2020 was a year like no other for movies. Many theatres were closed for much of the year and many releases were pushed to the future hoping for cinemas to reopen. Other films experimented with different methods of release, as we moved more and more towards streaming being the dominant means of consuming film, a trend that had begun long before any pandemic made it necessary. Through all the different ways of watching movies in 2020 I saw as many films than I had in any other recent year. And despite so many films being delayed, so many more were able to find new audiences they may not have found otherwise so in the end it was a very strong year for film. In alphabetical (not preferential) order, here are the ten films I loved the most, plus, at the end, my favourite of them all.
This comic
book movie was a game changer for the superhero genre which is currently
dominating the blockbuster circuit. Told very consciously with a female gaze
and exploring themes of liberating women from abusive relationships, this
ensemble pic was one of the most entertaining adventures of the year and taught
us the action movie could be done differently. It was bold and audacious while
also being damn enjoyable. As it came out early in the year, and due to the pandemic was quickly released for home viewing, this is probably the film I've seen the most this year and I never tire of watching it.
The Boys in the Band
Joe Mantello’s film adaptation of the 1968 seminal play is as rich and powerful as the play was in its day. Filmed with an all queer cast, the film tackles gay men’s self loathing and struggles with connection. It’s pre-Stonewall setting somehow speaks to our post-sexual revolution world in unexpected ways. The entire cast is strong with a few standouts. It is a challenging film for many queer men in that it isn’t the affirming pat on the back so many of us want in our gay cinema but perhaps it is the mirror held up to our faces that we need. Still in all the pain of this film, there are small moments of hope and beauty, which reminded me how being queer truly is the blessing it can be when we embrace ourselves and each other.
Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee keeps getting better with age, and his exploration of his nation’s past with war, colonialism, and racism is both personal and national. His tale explores both the individual formative past of 5 men but also the USA’s sins of living memory through an adventure story which is both entertaining and moving. His cast, especially Delroy Lindo in what should be an award winning role, is on top of their game.
The Invisible Man
After years of trying to reboot their Monster Movies, Universal finally struck gold with this perfect analogy for abuse, controlling relationships, and gas lighting. Truly scary and fascinatingly prescient, The Invisible Man is the quintessential merger of mainstream popcorn entertainment and layered cinema. It also speaks to the history of this specific franchise which introduced audiences to the use of “monsters” to tell the stories of the marginalized almost 100 years ago.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
This film is a snap shot of a moment, which is itself a snapshot of a period in time, which in itself is a snapshot of a nation that continues to this day. August Wilson’s play filmed with the loving eye of director Wolfe captures so much in the moments it narrates. It gives Boseman a chance to show us just what a talent he was and Davis a chance to continue to be one of the best working actors alive. It is filled with incredible music, poignant performances, and a glimpse into who we are and how far we still have to go.
Emerald Fennell has crafted a true gut punch of a movie that is complicated and doesn’t flinch as it stares us right in the face. Nothing you see this year will hit you like this will. And Mulligan, who is always fantastic, may have given her strongest performance yet. I kept worrying it was going to soften, give up at some point, but it never lost its way. Instead it lead us down the garden path and ripped the rug out from underneath us. Promising Young Woman is a bitter pill but it just might be the medicine we need.
I love animation and Pixar has been one of the studios which has produced many of my favourite films, but in the past decade, with their focus on sequels to their big hits, I’ve felt less of a connection to their work. But 2020 was the year they came roaring back into my heart, first with the touching, nerdy Onward, and then with Soul, a gorgeous rumination on the meaning of life itself rendered in glorious jazz. A pure joy to enjoy.
This was the film that was supposed to save cinemas, not only from a pandemic but from the changing ways we consume film. It didn’t do that, but it certainly reminded us what makes seeing films on the big screen so powerful, what makes cinemas an experience like no other. It is not the same as watching it at home no matter how big your screen is. Tenet is more than just a puzzle, although as a puzzle it is a truly wonderful one. Tenet is top quality spy film that revolutionizes the genre, and blockbusters in general. It is smart, offering you rich experiences with each rewatch, and rewarding you with so much to ruminate on, discuss, and be inspired by.
This haunting homage to 50s sci fi films, explores the genre’s tropes (such as paranoia and xenophobia) while delivering a chilling, emotional ride. It is quietly powerful, focusing on the exchanges of personal stories, playing out like a radio play, but with haunting visuals to illuminate its bed time story. Original and classic at once, it is surprisingly effective in the way it inspires.
I saw my favourite film early in 2020 and it stuck with me through multiple viewings, each time giving me more and more, its impact becoming greater with each rewatch. My favourite film of 2020 was…
Red Snow
The story of a Gwich’in Canadian soldier taken hostage in Afghanistan manages to be so many things, a love story, a political drama, a war adventure, a deconstruction of colonialism, a critique of religious extremism, and generally the most moving film of the year. It is both cinematically spectacular and narratively gripping. I physically respond to this film each time I watch it. It was the last film I saw in a movie theatre before the pandemic closed cinemas and it reminded me of just why I go to movies in the first place.
Honorary mentions:
As usual 11 films just doesn’t add up to all the wonderful films of the year. Here’s my list of further recommendations for films from 2020 which stole my heart in one way or another:
Abe, The
Assistant, Blow the Man Down, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Enola Holmes, First
Cow, The 40 Year Old Version, His House, Let Him Go, Mignonnes, Never Really Sometimes
Always, Nomadland, One Night in Miami, Onward, Out, The Outpost, The Personal History of David Copperfield, The
Photograph, Pieces of a Woman, Possessor, Sound of Metal, Tigertail, The Trial of the Chicago 7,
The True Story of the Kelly Gang, Wolfwalkers, Wonder Woman 1984, Your Name
Engraved Here
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