I wasn’t sure whether or not to do my year-end list for 2020 but, with things pushed back, I had a little more time and motivation to put it all together. Considering all the changes to theatrical releases, there wasn’t exactly a straight line between a finished film and its availability. I’m going to do my best, but things will be a little different this time.
Since the model for movie consumption has shifted to include streaming at home as part of the experience, it would be wrong to talk about the “Best Of 2020” without acknowledging streaming platforms as part of that space. So, here’s a look at the best straight-to-streaming films of 2020.
BEST OF NETFLIX
An under-rated and under-appreciated film from 2020, Spike Lee’s story of four American veterans who return to Vietnam to recover the remains of their fallen squad leader paints a vivid portrait of post-war PTSD and the unique perspective of Black soldiers of that era. The biggest knock on the film is that it’s kinda long and the pacing is pretty slow through the first two acts. However, the cast (especially Delroy Lindo) gave wonderfully nuanced performances that make it worth the investment of your time.
BEST OF HULU
It’s not the first time loop romantic comedy and it won’t be the last but Max Barbakow’s feature directorial debut is a remarkably well-balanced, modern take. Andy Sandberg’s comedy style isn’t known for its emotional or intellectual depth, but he gave a career-defining performance here. Andy Siara’s script helped bring those qualities to the surface while still embracing his comedic strengths. Cristin Milioti was an excellent dance partner and her portrayal brought just the right amount of gravity to keep things on the right wavelength. Looking back on 2020, I don’t know that I had more fun with any other film.
BEST OF AMAZON
It’s no surprise to see this at the top of the Amazon food chain since it’s nominated for Best Picture. The sound design is one of its most unique strengths but Darius Marder’s gritty, documentary-style approach to his feature debut made his lead character’s journey much more personal (which isn’t so surprising since his previous movie was the 2008 documentary Loot) and he is one of three first-time feature directors to have their film nominated for Best Picture this year. Riz Ahmed’s Best Actor nomination is absolutely deserved as he learned to play the drums and American sign language for his portrayal of a recovering addict and musician who suddenly loses his hearing and goes on an emotional roller coaster. Absolutely one of the year’s very best films.
BEST OF HBO
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This film was a standout at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2019 but wouldn’t “debut” until seven months later on HBO, about a month before Warner Media officially launched HBO Max into the streaming wars. Corey Finely is a very talented young filmmaker and his sophomore film is based on a true story and adapted from a Robert Kolker article in the New York Times. It follows the superintendent of Roslyn school district in New York as an embezzlement scandal rocks the community. We are treated to great performances from Allison Janney and Hugh Jackman, who gave one of the best performances of his career but isn’t eligible for the Academy Awards without a theatrical release. It did, however, win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding TV Movie.
BEST OF DISNEY+
One of the biggest knocks against Disney+ was its lack of original programming at launch. When 2020 changed the theatrical release schedule, Hamilton found a new home and new audience on the young streaming network. Beyond just being an incredible production with the original Broadway cast of the show, the movie opened a new door for how stage shows could be filmed and presented to a different audience. It also helped provide Disney+ with some original content while they were still building the foundation for their new platform.
Moving on, let’s get into some of my favorite categories.
WEIRDEST MOVIE
This face-melting piece of sci-fi horror definitely isn’t for everyone with its hyper-violent style. The haunting visuals are worthy of the Cronenberg name in a future where assassinations are carried out by a clandestine organization that uses mind-control technology. Beyond the hallucinogenic atmosphere, there’s some underlying subtext about work/life balance that’s worth paying attention to. Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott give stellar performances in one of the most original and one of my favorite offerings of the year.
*Runner-Up: After Midnight
MOST ORIGINAL MOVIE
While a film like Possessor certainly pushed the envelope in terms of presentation, mind-bending, dystopian science fiction is pretty well established. Lawrence Michael Levine’s film, about a filmmaker looking for inspiration at a secluded cabin she’s sharing with a couple whose relationship is a bit rocky, turns itself inside-out at the halfway point. The reinvention of the story and its characters sees a parallel story unfold with its own twists and turns, leaving the audience to wonder what exactly is real and whose perspective is leading the narrative. Christopher Abbott is great in this one as well, but it’s Aubrey Plaza’s brilliance that brings it all home in the end. When talking about the best, most creative movies of 2020, this shouldn’t be left out of the conversation.
BEST SEQUEL, PREQUEL, REBOOT OR REMAKE
To be honest, I was never the biggest fan of the original Borat and my expectations for the sequel were pretty low. However, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Knowing what to expect from Sacha Baron Cohen, I wasn’t sure the sequel really had anywhere to go from the first but the introduction of Borat’s daughter, Tutar, gave this movie a level of substance that I didn’t get from the first. Much of that comes from the relationship between Cohen and his breakout co-star Maria Bakalova. While a good amount of the runtime is still consumed by the prank-show style elements, there’s a real father-daughter relationship that develops. Beyond the ridiculous costumes and pranks, there’s a real story guiding the way and it makes everything work better.
BEST SOUNDTRACK
The first two-time winner on this year’s list, Da 5 Bloods features tracks from Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, The Spinners, The Chambers Brother, and Freda Payne to accompany Terrence Blanchard’s original score.
*Runner-Up: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
MUST-SEE DOCUMENTARY
2020 was packed with a number of quality documentaries, but none were are delicate and mesmerizing as this one. As Craig Foster struggles with inspiration in his life he takes to the ocean and begins to observe and eventually befriend a local octopus. As their bond grows, Foster finds a connection to the ocean and the planet in a way he didn’t know was possible. In a year where there was so much disconnection, this is the kind of movie that can help renew some of the connections that we thought were lost.
In an effort to use this list as a place to elevate the films I have an affinity for rather than taking unnecessary shots at a movie that didn’t work for me, I’ve decided not to continue with the categories “Worst Movie” and “Most Disappointing”.
Moving on the Breakout awards:
BREAKOUT PERFORMERS
From an almost feral, monkey-eating child stowaway, to a polished TV personality, whether or not Maria Bakalova takes home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, there’s no question that she was essential to the success of her film.
Stepping into the role of Malcolm X is never an easy one to take on, but Kingsley Ben-Adir did so with remarkable poise and passion. Part of a fantastic ensemble cast where he’s not the “lead” role, his performance was a crucial piece when it came to setting the tone for the film.
There were a number of strong directorial debuts in 2020, evidenced by three of those films getting nominated for Best Picture. While those filmmakers are worthy of their recognition, I’m going to highlight some other first-time directors who had breakout debuts.
BREAKOUT DIRECTORS
Rhada Blank was a one-woman army, writing, directing, producing, and starring in her directorial debut about a playwright who’s desperately looking to accelerate her career before she turns 40. Shot on 35mm black-and-white, it reflects the avant-garde nature of the project, mixing hip hop, theatre, and comedy.
Carlo Mirabella-Davis also wrote the screenplay for his directorial debut that follows a young woman whose only escape from her tightly controlled domestic life comes in the way of eating foreign objects. The film is highlighted by its wonderful visual style and its complex portrayal of multi-layered pain. Haley Bennett also gave a great lead performance that embodied the emotional depth of the script.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
When Ben Affleck signed on to be Batman in 2016 for the DCEU, the decision was met with a lot of resistance. Nonetheless, his star power was still sizable and he was actually pretty good in the role. Over the next few years, his solo Batman film dissolved and his problems with alcoholism became very public. Like any good artist, the two-time Oscar winner drew on his personal experience to exorcise some of those demons on screen in The Way Back where he plays an alcoholic who fins his road to redemption coaching high school basketball. It’s not the most original movie, but it plays to its strengths well and Affleck is at the center of that.
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
I know that Leslie Odom Jr. was nominated for his supporting role but, in reality, I can’t point to any of the roles in One Night in Miami… and say “that’s the lead”. All of these men shared that responsibility and all of them stepped into some monumental shoes of Black American icons. The film is so dependent on the chemistry between the group, if any of the performances were poor, it would have affected everything else. That wasn’t the case. All these actors are fantastic, and they did it with a lot of pressure on their portrayals.
*Runner-Up: Trial of the Chicago 7 cast
PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR
Anya Taylor-Joy has been stringing together strong performances for a while now but broke through as a household withThe Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, but she had a big year in film as well starring as the lead in Emma, being the best part of the much-maligned New Mutants and filming Here Are the Boys.
*Honorable Mention: Aubrey Plaza
If 2020 weren’t bad enough, the world lost a special person in Chadwick Boseman. He not only starred in two high-profile projects from prominent Black filmmakers but gave two emotionally layered and complex performances while battling cancer, earning a Best Actor nomination for his role as Levee, the brash trumpeter, in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He is sorely missed, not just in the industry but around the world.
Moving on to the primary awards categories, it appears the Oscars finally followed my lead and combined Sound Mixing and Sound Editing into one award for Best Sound.
BEST USE OF SOUND
This one seems like a no-brainer as the sound is so inseparably woven into the narrative of the story, making Sound of Metal the second to show up on this list twice. The stylistic choice to put the audience in the same auditory space as the film’s lead character paid dividends both in how the story was told and how it was received. These awards often go to war epics that require a lot of mixing and editing, but it’s nice to see a film like this use the sound design to tell a more human story.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
The multi-talented Leslie Odom Jr. had a massive year (first with Hamilton) earning an Oscar nod for his role as Sam Cooke in the film adaptation of One Night in Miami… Along with singing in the film, he also recorded a beautiful original song for the soundtrack.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Hans Zimmer is Christopher Nolan’s usual go-to guy, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson doing your original music. The score for Tenet is intense, fast-paced and, synthy in all the right ways. Beyond it serving as a sonic anxiety attack, Göransson’s score really carries the film through its convoluted plot and presentation.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Emma didn’t live up to my expectations but Alexandra Byrne’s costumes were on point. Period pieces that mine the 1800s usually have a strong emphasis on wardrobes and considering garments from that era don’t exactly come of the rack in the 21st century, it’s almost always a gold mine of creativity for costume designers.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mank didn’t really live up to my expectations either, but there’s no questioning the amount of thoughtfulness and craftsmanship that went into rebuilding small pieces of old Hollywood. From the cars to the old sets, Donald Graham Burt did a marvelous job bringing it all to life.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
From one Netflix original to another, The Midnight Sky was pretty widely panned by critics and audiences but it’s easy to recognize its approach to its VFX design. The $100-million budget clearly showed a level of dedication to the idea from the studio and, aside from the power visual elements, the use of the effects are central to the function of the story.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
I’m not in love with this movie like so many people are, but there’s no denying its cinematic beauty. Joshua James Richards captured natural lighting to stunning effect and mixed in intimate close-ups with sweeping wide shots of some gorgeous natural landscapes. It’s easily at the top of the heap when it comes to the most beautiful films of the year.
We’re in the home stretch now, tackling the most prestigious honors of awards season.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
There were a lot of strong animated films this year, but not seemed to have the reach or the emotional impact of Disney-Pixar’s Soul. When a music teacher suddenly dies on his was to a breakthrough as a professional musician, his soul must navigate the afterlife and discover what it means to really live. It’s a life affirming and uplifting story that works as a metaphor for a broader human experience.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Another Round is nominated for Best Picture and Thomas Vinterberg is also nominated for Best Director, so it’s tough to imagine a scenario where this movie isn’t the Best International Feature. While the attitude towards alcoholism may be a bit cavalier, the movie explores friendships, love, and life through the lens of an empty glass. Mads Mikkelsen is also a captivating and charismatic lead, in case you need any more reason to get on board.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
One Night in Miami…makes its second appearance on this list and so does writer Kemp Powers. I get the feeling Nomadland is going to take home the Oscar, but Regina King’s directorial debut is an underrated piece of cinema and one of my favorite films of 2020. I was skeptical at first but I found myself mesmerized, not only by the performances but by the style, the direction, and the boldness of the dialogue.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Original Screenplay is always one of the most prestigious and hotly contested categories every year. Emerald Fennell’s film is certainly near the very top in terms of most original and it was a very risky story to tell. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and my favorite thing about it was Fennell’s ability to effectively blend established styles so smoothly. Like we’ve seen with Quentin Tarantino’s bold and stylistic takes, Best Picture and Best Director tend to be a bit out of reach but Original Screenplay isn’t.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Always a bridesmaid, never the bride. Glenn Close has been nominated for an Oscar eight times without ever winning. She should have won over Olivia Colman in 2019 for her role in The Wife, but that movie just didn’t have a big enough visibility. With Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix, it’s nearly impossible to overlook her performance this time around. She’s going to get a stiff challenge from Yuh-Jung Youn who was brilliant in Minari but this is the opportunity to get Close a long-overdue Academy Award.
*Runner-Up: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
How Delroy Lindo didn’t even make the list of Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor is baffling and goes to show how out of touch the Academy can be. Spike Lee’s Vietnam film was overlooked by the Academy even though I found it to be one of the better films of the year, and if you’re looking for a reason to watch it, Lindo’s incredible performance (as the PTSD and guilt riddled, MAGA-hat wearing, Vietnam war vet who’s stuck confronting his demons and his absentee fatherhood) is that reason.
*Runner-Up: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
BEST ACTRESS
It’s rare to have a performer be so captivating in both their strengths and their weaknesses and even rarer when it comes to only their second feature and their first lead. However, that is the case with Andra Day in her role as the legendary Billie Holiday. Talk about having big shoes to fill. Beyond capturing the pain of addiction and trauma, Day sang all the songs herself and put herself through quite a lot to get Holiday’s distinct style. Already capturing the Golden Globe for her performance, Day I could have easily given Day the “Breakout Award” as well.
BEST ACTOR
It’s basically a foregone conclusion that the Oscar for Best Actor will posthumously be awarded to the late Chadwick Boseman and I really don’t have a problem with Boseman being honored by the Academy. However, the best lead performance I saw this year belongs to Riz Ahmed for his portrayal of Ruben, a drummer who has sudden hearing loss, in Sound of Metal. Ahmed plays both sides of the emotional spectrum with great effectiveness and watching him go from despair and desperation to eventual acceptance is a powerful journey. He also learned American sign language and the drums for the role, in case you were wondering.
*Runner-Up: Anthony Hopkins, The Father
BEST DIRECTOR
This feels like another one that’s already in the bag at the Oscars. I’m always a fan of the less in more approach and there’s no doubt that Chloe Zhao maxed out the strength of her film. Her ability to draw out the potential in her projects with a relatively small budget, a documentary style, and a bunch of untrained actors is quite exceptional. She clearly has a great eye for cinema and an approach to filmmaking that serves both her and her cast well. Best Director is well-deserved even though I don’t see Nomadland as Best Picture.
BEST PICTURE
For my money, there was no film that had more well-rounded cinematic experience than Judas and the Black Messiah. Writing, directing, acting, cinematography, style, timeliness, relevance, history, and entertainment value, Shaka King’s film excels in all areas of filmmaking. Well-roundedness isn’t always the determining factor in these decisions, but this one has the foundation and the substance to give it staying power and it’s the best movie I saw from 2020.
If you made it this far, thanks for hangin’ in there with me!