2020 is a tough year to talk about movies. With everything that happened, movies are clearly not the most important thing to be discussed. However, movies are one of the many things impacted by the pandemic. So many highly-anticipated movies have been delayed to either 2021 & 2022 or they skipped theaters entirely & just went straight to streaming.
While the theaters were mostly empty, streaming served as the home for new movies this year as people were stuck at home. The theater experience did suffer, but people have a great selection of movies to watch in the comfort of their homes. Here is my list of the top 10 best moves of 2020.
Honorable mentions:
- Run
- Sound of Metal
- Onward
- Love & Monsters
- Pieces of a Woman
- The Gentleman
- Bad Boys For Life
- On The Rocks
- Nomadland
10. Small Axe: Mangrove
Mangrove is a part of Small Axe, a series of films directed by Steve McQueen, which debuted on Amazon Prime. It tells the true story of the Mangrove 9, a group of black activists in London who were tried for inciting a riot at a 1970 protest against the police who targeted the Mangrove, a Caribbean restaurant.
The acting is impressive from the whole cast including Shaun Parkes, as the owner of the Mangrove, and Letitia Wright as a member of the British Black Panther movement. The trial itself is incredibly intriguing with intense moments that both frustrate & inspire.
I always love watching films about historical events that I had no idea about, but still have significant historical implications. It’s a powerful movie, with disturbing truths about tensions between black people and the police in London.
9. Palm Springs
In a year where we all felt stuck in a rut, Palm Springs was a necessary, refreshing romantic comedy. Palm Springs stars Andy Samberg & Christin Miloti as a pair who become stuck in an endless time loop like Groundhog’s Day. However, the film stays fresh through its cynical humor, but also heartfelt messages about life & attachments.
Sometimes life may feel meaningless, but the attachments we make with others often can be worth it. Miloti & Samberg have incredible chemistry as both are troubled individuals who manage to bring out the good in the other.
J.K. Simmons has a small role but is very memorable. It’s a clever film with how it deals with the time-loop and manages to squeeze out every idea possible with this concept. It’s goofy at times but still manages to be emotionally investing due to likable characters and hilarious jokes. Also, it runs through its runtime quickly thanks to great pacing. This is a rom-com that’s fresh & funny and perfect for anyone looking for an escape.
8. Borat: Subsequent Movie Film
This surprise sequel to the hysterical comedy from 2006 manages to perfectly summarize not only this year but the current moment in American society. In this sequel, Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) has been shamed by his home country of Kazakhstan and the only way to make things right is to deliver a gift to America.
The gift, in this case, is his daughter to Vice-President, and so-called chick magnet, Mike Pence. Along the way, Borat encounters some of America’s best stereotypes and hijinks ensue.
It’s amazing to me that this was filmed so quickly and turned out so well. It does have the Cohen trademark of incredibly dark social commentary. I find that humor funny, but it can turn some off, so be prepared. This was easily the most I laughed at a movie in 2020 and really allowed me to laugh at how ridiculous America is at times, instead of just feeling depressed about the current state of affairs.
Cohen is truly courageous in how he commits to this role in public, but compliments must also be given to Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat’s daughter, Tutar. It’s so impressive how well she commits to her role and is able to improv in certain situations. There’s a scene involving Rudy Giulliani that I will not spoil but truly shows how talented she is at being a comedic actress.
The movie itself never reaches the comedic heights of the first Borat, but it has a better story. There is an emotional center to the film tethered by Borat and Tutar’s relationship. It manages to be heartfelt and gives both characters arcs to follow throughout the hilarious hijinks. The first Borat is still funnier and benefits from shock value, but Borat: Subsequent Movie Film surprised me with an actual compelling narrative.
7. Promising Young Woman
This film is able to take the issue of sexual harassment into new territories. It really shows the trauma of harassment and the damage it does to everyone involved, not only the people there but those who know those involved. Promising Young woman featured one of the best performances of 2020 in Carey Mulligan, who is for sure a front runner for best actress.
The way she balances threatening with charisma is impressive. She goes from charming to terrifying at the drop of a hat. Mulligan is someone who’s traumatized by her past and uses her experience to get back at those who harass and those who ignore it.
She has a complete distrust towards men, which makes her relationship with Bo Burnham feel more relevant, especially where it leads. Her character commits acts that do go too far, but you always understand why she’s doing it.
The ending completely grabbed me by surprise and left it on a high note. I found myself hooked on this movie and loved how it balanced suspense with its twisted sense of humor. It’s a dark comedy that manages to contain a powerful statement about the endless damage of sexual assault.
6. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Based on a play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom captures a day at a recording studio with famous blues singer Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis, and her band. This film completely relies on its performances and dialogue, which are both knocked out of the park. Viola Davis is once again phenomenal as Rainey, a tough, stubborn character who is trying to break through the racial barriers of the music industry of her time.
She’s frustrating at times, but it’s hard to not sympathize with her. However, the spotlight shines on Chadwick Boseman, who plays an ambitious & overly-confident trumpeter who wants to make music of his own. Boseman is marvelous and his performance is a reminder of how tragic his sudden death is.
He certainly is deserving of a nomination, along with Davis. The more we learn about Boseman’s character, the more we see how unstable he is, which leads to his downfall as the movie continues. The rest of the band is great as well as they banter back and forth.
In addition to its great story & performances, it manages to capture the importance of the times in which the film takes place and how white studios conflicted with black artists. Personally, I recently learned about how plenty of black musical artists had their sound or songs stolen, so this film felt particularly relevant for me. I hope Boseman gets the recognition he deserves for this role.
5. Bad Education
Like I said earlier, I love learning about true stories that have mostly flown under the radar. While this story doesn’t have the significance of Mangrove, it’s nevertheless fascinating. Bad Education tells the true crime story about Frank Tassone, a superintendent who stole from the school district’s budget.
What’s fascinating is how this was happening under everyone’s nose because Frank, played perfectly by Hugh Jackman, was a beloved member of this community. Jackman brings so much charm to this character and he’s never painted as a villain. He’s much more complex than just a crooked superintendent.
Allison Janney is also great as an assistant to Tassone who ends up being the first one caught. This story was reported on by a school newspaper and Geraldine Viswanathan as great as the writer who breaks the story. It’s a fascinating movie that begins as a slow burn but becomes truly investing once the pieces come together.
4. One Night in Miami
One Night in Miami details a historic evening between four remarkable people. Based on the play of the same name, One Night in Miami captures an evening in 1964 where Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Muhammad Ali a.k.a Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) met in a hotel room and discussed their perspectives on being black men and their roles in the civil rights movement.
The film is Regina King’s directorial debut and she does a fantastic job at keeping you engaged despite not much happening. It’s mostly dialogue, but it’s fascinating dialogue. Each character has a different idea of their own reputation in the world and their role in the movement. Particularly, Sam Cooke and Malcolm X come into the most conflict with one another over what their role is supposed to be.
The back-and-forth between the four is gripping and each one has to reflect on their role and come to terms with how they are seen in the world. There are times where the film felt a bit lengthy as the film does halt at certain moments, but it’s impressive how captivating it is with just characters having conversations.
Each cast member is fantastic, especially Adir as Malcolm X and Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke. Odom does sing and sounds remarkably like Cooke. The ending is one that stuck with me, making this one of the most memorable movies of the year.
3. Soul
Pixar had two movies in 2020. While Onward is worth a mention, Soul is easily the stronger of the two. Soul is about Joe Gardner, a jazz pianist who is looking to get his big break. Once he finally does, he dies in a freak accident. Refusing to go into the great beyond, he finds himself as a soul in the great before, where while trying to get back home, he ends up teaching a hesitant young soul the joys of life on earth and how to find purpose.
Soul may not pack the emotional punch of the best Pixar movies, but what Soul does offer is spectacular animation and a complex story that may appeal to adults more than kids. Jamie Foxx & Tina Fey both give great voice performances, providing whimsy, humor, and emotion to their characters. It gives Joe a great arc that questions how one finds meaning in life.
While following one’s passion is important, it may get in the way of life’s simple pleasures, something we often take for granted. I didn’t get teary-eyed during this movie, but its message stuck with me more than many movies from this year. It’s not one of Pixar’s best, but that’s a testament to how great Pixar is.
2. Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee is never shy about his politics, but this can lead to some incredibly powerful films. Da 5 Bloods is about 5 black Vietnam war vets who reunite to search for gold hidden in a former Vietnam warzone. The trip itself takes a dark turn when their trauma comes back to haunt them, along with other people who are searching for gold.
Da 5 Bloods is one of the most gripping movies from 2020, delving deep into the experience of black Vietnam vets. One of the most interesting issues is that during the war, these vets questioned why they were fighting for a country that didn’t fight for them. In fact, the Vietnamese knew about this conflict and in one scene, use MLK’s death to try and convince these African-American soldiers to switch sides.
All of the cast is great, but Delroy Lindo steals the spotlight as the character who feels the most trapped by the trauma he experienced during the war. He’s unstable and radical, but you do understand why his character feels this way. He definitely should be in the conversation for Best Actor. Boseman makes an appearance in this film as well as the fifth member of the crew who died in Vietnam and appears in flashbacks.
The group is completing this mission in honor of him while also trying to keep the messages he spread. The only issue with this movie is the ending turns into a shoot-em-up and sort of comes out of nowhere. There are plenty of shocking moments so be prepared for a meaningful, but often disturbing film. Despite its length, it constantly had me hooked and I can’t recommend it more.
1. The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin is known for being a great writer but has also recently delved into directing. This is his best effort so far, delivering an intriguing courtroom drama. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is about the Chicago 7, a group of Vietnam war protestors who were accused by the U.S. government of inciting a riot.
We follow their trial mixed in with flashbacks of what actually happened during these so-called “riots.” Similar to The Social Network or A Few Good Men, Sorkin’s dialogue is amazing and holds your attention the entire time. It’s snappy, funny, but each word carries tremendous weight.
Along with his dialogue, it’s well-directed, with Sorkin incorporating a unique tactic where the flashbacks are edited together with what a character at the trial is saying. This provided an engaging way of showing what happened vs. the character’s recollection.
The cast is stacked and impressive with highlight performances coming from Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, and Jeremy Strong. As the movie continues, the frustration continues to build as we see what happens at the trial. Even though it is dramatized, it’s still irritating to see this massive error in the justice system, especially with the horrid judge, played well by Frank Langella.
While some have complained about the ending, I enjoyed the ending and thought it capped the movie off a high note, despite not happening in real life. No other movie captivated me as much as this movie. The film is also just thoroughly entertaining & incredibly well-executed. I was completely invested for the entire 2-hour runtime, losing myself in its impactful dialogue and riveting story.
