorites.
Read here.
2. Quentin Tarantino Movies Ranked
Author: Beth Sawdon
Twitter: @FlipendoFilms
Beth Sawdon ranks Quentin Tarantino’s ten feature films, from his earliest work to his more recent releases, with analysis that explains why certain titles stand above the rest in the director’s influential filmography.
Read here.
1. Wuthering Heights Films Ranked
Author: Annice White
Twitter: @annicewhite_
Annice White ranks the four major film adaptations of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights—from William Wyler’s 1939 version to Andrea Arnold’s 2011 interpretation—judging each both on fidelity to the novel and as standalone works of cinema.
Read here.
Recommended for you: 7 Best Reviewed Films 2020 – The Film Magazine
Thank you for reading The Film Magazine in 2020. We hope you’ll continue with us in 2021. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell us which articles were your favorites this year.