With the many setbacks that faced Hollywood in 2020, there also came unprecedented accessibility. This year, as theaters shut down, the traditional distribution model became temporarily obsolete; films instead were made more readily available on a variety of streaming services to a public that somehow seemed to believe, at times, that there were no movies to be seen.

Also in 2020 came a great fear that before long, as shutdowns persisted, theaters would soon be dead. But looking back at the many films that received releases, I see a different picture: I see a landscape where smaller budgets and independent film can thrive.

This year, more than ever, I think it is important for us to truly embrace the films we love, unequivocally and without reservation. It doesn’t matter if “XYZ Twitter User” declares a film terrible and your opinion of it is unfounded, certainly not if you love it with all your heart and words.

Here are the films I loved the most.

1. Promising Young Woman

Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.

How do I tell you about the many things that make “Promising Young Woman” the best film of the year without giving too much away?

The star, the driver of this vehicle is Carey Mulligan, who gives one of the greatest, most complicated, and superlatively vibrant performances of the year. She is quite deserving of an Oscar for her portrayal of Cassie. Yes, she is that good.

Emerald Fennell, who wrote and directed the film, lacerates our senses in so many ways. She has heralded not only the brilliant performances but also a fabulous soundtrack that weaves perfectly through the action of the film.

The supporting cast is also amazing. From Laverne Cox to Alison Brie, everyone is there to support the work Mulligan is doing. And after recently blowing us away as a director in “Eighth Grade,” Bo Burnham shows us that he has real acting chops as well. Sure, he’s always been funny, but in “Promising Young Woman” he gives a multi-layered performance as Cassie’s love interest, Ryan.

There are times watching the film when you think the plot is moving predictably in a certain direction — and it does, in a sense. But by the time we get to the film’s final act, which is marshaled in by Anthony Willis’s arrangement of Britney Spears’s “Toxic,” we truly don’t know what is going to happen — and the feeling, the anxiety, is palpable up until the very last frame.

As a person who has loved movies and the Oscars for over 30 years, I’m telling you “Promising Young Woman” is absolutely worthy of the Academy Award for Best Picture.

2. Sound of Metal

A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.

“Sound of Metal” could easily have been my number one film of the year, and if years past have shown me anything, my top two films are often interchangeable when it comes to how much I love them.

Riz Ahmed gives a knockout performance as Ruben. I knew he played a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing, but what I didn’t know is that the character he plays is also a recovering addict. Watching him navigate going deaf and keeping his recovery … I tell you, as a person in recovery, I have been grateful for the 12 Step Zoom meetings since March when we lost our physical meeting spaces in Los Angeles. But this film humbled me. I certainly take for granted that I can hear during them.

More than likely, the film will be a frontrunner for the newly combined Best Sound Oscar, but Ahmed, Paul Raci, and Olivia Cooke all deserve to be in the conversation for acting nominations.

Near the end, an already intimate film becomes almost private. Raci’s and Ahmed’s final conversation is a master class in scene study, and the same applies with Cooke’s and Ahmed’s final scene together. And the final moments of the film … I believe “Sound of Metal” has the most powerful ending of the year.

3. Nomadland

A woman embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.

I saw “Nomadland” three months ago at the New York Film Festival, which seems like a lifetime ago. At the time of its virtual premiere, I believed it was the film everyone needed in that moment. And I believe by the time the rest of you see it, you will feel the same way.

Watching it again, a few things were even more solidified. This is the most exquisitely shot film of the year. The compositions created by director Chloe Zhao and cinematographer Joshua James Richards are fully lived in by veteran actors Frances McDormand and David Stathairn as well as new actors (real people, one might say) Linda May, Bob Wells, and the fantastic Swankie (can we get a nomination for her please? Maybe?)

McDormand is truly one of the greatest living actors we have today. What she does here is so nuanced, so complex. In each moment she is so vividly alive, fully and truthfully exploring the balance between what it means to be ok alone and the pain of loneliness.

4. Boys State

In an unusual experiment, a thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.

“Boys State” was the only film I saw in 2020 on a large screen (see the picture above!) And to be honest, the first 10 minutes were so uncomfortable that I was glad I was trapped by other cars, unable to leave!

I went into the film with a serious guard up. Having attended Boys State in high school, I vaguely remember receding to the sidelines even then. Needless to say, that guard was shattered. In a year of great documentaries, this is the one I consider the best.

There are some truly inspiring and somewhat frightening future leaders on transparent display here. Rene Otero’s truth bombs are mind blowing and Steven Garza’s first speech is 100% hope-inducing. But let’s look at the Ronald Reagan-loving Ben Feinstein. Watching him do what it takes to win was probably the most jarring and fascinating character study I saw in a doc all year.

Since the movie aired, Feinstein has discussed how seeing both sides on screen, not only his own, led to some honest soul searching. If he continues along the path of conservatism, one can only hope he will continue to take that self-reflective approach to his actions and perhaps become a much-needed future leader of the movement.

5. First Cow

Two travellers, on the run from a band of vengeful hunters in the 1820s Northwest, dream of striking it rich -- but their tenuous plan to make their fortune on the frontier comes to rely on the secret use of a landowner's prized dairy cow.

“First Cow” opens with what I think was a slow-moving barge in 4:3 aspect ratio. All my fears about the film wrapped up into one shot. But needless to say, Kelly Reichardt crushed any and all expectations I might have had coming into the film from that very pointed opening onward. This a story so beautifully wrought, by everyone involved: cinematographer Chris Blauvelt, Reichardt, who directed and wrote the film with Jonathan Raymond (based on his novel), and of course, our two leads, played by Orion Lee and John Magaro, who give us what I consider the most beautiful relationship of the year in any film.

6. French Exit

A widowed New York socialite and her aimless son move to Paris after she spends the last of her husband's inheritance.

It took me some time to settle into the uniqueness of “French Exit.” The film has an ensemble of mismatched yet perfectly harmonized quirkiness I hadn’t experienced since the wonderful “Enchanted April” many years ago. Michelle Pfeiffer makes bold choices here — the whole cast does really, led by director Azazel Jacobs and screenwriter Patrick deWitt. And Valerie Mahaffey! She gives one of the best, scene-stealing supporting performances of the year. The film’s ending is one of this year’s best in a series of beautiful finales, many of which are represented here on this list.

7. Wander Darkly

A traumatic accident leaves a couple in a surreal state of being that takes them on a disorienting journey through the duality of their shared moments.

“Wander Darkly” is a film that stayed with and haunted me for days after watching it. It feels both familiar and original at the same time, speaking to the hidden romantic in me that also loves the supernatural. It’s a time-bending ride that is impeccably constructed by writer/director Tara Miele. Diego Luna continues to mature as an actor, which is a wonderful thing to watch, and Sienna Miller is a true revelation here. In yet another year stacked with incredible performances, Miller gives one of the year’s underrated best.

8. Ammonite

Acclaimed paleontologist Mary Anning works alone selling common fossils to tourists to support her ailing mother, but a chance job offer changes her life when a visitor hires her to care for his wife.

Francis Lee’s follow up to “God’s Own Country” arrived with massive expectations, particularly for the LGBTQ community. Despite the chilly setting, the film is anything but cold. Romance, sex, and love doesn’t look the same on everyone, including queer people. Movies should reflect that, and “Ammonite” does. I found myself connecting deeply to Kate Winslet’s Mary in a manner I don’t often see portrayed on film. Both Winslet and Saoirse Ronan are as good as ever, digging deep into the depths of their characters with expansive subtlety.

9. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Viola Davis

Go behind the scenes with the people who brought an unsung trailblazer, otherwise known as the Mother of Blues, to the big screen in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

When a film adaptation of a play works, it feels like a symphony of words. Who better to conduct this piece (written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the play by August Wilson) than the incomparable George C. Wolfe. He and cinematographer Tobias Schliessler set the (film) stage for a powerhouse in acting. Viola Davis is a gift, and in this film she buries herself deeply within Ma. And Chadwick Boseman! To think he is no longer with us, having just given us one of the best performances not only of the year but of recent memory. It would be insensitive to make declarations about what he might have been thinking as he delivered us this character, but I wish we could ask him.

10. Rent-A-Pal

A strange VHS tape allows a lonely bachelor named David to find companionship with Andy -- its charming and charismatic host. However, Andy's friendship comes at a cost, and David desperately struggles to afford the price of admission.

I am happy to finish out my Top 10 with the fantastic “Rent-A-Pal,” starring Wil Wheaton and Brian Landis Folkins. The film is a blast, and one of the most fun (non) theatrical experiences I had this year. It’s the Radio Rental podcast meets Tinder with a dash of “The Last Blockbuster.” And for anyone delving into the dating world, this will certainly get your brain ticking. This is Jon Stevenson’s first go at film directing, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)

Dating Amber

Driveways

I’m Your Woman

Minari

News of the World

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Olympia

Shirley

Summer of 85

Time

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Top 10 Films of 2020