Conventional wisdom called 2020 a doomed year for movies but if this year proved nothing else it’s that the art of cinema is alive and well. Despite the unprecedented closure of theaters over concerns of the spread of the novel coronavirus, studios and distributors still found a way to make sure that movie fans had plenty of greatness to enjoy even while stuck at home. While there’s no doubt that the year might have been even better with a more aggressive stance towards untraditional release strategies, the fact that we got as much greatness as we did is a testament to how the movie industry can continue to evolve even in times that are just so uncertain. Thanks in part to streaming services stepping up their games over the last year, 2020 still managed to be a fantastic year for lovers of film and offered plenty of wonderful stories and narratives for us to enjoy. Now as we move into a hopefully much, much better 2021, we take a look back at some of the best films that helped us get through this tire fire of a year.
Another Round
What begins as four middle-aged friends testing a theory about alcohol quickly becomes a stark and poignant examination of a life live too far in excess and the perils of complacency. Director Thomas Vinterberg, reteaming with actor Mads Mikkelsen, crafts a tale that is in turns delightfully amusing and poetically stark. It takes a lot of work and talent to balance humor and drama in such a delicate way, but Vinterberg managed it to create one of the year’s most remarkable works of cinema. Another Round is an absolute gem of a film that deserves all the accolades it has already amassed and all the accolades it is sure to get in the coming months.
Beastie Boys Story
Serving both as a coda for the storied career of the Beastie Boys and a companion to their 2018 book, Beastie Boys Book, Beastie Boys Story is a moving and loving ode to their career, presented by surviving Beasties Ad-rock and Mike D. Directed by longtime collaborator Spike Jonze, Beastie Boys Story allows the Beasties to take control of their own narrative and give us a first-hand account of their rise to fame and ascension to the pinnacle of rap superstardom. It’s also as close to a reunion as we’re likely to ever get, with both Ad-rock and Mike D. seemingly unwilling to continue the legacy without their beloved stalwart, MCA, who died in 2012. Loving, hilarious, intimate, and poignant, Beastie Boys Story is the perfect capstone to the decades long, groundbreaking careers of these hip hop icons told as only they could tell it.
Bill and Ted Face the Music
Did Bill and Ted Face the Music do anything in particular to push forward the cinematic medium in any meaningful way? No. Is it an example of the best that cinema can offer? Also no. Point in fact, in any other year this movie, coming about 30 years after the second Bill and Ted movie, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, probably would have been little more than a blip on my radar. But in 2020, a year when we so desperately needed distraction and joy, Bill and Ted Face the Music came through in a big, big way. The delightfully idiotic antics of rock’s perennial losers/time travelers hit hard in 2020, reminding us how often life simply does not go how one planned. In the face of certain defeat and the tribulations of middle age—indeed, of all life’s stages—the only choice one ever has is to push forward and keep trying your best. And it also reminds us that sometimes the only job a movie has to do is to be fun as all hell. Stupid? Absolutely. Glorious? Also absolutely.
The Invisible Man
After the abject failure that was Universal’s attempt to launch a shared universe with their iconic monsters, the studio rightly turned to Blumhouse to help inject new life into their classic characters. With Jason Blum as producer and Leigh Whannell as writer/director, a formula was finally found. Taking the original conceit and turning it into an allegory of spousal abuse, The Invisible Man was a taut and terrifying look at the realities faced by so many in today’s world. Backed by a stellar performance from Elizabeth Moss, as well as heart stopping turns from a supporting cast that includes Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Aldis Hodge, The Invisible Man was horror as horror should be, and a stunning reminder that the genre need not be just about blood and guts.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Chadwick Boseman’s death last August at the age of 43 took the world by surprise; the actor had been secretly suffering from colon cancer for much of his career, silently going about his job as best as he could. While that was always great—no man could ever hope to replace him as Black Panther in the MCU—his final performance proves beyond any shadow of a doubt what an amazing talent we lost. Based on a play from August Wilson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is yet another nail in the coffin of the argument that Netflix and other streaming services couldn’t ever hope to reach the cinematic heights of traditionally released films. Filled with poignance and raw emotion, it’s relevance sings across decades and generations, and ensures that Boseman will forever be remembered as one of this generation’s most powerful and complex performers.
The Painter and the Thief
One of the most fascinating documentaries about the transformative power of art ever made, The Painter and the Thief is a surprisingly emotional look at the bond between an artist and a man who once stole of her works. The bond forged between the film’s subjects shows us both the power of forgiveness and the power of mutual understanding as the titular painter and thief create a lasting friendship over their bizarre connection. Filled with mystery and genuine emotion, The Painter and the Thief is a story that will stick with you long after the film has ended.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Poor, poor Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Originally set for release in 2019, and put up for awards contention in that year, Neon, perhaps sensing that Celine Sciamma’s romantic tale might be the only thing that could have given Parasite, also distributed by Neon, a run for its award money, pushed release of this film back to early this year. And then came COVID-19. Just as the film was picking up the steam of word of mouth, theaters closed, erasing any momentum the film might have had. Fortunately for all lovers of cinema, Neon’s deal with Hulu means that Portrait of a Lady on Fire is readily available for all who want to watch it. While its complicated/botched release means it will never be eligible for the Oscar consideration it deserves, anyone who loves movies will quickly fall under the spell of this tragic love story.
Sound of Metal
While I’m notoriously reluctant to assign rankings to my annual favorites list, were my arm to be twisted I would probably slot this at number one. Telling the raw story of a metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who finds himself suddenly going deaf, Sound of Metal is a shocking and moving portrait of a man discovering not only what’s important to him but why it’s important. Ahmed’s performance is the stuff upon which careers are built and catapults him to the next level of his craft. Featuring a wonderfully moving script and some of the best sound design I’ve ever seen in a movie, Sound of Metal is a transcendent work of cinema that reminds us that film can be an important medium even if it’s distributed through streaming services.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
It seems like fate that this film should be released in this year. While writer/director Aaron Sorkin has been trying to get this film off the ground for years, various obstacles and development hell hindered him until Netflix gave him the go ahead. Following the riots at the DNC convention in 1968 and the trial of so-called agitators in 1970, the parallels between 2020 and the events of this film could not be clearer. Sorkin, directing his biggest and most complex film to date, manages to hold it all together and deliver us a slice of history that reminds us how little things have changed and how the fight for progress is ever ongoing. Add to that an all star cast that seems certain for Oscar consideration, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a masterwork of historical filmmaking.
Zappa
2020 was a big year Alex Winter, who not only starred in Bill and Ted Face the Music but also directed this portrait of modern music’s greatest genius. While this might be surprising for those who only know Winter as Bill S. Preston, esquire, the truth is that Winter has, over the last decade, become a fantastic documentarian and Zappa is his greatest work yet. Faced with arguably his most difficult subject to date, but armed with exclusive access to Frank Zappa’s personal archive of recordings and home movies, Winter pieces together an insightful biography that chronicles Zappa’s entire life from childhood to death. Unafraid to lean into Zappa’s trademarked contrarianism, Winter crafts a wondrous story that illuminates the life and philosophy of this icon of weird.
