20 of the Best Focus Features Films in Honor of the 20th Anniversary

Focus Features celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and the label has quickly become a mainstay during awards season. Every year, the NBCUniversal-owned division seems to have at least one film in the running for Oscars. This year, that film is Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, which picked up seven Oscar nominations. It is just one in a long line of acclaimed films distributed by Focus.

Focus was founded in 2002 by David Linde and is a part of Universal Pictures. It is the successor to the studio’s previous specialty film arms, including Universal Focus and USA Films. Focus often picks up distribution of foreign films for the U.S. and also helps bring independent features to wider audiences. The company’s biggest hit has been the 2019 Downton Abbey film, which will soon be followed by the sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era in May. Focus has also had a hand in producing some of the films released under its name.

Over the past two decades, Focus has also fostered fruitful relationships with filmmakers, including Sofia Coppola, Joel and Ethan Coen, Joe Wright, and Todd Haynes. Focus has also found success distributing a handful of documentaries, including Pope Francis – A Man of His Word and the Fred Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 

To kick off the studio’s two decades of powerful storytelling and remarkable filmmaking, Focus Features is commemorating the incredible milestone with a new reel, looking back at some of their most iconic on-screen moments. In a press statement to PopCulture.com, Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski shares the sentiment that cinema holds “great power.”

“That is the simple belief that has guided us since we asked you to join us on a journey of discovery that began twenty years ago. It has been a voyage motivated by the boundless joy that comes from experiencing the world anew when seeing it through the eyes of others, and it has been steered by the conviction that sharing that experience in a theater with friends, family, and strangers not only delights us, but brings us closer to our loved ones, our community, and the world at large.”

As part of the studio’s plans to celebrate the two-decade milestone, AMC Theatres will highlight the Focus Features’ anniversary beginning April 29 with “Focus 20” week at select theatres nationwide. AMC will showcase seven titles from the Focus Features library, each of them receiving an afternoon and primetime screening over the seven-day period with titles like Downton Abbey, Brokeback Mountain, Burn After Reading, Darkest Hour, Atonement, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Harriet. Learn more about “Focus 20” week at AMC Theaters.

With Focus Features also being the first film brand with a dedicated hub on Peacock, the streaming platform will collect the studio’s and historically acquired specialty films in one place to direct specialty film fans. Since the studio is celebrating a major milestone and unveiling a new logo, which you can see above, here’s a look at 20 of the best films Focus Features has released in its history. The list is in alphabetical order.

Beginners and Belfast

Beginners (2011) – In Mike Mills’ Beginners, Ewan McGregor stars as Oliver, who meets Anna (Melanie Laurent), just months after his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) died after a battle with cancer. While Oliver tries to establish a life with Anna, he also looks back on what he learned from his father’s last months, when Hal lived a full life as a gay man following the death of his wife.

Belfast (2021) – Belfast is Kenneth Branagh’s love letter to his childhood in Northern Ireland, during The Troubles in the late 1960s. The film earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench earned Oscar nods for their performances.

The Big Lebowski and BlacKkKlansman

Big Lebowski, The (1998) – The Coen Brothers’ classic The Big Lebowski was produced long before Focus was born, but the studio holds home video distribution. The film is a hilarious, absurd trip through the mind of The Dude, played perfectly by Jeff Bridges.

BlacKkKlansman (2018) – Spike Lee joined Focus Features’ roster of filmmakers with BlacKkKlansman, which won Lee his first competitive Oscar thanks to the adapted screenplay. The movie is loosely based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), a Black Colorado police officer who works undercover to expose the KKK with his Jewish colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver).

Brokeback Mountain and Dallas Buyers Club

Brokeback Mountain (2005) – One of the most iconic movies in Focus’ roster, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain quickly obtained classic status after its release. Despite being less than 20 years old, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 2018.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) – Jean-Marc Vallee’s Dallas Buyers Club stars Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodruff, who was diagnosed with AIDS in the mid-1980s and smuggled in drugs to Texas to help others with AIDS. McConaughey won the Best Actor Oscar, while Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor, making it only the fifth movie ever to win both. The movie won a third Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Dark Waters and Dazed and Confused

Dark Waters (2019) – One of the most criminally underrated films of the last decade, Todd Haynes’ Dark Waters is discretely a horror movie. Mark Ruffalo stars as lawyer Robert Bilott, who helped expose DuPont’s contamination of a small town’s entire water supply.

Dazed and Confused (1993) – Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused is another iconic comedy Focus handles distribution of today. Almost everyone in the film went on to have huge careers, including McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, and Cole Hauser. The movie wasn’t a big hit when it was released, but it has since become a cult classic.

Emma. and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Emma. (2020) – Emma, like many Jane Austen novels, has been filmed multiple times over the decades. In 2020, Autumn de Wilde took another stab at the story with Anya Taylor-Joy giving a delightful performance in the title role. The film earned Oscar nods for its costume design and makeup and hairstyling. 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind remains one of the crown jewels in Focus’ library. The movie, with an Oscar-winning script from Charlie Kaufman, is already considered one of the best movies of the 21st Century. Jim Carrey gave one of the best performances in his career in the film, and Kate Winslet earned an Oscar nod. 

Far From Heaven and In Bruges

Far From Heaven (2002) – Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven is an incredible homage to the 1950s melodramas by Douglas Sirk and serves as a complex portrait of 1950s America. Julianne Moore earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination but lost to The Hours‘ Nicole Kidman.

In Bruges (2008) – Colin Farrell gives one of his most fun performances in In Bruges, a black comedy written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes also star in this Oscar-nominated movie.

Lost in Translation and Moonrise Kingdom

Lost in Translation (2003) – No list of Focus’ best releases could be complete without Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Coppola won an Oscar for her screenplay and she became only the third woman ever nominated for Best Director. It’s one of the great films by an American filmmaker.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Moonrise Kingdom is surprisingly the only Wes Anderson movie Focus has released. The film tells the story of a relationship between an orphan boy (Jared Gilman) who escapes from his camp and his pen pal (Kara Hayward).

Phantom Thread and Promising Young Woman

Phantom Thread (2017) – While Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film Licorice Pizza competes for Oscars, his previous film, Phantom Thread, is one of the best movies Focus has ever released. It was also nominated for Best Picture and won for Best Costume Design. It’s a sumptuous, beautiful film that features astonishing performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, and Lesley Manville.

Promising Young Woman (2020) – Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman is one of the more controversial films on Focus’ roster. However, it’s hard to ignore that Carey Mulligan’s performance is fantastic. The movie earned Gennell the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

Raw and A Serious Man

Raw (2017) – Focus handled distribution of Julia Ducournau’s breakout film Raw, a shocking horror film starring Garance Marillier as a vegetarian who develops a craving for flesh after she eats meat during her first year at veterinary school. It’s a shocking movie that has to be seen to be believed. Ducournau’s latest film, Titane, also earned acclaim.

Serious Man, A (2009) – The Coen Brothers appear on this list again with one of their most underrated films, A Serious Man. Michael Stuhlbarg should’ve been nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a Minnesota Jewish man whose life falls apart. 

Shaun of the Dead and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Shaun of the Dead (2004) – British filmmaker Edgar Wright has released most of his films through Focus in the U.S., including his latest, Last Night in Soho. All three films in his Cornetto trilogy were released by the label, beginning with Shaun of the Dead, one of the best zombie comedies ever made. 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) – Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was one of the surprise box office hits of 2018. The movie tracked the life of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood star Fred Rogers. Neville later worked with Focus again on Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.