BEST and WORST 2020 Superlatives!

Welcome to my annual movie superlatives for 2020! Although I focus my reviewing skills more on my Letterboxd page nowadays than my blog, I have to at least compile my best-of lists at the end of the year! And what a crazy year it's been. Despite the fact that movie theaters were shut down for the majority of the year due to COVID, there were still a bunch of great movies released, mostly to streaming platforms, that deserve to be lauded.

But before I reveal my official top ten list of the year, I want to spotlight a number of movies that were the best of the best (or the worst) of 2020 in certain categories. Each category features a main winner, a runner-up, and five honorable mentions in order of best to next-best. I've also created a YouTube playlist for the music sections. So without further delay, here are my 2020 Movie Superlatives! 

BEST ACTOR - Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Riz Ahmed first came onto my radar in 2014 acting opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler (my #2 movie that year), and he was also magnificent in the HBO miniseries The Night Of as an innocent college student sent to prison. His career is only going up, and Sound of Metal is his first major breakout leading role. 

Here he plays punk-metal drummer Ruben Stone, who is starting to lose his hearing. Thinking his music career and life is over, Ruben's girlfriend convinces the ex-heroin addict to check into a farmhouse rehab for the deaf community. Ahmed's performance is wonderfully complex as Ruben navigates his new, unwanted situation that transforms who he is. It's an incredibly emotional and physical performance, and not to mention he took six months of drum lessons to prepare for the role. Easily one of the best of the year - hopefully he earns his first Oscar nomination!

Runner-Up: Hugh Jackman, Bad Education

Considering this year has been hyper-focused on the decision-making of superintendents with the opening/closing of schools in COVID times, Bad Education is an appropriate 2020 release. Hugh Jackman plays real life Long Island superintendent Frank Tassone, whose community reputation is destroyed after an embezzlement scheme is uncovered by a school newspaper reporter. Jackman is one of my favorite actors working today, and Bad Education may be his best role to date, playing a man who has so many contradictions about him.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods

2. Bill Murray, On the Rocks

3. Mads Mikkelsen, Another Round

4. David Thewlis, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

5. Russell Crowe, Unhinged

BEST ACTRESS - Elizabeth Moss, The Invisible Man

Elizabeth Moss's star power has slowly been rising since her breakout performance as Peggy on Mad Men, from starring as Offred in the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale to headlining well-regarded indie movies like Her Smell, but The Invisible Man is her first major, wide-released leading role, tipping her popularity into the conversation as a household-name mainstream actress.

In many ways, this particular horror story entirely depends on Moss's performance; since we have no slasher villain to see (since he's, well, invisible), she has to react believably to "nothing." She captures not only the life-or-death desperation needed in a horror movie, but also plays to the fear of not being taken seriously as a victim of abuse. It's a fantastic performance that likely won't be recognized at the Oscars because horror isn't a "respected" genre, but Moss has a talent for playing women in psychological duress, and is in my mind deserving of my "Best Actress" superlative this year!

Runner-Up: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

It's hard to believe while watching it, but Never Rarely Sometimes Always was Sidney Flanigan's first-ever experience with acting. The director of this intense drama about a teen crossing state lines to get an abortion randomly found Flanigan after meeting on the set of a documentary they were shooting at a party. However the chance encounter happened, it resulted in one of the most powerful, understated performances of the year!

Honorable Mentions:

1. Julia Garner, The Assistant

2. Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

3. Alison Brie, Horse Girl

4. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

5. Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey

BEST TRAILER - Antebellum

One thing that I hate about modern trailers is that they usually give away too much of the movie. If you know the entire three-act structure of a film going in, you're giving too much away! That's what I love about the trailer to Antebellum, it remains mysterious, giving almost nothing away while still being intriguing. The beginning of the trailer, clearly set on what looks like a slave plantation, is then put into question when we see an airplane flying overhead. The trailer does not then explain whatever high concept the film hangs on to explain the plane, instead, it lets you actually try to guess what the movie will be about. Few trailers are ballsy enough to do that, and although I have yet to see the movie, I'm very much looking forward to check it out!

Runner-Up: Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman was supposed to come out way back in April, but due to COVID it was delayed until just this week to be released. The wait was made all the more difficult because of this deliciously twisted trailer that dropped at the end of last year. Underscored with a violin cover of the Britney Spears anthem "Toxic", the trailer perfectly captures the darkly humorous tone of this revenge thriller.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Tenet

2. Mank

3. The Devil All the Time

4. The Invisible Man

5. Mulan

BEST MUSIC SCORE - Tenet, Ludwig Goransson

In a surprising turn, Christopher Nolan's latest was not scored by his frequent collaborator Hans Zimmer, instead it's the "new kid on the block," Ludwig Goransson. The thirty-something has pretty much been killing it lately; his score for Black Panther earned him an Oscar, and his work on Disney Plus's The Mandalorian earned my superlative in this category last year. Goransson definitely channels Zimmer's bombastic, frenetic energy for this mind-bending action film though. Mixing classic orchestral sounds with warped electronica drum beats, it's just an intense and exciting ride. 

Runner-Up: Soul, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross; Jon Batiste

Soul has to take at least the runner-up spot because it's essentially two scores in one! This latest Pixar film is split into two "worlds": real life and the spirit world. In the real life portions of the movie, jazz master Jon Batiste (best known as the bandleader for Stephen Colbert's The Late Show) scores the film - appropriate considering the lead character is a jazz musician. But when the movie transitions to the spirit world, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, best known for their work as part of the industrial metal outfit Nine Inch Nails, take the helm. The mix of genres and sounds helps accentuate the two universes, and only Pixar could get away with hiring the best of the best in two very different styles of music.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Enola Holmes, Daniel Pemberton

2. Bad Boys for Life, Lorne Balfe

3. Artemis Fowl, Patrick Doyle

4. Emma, Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer

5. Pinocchio, Dario Marianelli

BEST SONG - "Satisfied" from Hamilton

Ok, so this year Hamilton makes things strange for end-of-year movie lists, as it tows the line between a Broadway show and a film. It was filmed on 2016, so should it count on a list for 2020? Considering that the only way to have seen Hamilton on stage was either spending an arm and a leg or just getting very lucky, I'm marking it eligible since 2020 is the first time it was able to be widely seen. I'm also limiting it to only one song so this category isn't just all Hamilton songs! My favorite is "Satisfied," mostly because of Renée Elise Goldsberry's insanely fantastic performance of it, and also I love how it doubles back on the song before it from a new perspective.

Runner-Up: "Hell You Talmbout" from David Byrne's American Utopia

I'm bending the movie-stage play lines yet again for my runner-up. Talking Heads frontman David Byrne took his oddball self to Broadway a few years ago, and Spike Lee of all people captured a performance of it. Although you'd never necessarily think of Spike Lee in conjunction with the Talking Heads, one listen to this percussive BLM protest song and you'll immediately understand why Lee was involved. Byrne and his cult of shoeless suit-wearing performers basically just chant the names of black people killed unjustly, and it's a powerful moment in the film.

Honorable Mentions:

1. "Husavik (My Home Town)" from Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga

2. "Love Thy Neighbor" from The Prom

3. "The Plan" from Tenet

4. "I Get It" from Bad Hair

5. "Wuhan Flu Song" from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

MUSIC PLAYLIST (YOUTUBE)

BEST POSTER - Promising Young Woman

Poster designs feel like a dying art nowadays. But you look back at those old Hollywood movies, and so often posters would truly look like a work of art and not just an advertising promotion. That's why I love this poster for Promising Young Woman so much - it feels very old school, with those red lips looking straight out of Rocky Horror. It's a fantastic representation of the "femme fatale" lead character and how she uses the power of seduction to lead horrible men to their doom.

Runner-Up: Wonder Woman 1984

It's not often a superhero movie poster makes my "best of" list, but this poster for Wonder Woman 1984 will definitely make you take a pause. It's just so bold and colorful!

Honorable Mentions:

1. Da 5 Bloods

2. Mank

3. Gretel and Hansel
4. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run

5. Fantasy Island

BEST ACTION SCENE - One-take car chase, Extraction

What Extraction lacks in story it more than makes up for in its action. Directed by stuntman Sam Hargrave, the movie clearly has an affinity for practical, in-camera action. The fight choreography and set pieces here are amazing, but none stand out more than this single-take car chase scene. It's one of those jaw-dropping moments in movies this year - the camera basically does not cut away for 12 whole minutes during an intense battle, with the camera seamlessly transitioning from inside to outside the car, and much of it is not CGI. It's a complex, intricate sequence that uses all the tricks in an action director's handbook, including invisible cuts and highly planned out stuntwork.

Runner-Up: - Final Battle, Mulan

Although based on an animated Disney film and released on their family-centric streaming platform Disney Plus, Mulan is a shockingly violent movie! Depicting a number of battles in Ancient China, Mulan is a bona fide badass in this live-action remake. The multi-layered final battle involves swordplay, archery, wuxia-like physics (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), magic, and even using deadly pieces of cloth! 

Honorable Mentions:

1. Roller Skate Chase / Funhouse Beatdown, Birds of Prey

2. "Reverse" Car chase, Tenet

3. Diablo Fight, Monster Hunter

4. Bike chase, Bad Boys for Life

5. First "Resurrection" Fight, The Old Guard

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Łukasz Żal

Charlie Kaufman's latest mind-bender melds memory and reality in intriguing ways, as a couple questions their relationship on their way to meet family in Oklahoma. Their past memories and perspectives start filtering in and out of the dream-like main narrative, and it's all captured beautifully by Oscar-nominated Cold War cinematographer Łukasz Żal. I especially love the way snow is captured in the film. At first, the snow appears as a winter wonderland, but as the couple's relationship starts to disintegrate, the weather becomes much darker and blizzard-like. Every shot in this movie is stunning, like a fully-composed painting, and is why I believe it's deserving of this award!

Runner-Up: Possessor, Karim Hussein

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree: Brandon Cronenberg, the son of David Cronenberg - maestro of "body horror" films such as The Fly and Videodrome - released his latest thriller this year, and it totally captures that same sense of corporeal terror as his dad's best work. The film is about an assassin who "possesses" people's bodies using a new technology, and when their minds meld the cinematography goes nuts!

Honorable Mentions:

1. Gretel and Hansel, Galo Olivares (feature film debut!)
2. The Midnight Sky, Martin Ruhe

3. Tenet, Hoyte van Hoytema

4. Mulan, Mandy Walker

5. Pinocchio, Nicolaj Brüel


BEST COSTUME - Harley Quinn's Crazy Outfit from Birds of Prey

So many of the costumes in this movie could've made my list - Harley Quinn sure knows how to make a fashion statement! I ultimately went with this crazy getup complete with red suspenders and large, pompom-like sleeves because it totally represents Quinn's free spirit and is particularly bird-like.

Runner-Up: Badass Hats and Bonnets from Emma

1800s literature adaptations by default tend to have awesome costumes, but I really did appreciate all the detailed hats and period costumes in the Jane Austen adaptation Emma from earlier this year. 

Honorable Mentions

1. Ma's Sparkly Blue Dress from Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

2. Mulan's Warrior Outfit from Mulan

3. Grand Witch's Purple Snake Dress from The Witches

4. Beyonce's Leopard Cutsuit from Black is King

5. Revenge Doctor Costume from Promising Young Woman

BEST TV SERIES - Devs (FX)

Admittedly, I haven't caught up with as much TV as I would've liked this year for this superlative, but I can easily say that Devs was the best series I watched this year. Created, written, and directed by Ex Machina's Alex Garland, this FX sci-fi show is totally thought-provoking. The premise kicks off when a software engineer's boyfriend goes missing after starting a job at a mysterious new branch of his company called "Devs." To say more would be spoiler-y, but just know there are a number of twists and turns in store!

Runner-Up: Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Produced under the companies owned by J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country is a dramatic horror series that, similar to Watchmen from last year, takes a pulpy subject matter and uses it as a springboard to talk about larger issues regarding race in America. Taking place in the segregated 1950s, it has a ton of glorious period detail, political commentary, as well as disgusting Lovecraftian monsters - what's more to like?

Honorable Mentions:

1. Better Call Saul, Season 5 (AMC)
2. Tiger King (Netflix)

3. Ozark, Season 3 (Netflix)
4. How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Netflix)
5. Dead to Me, Season 2 (Netflix)

BEST STAND-UP SPECIAL - Sincerely, Louis CK

I am totally going to hell for this superlative. Louis CK's career basically went down the toilet in 2017 after it was made public that he abused his power as a famous comedian to ask women's permission to... pleasure himself... during private phone calls and meetings and such. So, the dude is in real life a grimy scumbag, and what he did was inexcusable. To lump him into the same category as a Bill Cosby, who drugged and raped women, is inaccurate - but he's still in that "supercreep" category of a Woody Allen. 

Either way, and it pains me to say this... but I didn't laugh harder at a comedy special this year. I had to rent it off of his website since no streaming service wants to work with him anymore, but the guy still has it. CK just has this uncanny ability to deliver hilarious lines that so precisely tap into the human experience. This superlative might piss some people off, but I have to be honest with what made me laugh the hardest!

Runner-Up: 8:46, Dave Chappelle

It seems like every year Dave Chappelle records a special he makes this superlative. However, 8:46 isn't necessarily a full "special," but it was a surprise performance uploaded to YouTube at the height of COVID and the BLM protests, and damn was this powerful. Lots of genuine rage in this one, but still witty and insightful.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Tim Heidecker: An Evening with Tim Heidecker

2. Fortune Feimster: Sweet and Salty

3. Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything

4. Marc Maron: End Times Fun
5. Tom Segura: Ball Hog

WORST MOVIE - Hubie Halloween

Adam Sandler infamously stated that if he was not nominated for an Oscar for his critically-lauded performance in Uncut Gems that he would create a film "so bad on purpose." Well, he didn't get a nomination, and now we have Hubie Halloween. He basically plays an autistic man who acts as a volunteer for the community. Similar to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, he's the object of ridicule from all around him until this unlikely hero saves his town from an outside threat (in this case, a werewolf), and winds up with the ridiculously more-attractive woman who pines after him for no real reason.

Sandler's performance here is insufferable. He mumbles throughout the whole film, and screams loudly any time he's scared by something. It was like torture watching this movie! Hubie Halloween is as bad as anything Sandler has made, and I even include Jack and Jill!

Runner-Up: Assassin 33AD

Assassin 33AD has a plot so ludicrous it has to be seen to be believed. This Christian direct-to-video film is about a group of Muslim extremists who hijack a time machine to go back in time to kill Jesus, proving that he is not the messiah. It's as crazy as it sounds, but worth watching with friends for a good unintentional laugh!

Dishonorable Mentions:

1. The Big Ugly

2. Artemis Fowl

3. Bloodshot

4. The Call of the Wild

5. Dolittle

Thanks for reading, guys! Stay tuned for my Top Ten of the Year list! And in the meantime, if you haven't, follow me on Letterboxd! I write reviews on there for nearly every movie I see, which is a ridiculous amount!