20 Best Movie Performances Of 2020
6. Letitia Wright - Mangrove
Though Steve McQueen's five films which comprise his fantastic Small Axe TV series sadly won't qualify for Oscar contention, they represent some of the most sharp observations about racism seen on screens big or small in recent years.
The anthology series' crowning achievement is unquestionably its opening installment, Mangrove, depicting the infamous 1971 trial of the Mangrove Nine, a group of black activists who were arrested for protesting against police harassment.
Comparisons to The Trial of the Chicago 7 are inevitable, but Mangrove is very much its own beast - an angry, deeply upsetting drama headlined by a show-stopping performance from Letitia Wright as Black Panther leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe.
Wright's ferocious performance most powerfully conveys the frustration of the black community at their continued embattlement with both the police and the racist establishment - a fight that of course still continues today.
Were Mangrove eligible for the Academy Awards, you can bet that Wright would be at least nominated for her exemplary work here.