The term “masterpiece” is often used for classic movies but there are a handful of great films from the 2020s that fit the bill, including some that flew under the radar. These could be indie movies, box office disappointments that are destined to become popular cult classics, or even streaming originals that were overlooked.

Of course, a few movies from the 2020s are clearly already masterpieces, whether it’s summer blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick or Best Picture winners like Everything Everywhere All At Once. Those are constantly recommended to others because of their quality but it’s those hidden gem films that most people don’t know about that end up being truly special.

10

The Fallout (2021)

A Directorial Debut About A School Shooting

Shortly before breaking out and becoming a household name thanks to 2022’s Scream and the тιтular role in Wednesday, Jenna Ortega delivered her best performance in The Fallout. This indie movie depicted how a school shooting impacted the lives of two girls who survived the ordeal.

Megan Park is excellent as a debut writer/director, capturing the harrowing shooting through the eyes of two girls hiding out in the bathroom while it happens. The sounds and screams are chilling and expertly played by Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. It also features an ending that will stick with you for a long time after the credits roll.

The Fallout isn’t a well-known movie but it holds an impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and helped make Park a director to watch (her follow up, My Old ᴀss, was also praised). Plus, school shootings are such an unfortunate staple of the world in the 2020s that the film is culturally relevant like a true masterpiece.

9

How To Blow Up A Pipeline (2022)

A High-Stakes Eco-Thriller

Another independent film that flew under the radar early in the decade was How to Blow Up a Pipeline. After debuting to praise at TIFF, the movie found a home on Hulu, yet still didn’t become all that well-known. However, based on the book of the same name, the film should be viewed for a long time to come.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline follows a group of environmental activists who come together to destroy an oil pipeline. The film looks at the climate crisis and social justice, but the most interesting bit is how it challenges the views of its antiheroes.

They’re doing something for the right reasons, but the way they’re going about it can be viewed as terrorism. That led to several controversies raised by authorities and a lot of classic masterpieces have been challenging in the same way. It’s the kind of thing that makes people come back to watch a movie over and over.

8

Aftersun (2022)

A Heartbreaking Father/Daughter Story

It’s rather difficult for a movie that was nominated for a major Academy Award to remain overlooked but that’s the case with Aftersun. Written and directed by Charlotte Wells and loosely based on her own childhood, it tells a tear-jerking story about a father named Calum (Paul Mescal) who goes on vacation with his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio).

The relationship between the two characters is the focus of the film, yet it also looks at how Sophie remembers the vacation as an adult and Calum’s struggles with depression. The performances of both lead actors are tremendous, with Mescal landing an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Wells took home a slew of accolades for her work on Aftersun, and her eventual follow-up project is highly anticipated. Though it only grossed less than $10 million at the box office, Aftersun was a critical darling that has been named on several lists as one of the best films of the decade.

7

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

Two Girls Head Across State Lines After An Unintended Pregnancy

Along the same lines as The Fallout, 2020’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a film that hits on an important topic of the time. The subject of a woman’s rights over her own body has been a constant source of discussion across America, and this movie centers on someone who has to head to a neighboring state for an abortion.

In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Autumn has to leave Pennsylvania alongside her cousin Skylar to get an abortion in New York, since it’s illegal in Pennsylvania. The girls deal with being lied to, being in uncomfortable situations, and more as they prepare for the procedure.

The film holds an outstanding 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received widespread acclaim.

Director Eliza Hittman captures how harrowing the situation is, including a captivating scene where Autumn is asked intrusive questions ahead of the procedure that hammers home the upsetting nature of the situation for women. The film holds an outstanding 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received widespread acclaim.

6

Suzume (2022)

Makoto Shinkai Crafts Another Classic

Filmmaker Makoto Shinkai is one of the most impressive people making movies these days and his animated projects have shown why. Shinkai had a few strong films early on but he really broke through with 2016’s Your Name and then added another success with 2019’s Weathering With You.

Shinkai was back at it in 2022 for Suzume, another film rife with a gorgeous animation style and a fantastical idea that shows his impressive level of creativity. Suzume centers on the тιтular teenage girl who teams with a stranger to stop disasters in Japan after a supernatural worm is unleashed.

The premise is wacky on its own but the stylish animation, surprisingly strong emotional beats, and pulse-pounding action make it something special. Suzume sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and only lost to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Boy and the Heron at major award shows and there’s no shame in that.

5

Bottoms (2023)

Two Teens Start A Lesbian Fight Club At Their School

Thanks to the success of The Bear, Ayo Edebiri has become a well-known name in Hollywood, yet her best film is one that still didn’t become the hit it deserved to be. Bottoms stars Edebiri and Rachel Sennott (who also co-wrote the film along with director Emma Seligman) as two unpopular lesbians struggling in high school.

After an unfortunate run-in with a jock in their school, the girls start a “self-defense” club that turns into a fight club as they also battle the toxic masculinity from the jocks. At its core though, Bottoms is something of a rom-com since part of the reason for starting the club was to hook up with cheerleaders.

Edebiri and Sennott are fantastic, while the script is sharp with wit.

Edebiri and Sennott are fantastic, while the script is sharp with wit. The supporting cast is also impressive, including Kaia Gerber, Havana Rose Liu, and even former NFL player Marshawn Lynch. Though overlooked upon its release, Bottoms is destined to become a cult classic, especially within the LGBTQ+ community.

4

The Iron Claw (2023)

The Tragic Tale Of A Wrestling Family

Though there have been plenty of movies about pro wrestling, only a few break through to become notable. The Wrestler and Fighting with My Family stand out, but The Iron Claw belongs in that conversation. This tells the true story of the famous Von Erich family and the “curse” that has taken many of their lives.

Zac Efron delivers the best performance of his career as Kevin Von Erich, while Jeremy Allen White is great as his brother Kerry. The Von Erich family was all involved in wrestling, pushed by patriarch Fritz, and saw nearly every member die in tragic fashion, including multiple suicides.

The Iron Claw, named after the family’s most famous wrestling move, does a terrific job of capturing the heartbreaking nature of their story and is boosted by the performances of the cast. Many feel that it was unjustly overlooked by major award ceremonies, though, leading it to be underrated.

3

20th Century Girl (2022)

A South Korean Romance Across Time

Some of the best movies in recent memory have come from South Korea, including Parasite, which was named the best movie of the century by The New York Times. Even so, plenty of their films get overlooked, including the Netflix original 20th Century Girl.

On the surface, 20th Century Girl sounds like a run-of-the-mill teen romance. A girl named Na Bo-ra is tasked with keeping tabs on Baek Hyun-jin, a boy who her best friend likes (as she goes away for heart surgery), only to fall in love with him herself. Despite the simple premise, the execution is expertly crafted.

The performance of Kim Yoo-jung carries the movie and by the time you get to the third act, 20th Century Girl delivers a twist that changes everything and only adds to its emotional impact. It’s one of the most impressive Netflix original movies ever made, yet nobody seems to talk about it.

2

Babylon (2022)

Damien Chazelle’s Misunderstood Masterpiece

Damien Chazelle is one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood today, having made Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man, including winning Best Director at the Oscars for La La Land. That success allowed him to make a big-budget movie in 2022, which he did with Babylon.

Babylon had all the makings of a Chazelle success, from his trademark directorial style to a fantastic cast (led by Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt) to one of the best scores ever included in a film. Despite all that, it bombed at the box office and received mixed reviews, sitting at just 57% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie is a technical marvel and the way that it pays homage to the history of cinema makes it the kind of movie that seems like it’ll only get better as time goes on.

However, people are starting to look back more positively on Babylon, with the likes of Stephen King stopping to praise it. The movie is a technical marvel and the way that it pays homage to the history of cinema makes it the kind of movie that seems like it’ll only get better as time goes on.

1

Nimona (2023)

An LGBTQ+ Graphic Novel Adaptation

The journey to get Nimona, an adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name, made into a film was a rough one that included the sale of a studio, cancellation, and more. Once Nimona was released on Netflix, though, it proved to be one of the best animated films in recent memory.

Studio Ghibli, Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures Animation have been at the forefront of animated cinema, yet Nimona is from Annapurna, leading to part of why it was unjustly overlooked. It holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating, was up for an Oscar, and took home an Annie Award.

The film focuses on a knight (Riz Ahmed) named Ballister, who was framed for a crime, who bonds with a shape-shifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) to prove his innocence. The LGBTQ+ romance between Ballister and a fellow knight, the animation style, and the touching story of friendship at its center make Nimona a masterpiece.