In 2020, the lines were all blurred. In recognition of the weirdness that was, this year’s lists include television, old films, and everything in between. We can’t wait until enough films of high quality screen in movie theatres to make the distinction between films and television meaningful once again. In the meantime, creators kept creating, and there was a lot from 2020 to celebrate!

THE LOFT CINEMA STAFF’S TOP 10 FILMS AND TELEVISION OF 2020

1. Kajillionaire
2. The 40-Year-Old Version
3. First Cow
4. Possessor
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6. PEN15
7. The Half of It / Birds of Prey (tie)
8. Lovers Rock
9. Minari / The Assistant (tie)
10. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets / Another Round / I May Destroy You (tie)

Individual Staff Top 10 Lists

Amber Kleefeld, Director of Membership and Donor Services

My 13 favorite movies for this unluckiest of years, listed in the order I watched them:

• Shirley️
• Da 5 Bloods️
• Hamilton
• Old Guard ️
• Unpregnant️
• Enola Holmes ️
• 40 Year Old Version️
• The Holidate
• Happiest Season ️
• Lovers Rock️
• She Dies Tomorrow
• Kajillionaire
• Relic

J.J. Giddings, Marketing Director

1. The Last Dance
2. How to with John Wilson
3. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
4. Lovers Rock
5. Palm Springs
6. Jasper Mall
7. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
8. Crip Camp
9. Feels Good Man
10. The Invisible Man

Honorable Mention: Heaven’s Gate, Tiger King, Spaceship Earth, Love & Monsters, Class Action Park, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Totally Under Control.

Jeff Yanc, Program Director

1. Minari
2. Kajillionaire
3. American Utopia
4. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
5. First Cow
6. Another Round
7. The Forty-Year-Old Version
8. Possessor
9. Deerskin
10. Shirley

Candace Ripley, General Manager

1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
2. The Forty Year Old Version
3. The Half of It
4. Kajillionaire
5. Betty
6. The Wilds
7. A Secret Love
8. Lovecraft Country
9. Birds of Prey
10. The Lovebirds

Ana Quiñones, Volunteer Coordinator

1. Adventure Time: Distant Lands
2. The Haunting of Bly Manor
3. Kajillionaire
4. Saint Frances
5. The Wilds
6. The Half Of It
7. Midnight Gospel
8. Birds of Prey
9. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
10. Spinning Out

Honorable Mention: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (technically 2019 but didn’t watch until 2020)

Ben Mackey, Marketing Associate

1. Birds of Prey
2. First Cow
3. Possessor
4. Deerskin
5. The Assistant
6. The Invisible Man
7. She Dies Tomorrow
8. Come to Daddy
9. Emma
10. Palm Springs

Emily Quinn, Assistant Manager

1. I May Destroy You
2. What We Do in the Shadows
3. Insecure
4. PEN15
5. Devs

Gilbert Rataezyk, Projectionist

1. Sorry We Missed You
2. First Cow
3. The Assistant
4. Mank
5. Have a Good Trip
6. The Social Dilemma
7. Da 5 Bloods
8. Miss Americana
9. Excuse Me, I Love You
10. Tenet

David Correa, Purchasing Specialist

The best movies I saw during 2020:

1. Our Little Sister
2. Johnny Guitar
3. Cría Cuervos
4. Nick Drake Under Review
5. Mr. Holmes
6. The Hourglass Sanitorium
7. Lost Horizon
8. Summer Days with Coo
9. In the Aisles
10. The Great Silence

Reed Chandler, Projectionist

Movies (alphabetical order):

• The Assistant
• La Casa Lobo (The Wolf House)
• Possessor
• The 40-Year-Old Version

TV (alphabetical order):

• Euphoria Special Episode Part 1: Rue
• How to with John Wilson
• I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
• I May Destroy You
• PEN15
• The Vow

Honorable Mention: Billy the Kid (2007) re-released this year, shout out to Jeff for letting me borrow his copy. The Eric Andre Show: Season 5 and every single season of Hell’s Kitchen.

Pedro Robles-Hill, Operations Manager

1. Possessor
2. Horse Girl
3. PEN15
4. Heaven’s Gate: Cult of Cults
5. The Vast of Night
6. Relic
7. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem & Madness
8. Shirley
9. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
10. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Clarice Bales, Projectionist

1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
2. The 40-Year-Old Version / The Half of It (tied)
3. The Lovebirds
4. Birds of Prey

Peggy Johnson, Executive Director

Movies:

1. Another Round
2. Minari
3. Babyteeth
4. Kajillionaire
5. Crip Camp
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. The 40-Year-Old Version
8. Miss Juneteenth
9. The Trial of the Chicago 7
10. Gunda
11. Pahokee

TV:

1. I May Destroy You
2. The Great
3. Fargo
4. PEN15
5. Fleabag
6. Killing Eve

Zach Breneman, Deputy Director

1. First Cow
2. Bacurau
3. Lovers Rock
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6. Possessor
7. Time
8. Sound of Metal
9. The Vast of Night
10. Kajillionaire

Honorable Mention: Dick Johnson Is Dead, The Invisible Man, Palm Springs, I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Honorable Mention, TV Category: How to with John Wilson, The Last Dance

Best Old Film I Saw for the First Time: Queen of Diamonds

Matt McCoy, Deputy Marketing Director

12 TV Shows and Films I enjoyed watching in 2020.

1. Hilda
2. Dark
3. Schitt’s Creek
4. Soul
5. The Last Dance
6. The Crown
7. Tiger King
8. What We Do In The Shadows
9. Lovecraft Country
10. Class Action Park
11. The Umbrella Academy
12. Onward