2020 was an odd year for movies. With the pandemic in full swing, many of us turned to streaming, and the rare blockbuster on our home screen, to entertain us. As usual, I typically release my list of best films around Oscar season to give myself a chance to catch all the late year prestige movies. With this year, however, the academy decided to push back the ceremony from the usual February date to April. Thanks to COVID- and in no part my laziness- my list is fairly late this year.
10- The Invisible Man
Universal has been trying unsuccessfully for years to revitalize their classic monsters brand with their terrible Dracula Untold film in 2014 and the even more abysmal 2017 Mummy reboot that killed the Dark Universe in its infancy. Then along came the Invisible Man, a smaller budget film that actually takes a classic monster and injects a modern horror spin on it, clearly drawing inspiration from such popular tech horror shows like Black Mirror. Invisible Man was a movie that snuck up on 2020, with creative social parallels to the effects of domestic abuse, a gripping mystery, and incredibly creative sequences that made the most out of the concept. This is a reboot done right and all future Universal Monster movies should take note.
9- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Though clearly based on a stage play given its contained structure that takes place in only two rooms, the movie makes the most of its often static location and cameras by bringing in some hard hitting performances that are among (if not) the best of the year. The script was already sharp thanks to the play, but it is brilliantly brought to life by both Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, who together provide a masterclass in acting and make every scene engrossing. It will also make you grieve even more for Black Panther’s late Boseman for being such an amazing talent taken too soon.
8- Nomanland
Here is a film which could be summed up in one word...meditational. To many that may be synonymous with boring, and they wouldn’t be wrong as this is certainly not a film for everyone. This is a film that takes it’s time and lives and dies on director Chloe Zhao's patience and actor Frances McDormand’s understated performance. It’s a wistful look at the american dream while being a brilliant character study of someone in old age forced into a life on the road. Add some of the best, grounded, cinematography and some actual road nomads to the cast, and this film may take it’s time but will reward viewers who stick around. With an up and coming talent like Zhao, it is easy to get excited for what she will deliver in her first blockbuster with Eternals
7- Mank
Hollywood does like its movies about making movies and Mank is completely unapologetic about it. It also doesn’t hold your hand. If you aren’t already somewhat familiar with the history behind Citizen Kane then this may not be for you as it won’t waste a lot of exposition to bring you up to speed. But for those initiated, Mank is a sharp witted movie about a key piece of cinematic history that is grounded by a relatable performance by Oldman. It’s also a very personal movie to director David Fincher whose father wrote the script and you can see that connection and passion poured out into every beautiful black and white frame.
6- Promising Young Woman
It pitches itself as a dark comedy, especially given their cast, but this film ends up just being sort of dark full-stop. That’s far from a complaint as the film hits on a lot of serious topics but does it in a way that keeps you from feeling drowned in grimness. This is one of the most original screenplays and, by extension, films of the year as a character study of what happens for those who go down the rabbit hole of survivor guilt and are unable to find closure.
5- Wolfwalker
From CartoonSaloon comes another animated film that knocks it out of the park, but unfortunately no one will probably see. And that’s too bad because this third film in their folklore trilogy is probably the best out of the bunch (which says a lot considering Song of the Sea and Secret of the Kells were both fantastic). We are back with the series minimalist animation style that is beautiful in its simplicity tied with a truly engaging story and unique spin on werewolf stories. The tension of the character relationship is what makes this one of the best movies of the year and the injection of a little traditional magic doesn’t hurt either. Maybe this film will finally give the studio the name recognition it deserves!
4- Sound of Metal
It was a good year for acting all around as the pandemic shut the door on big blockbusters and let a lot of these smaller quieter films take center stage. And no film is quieter than Sound of Metal that tells the story of an addict drummer who is going deaf and joins a mute chistrian rehab community. Actor Riz Ahmed gives, in my opinion, the best performance of the year in this film about re-defining your outlook of both yourself and your life. It also features some of the best sound design of the year. Much of the film is from the perspective of the main character’s hearing and his various phases of losing it.
3- Trial of the Chicago 7
I told my Dad he should watch this and he said he didn’t need to because he was there. And on second thought, perhaps this isn’t for him then, because Aaron Sorkin may be one of the biggest names in Hollywood for screenwriting (until he turned to his directing debut with Molly’s Game), but, admittedly, Sorkin is not known for his historical accuracy. He is better known for hyper dramatization and does it masterfully with great dialogue and hard, fast-paced pacing. Never is this more exemplified than in his newest film, which is a fast-talking, engaging take on the events of the trail of the Chicago 7. Though over-dramatic to a fault at times, the dialogue and phenomenal ace A-list actor team keeps you glued to your seat for one hell of a stylish re-telling of an important american moment.
2- Palm Springs
Groundhogs Day rip off are a dime a dozen these days...yet there is something that keeps everyone coming back to them. It is easy to take a day or even hours and make them truly feel lived in with populated characters and repetitive repetition (yes that was intentional). Palm Spings returns to the original tone of Groundhogs Day with a comedy that adds a new twist by having two characters stuck in a loop together for a romantic rom-com that was just what we needed to take our mind off the woes of the world in 2020. It’s familiar in all the right ways, and safe and comforting in a way, yet still finds ways to surprise and change up the formula while making the audience laugh. In other words it was the perfect comfort food for a nasty year.
1- Soul
It’s no secret that I am a HUGE animation buff, having done a lot of stop motion and 3D animation myself over the years. To me, it is the ultimate creativity; the ability to create worlds and characters from the baseline of pure imagination. Pixar has a history of putting this theory to the test and they have never had a better vehicle than Soul. To me, this is their first masterpiece in years. The film is extremely existential in a way few kids may be able to follow, but fear not because there is still plenty here for them to enjoy. This does, however, feel like the first film where Pixar really aimed it at the adults, who will best be able to appreciate it. Taking the concepts of character wants vs character needs and literally creating personifications of them in the afterlife is a stroke of genius. It is gorgeous, the music is beautiful, and undoubtedly this is THE best movie of the year.
So there you have it- my best films of 2020. Agree? Disagree? Let me know some I may have missed in the comments. It was my first time in years not having a CBM on this list so let’s keep our fingers crossed for 2021!