Top 10 Movies of 2020
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- DirectorCharlie KaufmanStarsJesse PlemonsJessie BuckleyToni ColletteFull of misgivings, a young woman travels with her new boyfriend to his parents' secluded farm. Upon arriving, she comes to question everything she thought she knew about him, and herself.Films about loneliness are so rarely about real loneliness. In my “Movies Magnifique” segment on I’m Thinking of Ending Things, a movie about how we futilely try to make sense of existence, I argued that those sorts of films are generally wallflower stories where friends and relationships are nonetheless discovered among fellow misfits. With a movie like this, I cannot promise that everyone will relate to it on its ultimate level; the level of the dying Janitor who watches the human experience from afar and imagines what it might have been like – creating the actual main plot.
But in true Charlie Kaufman fashion, there is indeed much here to relate to, and he does capture the typical anxieties of human life scarily well. The innermost story layer, featuring Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley as a couple that just sort of sticks together, starts out with heavy uncertainties and awkward family meetings, then evolving into surreal, nightmarish versions of itself until it becomes clear we’re in the Janitor’s brain; so full of painfully aware self-loathing that it denies him the very conception of any sort of happiness or love in his past (excluding the bits of the fantasy that look extra fake). The clues leading up to this revelation are many, and they appear on all sorts of levels (dialogue, music, thematically relevant set design, you name it…).
I’ve talked about this movie quite enough already, and while I don’t plan to stop in the foreseeable future, I’ll just let this quick blurb state that this is a film that hits all the marks for me. On one hand, I very much connect with it for largely subjective reasons; on the other hand, it is rife with demonstrable details and subtleties that solidify Kaufman as one of the best filmmakers we have. He is right that we sometimes rely a great deal on movies to understand one another. Having seen this one, I’m not sure that’s so bad. - DirectorMichael Angelo CovinoStarsKyle MarvinMichael Angelo CovinoGayle RankinA look at the friendship between two guys that spans over many years.The Climb is one of those grounded but breathtaking films, where impeccably coordinated filmmaking results in a story that simply illuminates the ugly sides of unconditional love and friendship. It has no special effects, yet in many ways, it is the most well-made movie on this entire list.
The story itself - while not fantastical, as mentioned - is still spectacular in how it spirals further out of control and keeps the viewer guessing. We know something is about to worsen the central friendship between Mike and Kyle (played by director Michael Angelo Covino and his co-writer Kyle Marvin, proving the theory that some of the best performances come from people being themselves); the question becomes what, and how direly. It is hilarious, disturbing, and almost thoroughly cringe-worthy in the best possible way.
It is full of obsessively meticulous sequences that don't seem special at first glance, as they simply depict everyday moments. However, watching something that feels this real, especially since the camera almost never cuts away during a given scene and no performer ever falters, is part of what makes movies magical. - DirectorArthur JonesStarsMatt FurieAiyana UdesenChris SullivanArtist Matt Furie, creator of the comic character Pepe the Frog, begins an uphill battle to take back his iconic cartoon image from those who used it for their own purposes.First and foremost, Feels Good Man is one of the most entertainingly presented, well-paced, amusing, and at points sickening documentaries I’ve seen in years, but what makes it excellent is how it understands online culture and Internet memes more than most. As a result, it also elucidates how we’ve reached an age where Death of the Author occurs well before an author’s death, and how a piece of art can be repeatedly co-opted by online communities that then start affecting the real world – until we forget what the piece once meant.
And what better example to use than Matt Furie’s Boy’s Club character Pepe the Frog? Ever the eccentric but nonetheless wholesome, Furie could never have expected how his character would spread all over the web in the MySpace era, end up adored by the recluses of 4chan and used for hateful images, and finally get reposted in his new edgelord-format by presidential candidate Donald Trump himself, emboldening said edgelords to “meme” an unqualified mainstream-media reject into office (one wonders why they liked him) and ultimately taking Pepe to what we thought was his final form: the basically-official symbol of a recently validated Nazi-lite far-right movement (don’t get me started on how Egyptian mythology and Hong Kong come into play). All he wanted to do was pee with his pants down and declare that it feels good… man.
If you, like many others, were flabbergasted at the result of the 2016 election and blame it on some weird uprising on redneck Boomers (even if you know how more and more youngsters went rightward after, supposedly, having their fill of multiculturalism, misandry, and PC language-policing), then this film is for you. We underestimate how much the Internet world has started to take over the real world; how basement-dwelling losers may become world-burning winners. I certainly saw it unfold over the 2010s, but watching it summarized in a 90-minute film hit even me pretty hard. Be careful when you share your art in the social media age. - DirectorTomm MooreRoss StewartStarsHonor KneafseyEva WhittakerSean BeanA young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.Probably the most visually distinguished film of the year, Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers is a mesmerizing journey into the enchanted Celtic woodlands that brings to mind all sorts of Fantasy art styles, old fairy tales, and folk legends. And yet, in spite of the cues from Miyazaki and Disney, it is undoubtedly its own thing – its own wonderful, beautiful thing. As I mentioned before, escapist movie-going is fine, especially if it’s still as enriching as this.
Focusing on the forbidden friendship between a hunter’s daughter and a young “wolfwalker” (a person who can speak with wolves and also unleash a spirit animal, that “sees” nature with all its senses, when asleep), resulting in a story both heartfelt and exciting. Some of it may be a bit scary for kids; luckily adults won’t mind coming along.
Furthermore, as I wrote in the review, “additional magic is supplied on the soundtrack; Irish singer Kíla gives Bruno Couilas‘ score that extra Gaelic touch, and there is also an original tune by Aurora, the Nordic singer whose angelic vocals appeared in Frozen 2″. I know people who will love this film more than anything they’ve ever seen (mainly creative types with a particular love for Fantasy artwork and medieval myth) but I can’t think of anyone who straight-up won’t like it. Definitely give this one a watch! Animation like this doesn’t happen often. - DirectorGreta GerwigStarsSaoirse RonanEmma WatsonFlorence PughJo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.Period pieces run the risk of feeling too modern if they don’t aspire to be as old-timey and detached from us as possible (usually for convincingness). Greta Gerwig finds a perfect middle ground in this definitive adaptation of Little Women. I think we tend to forget that, no matter how different things were in the 1800s, the humans were still human – in many of the ways they are today. Much like the aspects of youth Gerwig typically depicts, the film is both funny and heartbreaking, but there is never a moment where you don’t wish you could meet these people and talk with them over a cup of tea.
It doesn’t hurt that this particular Little Women is helmed by such indie-movie sweethearts as Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, and the still unreasonably perfect Saoirse Ronan. This is, on that note, the Saoirse Ronan period piece that won my heart this year, even though Ammonite (which played like a duller Portrait of a Lady on Fire at the expense of doing Mary Anning justice) tried its damnedest by having her go up against Kate Winslet.
Judging plainly from the two Gerwig films we have, her movies are always an absolute joy, no matter how serious or funny they’re being; there is a certain sense of nostalgia to watching them (I am once again clearly reminded of people I grew up around), on top of the authentic and often sweet relationships that are so true-to-life that, well, we get ourselves a period piece where I actually feel like I would enjoy spending time with its characters. Can’t say I felt the same way when we were forced to watch Pride and Prejudice in high school. - DirectorTrey Edward ShultsStarsTaylor RussellKelvin Harrison Jr.Alexa DemieTraces the journey of a suburban family - led by a well-intentioned but domineering father - as they navigate love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.If great directors can be called “fluent in the cinematic language”, Trey Edward Shults is one of the most erudite speakers of today. His Waves is one of the most uncomfortably real films on my list, and although I was never a Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), or even an American, watching the movie took me right back – reminding me of the self-destructive yet overconfident juveniles I grew up around.
But unlike the above-mentioned Druk, this film isn’t as “real” in its visual style as in its themes; it is an absolute marvel to watch and listen to, with well-selected music and clever visual touches, even as it defies Hollywood glamour and is devastating to take in on a story level. The camera work is often nifty (the “perpetually spinning” opening shot is particularly innovative) and there is thematic relevance to the aspect-ratio shifts and choices of color that I dare not reveal here. The very structure of the film reminds us of something important: waves do recede, but we must be clever enough to avert the next one.
This is also the third film on this list to be scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who also did the music for Mank and Soul), which may be the first time something like that has happened on one of these lists. I’m sure that’s cool to someone. - DirectorWerner HerzogClive OppenheimerStarsWerner HerzogClive OppenheimerSimon SchafferA documentary from Werner Herzog about meteors and comets and their influence on ancient religions and other cultural and physical impacts they've had on Earth.A sort of palpable joy is captured in the latest documentary by Werner Herzog, in spite of the cosmically aware nihilism and despair we may associate with him. In some faiths, even acknowledging the size and chaos of reality would be a reason for hopelessness. In Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, men of faith and science alike seem in gleeful awe over the mysteries of the cosmos.
More specifically, Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer are examining the people (and peoples) across the globe who have made meteors apart of their life – whether they take meteorites as a sign of divine intervention to be deciphered, or merely as a humbling reminder that there is infinitely more to existence than Man (who is nonetheless fortune to explore it), they’re all endlessly passionate over these apocalyptic forces. A great moment involves a research team in the Antarctic that happens across a stone that definitely doesn’t belong there and so they are moved to tears.
Yet again, you’ll need to rev up the computer or tablet (preferably be the Smart TV) for this one, as it inhabits the Apple streaming service – just like another film to be named later in this post. I’m certain there’s a Blu-ray release too if you’re hesitant to give Apple your money, which is entirely understandable. - DirectorDavid FincherStarsGary OldmanAmanda SeyfriedLily Collins1930s Hollywood is re-evaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane (1941).It’s a bit ironic that so many viewers call Mank a David Fincher movie. Mank is a film for the screenwriters, and the true brain behind the film is Fincher’s father Jack (rest his soul), just as the supposed true brain behind RKO’s Citizen Kane, which still tops many a “best films of all time” list, was the drunken but brilliant Herman J. Mankiewicz as opposed to Orson Welles. This idea, proposed by Pauline Kael in the 70s, is hotly debated but makes for a good story.
Mank is an extraordinary replica of the sort of films made in the early years of what we call Golden Age Hollywood, complete with purposely low-quality audio, set design, and old-fashioned methods of fading the scenes out. It is one of the best “faux vintage” attempts I have ever seen, although this position has been countered by the likes of Adam Johnston (citing a 2019 film called Bait, where ancient equipment was actually being used, which was also partly true of The Lighthouse that same year).
That which nobody can deny, however, is the aplomb of Gary Oldman in the title role, undoubtedly a front-runner if we somehow get an Oscar Night next year. Similarly great are Amanda Seyfried, Charles Dance, Tom Burke, and others, portraying various Old Hollywood figures. It’s not a very accessible film, but the more you love movies, the more you will love this one. - DirectorThomas VinterbergStarsMads MikkelsenThomas Bo LarsenMagnus MillangFour high-school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.We go from Australia to Denmark with this next pick (proving that, if anything, the COVID-induced mainstream movie shortage may have been healthy for consumers, forcing them to seek out more freely-made, more original films from across the globe). Another Round, or Druk in Danish, is a depressing-yet-comical exploration of the modern religion that is alcohol consumption.
Being a veteran of the Dogme 95 movement, writer-director Thomas Vinterberg skillfully makes the film feel natural and, in accordance with the manifesto, almost never artificial (the movie looks to be shot in real locations with mostly natural lighting). Similarly convincing are Mads Mikkelsen and his co-stars, continually making me forget that these are actors and that there is a screen between us. Mikkelsen is emotionally convincing and has an absolutely glorious dance number near the end of the movie.
As a Scandinavian, I can verify that it accurately depicts the drinking culture we have here. There have been complaints that the portrayal seems a bit exaggerated for the sake of a point, but I assure you; our high school graduates absolutely ride around on loud party trucks with champagne close at hand. - DirectorNatalie Erika JamesStarsRobyn NevinEmily MortimerBella HeathcoteA daughter, mother and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family's home.Relic was my savior during the summer-movie drought of 2020; a well-made Australian picture that just sort of showed up, visualizing the anxieties over death and loss that we all must feel, pandemic or no pandemic. Using horror imagery and visual references to the titular setting in House of Leaves, it is definitely a unique take on dementia.
We follow three women, each of a different generation, as the eldest (Robyn Nevin) approaches death – no matter how far you’ve come on your own journey, or which of these persons you relate to, you will absolutely relate. Despite its inordinately strong horror-film elements, this is mainly one of the most heart-wrenching movies of the year (you might call it “Amour meets Under the Skin“). It also marks the first movie outing of Natalie Erika James and is a fine start indeed.
Together with Soul and Sound of Metal, this one was fighting for the 10 spot on my list. The reason it ultimately won in my eyes (outside of the House of Leaves references) was the fact that it simply came to me at the right time. I can understand using films as escapism. But sometimes films are where we vent and let ourselves feel – not only if we’re the ones creating. - DirectorPete DocterKemp PowersStarsJamie FoxxTina FeyGraham NortonJoe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.EXTRA HONORABLE MENTION. Soul is at the very top of my runners-up list and it was certainly wrestling for the number 10 spot when I was concocting this blog post. Either way, I had to award it a spot in some manner, because this is the first time in many years where I agree with the sentiment that Pixar has returned to form. It has a few clichés and ultimately a somewhat standard message (even as it explores fascinating ideas of self, spirituality, and purpose on the way there) that prevent me from putting it higher. That said, the message is useful.
There is also a tinge of irony to its jokes about soullessness and materialism, especially when we consider who owns the animation studio, but it is still true that the movie is very entertaining and visually distinctive. Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey, Rachel House, and the rest of the cast all do fine, House being blessed with the most interestingly-designed of all the characters; a surrealist mixture of 2D and 3D.
The animation is general is more or less perfect (with its stylish jazz sequences, lifelike textures and lighting, and superb character designs), with the unfortunate exception of the blob-like spirits we often see. But it's okay - kiddies get the cute soul plushies and the fast-paced action bits (I almost wish the film had ended with Joe Gardner sitting at his piano for the last time); adults get the atmosphere and contemplative themes. Pixar always hits both demos, more so here than perhaps ever before. - DirectorDarius MarderStarsRiz AhmedOlivia CookePaul RaciA heavy metal drummer's life is turned upside down when he begins to lose his hearing and he must confront a future filled with silence.EXTRA HONORABLE MENTION. Sound of Metal is another film that nearly made the cut, falling a bit short in terms of pacing and repetitiveness, and is nevertheless a pretty great movie. I was initially going to give this “Honorable Mention” to El hoyo – which I called “a pleasant surprise from Spain that mixed the sci-fi minimalism of Cube with the social metaphors of Snowpiercer” – but when I discovered this one, it was so close to the top I had to give it some extra attention.
Despite some of the problems I had, the film is an immersive and uncompromising look into the deaf community, expertly using sound editing and foley to put us in the mind of Riz Ahmed as it loses the ability to register sound. As scary and heartbreaking as it is for Ahmed’s character, a drummer with a passion for his craft, he’s told that he is wrong to think of his condition as a curse; something to be fixed. I shall leave that can of worms untouched.
For now, I’m here to tell you that this is a well-crafted movie that, if nothing else, will give Ahmed a shot at the Best Actor prize if movie awards will still be a thing in 2021. - DirectorTerrence MalickStarsAugust DiehlValerie PachnerMaria SimonThe Austrian Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector, refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDean-Charles ChapmanGeorge MacKayDaniel MaysApril 6th, 1917. As an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.
- DirectorLulu WangStarsShuzhen ZhaoAwkwafinaX MayoA Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.
- DirectorGalder Gaztelu-UrrutiaStarsIvan MassaguéZorion EguileorAntonia San JuanA vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.
- DirectorJason WolinerStarsSacha Baron CohenMaria BakalovaTom HanksBorat returns to America from Kazakhstan to America, this time to reveal more about the American culture, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the political elections.EXTRA HONORABLE MENTION. While I don’t rank this film as highly as some of my other entries on the runners-up list, I simply must give it a specialized spot for the way that it was made: in almost complete secret. This is unusual enough in a world of constant hype, where trailers and commercials are essentially events in and of themselves, but the fact that it was achieved by the man behind Borat Sagdiyev – one of the most recognizable comedic characters of the century – makes its stealth extra impressive.
Then again, we shouldn’t expect any less of Sacha Baron Cohen at this point, ever the expert at fooling both fans and detractors, as well as his unwitting interviewees, that he is simply doing a racist caricature – thereby validating said interviewees, who seem convinced he is indeed a bumbling reporter from Kazakhstan, just enough that they start showing their true colors, and those of the American climate. And after Donald Trump, Borat was long overdue for another journalistic voyage to “The Americas”.
The problem with the movie is that Cohen seems to have taken the odd post-production shortcut in humiliating these politicians, voters, and random civilians (some lines have been moved around). Its biggest strengths are in the costumes (of which Borat himself must wear a few) and also, oddly, the relationship between Borat and his daughter/piece of livestock Tutar (a phenomenal Maria Bakalova). Like most films in 2020, you can find this online. It’s on Prime Video. And yes, it’s verah nice. - DirectorJóhann JóhannssonStarsTilda SwintonTwo billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that is left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their message into the wilderness.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsJohn David WashingtonRobert PattinsonElizabeth DebickiArmed with only the word "Tenet," and fighting for the survival of the entire world, CIA operative, The Protagonist, journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a global mission that unfolds beyond real time.
- DirectorLeigh WhannellStarsElisabeth MossOliver Jackson-CohenHarriet DyerWhen Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.