10 Best Films Released in the UK in 2020
2020 was a year few will forget. The coronavirus pandemic reshaped daily life, cut many lives tragically short and forced cinemas to close their doors for months. The film industry was pushed to adapt: major releases were postponed, and studios experimented with premium video-on-demand and shorter home release windows. Still, the year delivered an impressive array of films accessible from home—innovative indies, sharp genre pieces, vital documentaries and several striking debuts, including notable work by women filmmakers. Below are my picks for the 10 best films released in the UK in 2020—titles that moved, thrilled and stayed with me.
Follow the author Sam Sewell-Peterson on Twitter @SSPThinksFilm.
10. Host
Host Review
Rob Savage’s lockdown horror Host is the film that most clearly captures 2020’s strange reality. Shot entirely on Zoom, it uses the platform’s limitations as creative fuel. Six friends conduct a virtual séance that spirals into relentless terror. Under an hour long, the film builds tension with precision: the performances feel raw, the format intensifies the experience, and the climax is merciless. Host is unnerving not just because it’s scary, but because it taps into the anxiety that this might be our new normal.
9. Mank
Mank Review
David Fincher’s Mank is a meticulously crafted ode to screenwriting and classic Hollywood. Centered on Herman J. Mankiewicz and the contested authorship of Citizen Kane, the film combines a Wellesian aesthetic with razor-sharp performances—particularly from Gary Oldman. Mank’s bitter wit and cinematic bravura make it both a loving tribute to film history and a scathing look at the politics and vanity behind it.
8. Possessor
Possessor Review
Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor is a disturbing, style-forward examination of identity, free will and bodily autonomy. Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott depict a body-hopping assassin whose incursions into other people’s minds erode her sense of self. The film’s grotesque, unforgettable visuals serve a thematic purpose: they probe what remains of a person when consciousness is repeatedly displaced. Possessor lingers long after the credits roll.
7. The Vast of Night
The Vast of Night Review
Andrew Patterson’s debut is a compact, imaginative science-fiction fable set in a 1950s New Mexico town. The film follows a switchboard operator and a radio DJ as they investigate a mysterious signal. Patterson’s long takes and inventive sound design transform limited resources into an immersive experience that celebrates the power of curiosity, storytelling and radio’s ability to stir the imagination.
6. Babyteeth
Babyteeth Review
Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth turns a potentially sentimental premise—a teenager with a terminal illness who falls in love—into an honest, music-infused drama. Eliza Scanlen gives a luminous performance as Milla, whose impulsive relationship with a local troublemaker brings both chaos and moments of pure joy. The film balances difficult scenes with warmth and a humanist coda that hits hard.
5. Crip Camp
Crip Camp Review
Crip Camp is a powerful documentary that traces how a summer camp for disabled teenagers helped spark a movement for disability rights in the United States. Combining archival footage, home movies and intimate interviews, the film honestly records hardship and abuse while ultimately celebrating resilience, community and political activism. It’s painful at times but profoundly inspiring.
4. The Assistant
The Assistant Review
Kitty Green’s The Assistant offers a day-in-the-life portrait of a junior assistant, capturing the cumulative weight of micro-abuse and systemic misogyny. Julia Garner anchors the film with a quietly devastating performance; the camera’s constant proximity forces the audience to endure each indignity and to imagine what lurks beyond the frame. It’s a disciplined, essential film about power and complicity.
Honourable mentions: Never Rarely Sometimes Always; A White, White Day; Time; Small Axe Anthology
3. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Portrait of a Lady on Fire Review
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an exquisitely composed romance about forbidden love and artistic devotion. Every frame feels like a painting, and the film uses music and silence to reveal characters’ inner lives. The relationship between Héloïse and Marianne unfolds with tenderness and heartbreaking inevitability; it’s one of the year’s most emotionally potent and visually ravishing films.
2. Rocks
Rocks Review
Sarah Gavron’s Rocks is a warm, authentic portrait of friendship and survival. Built from intensive workshops with the young cast, the film captures the spontaneous chemistry of girls at school as well as the rough realities of home life. When the protagonist, Rocks, is left to fend for herself, her friends become a lifeline. It’s an uplifting, often funny drama that restores faith in community and resilience.
1. Parasite
Parasite Review
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite remains a towering achievement—an audacious, genre-bending social satire that grew only more relevant as the year unfolded. The story of a poor family infiltrating a wealthy household is propelled by sharp performances, meticulous visual symbolism and escalating tension. Parasite’s dark humor and shocking turns culminate in a finale that is as devastating as it is unforgettable.
Independent cinema in 2020 delivered extraordinary work despite unprecedented challenges. These ten films represent a range of voices, styles and stories that stood out last year. Which films would you include in your top ten? Share your picks, and keep exploring great cinema.