Here’s your obligatory mention of how rotten 2020 was to all of us: 2020 was very bad. There were many, MANY terrible things about 2020 and a dearth of new movies is very low on that list, obviously. Since I talk and (nominally) write about movies, though, I’ve got to focus on the film side of things so I’ll just come out right off the top and say 2020 was super not fun for movie watchers. We missed out on a ton of new releases and many of those that actually did come out were released in weird ways and into a weird world. It sucked and, for myriad more important reasons outside the movie industry, I hope that soon things are significantly better.
With all that said, I still saw a lot of movies in 2020 even if the vast majority of them were viewed in my office rather than a very large theater screen. (As of this writing, my wife has not yet agreed to turn the dining room into a theater room but we’ll see who has the last word in this conversation.) And, believe it or not, I saw a lot of good movies in 2020! Typically, my end of year list sits somewhere between 100 and 120 films and, since I’m actually a relatively generous grader, I usually have bunches of movies in contention for my top ten of the year. In 2020, I “only” got through 85 or so and, while I still handed out positive grades to the majority of them, it’s clear that the quality of the film product this year was lacking. Too many movies were bumped into 2021, too many of the ones that did drop were disappointing. Even still, there were ten films that didn’t make my top ten that I really dug and deserved to be highlighted. So, that’s what I’ve done below.
Now, listen, usually my lists feature what I would consider to be a good mix of big, mainstream movies and smaller indies. This year, though, well...we didn’t have many big, mainstream movies, resulting in a top twenty list that includes a lot of smaller films, many of which you may never have heard of. Normally, I grumble a bit at end of year lists that are so heavy on obscure, tiny movies as to be almost completely irrelevant. I hope that, given the circumstances of 2020, you will forgive my indie-heavy sensibilities herein and possibly even check out a movie or two from the list below. There were some great hidden gems in the midst of the dumpster fire that was 2020.
For my actual top ten list, tune into Mad About Movies this week as we delve into our annual top ten and worst ten of the year episode.
On the Rocks (Rashida Jones, Bill Murray, Marlon Wayans)
Summary: When a woman (Jones) suspects her husband (Wayans) of cheating, she calls in her wayward father (Murray) for assistance.
One of the few on this list that I was actually looking forward to ahead of time, Sofia Coppola’s reunion with my beloved Bill Murray did not disappoint. Jones, who I think is one of the more underutilized women in the industry, gave such a terrific portrayal of the insecurities that so many formerly cool adults experience in their parenting years without letting the character become “crazy.” She’d probably be on my hypothetical Oscar ballot. And for Murray, this is somewhat of a throwback performance, a full display of his easy charm and ability to combine eccentric comedy with a grounded warmth. Available on Apple+.
Love and Monsters (Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker)
Summary: A young loner (O’Brien) leaves his bunker and sets out to reunite with his high school sweetheart (Henwick) by traversing across an earth that has been overrun by giant insects.
I fully expected this to be terrible and still kind of can’t believe how well it turned out. It’s rare to see a movie mix genre as well as Love and Monsters does and I think both director Michael Matthews and writers Brian Duffield and Matthew Robinson deserve a ton of credit for pulling that off. This is equal parts funny, heartwarming, thrilling, and goofy and also there are giant bugs, some of which look like they came straight out of a 1970’s prop department. The biggest winner out of all of this, however, is O’Brien who seems to have found his path forward post-Maze Runner. Monsters recast O’Brien in my mind as someone to be taken seriously moving forward and I hope he’s able to capitalize on that promise. Available on VOD.
Tenet (John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki)
Summary: Uh well...you know...it’s kinda hard to explain but it involves inertia and moving backward sort of in time?
It’s hard to remember all the way back to January of 2020 seeing as how this past year actually lasted for three decades. But if I squint back into the miles behind me, I think I can barely make out the shadow of massive anticipation I had for Tenet and the extended wait I went through before finally being able to see this (in theaters, no less in August). I love Christopher Nolan and this is, for better or worse, unquestionably the MOST Christopher Nolan movie of all-time. I’m not sure the plot actually makes sense but I’m also not sure I’m smart enough to figure it out even if it does make complete sense. And yet...I enjoyed it quite a bit? As I said on the podcast, if you hate this movie, I can’t really argue against you but despite the complexity and possible overall stupidity of it all, I enjoyed the thrill ride overall. It’s more than a little disappointing for me personally to have a new Nolan movie and NOT have it make my top ten and this is clearly not his best work but still, I’m okay with the movie overall. Available on VOD.
Sh!thouse (Cooper Raiff, Amy Landecker)
Summary: A freshman (Raiff) at a college far from home struggles to figure out how to fit in and handle his first real relationship with his RA (Landecker).
This is a very small coming-of-age movie that exceeds its genre and the cliches therein through its simplicity. Basically a student film, that Raiff (who also wrote and directed the film) was able to put together a professional finished product with $15,000 is remarkable. I’ve seen dozens, if not hundreds, of movies like this over the years but Sh!thouse (which is the name of a fraternity, if you’re wondering) sticks out as one of the better entries into the genre. I think the master stroke here is the realism portrayed by Raiff who, like a lot of 18 and 19 year old kids, really wants to be an adult but doesn’t have a clue how to do that yet. The scenes in which he calls home to talk to his mother and sister are the best in the movie and provide the perfect grounding for the film as a whole. Available on VOD.
Jungleland (Charlie Hunnam, Jack O’Connell, Jessica Barden)
Summary: A pair of brothers (Hunnam and O’Connell) transport a young, pregnant woman (Barden) across the country at the behest of a crime lord.
I expected Jungleland to focus much more heavily on O’Connell’s character’s boxing/street fighting and therefore thought the movie would be a knock-off of The Fighter. Instead, it turned out to be a sobering, semi-sweet road trip movie with excellent pace. Max Winkler (son of Henry) wasn’t someone I was aware of before Jungleland but he’s now a director I’ll be watching much more closely moving forward. Similar to O’Brien with Love and Monsters, this was also an important movie for Hunnam. I think he has an interesting place in the film industry if he can figure out how to lock in on the right roles. He’s not a movie star and his range is limited but he’s very good in this and I think when he’s able to operate in his comfort zone, he can do this consistently. Available on VOD.
The Vast of Night (Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz)
Summary: In 1950’s New Mexico, a pair of young adults (McCormick and Horowitz) hear a strange radio signal that sends them on the hunt for UFOs.
This is probably the poster child for “Movies I Likely Wouldn’t Have Seen in a Normal, Non-Pandemic Year” but in that scenario I would’ve been missing out greatly. What Andrew Patterson accomplished on a $700,000 budget should be taught in film school. This movie looks great and the vibe is Spielbergian, my highest compliment, as you know. I loved the decision to let the threat of the aliens, or even the possibility of the aliens, hover over the events of the movie, leading to an edge of your seat feel that would’ve been lost in a more straightforward sci-fi movie. A very effective, smart film overall. Available on Amazon Prime.
Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillies, Peter Macdissi)
Summary: A New York-based college professor (Bettany) returns home to 1973 South Carolina for his father’s funeral and a family that doesn’t know about his sexuality.
Paul Bettany stans, between Uncle Frank and Wandavision, this is our time! I love Bettany, provided he is not playing some sort of weird monk or disgraced angel or vampire hunter. He’s so much better than most of his filmography and I’m always pumped when he plays an actual normal human being. He’s magnificent in this film and his supporting cast, especially Macdissi and Lillies but also Steve Zahn, Margot Martindale, Stephen Root, and more, are all excellent as well. Uncle Frank handles its subject matter with equal parts realism and grace and includes one of the best scenes of the year which left me sobbing. Available on Amazon Prime.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Sascha Baron Cohen)
Summary: Aaron Sorkin’s look at the arrest and subsequent trial of seven protestors at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
One of the few on this list that I was anticipating all year long, ultimately Netflix gave us the chance to see this one and it did not disappoint. Sorkin seems like he was born to write this script and his patented, speedy dialogue serves is perfectly at home in this setting and with this dynamic cast. I’m not sure anyone from this cast will receive an Oscar nomination but if we used the Screen Actors Guild awards as a guide, this would get my vote for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Redmayne, Rylance, Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Jeremy Strong, and (in a surprise appearance) Michael Keaton are all exquisite and all do their part to bring along the story and highlight Sorkin’s script. Available on Netflix.
News of the World (Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel)
Summary: A Civil War veteran (Hanks) who makes his living by traveling town to town and reading newspapers to the people agrees to take a young girl (Zengel) who has been raised by the Kiowa people back to her relatives.
Definitely the Dad Movie of the Year, News was one of the last movies I saw from 2020 and I went back and forth as to whether it belonged in my top ten or not. It’s impossible not to enjoy Hanks Being Hanks and Paul Greengrass’ exquisite style works much better in the western genre than I might have expected coming in. The strength of the film, however, rests on the bond between Hanks and newcomer Zengel, whose portrayal of a young girl stuck between multiple worlds is magnificent. The events of News are relatively paint by numbers but for me, that didn’t take away from the emotional impact of the third act or the timely message imbedded in the narrative concerning the importance of truth. Available on VOD.
Promising Young Woman (Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Allison Brie)
Summary: A former med student (Mulligan) seeks revenge on the men who assaulted her best friend.
This is super duper not my kind of movie typically and I can’t say I’m looking forward to watching it again anytime soon. But I was very impressed by the style and pace of the movie and, maybe most importantly, I’ve thought about this movie a ton in the days since my viewing. It’s stuck with me in a way that few movies from 2020 have. The big selling point, however, is Mulligan who I confess I haven’t always been a huge of. I am now. I get it. She’s tremendous in Promising and if she holds the Oscar trophy this year, she deserves it. Without spoiling the movie, the one criticism I have on this one is that I felt the twist coming a long way off and I’m not usually someone who thinks ahead of the movie or picks up on that kind of thing easily (a nice way of saying I am dumb). But still, the final scene is perfect and I remain a huge fan of a movie that is way off brand for me. Available on VOD.