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Watch This Space: Best Films of 2020




2020 was an interesting year for movies, mostly all the big ones were pushed to next year and the ones that managed to get released were put onto streaming and often as exclusives to many different streaming services making harder to watch said films, but that's nothing compared to the global pandemic which has disrupted daily life, took many people's lives and has shown many of the power structures made to put things in place have barely managed to survive, under the management of people who never wanted to do all this stuff in the first place, GOOD GOD this year sucked.


Here's to 2021.


I should point out that four of the movies on the list are Netflix movies. Most of the movies I watched this year were originals from there. I thought I should point that out, and if you wanted to know what films didn't make the cut, but still deserve acknowledgement well...


HONOURABLE MENTIONS

+An American Pickle

+Dating Amber

+I'm Your Woman

+Nocturne

+Onward

+Project Power

+Scare Me

+The Boys in the Band

+The Half of It

+The King of Staten Island

+The Forty Year Old Version

+The Old Guard

+The Willoughbys


Now onto the main list with...


10. Bit

In a year filled with movies featuring, about and made by LGBTQ+ people, from prestige dramas like Boys in the Band to to full on action movies like the Old Guard, Bit is on my list for being a great vampire movie that takes an interesting perspective on the genre and mythos but also packs a lot of charm as well with a punk neon aesthetic. In a few years this film will probably be one of a great cult movies, that you were surprised that you missed out on.



9. Tigertail

Tigertail is a sad, melancholy yet touching drama on loneliness, dreams and the choices we make. Featuring an impressive performance by Tzi Ma and Lee Hong-chi and impressive direction by Alan Yang that drives the loneliness theme home, Tigertail is probably one of the years best dramas, that not a lot of people aren't talking about more.



8. His House

2020 was a good year for horror, both fictional and in real life and His House is an excellent example of the horror films that were released this year. A modern updating of the haunted house genre with relevant themes in the background but at it’s forefront is a more personal story. Great performances by Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu with terrific direction by Remi Weekes make His House one of the best films of the year.



7. Mosul

Mosul is a down and dirty war movie set in the abforementioned city in Iraq, but starring a great cast of Iraqi actors who give it their all in a film that is simplistic but very effective that offers a perspective that is seldom seen in other films about the ongoing war on terror. It is impactful and engaging.



6. Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee’s Vietnam joint is a great rumination on how the actions of past effects us personally. Bolstered by great performances by Delroy Lindo and dearly missed Chadwick Boseman in a role that will hit harder on a re-watch. A excellent addition to an interesting filmmaker’s line of work.



5. Host

With the pandemic going around, it was expected that there would be various DIY films and productions vying to be the movie made during the various lockdowns and Host will probably be the one most well remembered as it should be. It is tense and scary but also an effective piece of filmmaking in the horror genre that uses it's virtual setting very effectively. It premiered on Shudder, but will be getting a physical release so do check it out I highly recommend it.



4. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

You’d be remiss to find a sequel to a 14 year old comedy film that’s lasting pop cultural impact was an impression everyone thinks they can could do, but Borat Subsequent Moviefilm ends up being one of the best films about the current political landscape and that probably will have a greater impact than the original. It also has a lot of heart in it as is also pretty funny as well.




3. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

What may be one of the few blockbusters of the year, may be also be a fun, vibrant, progressive looking, riot girl aesthetic having, feminist power fantasy about emancipation and is better Batman spinoff than that other clown movie. A great cast bring some of DC's best but underused characters to the big screen and hopefully we'll see more of them in the future.



2. The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man is a tense and scary horror movie, that elevates it's B-Movie ideas into a relevant piece of work on abuse and gaslighting. Leigh Whannell's direction is so good he makes ambience scary and Elisabeth Moss gives a great performance in the lead.



1. Small Axe

Yes, these are films, not a TV series, not TV movies (not that there is anything wrong with that). Fully fledged films. All five of these films are a great mixing pot of relevant themes of social justice and community as well with a healthy dose of reoccurring motifs as well. Drawing influence from filmmakers like Ken Loach and Spike Lee, Sir Steve McQueen delivers probably one of his best pieces of work, with his slow burn pace working well with the kitchen sink realism, but also shows an experimental side. Small Axe is the best film of 2020.





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