Compiled by Cinematary Staff and Contributors

I won’t spend too much time with the usual “this year has been crazy” and other qualifiers and just say that 2020 has been a lot. Focusing solely on the movie output for the year was a tough task due to multiple factors and I’m happy that we had such a willing group of staff members and participants of the podcast or writing section that chimed in with their favorites from 2020.

Featuring writing by Michael O’Malley, Reid Ramsey, Ash Baker, Nadine Smith, Andrew Swafford, Logan Kenny, Miranda Barnewall, and Lucy Palmer

2020 has been a rough year for movie releases. Release dates have been pushed back indefinitely, productions have been halted, and event titles have unceremoniously shuffled onto VOD platforms, making this feel like a year without movies. So at this mid-point in the year, when many outlets ordinarily release their “best of the year so far” listicles, here at Cinematary we’d like to acknowledge the situation by doing something a bit different: we’ve invited our writers to share one or two pieces of non-film media released in 2020 that they’ve personally found comforting amidst all the uncertainty. Below you’ll find writing on music, sports, workout routines, television, and viral videos, all of which we invite you to enjoy with us.

By Andrew Swafford, Courtney Anderson, Zach Dennis, Eva Zee, Nadine Smith, Michael O’Malley, Lucy Palmer, Nick Armstrong, and Logan Kenny

The twelve films presented here are grouped into two categories: confronting the crisis and escaping the crisis. In the first half of the list, you’ll find write-ups of six films that, in one way or another, speak to the phenomena of widespread illness, government intervention, and self-quarantine that our writers are currently living through as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic of spring 2019. In the second half, you’ll find write-ups of six completely unrelated films that our writers are using to find solace in these uncertain times.

Note: Contagion is too obvious.

By Zach Dennis, Diana Rogers, Ash Baker, Andrew Swafford and Reid Ramsey.

Note: These films are not ranked by quality, but rather in chronological order.

By Zach Dennis, Diana Rogers Ash Baker, Logan Kenny, Michael O’Malley, Nadine Smith and Reid Ramsey.

Note: These films are not ranked by quality, but rather in chronological order.

By Zach Dennis, Lydia Creech, Ash Baker, and Reid Ramsey.

Note: These films are not ranked by quality, but rather in chronological order.

By Zach Dennis, Michael O'Malley, Diana Rogers, Lydia Creech, Andrew Swafford, and Reid Ramsey.

Note: These films are not ranked by quality, but rather in chronological order.

By Zach Dennis, Courtney Anderson, Michael O'Malley, Jessica Carr, Diana Rogers, Ash Baker, Lydia Creech, Andrew Swafford, and Paige Taylor.

Note: These films are not ranked by quality, but rather in chronological order.

By Zach Dennis, Logan Kenny, Andrew Swafford, Jessica Pena, Lydia Creech and Diana Rogers

**NOTE** This is not in ranked order

By Zach Dennis, Logan Kenny, Andrew Swafford, Malcolm Baum, Jessica Carr, Nadine Smith and Michael O’Malley

**NOTE** This is not in ranked order

By Zach Dennis, Logan Kenny, Andrew Swafford, Malcolm Baum, Jessica Carr, Reid Ramsey, Michael O’Malley, Robyn C., and Lydia Creech

**NOTE** This is not in ranked order

By Zach Dennis, Logan Kenny, Andrew Swafford, Malcolm Baum, Jessica Carr, Reid Ramsey, Michael O’Malley, Lydia Creech, Jordan Smith and Nathan Smith

**NOTE** This is not in ranked order

In all actuality, making a list of the best movies of 2018 to cap off 2018 is misguided. We should really be looking back three years later to gauge the cultural impact that films have made on a grander level rather than compiling some group together to feed an insatiable need to fit into what qualifies as film criticism today.

That being said, here are 25 films that the group here at Cinematary have come up with.