The best and worst movies of 2020

For a lot of people in 2020, watching movies was a solitary activity, experienced not in a popcorn-strewn theater but on a couch in their living room.

Despite the change in setting, good movies were still good, and bad ones were still bad. Here’s how they landed, starting with Yahoo Entertainment's top five of 2020.

5.

Soul

Dir. Pete Docter & Kemp Powers

4.

Minari

Dir. Lee Isaac Chung

3.

One Night in Miami

Dir. Regina King

2.

Nomadland

Dir. Chloé Zhao

1.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Dir. George C. Wolfe

Moving on from the best of 2020 to the worst, these are some movies you might want to avoid: The New Mutants, Fantasy Island, Artemis Fowl, The Secret: Dare to Dream, Dolittle.

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[UPBEAT MUSIC]

NARRATOR: For a lot of people in 2020, watching movies was a solitary activity experienced not in a popcorn-strewn theater, but on a couch in their living room. Despite the changes in setting, good movies were still good and bad ones were still bad. Here's how they landed starting with our top five of 2020. No surprise that Pixar's latest is of the highest quality. And despite its cutesy animation, "Soul" wrestles with weighty subjects like life, death, and the meaning of human existence. But that's not to say it's without some laughs.

- I can't smell. We can't-- we can't taste either?

- All that stuff is in your body.

- No smell, no taste--

- Or touch.

NARRATOR: At number 4 is "Minari," which follows a Korean-American family who moves to a farm in rural Arkansas. Led by a remarkable performance from Steven Yeun, of "Walking Dead" fame, it's a tender and at times heartbreaking portrait of the American dream. "One Night in Miami" depicts a fictionalized meeting between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cook, after Ali's historic win over Sonny Liston. Based on Kemp Power's stage play-- Powers also co-wrote and directed "Soul"-- this drama is also Regina King's feature debut as a director.

- And I don't even have a scratch on my face. Oh, my goodness.

- Cash?

- What's wrong, Cash?

- Why am I so pretty?

- [LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: At number 2 is the drama "Nomadland." Two-time Academy Award winner Frances McDormand rarely misses, and her performance as a modern-day nomad drifting through the American West is already generating that familiar Oscar buzz.

- A one, a two, a you know what to do.

NARRATOR: Our number one film of the year is "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which features spectacular performances from the whole cast. Viola Davis commands attention as blues singer Ma Rainey, but Chadwick Boseman, in his final performance, steals scene after scene as ambitious trumpet player Levy.

- I'm going give me a band to make me some records. I know how to play real music, not this jug band shit.

- You call that playing music?

- I know what I'm doing. Y'all can fire me. I don't care.

NARRATOR: Moving on from the best of 2020 to the worst, these are some movies you might want to avoid. 2020 finally saw the release of "The New Mutants," which had been delayed two years since its original release date. With so many superhero movies out there, you can pass on this one. A bunch of attractive people are stuck on a beautiful island. What's the worst that can happen? I promise you, you've already seen this movie a million times over. No need for one more.

The book "Artemis Fowl" was a hit back in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, the movie significantly strays from the book's magic, making for an unnecessary adaptation. "The Secret-- Dare to Dream" is based on the massively popular 2006 self-help book, "The Secret." This time, manifesting success appears to have backfired. Robert Downey, Jr. Booked his first post-Iron Man film as the whimsical Dr. Doolittle, making for another reboot gone wrong. Even the coterie of talking creatures, heavily made up by CGI, can't save it.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]