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(Photo by Gia Coppola's Mainstream. Thumbnail: Chloe Zhao's Nomadland)

Our 2020 Venice Film Festival Movie Scorecard

The 77th Venice International Film Festival opened ceremonies with an orchestral tribute to Ennio Morricone, saluting the legendary composer who passed away in July and ushering in 2020’s fest selections. In the first industry bash since quarantine lockdown, the scaled-back, safety-protocoled festival will host socially distant critics pursuing buzzed movies, including Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, Kornel Mundruczo’s Pieces of a Woman, and Gia Coppola’s Mainstream. As these films achieve their Tomatometer scores, along with everything else playing at the festival through September 12th, we’ll be adding them to our Venice Film Festival 2020 Movie Scorecard. —Alex Vo

#56
#56
Adjusted Score: 118127%
Critics Consensus: A hauntingly powerful reflection on larger-than-life figures, One Night in Miami finds Regina King in command of her craft in her feature directorial debut.
Synopsis: On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest... [More]
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree
Directed By: Regina King

#55

Nomadland (2020)
93%

#55
Adjusted Score: 118684%
Critics Consensus: A poetic character study on the forgotten and downtrodden, Nomadland beautifully captures the restlessness left in the wake of the Great Recession.
Synopsis: A woman embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.... [More]
Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie
Directed By: Chloé Zhao

#54
#54
Adjusted Score: 82098%
Critics Consensus: The World to Come is made from ingredients that will be familiar to fans of period forbidden romance movies, but they're given fresh life thanks to an excellent cast.
Synopsis: In this powerful 19th century romance set in the American Northeast, Abigail (Katherine Waterston), a farmer's wife, and her new... [More]
Starring: Katherine Waterston, Vanessa Kirby, Casey Affleck, Christopher Abbott
Directed By: Mona Fastvold

#53

Apples (2020)
93%

#53
Adjusted Score: 97990%
Critics Consensus: Apples explores human identity from a surreal and often humorous perspective, with peculiar yet ultimately thought-provoking results.
Synopsis: Amidst a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia, middle-aged Aris (Aris Servetalis) finds himself enrolled in a recovery program designed... [More]
Starring: Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Anna Kalaitzidou, Argyris Bakirtzis
Directed By: Christos Nikou

#52

Mandibles (2020)
91%

#52
Adjusted Score: 93721%
Critics Consensus: Mandibles finds writer-director Quentin Dupieux off on another thoroughly original flight of fancy that will captivate like-minded audiences while baffling others.
Synopsis: When simple-minded friends Jean-Gab and Manu find a giant fly trapped in the boot of a car, they decide to... [More]
Starring: Grégoire Ludig, David Marsais, Adèle Exarchopoulos, India Hair
Directed By: Quentin Dupieux

#51

Dear Comrades! (2020)
93%

#51
Adjusted Score: 95603%
Critics Consensus: Dear Comrades takes a sharp, commanding look at a dark chapter in Soviet history made even more effective by its director's cold fury.
Synopsis: When the communist government raises food prices in 1962, the rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk go... [More]
Starring: Yuliya Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrey Gusev, Yuliya Burova
Directed By: Andrey Konchalovskiy

#50

The Duke (2020)
97%

#50
Adjusted Score: 104970%
Critics Consensus: A sweet swan song for director Roger Michell, The Duke offers a well-acted and engaging dramatization of an entertainingly improbable true story.
Synopsis: In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National... [More]
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Fionn Whitehead, Aimee Kelly
Directed By: Roger Michell

#49
#49
Adjusted Score: 101414%
Critics Consensus: A restless and riveting fable, Night of Kings sees writer-director Philippe Lacôte in full command of his craft.
Synopsis: A young man is sent to "La Maca," a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest ruled by its... [More]
Starring: Steve Tientcheu, Bakary Koné, Jean Cyrille Digbeu, Rasmane Ouedraogo
Directed By: Philippe Lacôte

#48
#48
Adjusted Score: 95419%
Critics Consensus: Led by Alec Utgoff's impressive starring performance, Never Gonna Snow Again blends elements of sci-fi, satire, and surreal drama with an assured hand.
Synopsis: On a gray, foggy morning outside a large Polish city, Zhenia (Alec Utgoff), a masseur from the East, enters the... [More]
Starring: Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza, Weronika Rosati
Directed By: Małgorzata Szumowska

#47

Sun Children (2020)
91%

#47
Adjusted Score: 91405%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: SUN CHILDREN is the story of 12-year-old ALI and his three friends. Together they work hard to survive and support... [More]
Starring: Ali Nassirian, Javad Ezati, Tannaz Tabatabaei, Roohollah Zamani
Directed By: Majid Majidi

#46

The Human Voice (2020)
97%

#46
Adjusted Score: 99847%
Critics Consensus: The Human Voice unites Pedro Almodóvar and Tilda Swinton for a short film whose rich rewards are belied by its abbreviated length.
Synopsis: A woman watches time passing next to the suitcases of her ex-lover (who is supposed to come pick them up,... [More]
Starring: Tilda Swinton
Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar

#45

New Order (2020)
66%

#45
Adjusted Score: 71352%
Critics Consensus: in spite of solid performances, New Order's merciless brutality and unfocused gaze threaten to derail its message.
Synopsis: Conceived six years ago, Michel Franco's near-future dystopia feels ripped from headlines that haven't yet been written. While protests rage... [More]
Starring: Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Samantha Yazareth Anaya, Darío Yazbek
Directed By: Michel Franco

#44

Wife of a Spy (2020)
89%

#44
Adjusted Score: 91419%
Critics Consensus: A finely calibrated WWII-era thriller, Wife of a Spy delicately balances the weight of national loyalty against our moral obligations to our fellow human beings.
Synopsis: The year is 1940 in Kobe, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. Local merchant and amateur... [More]
Starring: Yû Aoi, Issey Takahashi, Masahiro Higashide, Ryota Bando
Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

#43

The Disciple (2020)
96%

#43
Adjusted Score: 98359%
Critics Consensus: The rare film that captures the passion that drives the mastery of creative pursuits, The Disciple reaffirms writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane as an emerging master of his craft.
Synopsis: A vocalist who has devoted his life to the study of classical Indian music begins to question whether he will... [More]
Starring: Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat
Directed By: Chaitanya Tamhane

#42

I Am Greta (2020)
79%

#42
Adjusted Score: 83130%
Critics Consensus: Audiences might not learn anything new from I Am Greta, but its stirring chronicle of the young activist's efforts is inspiring.
Synopsis: Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg leads a global movement on the climate change crisis.... [More]
Starring: Greta Thunberg
Directed By: Nathan Grossman

#41

Hopper/Welles (2020)
88%

#41
Adjusted Score: 88452%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Legendary actor/filmmakers Dennis Hopper and Orson Welles sit down for an intimate conversation in 1970.... [More]
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Orson Welles
Directed By: Orson Welles

#40

Topside (2020)
81%

#40
Adjusted Score: 81595%
Critics Consensus: Topside's sobering take on a somewhat familiar story is elevated by a pair of powerful central performances.
Synopsis: Deep in the underbelly of New York City, a five-year-old girl and her mother have claimed the abandoned tunnels as... [More]
Starring: Zhaila Farmer, Celine Held, Jared Abrahamson, Fatlip
Directed By: Celine Held, Logan George

#39

Notturno (2020)
82%

#39
Adjusted Score: 85057%
Critics Consensus: Notturno contemplates the cost of war in starkly human terms by surveying the lives of people living under the threat of destruction.
Synopsis: Filmed over three years on the borders between Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, and Lebanon, this documentary captures everyday life in the... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Gianfranco Rosi

#38
#38
Adjusted Score: 54465%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An anti-fascist law student infiltrates a regional neo-Nazi group to find out more about a planned attack that threatens her... [More]
Starring: Mala Emde, Noah Saavedra, Tonio Schneider, Andreas Lust
Directed By: Julia von Heinz

#37
#37
Adjusted Score: 89593%
Critics Consensus: Pieces of a Woman struggles to maintain momentum after a stunning opening act, but Vanessa Kirby's performance makes the end result a poignant portrait of grief.
Synopsis: Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are a Boston couple on the verge of parenthood whose lives change irrevocably... [More]
Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Iliza Shlesinger
Directed By: Kornél Mundruczó

#36

The Ties (2020)
73%

#36
Adjusted Score: 48608%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Naples, early 1980's. Aldo and Vanda go through a separation, after he reveals his affair. Their two young children are... [More]
Starring: Alba Rohrwacher, Francesca De Sapio, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Directed By: Daniele Luchetti

#35

Mosquito State (2020)
62%

#35
Adjusted Score: 62573%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: August 2007. Isolated in his austere penthouse overlooking Central Park, obsessive Wall Street data analyst Richard Boca (Beau Knapp) sees... [More]
Starring: Beau Knapp, Charlotte Vega, Jack Kesy, Olivier Martinez
Directed By: Filip Jan Rymsza

#34

Final Account (2020)
93%

#34
Adjusted Score: 96396%
Critics Consensus: Final Account falls shy of the definitive statement suggested by its title, but the belated reckoning on display remains chillingly valuable viewing.
Synopsis: FINAL ACCOUNT is an urgent portrait of the last living generation of everyday people to participate in Adolf Hitler's Third... [More]
Starring: Luke Holland
Directed By: Luke Holland

#33

In Between Dying (2020)
73%

#33
Adjusted Score: 49026%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Davud is a misunderstood, restless young man in search of people who will bring meaning and love to his life.... [More]
Starring: Orkhan Iskandarli, Rana Asgarova, Huseyn Nasirov, Samir Abbasov
Directed By: Hilal Baydarov

#32

Mainstream (2020)
36%

#32
Adjusted Score: 37015%
Critics Consensus: Mainstream makes a vain attempt to satirize viral fame, settling instead for obvious commentary that feels painfully dated.
Synopsis: In MAINSTREAM, a young woman (Maya Hawke) thinks she's found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube... [More]
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff, Jason Schwartzman
Directed By: Gia Coppola

#31

Guest of Honour (2019)
42%

#31
Adjusted Score: 44607%
Critics Consensus: David Thewlis' performance aside, Guest of Honour serves as a frustratingly limited return to form for writer-director Atom Egoyan.
Synopsis: A father confronts his 20-year-old daughter, who is in prison for a sexual assault. Their relationship will become more complicated... [More]
Starring: David Thewlis, Laysla De Oliveira, Luke Wilson, Rossif Sutherland
Directed By: Atom Egoyan

#30

Miss Marx (2020)
43%

#30
Adjusted Score: 36759%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Bright, intelligent, passionate and free, Eleanor is Karl Marx's youngest daughter. She is among the first women to link the... [More]
Starring: Romola Garai, Patrick Kennedy, John Gordon-Sinclair, Felicity Montagu
Directed By: Susanna Nicchiarelli

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