Top 20 Highest Rated Movies And Series Of 2020 On IMDB

Hanima Anand |Dec 29, 2020

The film rating on IMDB is quite reliable if you are a general audience. The highest rated movies and series of 2020 according to IMDB are also the must-watching films this year for sure.

If you are looking for the best to-watch list in 2020, here are our recommendations: the top 20 highest rated movies and series of 2020 according to IMDB. These scores mostly come from the general public so this list can fit a wide range of film tastes.

Given the limited number of theatre releases due to the pandemic, 2020 can be called a year of series. Most slots in this IMDB highest rated list 2020 below come from TV series while the much-awaited Tenet by Christopher Nolan managed to secure the 17th.

1 – The Last Dance

Genre: sports documentary mini-series

IMDB rating: 9.2 stars

The Last Dance poster
The Last Dance gives fans a closer look into the life of Michael Jordan.

The Last Dance is co-produced by Netflix and ESPN Films. The series tells the story of the basketball legend Michael Jordan, particularly when he competed in his final season with Chicago Bulls.

The series was praised for its excellent directing and editing, with many valuable footages that were never on air before. While entertaining films dominate the market, The Last Dance is a true reminder for young audiences of educational documentaries.

2 – The Queen’s Gambit

Genre: drama miniseries

IMDB rating: 8.7 stars

The Queens Gambit
Anya Taylor-Joy is born for her character in The Queen's Gambit.

Similar to other coming-of-age movies, The Queen’s Gambit portrays the struggle a teenager must go through to overcome the harmful temptations of this sensitive period.

More than that, the series focuses on the life of a chess prodigy who is also an orphan. On her rise to the world’s top list, she has to fight with various problems including drug and alcohol dependency.

If you are a teenager, you can relate to her story to some extent. If you are a parent, watch this to understand more about your children’s difficulties.

3 – The Boys (Season 2)

Genre: superhero TV series

IMDB rating: 8.7 stars

The Boys Season 2
The powerful Seven from The Boys

Following the success of The Boys season 1, Amazon Prime Video brings back the powerful seven this year. Unlike the Avengers series, The Boys develop a more complex storyline where superheroes could become corrupted and evil.

The season 2 continues to revolve around the fight between good and bad sides with more complicated links and eye-opening revelations.

>>> You can watch The Boys season 2 full download here.

4 – Ted Lasso

Genre: sitcom TV series

IMDB rating: 8.7 stars

Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso (right), a college coach, now has to adapt to the association football.

Ted Lasso is among rare sitcom series that are highly estimated by both critics and the general audience. It focuses on an American college football coach named Ted Lasso who had no experience in association football. However, he is recruited to be the coach of an English Premier League team called AFC Richmon. This is when all stories begin.

5 – Soul

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

IMDB rating: 8.2 stars

Soul 2020 Film
A scene in Soul by Pixar!

Soul is the only animated film that is listed among highest-rated movies of 2020 on IMDB. It’s directed by Pete Docter under the production of Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios.

Though it only earned $7.6 million as box office collection against a whopping budget of $150 million till now, Soul receives critical acclaims for its various aspects, from voice acting, music to animation techniques.

6 – Cheer

Genre: documentary series

IMDB rating: 8.2 stars

Cheerleading In America
From a college activity, cheerleading has become a billion-dollar industry in the USA.

Cheerleading is not a strange term to fans of American movies, but Cheer series will give you an insight into this special activity.

You should know that cheerleading has no professional prospect after one leaves college but people are still fiercely engaged in these activities, making it a billion dollar industry in the USA.

Struck by the competitive cheerleaders’ spirit, director Greg Whiteley decided to film Cheer, depicting a Finance bachelor who built her cheerleading team from zero to the best of the nation.

7 – Gangs of London

Genre: action crime drama TV series

IMDB rating: 8.1 stars

Gangs Of London scene
Gangs of London shows an excellent level of visual effects.

Criminal drama is always an appealing topic to the general audience, so does Gangs of London. The British series revolves around the challenges between criminal organizations in modern London and their rival gangs. The drama occurs when the head of the most powerful crime family in the city is assassinated.

8 – Defending Jacob

Genre: crime drama TV miniseries

IMDB rating: 8 stars

Defending Jacob
The name Chris Evans itself attracts huge attention to the series.

Defending Jacob is made based on a novel of the same name by William Landay in 2012. The series portrays a tough situation where a 14-year-old boy is accused of murder and how his family deals with this.

The series stars Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery in its lead roles besides Jaeden Martell as the boy Jacob.

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9 – Upload

Genre: sci-fi comedy-drama TV series

IMDB rating: 8 stars

Upload
The movie seems normal until you see how things work in this afterlife.

Upload introduces a very new term to the sci-fi world. In the series, in 2033 to be exact, people could upload themselves to a digital afterlife as they wish. A newly deceased programmer named Nathan also finds himself uploaded to the Lake View afterlife where he met his ex-customer service rep Nora.

Many truths start to unfold when Nora and Nathan share their life stories together. Watch the series to immerse in the mysterious vibe of the plot!

10 – Unorthodox

Genre: drama TV miniseries

IMDB rating: 8 stars

Unorthodox
A story of a Jewish woman but resembles many other lives

Unorthodox is a film of nominations as it’s nominated 8 times at Primetime Emmy Award in 2020. One of the major factors that contribute to Unorthodox’s success is its message.

The series deals with Esty, a 19-year-old Jewish woman, who flees from her arranged marriage to Berlin. Here, she discovers the life she never saw before, which makes her reject all the beliefs she had in her community. Meanwhile, Esty’s husband also travels to Berlin to find her, after knowing that she is pregnant.

11 – Mrs. America

Genre: drama history TV miniseries

IMDB rating: 7.9 stars

Mrs America
The cast performance plays a crucial role in the success of Mrs. America.

Mrs. America is an entertaining historical series in our opinion. Its plot just loosely bases on factual events in the past with many fictionalized scenes for creative purposes.

The series has a talented cast, ranging from Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba to Cate Blanchett.

12 – Never Have I Ever

Genre: comedy-drama TV series

IMDB rating: 7.9 stars

Never Have I Ever
The series features some social customs in Indian culture.

Never Have I Ever is another coming-of-age series in this list but with an inclination towards comedy-drama. The series has done a good job in breaking Asian stereotypes, which receives massive praises from critics.

Never Have I Ever also stars some Indian-American actors or with Indian accents to make the film more authentic.

13 – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Genre: historical legal drama film

IMDB rating: 7.8 stars

The Trial Of The Chicago 7
The trial of the Chicago Seven is a real event that took place in the past century.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is inspired by a real group named Chicago Seven who were anti-Vietnam War protesters. They were charged with conspiracy and inciting riots in 1968.

The film is directed by Aaron Sorkin who is behind a number of classic works as To Kill a Mocking Bird or A Few Good Man.

14 – The Outsider

Genre: horror crime drama TV series

IMDB rating: 7.8 stars

The Outsider
Fans are looking forward to the second season of The Outsider.

The Outsider is the latest miniseries based on the famous novel of the same name by Stephen King. It follows the local detective Ralph Anderson to solve the mysterious murder of a young boy in Cherokee city.

The series has finished its 10 episodes in total but reports told that King had finished the scripts for the second season. Probably The Outsider season 2 will soon go live next year.

15 – Beastie Boys Story

Genre: documentary film

IMDB rating: 7.8 stars

Beastie Boys Story
Beastie Boys Story features the friendships of Beastie Boys members.

Beastie Boys Story is a successful documentary film on rap rock music. It stars three members of the Beastie Boys themselves, including Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond, and Adam Horovitz.

The film is directed by Spike Jonze, a talented filmmaker and musician as well.

16 – The Social Dilemma

Genre: documentary drama film

IMDB rating: 7.7 stars

The Social Dilemma
When social media dominate the world, teenagers are the most vulnerable.

As its name suggests, The Social Dilemma exploits the influence of social media on people. It also features interviews with many professionals or executives of Facebook, Apple, or Google.

The docudrama film will show you a typical teenager's life who is addicted to social media, strongly affected by algorithms from those tech giants.

17 – Tenet

Genre: sci-fi action thriller

IMDB rating: 7.6 stars

Tenet
Tenet is another mind-blowing work by Christopher Nolan. Don't try to understand it, just feel it.

Being one of the most awaited movies of 2020, Tenet only ranks 17th on the highest rated list today. However, Tenet did one thing that none of the above movies could do.

Released amid the pandemic, the Christopher Nolan-directed film still managed to collect over $362.2 million worldwide, surpassing its enormous budget of $200 million. Though the number could be much higher without the coronavirus hit, it's still a dream for all the filmmakers in 2020.

>>> Suggested post: Tenet full movie free download

18 – 13 Reasons Why (Season 4)

Genre: teen drama TV series

IMDB rating: 7.6 stars

13 Reasons Why Season 4
13 Reasons Why unveils various problems of the teen period to society.

13 Reasons Why season 4 continues to describe the life of high school students after a friend's suicide. Throughout the series, lots of social issues have been explored, from mental health, bullying to homophobia or domestic violence.

Though some details might be exaggerated to highlight various issues a teenager is facing in real life, 13 Reasons Why is a worth-watching series in this complex modern society.

19 – I Am Not Okay With This

Genre: comedy-drama TV series

IMDB rating: 7.6 stars

I Am Not Okay With This
The series integrates mystery elements into real-life problems.

Also a coming of age drama, I Am Not Okay With This deals with teen problems in a more subtle way of a comedy-drama. The two main casts Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff are praised for their performances while others also complete their roles satisfactorily.

The film follows the story of Sydney, a 17-year-old living with mother and brother after losing her dad. Sydney has to constantly deal with daily problems with her family members and friends at school. However, she has a special power that she doesn't know how to control yet.

20 – The Undoing

Genre: mystery psychological thriller TV miniseries

IMDB rating: 7.5 stars

The Undoing
Nicole Kidman, the soul of The Undoing

The Undoing is based on a 2014 novel named You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz. However, the film could be said as more successful than the book itself thanks to the direction of Susanne Bier and an ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman.

Above are top 20 best movies and series 2020 that are rated the highest scores on IMDB. Don’t be sad if your favorite didn’t make to the list. Be happy as you found more must-watch items for your next movie hours!

Highest Rated Movies And Series 2020
See more highest rated movies and series 2020 on Starbiz.com!

See more suggestions in Movies category on Starbiz.com.

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