The Movies That Mattered in 2020

Plus: Charles Dickens, who saw lockdown everywhere; the comedy of Julio Torres; and the year in funnies. View in browser | Update your preferences 2020 in Review The Movies That Mattered in 2020 Here are the films that stood out during this pandemic year, in the face of a moviemaking standstill and a streaming revolution. By Anthony Lane The Front Row Twenty-five of the Best Films on Amazon Prime This list is offered as an enthusiastic alternative to the good-enough—a batch of movies that merit a place among the best of any year. By Richard Brody Page-Turner Charles Dickens, the Writer Who Saw Lockdown Everywhere For the novelist, imprisonment wasn’t just a stain on society; it was an aspect of the self. By Laurence Scott 2020 in Review Our Favorite Crossword Clues of 2020 As a source of at-home entertainment and an antidote to the mind-numbing effects of lockdown, crosswords became a staple of many quarantine diets. By Liz Maynes-Aminzade, Nicholas Henriquez, and Andy Kravis From the Cartoon Issue Profiles The Otherworldly Comedy of Julio Torres The “Los Espookys” star and “S.N.L.” alum says that his favorite color is clear. By Michael Schulman Fiction “Acting Class” “You’ll have to rely solely on your imagination. There is no prompt and there are no guidelines.” By Nick Drnaso Pop Music How Morgan Wallen Became the Most Wanted Man in Country Wallen has become a singer, a character, and, to the surprise of many Nashville professionals, an online sex symbol. By Kelefa Sanneh Sketchbook Junban An illustrated adaptation of writings about summers in British Columbia, and their cruel end. By Jillian Tamaki Humor from The New Yorker Portfolio The Year in Funnies Some gags about how we lived in 2020, to one day help explain your toilet-paper-hoarding habits to your grandchildren. By The New Yorker Crossword The Holiday Crossword: 2020 in Language Cocktail made while sheltering in place, using whatever’s available: ten letters. By Patrick Berry Daily Shouts Yes, Mason, There Is a Santa Claus And, while I have you, Mason also believes that whole-grain spelt wafers are “cookies.” By Carrie McCrossen Daily Cartoon Daily Cartoon: Thursday, December 24th By Madeline Horwath This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To insure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com. For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.