20 Best Movies Of 2020
1. Mangrove
The premiere entry into Steve McQueen's Small Axe series is also the best of the lot - a vibrant, refreshing take on the courtroom drama which angrily recounts the 1971 trial of the Mangrove Nine, a group of black British activists charged with inciting a riot during a protest.
The comparisons to The Trial of the Chicago 7 are inevitable, but Mangrove is very much the other side of the coin - an infuriating, overwhelmingly powerful examination of institutional racism in England, and those who still fight today to upend it.
Despite McQueen's seemingly unfussed, straightforward filmmaking style, this is the year's most dramatically persuasive film, delivered by McQueen with complete control and acted by a stunning ensemble with equal passion.
Were this not disqualified from Oscar contention due to its delivery format, it'd be a major Oscar contender for sure.