2020 was a whirlwind of change, some of it welcome and a whole lot of it not.
On Netflix, stories imagined in the Before Times helped us unite around the familiar, even as fate marched us into the unknown. We basked in the comfort of old favorites, kept things interesting with new releases, and otherwise clung to the promise of that iconic “dun-dun” — a clarion call for entertainment that could still be heard through this deafening shit storm of a year.
From Tiger King to TATBILB 2, Netflix’s 2020 catalogue gave us a lot to love. To celebrate that victory (because dang, do we need a victory to celebrate), we’ve come together to highlight all the new Netflix original movies and shows that made our queues brighter in 2020, in no particular order.
Enjoy them for the first, second, or twentieth time. Trust us, we get it. Happy streaming.
1. Never Have I Ever
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Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, this smart-yet-sweet coming-of-age story is easily the most fulfilling watch of our Netflix year so far. Lead Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will steal your heart as Devi, a high school sophomore reeling from the loss of her father the year before but with big plans for a future as vibrant and fearless as she. Culturally important as it is authentic, Never Have I Ever serves not only as a critical step for on-screen representation, but a frontrunner in the race for best Netflix series of the year. Now, take your Dew and go.* —Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Netflix
2. The Old Guard
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Folks looking for that summer blockbuster thrill, search no further than The Old Guard. Based on the superhero comic books of the same name, director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s movie sucks viewers into a slick, well-crafted world of action and narrative that isn’t particularly unique but delivers its formulaic pieces with enough precision to keep you invested. Charlize Theron crushes as the ass-kicking leader of an immortal warrior fight crew, with performances by Harry Melling, Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Van Veronica Ngo, Matthias Schoenaerts, and more.* —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
3. The Queen’s Gambit
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The Queen’s Gambit makes chess glamorous — and in a year like 2020, stylish, escapist miniseries like this one are a welcome treat. Based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, this Netflix period drama follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon as she gradually rises to the top of her game while fighting off loneliness and addiction.
Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance as Beth is intoxicating. There is a subtlety to the way she displays her emotions that fully absorbs viewers in each of her successes and failures. This makes the series’ triumphant conclusion all the more satisfying. While the story is riveting, it is also painfully pretty. Our heroine competes in dazzling locations across the world while wearing lovely period costumes and rocking perfect eyeliner. Brilliant female lead and swoon-worthy aesthetics? Check and check. —Brooke Bajgrowicz, Entertainment Fellow
Where to watch: Netflix
4. Tigertail
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Alan Yang’s feature film directorial debut tells the heartwarming story of Pin-Jui and Yuan, who met in Taiwan as children and young adults but eventually lose touch. In his later years, Pin-Jui finds himself distant from his daughter, their relationship strained by his reluctance to open up over the years. Flashbacks continue to reveal the tender love between Pin-Jui and Yuan until he abruptly marries someone else, and the grown Pin-Jui is compelled to find his old love and return to his roots.* —Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Netflix
5. Miss Americana
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Taylor Swift is one of the most famous people in the world, but longtime fans will still find something new in Lana Wilson’s thoughtful, inspiring documentary Miss Americana, which follows the singer through the last few years as she rethinks how she wants to live her life under a massive spotlight. The bits filming her in the recording studio feature cute reveals (Taylor hadn’t ever tried a burrito until a few years ago!), but the documentary is most fascinating when it focuses in on a woman trying to deprogram the misogynistic messaging she received her whole life.
It’s there she’s less a superstar and more just another young woman realizing she was sold a shitty bag of goods in a patriarchal society. Swift speaks candidly about disordered eating, her political awakening, and her relationship to the attention and media in a refreshing way, and by the time she’s once again taking to the stage guitar in hand, it’s all you can do not to stand up and cheer alongside the massive crowd.* —Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor
Where to watch: Netflix
6. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
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Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is a vital documentary that tells the story of the generation of disability activists who first learned to organize while attending the now defunct Camp Jened. Camp Jened was a summer program for children and teens with a wide range of disabilities, and the documentary uses archival footage from the camp’s’ heyday in the 1960s to show the impact its progressive and accessible space had on its campers.
Some of the same people shown as children in the camp footage went on to lead life-changing demonstrations that improved the social status of people with disabilities in the United States, but Crip Camp’s greatest strength as a film is in showing how early access to inclusive spaces gives marginalized community members the opportunity to dream of and create a better world.* —Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Netflix
7. His House
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Director Remi Weeke’s feature-length debut may very well be the best horror film of 2020.
A chilling reflection on survivor’s guilt and xenophobia, His House stars Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku as Bol and Rial, a refugee couple seeking asylum in Britain. Having recently fled South Sudan with their daughter (who did not survive the perilous journey), Bol and Rial must blend into their unfamiliar surroundings or face deportation. Unfortunately, the haunted house they’ve been assigned to live in isn’t making that already Herculean task any easier.
Genuinely scary and exquisitely felt, His House delivers an engrossing slow-burn, personal drama through the lens of traditional cinematic scares. It’s got a great score, tremendous special effects, and a phenomenal story to back all that up. —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
8. The 40-Year-Old Version
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The Forty-Year-Old Version is in large part about the pitfalls of being labeled a talent to watch — its heroine is a struggling playwright who turns to rap as she approaches 40 with little to show for the early promise that once landed her on “30 under 30” lists. But it’s impossible to watch this singular work and not want to describe Radha Blank, its writer, director, producer, and star, as such. Blank’s debut feature isn’t purely autobiographical (for starters, she’s had much more professional success than her onscreen counterpart), but it boasts the authenticity, affection, and observant wit of lived experience. It’s a film about the challenges of finding your own voice whose own voice is as loud and clear as a bell. —Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
Where to watch: Netflix
9. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
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If Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom can’t quite escape the rhythms of the stage (it’s based on a play by August Wilson), it’s more than dynamic enough to hold its own as a movie. Set during an eventful recording session in 1927 Chicago, the film is at once a full-throated tribute to the “Mother of the Blues,” a lively celebration of Black culture and its place in history, and a sharp exploration of racial dynamics then and now — not to mention a stunning showcase for its cast, including Viola Davis as the towering legend of the title and Chadwick Boseman in his thrilling, heartbreaking final performance. —A.H.
Where to watch: Netflix
10. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
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Emotional demolitions expert/filmmaker Charlie Kaufman destroys audiences once more in the mind-boggling I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Adapted from Iain Reid’s novel of the same name, this cryptically titled psychological thriller follows a woman, played by Jessie Buckley, and her boyfriend, played by Jesse Plemons, on a disturbing visit to his parents’ remote farmhouse. What follows? Well, that depends on who you ask.
A transfixing meditation on art, existence, value, authorship, isolation, and more, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a truly one-of-a-kind experience as profound as it is disquieting. You may not have a great time in this house of abstract horrors (especially when Toni Collette is onscreen doing those classically terrifying Toni Collette things), but it will be a lasting one.* —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
11. The Midnight Gospel
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The talents of Adventure Time‘s Pendleton Ward and podcaster Duncan Trussell meet in this trippy animated dramedy. Set in the fantastical world of The Chromatic Ribbon, the story of Clancy (a glorified, interdimensional YouTuber) and his shifting understanding of adulthood and responsibility offer a transcendent journey of self-reflection to any viewer willing to watch. Illusion-shattering and spectacular, this is the kind of TV that changes you.* —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
12. Unorthodox
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Among the more underrated items on this list, Unorthodox delivers some of the most impassioned and captivating drama streaming this year. Scripted in both Yiddish and English, this miniseries tells the story of 19-year-old Esty Shapiro (played by the mesmeric Shira Haas), a young woman who leaves her Orthodox community in Brooklyn to pursue a new life of freedom in Berlin. An edge-of-your-seat thriller with heart to spare, Unorthodox deserves at least one viewing but merits more.* —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
13. Da 5 Bloods
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Spike Lee did what Spike Lee does in Da 5 Bloods: He delivered a work of cinema that’s both timely and timeless, marked by stellar performances and a camera lens that tells a story even if you ignore the script.
The film follows four Black Vietnam vets as they return to the former war zone in search of their dead squad leader’s remains…and the millions in CIA gold they plundered and buried before their tour ended. Political differences between the men foster mistrust and complicate their journey, leading to a powerful finale that’s not-so-strangely resonant — this is Spike Lee — for our current moment in history.* —Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Netflix
14. The Baby-Sitters Club
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Can you invite a show over for a sleepover? Because that’s all we wanted to do while watching the deeply charming, sweet, and smart Baby-Sitters Club, based on the beloved book series and thoughtfully updated for today’s 12 year olds — and their parents. It’s a feminist dream, and just plain fun.
Season 1 follows the storylines in the first handful of books — starting their club, dealing with parent drama, figuring out who you are — and the cast of newcomers all shine (parents played by Alicia Silverstone and Marc Evan Jackson are equally delightful). The Baby-Sitters Club is honestly just a wonderful example that demonstrates how really stellar shows can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of whether you’re the target demographic or not. Long live ingenuity, girl power, and the BSC.* -E.S.
Where to watch: Netflix
15. Love Is Blind
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Yes, it’s the title that started 2020 off so strong: Love Is Blind! Netflix’s wildly successful dating reality show (which tasked anonymous singles with finding their forever partners sight unseen via those bizarre, viral pod things) checked all of our boxes at the start of this hellish journey ’round the sun. And a year later? It still does!
Join Amber, Barnett, Mark, Jessica, Diamond, Carlton, Cameron, Lauren, Giannina, Damian, and their terrible decision making for the spectacular 2020 reality TV event that’s surprisingly re-watchable. Then find me and the rest of the LIB squad on Twitter. (I can and will keep talking about this season of TV for as long as I live. Or like, at least until Season 2 hits.) —A.F.
Where to watch: Netflix
Note: Don’t see something on here you loved? Check out our 2020 best movies and best TV lists!
Asterisks (*) indicate the entry write up comes from a previous Mashable list this year.