2020 has almost come to an end. It's been a crap-tastic year for sure, with COVID making a ruckus and all the political unrest and whatnot. But with all that quaran-time on my hands, I did manage to see a bunch of fantastic movies despite theaters being closed for the majority of the year. I whittled down my top ten of the year based on the following subjective criteria: how likely I'd be to recommend it, how strong of an emotional reaction it gave me, and how it well it captures that 'X' factor in the cultural zeitgeist right now.
10. Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm
Directed By: Jason Woliner
Written By: Sacha Baron Cohen, et al.
I had to put Borat 2 on the list, because no other film this year made me laugh as much, or made so many headlines! Yes, the scene in which Maria Bakalova, playing Borat's daughter, interviews Rudy Guliani leading to an awkward hands-down-pants encounter in a hotel room, is one for the history books! But that alone isn't what makes this a "top ten" film - it also hilariously exposes the problems in our country in that special way only Sacha Baron Cohen can do.
Cohen puts his life on the line for his comedy - like in the scene where he performs a "Wuhan Flu" song at a conservative rally and he almost literally gets attacked, or stays in character for days and days while living with a couple of old gents deep into QAnon conspiracy theories. Few comedians have that mix of societal insights and balls of steel as Cohen, and I'm so happy that he's able to constantly push the boundaries!
9. The Assistant
Directed By: Kitty Green
Written By: Kitty Green
Thinly veiled as a movie about a Harvey Weinstein-esque movie producer, The Assistant is a minimalistic workplace drama following an assistant, Jane (Ozark's Julia Garner), who works under the abusive rule of a major entertainment mogul. It's definitely a movie for the #MeToo generation, but it's not preachy or cloying, it's a very matter-of-fact, realistic portrayal of a toxic work environment.
I love how this film highlights the mundane routine Jane goes through, and doesn't take the "obvious" route of how to handle a story like this. Unlike, say, Bombshell from last year, we don't see things from the perspective of either the abuse victim or the scumbag producer, but from the worker bee just trying to make their "dream" job come true in the background, only to slowly become aware of how problematic her workplace is.
8. Class Action Park
Directed By: Seth Porges & Chris Charles Scott III
This HBO Max documentary is about Action Park, a New Jersey amusement park that earned a reputation in the late 70s and 80s as being one of the most dangerous in the country. The stories told in this tell-all are pretty insane - kids would basically act as "testers" before the rides were deemed safe and they'd sustain serious wounds, and throughout its life, Action Park would garner a number of lawsuits, injuries, and even deaths.
It's crazy to think this place was even allowed to operate - just think of the angry mom Tweets if this was opened today! - but in a weird way Action Park perfectly encapsulates the carefree attitudes of the 80s. I was surprised to hear even my dad visited the park growing up - it was an era where kids weren't as helicoptered as they are now, and could ride their bikes all day as long as they were back for supper. This doc is about this unbelievable park, the mentality of yesteryear, and Eugene Mulvihill, the insane, capitalistic "inventor" who made it all possible.
7. Onward
Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Written By: Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin & Jason Headley
Onward holds a special place in my mind since it was the last movie I saw in theaters in March before they were shut down for most of the spring and summer. In my head I honestly thought, if this is the last movie I ever see in a movie theater, at least I went out with a great one!
Onward tells the story of two elf brothers who go on a quest to try and spend one last day with their dead father (it's Disney, of course there's a dead parent involved!). Typically I'm not huge into the fantasy genre, but Pixar brings this world so beautifully to life with tons of hilarious and imaginative background details. It's one of the only movies to make me cry this year, and although it follows a somewhat predictable formula, it's a totally heart-warming adventure. This is the 2020 Pixar movie that the entire family can enjoy (more on that later!).
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Directed By: Eliza Hittman
Written By: Eliza Hittman
Similar to The Assistant, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a powerful indie movie with a female writer-director at the helm (you go girls!). This one is about a young girl's trip across state lines to New York with her cousin in an effort to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
Led by a quiet but honest performance by Sidney Flanigan (her first-ever time acting!), Never Rarely... provides an intimate look at the lack of health services some women have to deal with, and how society is stacked against girls like this. It takes a sensitive subject and explores it subtlety and nonjudgmentally. Also, New York is generally a scary place and Hittman really captures that vulnerable feeling of being stuck in a big city.
5. Soul
Directed By: Pete Docter
Written By: Pete Docter, Mike Jones & Kemp Powers
Out of all the directors in the Pixar braintrust, Pete Docter is definitely one of the best and most ambitious. With Up he made an animated film about a grieving elderly man somehow work for all ages, and with Inside Out he managed to convey abstract ideas like emotions into fun, colorful characters. Soul basically takes the ballsy elements of both of those films and develops them even further - making a "kids" movie about jazz music, a man suffering a midlife crisis, and conceptualizing an intangible "spirit" world that breaks people down into their essential selves. You won't see this in a Minions movie, that's for sure!
OK - so maybe Soul movie isn't ideal for kids. Although it's cute and gorgeously animated with soothing colors, unlike Inside Out I don't think little ones are going to "get" this movie. But for those adults like me who have spent their lives watching Pixar movies, this one is for us.
4. Bad Education
Directed By: Cory Finley
Written By: Mike Makowsky
Since I've become a high school teacher, I now watch movies about the world of education in a new light. I find myself either nodding in agreement or being like 'pfft, that'd never happen!' So with Bad Education, the true story of a Long Island superintendent involved in an embezzling scheme, my "teacher sense" perked up with interest!
Hugh Jackman plays Frank Tassone, the well-regarded superintendent of schools in a nice Long Island community who, along with his assistant, takes advantage of the district's funds and devises a massive cover-up after it gets out. This is a movie about corruption, greed, and also the power of the press. In fact, it's a student newspaper reporter who uncovers the scheme and slowly unravels Frank's world. Frank is another "Greatest Showman" performance from Jackman, who's never been better, using his charm to exploit the people around him for his own self-interest. Bad Education is both a ton of fun and an alarming reminder that corruption can be found everywhere, even in our schools.
3. The Invisible Man
Directed By: Leigh Whannell
Written By: Leigh Whannell
Starting out as a writer on the first three Saw films and the Insidious franchise, Leigh Whannell's directorial talents really came onto my radar with his 2018 film Upgrade (which made my honorable mentions list that year). The 43-year old Australian just has a knack for making quality horror and genre films, and The Invisible Man definitely set a new bar in mainstream horror.
Especially after Universal's failed attempt at creating a "Dark Universe" with their Tom Cruise Mummy project, Whannell smartly dials back the action in this latest remake of H.G. Wells' story. The invisible man in question this time is no longer the main character, but a woman being gaslit by her abusive husband after his apparent suicide. He continues to stalk her wearing an invisible suit, and the film is like a Universal Monsters take on Sleeping with the Enemy. Elizabeth Moss does a fantastic job acting against "nothing" in the film, and focusing on subtle scares rather than bombastic action set pieces is definitely the proper direction to head for this series. With Whannell set to work on a modern update of The Wolf Man soon with Ryan Gosling, I'm glad to see the original gangsters of monsterdom are in good hands now.
2. Sound of Metal
Directed By: Darius Marder
Written By: Darius Marder & Abraham Marder
Unless you're Beethoven, being deaf and a musician is probably not going to work out. That's why it's earth-shattering news to metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed), when he begins losing his hearing. His life and identity is tied up in his music - as well as his outlet for rehabilitation being previously addicted to heroin. His girlfriend then enlists him in a sober house for the deaf, and we see Ruben's life transform.
Sound of Metal is grounded by a riveting lead performance by Riz Ahmed, who's filled with all sorts of complex emotions throughout the film. Not to mention Ahmed trained on the drums for six months to authentically look like a metal drummer! This film also does a great job putting you in Ruben's shoes with Oscar-worthy sound design emulating his gradual hearing loss. A fascinating look at human adaptability and deaf culture, Sound of Metal is a powerful film well worth seeing even if you hate metal music (there's not much of it in the movie, so no worries if that's not your thing!).
1. Hamilton
Directed By: Thomas Kail
Written By: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Do I even need to say anything here? Thanks to Disney Plus, I was able to finally see what the big deal about Hamilton was. And yes, I get it now, it's a magnificent musical. It's probably the closest thing to Shakespeare we can get in the modern day: Lin-Manuel Miranda takes a historical story and passes it through a completely new lens, mixing hip-hop with Broadway in an exhilarating stage show that makes learning about history FUN.
The songs are so packed with witty word play, the music is so catchy and energetic, the costumes and staging are so beautiful, and the fact that it was filmed means that you get an experience that's "better" than the best seat in the house. No matter how many hundreds of dollars you dropped on front-row Hamilton tickets, you won't be able to get a "close up" without leaving your seat (and have you really lived until you've seen Jonathan Groff's spittle while singing as King George III?).
Hamilton is a game-changing musical and cements all of its performers as major talents to watch. In a time period where concerts and plays were universally cancelled due to the damn coronavirus, this "movie" was a welcome respite from quarantine - a poignant reminder of the power of theater and live performance at a time when we were all separated by Zoom screens.
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order):
BOYS STATE - Dir. Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
This documentary follows a thousand teenage boys in Texas as they participate in a mock government summer camp. With a scholarship on the line for the winning "candidates," the proceedings eerily reflect many of the issues we've seen in our actual government.
FREAKY - Dir. Christopher Landon
This horror remake of Freaky Friday, featuring a serial killer Vince Vaughn swapping bodies with a high school girl, is a ton of fun. Think Friday the 13th meets The Hot Chick.
GRETEL AND HANSEL - Dir. Oz Perkins
Beautifully shot, totally creepy re-telling of the classic fairy tale.
THE HUNT - Dir. Craig Zobel
Basically The Most Dangerous Game, only the "game" are republicans rounded up by elitist liberals. At first banned from theaters, this intense, thought-provoking exploitation flick was written by Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen).
MY DARLING VIVIAN - Dir. Matt Riddlehoover
You'll never look at Johnny Cash (or the biopic Walk the Line) the same way again after learning how he treated his first wife in this eye-opening documentary!
PLANET OF THE HUMANS - Dir. Jeff Gibbs
This controversial doc was released by producer Michael Moore for free on YouTube. It exposes how a lot of seemingly "green" initiatives are actually misleading the public.
POSSESSOR - Dir. Brandon Cronenberg
David Cronenberg's son carries his dad's body horror torch into a new generation. A messed-up, trippy, violent body-swap movie that horror fans must see!
PROMSING YOUNG WOMAN - Dir. Emerald Fennell
Carey Mulligan isn't taking anyone's shit in this darkly comic revenge drama. Filled with pop music and douchebags getting played by a femme fatale - it's never boring!
TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 - Dir. Aaron Sorkin
Can't believe I'd never heard of this true story, and it's brought to life with Aaron Sorkin's electric dialogue. This Netflix courtroom drama may take place in the 60s, but it's all too relevant today.
TOP TEN 2020 - STATS AND COINCIDENCES
- Nine films that premiered wide on streaming services:
- Borat 2 and Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)
- Class Action Park and Bad Education (HBO)
- Soul and Hamilton (Disney Plus)
- Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
- Boys State (Apple TV+)
- Planet of the Humans (YouTube)
- Two Pixar films on my Top Ten (Onward, Soul)
- Third time a Pete Docter film has been on my Top Ten list (Up, Inside Out, Soul)
- Three films with a "body swap" premise (Soul, Freaky, Possessor)
- Two films starring Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat 2, Trial of the Chicago 7)
- Three movies I watched in a theater wearing a face mask (Freaky, Possessor, Promising Young Woman)
- Three movies featuring musician characters (Soul, Sound of Metal, My Darling Vivian)
- Four movies featuring a violent blonde woman in a lead role (Freaky, The Hunt, Possessor, Promising Young Woman)
Movies I missed this year: Ammonite, Beanpole, Black Bear, Charm City Kings, The Devil All the Time, The Forty Year Old Version, Greyhound, Host, Kajillionaire, The King of Staten Island, Minari, The Nest, Nine Days, Nomadland, One Night in Miami, Rebecca, Relic, Saint Maud, Small Axe (all episodes), Swallow, Tigertail, Wolfwalkers, and probably a bunch of others I don't know about!
As always, thank you so much for reading! I really hope theaters survive COVID and things get more back to normal in 2021 as the vaccine makes the rounds. But either way, I look forward to all the amazing movies I'll get to watch next year, and you know I'll be back here writing about them!
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