Top 10 Most Diverse Films of 2020
Graded on Gender, Race, LGBTQ, Disability, and more
Written by Li Lai
Other Top 10 Most Diverse Films: 2023 / 2022 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017
This has been a supremely weird year for cinema. But like the scrappiest of underdogs, the industry soldiered on. To celebrate the moments of joy that filmmakers were able to bring us, often right into our homes during quarantine, we’re counting down Mediaversity Reviews’ Top 10 Most Diverse Films of the year. (You can also check out other years at the links above.)
If you’re new to our publication, a quick rundown: We score movies based on metrics for gender parity and racial diversity, taking into account the representation of LGBTQ, adults over 60, disabilities, religions, and body diversity. (See our full methodology here.)
This is by no means an exhaustive list, especially in such a lean year where the mental health of our writers took precedence. Ultimately, we reviewed 41 of the roughly 265 American films released this year—and if we had all the bandwidth in the world, this list might look a bit different. Great movies like Da 5 Bloods, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, or Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado may not have been reviewed by us, but they champion fresh perspectives and we applaud them all the same.
Now, without further ado, here are Mediaversity’s Top 10 picks of the year!
10. The Old Guard
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Old Guard shows that Black women can direct anything if given the chance. The comic book movie from Netflix is packed with action and features a diverse, LGBTQ-friendly group of heroes.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
The Old Guard is currently available on Netflix.
9. One Night in Miami
In Regina King’s directorial feature debut, One Night in Miami retains all the gravitas of Kemp Powers’ original play while translating it into a majestic, cinematic experience. The film follows an imagined hotel room conversation between four Black Civil Rights-era legends: Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
One Night in Miami is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
8. Run
Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian, the writers behind a previous Top 10 pick at Mediaversity for 2018’s Searching, team up once more to give us a film that centers a wheelchair user who is authentically cast. It may not be a slam dunk for the entire disabled community, given its tropey use of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, but the Hulu thriller unequivocally gives us an exciting new talent to watch in Kiera Allen.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
Read the Review
Listen to the Podcast Episode w/ Aneesh Chaganty
Run is currently available on Hulu.
7. Miss Juneteenth
Good films should feel specific and illuminating, and Channing Godfrey Peoples’ family drama Miss Juneteenth does just that. Peoples draws on her own upbringing in Southside Fort Worth to showcase a Black Texan community as it hosts its annual beauty pageant, homing in on a tender mother-daughter relationship.
Mediaversity Grade: A-
Miss Juneteenth is currently available on BET+ and rentable from streaming platforms.
6. Yellow Rose
Musical drama Yellow Rose from Diane Paragas follows a young undocumented Filipina aspiring to be a country singer while on the run from ICE.
Mediaversity Grade: A
Yellow Rose is currently available to buy on streaming platforms.
5. Selah and the Spades
Selah and the Spades, directed by Tayarisha Poe, could be considered anything from a prep school drama to a queer coming-of-age film, to a mystery or even psychological thriller. Whatever you want to call it, the movie feels fresh as hell—and has been given a full series by Amazon to further explore the cutthroat world of The Haldwell School.
Mediaversity Grade: A
Selah and the Spades is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
4. Lucky Grandma
Lucky Grandma, a gangster comedy set in New York City’s Chinatown, stars 83-year old Tsai Chin in Sasi Sealy’s directorial debut.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
Lucky Grandma is currently available on Showtime and rentable on streaming platforms.
3. House of Hummingbird
South Korean cinema has produced well-known male directors, but you shouldn’t sleep on Bora Kim. Her beautiful and quiet debut film, House of Hummingbird, takes place during a turbulent time in Korea’s modern history and delves into themes of domestic violence, mentorship, or same-sex attraction, all told through the eyes of a young woman just trying to survive.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
House of Hummingbird is currently available on Mubi, Viki, and rentable on streaming platforms.
2. The Half Of It
In Alice Wu’s triumphant return after her 2004 lesbian cult hit, Saving Face, the Chinese American director lands at Netflix with the wistful LGBTQ teen drama, The Half Of It.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
The Half Of It is currently available on Netflix.
1. The Forty-Year-Old Version
Radha Blank’s dramedy The Forty-Year-Old Version rocketed to the top of Mediaversity’s rankings when it came out at the beginning of 2020. Its empowering messages laugh in the face of barriers across age, race, gender, standards of beauty, and sexuality. But perhaps its most impressive feat is Blank’s ability to deliver pure comedy gold.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
The Forty-Year-Old Version is currently available on Netflix.
Mediaversity Reviews grades TV & films on gender, race, LGBTQ, disability, and more. Follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, and Facebook to join the conversation!
