25: You Don't Nomi
Stop denying it--you know you love Showgirls, and the time has come for a bonafide documentary to legitimize its cult status. Fans everywhere will get a kick out of this film's high-level study of the film's critical stance and cultural impact--that alone is a fun discussion. It'll feel special to fans.
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24: Mank
Mank sure looks swank. All that luscious black-and-white photography, fashionable period reproduction, and swell performances from the cast will surely grab every film lover's eye.
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23: Butt Boy
Yes, this is a film that exists.
Yes...really.
No, it's not pornographic. A little disgusting towards the end I guess, and the premise sounds sick, but it's definitely not what it sounds like. It's actually quite restrained, and I was surprisingly impressed by it at times.
One part serious detective story, one part dark comedy, and a huge heaping of style--the film presents its absurd premise with a deadpan, straight-faced gravitas, which is more than what this crazy idea deserves. It winds up having atmosphere, character, and a cult buzz of its own. Don't let the title dissuade you--this is basically a weird, arty thriller, and there's no other film this year like it.
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22: Fatman
Leave it to Mel Gibson to spearhead a Christmas film as a gritty crime thriller. The film toys around with the Santa Claus myth in subversive, funny ways. Despite the scowls, Gibson's take on the jolly fat man is surprisingly earnest.
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21: Bad Boys For Life
It's been a long time coming for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to reunite and cause havoc in Miami once again. Action scenes are still fun to watch. Even better, the characters finally feel like real people, their banter is actually funny, and the emotional parts actually feel emotional. It's the things that Michael Bay always aimed for, but it always became swamped in style and excess--here, the balance is just right. In the same fashion as a
Lethal Weapon film, serious effort was put into making this pair bond like a family, and it might be the most endearing chapter of the series.
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20: The Call Of The Wild
A charming wilderness adventure film that banks heavily on one lovable dog. It's a fair, family-friendly watch thanks to the focus put on characterization and delivering an emotional narrative. Heart alone pushes this above the more mediocre fare I see on Netflix.
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19: Rent-A-Pal
Who would have thought that Will Wheaton could be so creepy? In this low-budget psychological thriller, he embodies a villain only seen through a video tape, and it comes rather close to copying the dark, perverse themes previously explored in
Videodrome. Even though nothing comes out of the screens, menace is palpable and it's inherently chilling to watch a man's obsession with media drive him to madness.
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18: Bill & Ted Face The Music
Whoa. It's finally happened dude--a third totally triumphant adventure with Ted "Theodore" Logan and Bill Preston Esquire. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are totally righteous in their comebacks, but Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine add a surprising amount of charm to what could have been a bummer of a film. Laughs, high stakes, personality, and righteous music makes this a light, funny, and satisfying experience. With the focus on music and family, the film puts its heart in a most excellent place.
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17: Underwater
starts fast and hard and hardly lets up. Kirsten Stewart shows incredible grit and perseverance in her physically demanding role, but there are occasional flashes of personality. The production looks incredible, and a few sequences are flat-out amazing. The film overall mirrors the style and storytelling William Eubank had previously exhibited in 2014's
The Signal, and I consider both his films to be unique sci-fi/horror gems.
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16: Weathering With You (Tenki No Ko)
After
Your Name, It must have been quite a task for Makoto Shinkai to create something just as magical and compelling. His latest picture in on-par, boasting gorgeous animation full of color, whimsey, and personality. Characters and their relationships succeed in commanding attention and emotion. Take it as a romantic fantasy, and it's quite cute.
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15: Sputnik
It's refreshing to see an old concept presented with new flair.
Sputnik shares a lot in common with typical sci-fi thrillers like
Alien and
Life, but what makes it special (aside from being Russian) is its focused script, firm cinematography, stoic performances, and awesome music. The actual alien threat is quite the uncanny sight, but I remained glued to the screen for the characters, the stakes, and the unique presentation. With genuine thrills and a unique identity, this thriller succeeds in the genre like a life form crawling inside an old corpse.
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14: Synchronic
Alan Moorhead and Justin Benson continue their uniquely uncanny and unsettling brand of cosmic horror, this time with a focus on time travel. This slow-burning procedural maintains a fair level of suspense, but I was ultimately satisfied with the methodical way it drizzles characterization and stakes on top of its fascinating premise. Some standout effects, tense setpieces, and a knockout performance from Anthony Mackie cements this as one of the more interesting sci-fi experiences of the year.
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13: Unhinged
These days, you never know what kind of psychopath you'll share the road with. Russell Crowe embodies a road-raging villain so comfortably and naturally, it's scary. With his menacing performance as a centerpiece for chaos and destruction, Unhinged is loaded with shocking twists and car crashes--even in its quieter moments, the film exudes tension and menace through its functional script and storytelling. Cinematography and music elevates the style with a fair amount of polish. While this may push the boundaries of credibility, there's nothing more heart-pounding than the thrill of the chase.
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12: Tenet
Christopher Nolan promised us an experience worth remembering with his latest time-bending experiment. He delivered a confounding puzzle. What it lacks in emotion and personality, it makes up for with its eye-popping innovations in filming things forwards and backwards--to include some of the most inventive action scenes of the year. Take it as a spy thriller with a twist, and it's a genuinely unique and ambitious vision that deserves to be seen.
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11: Possessor
Like his father before him, Brandon Cronenberg enters the horror movie scene with fresh talent and unsettling visions.
Possessor feels right at home next to classics like
Scanners and
Shivers, but with bold cinematography and firm quality. Though the premise is an interesting one, the experience remains unsettling thanks to the film's editing, lighting, pacing, and performances. Above all, the themes are as dank as they come, courtesy of the understated script, the twisty plot, and a handful of bold (and bloody) setpieces.
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10: Guns Akimbo
You had me with the crazy idea of nailing guns to a guy's hands. Although the story bears something in common with
Nerve, the style of it is everything films like
Birds of Prey wishes it could be--obnoxious, loud, punkish, but still flashy, cool, and just coherent enough to be watchable. With rapid-fire pacing and a thumping soundtrack, the film rockets ahead with ample amounts of laughs and thrills. Mad props to Samara Weaving, easily my favorite villainess of the year, and to Daniel Radcliffe, always a champ even after all those wizard movies he did. Somewhere between the script--which does manage to wedge in some depth to the characters--and the director's zesty style,
Guns Akimbo is probably the most sublime action movie I've seen since
American Ultra.
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9: Minari
Sometimes it feels like Korean cinema can do no wrong. Minari is a well-made picture with lovely cinematography, apt performances, and a heartfelt tone--just as strong as yesteryear's Parasite. Dramatic conflict hits hard when it needs to, but the film is best taken as a menagerie of slices of life, all of which underscore thoughtful themes concerning faith, family, and the American dream.
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8: Swallow
Oh no. Oh dear god lady, why would you swallow those things?
It's painful to watch this character choke down things like marbles and thumbtacks, but it's even more painful to experience her journey in and out of an abusive relationship. Actual scenes of swallowing stuff are ultimately sidelined (perhaps wisely) by the more compelling storyline that explores the reason behind this woman's disorder, and the paths she takes to reclaim independence and control. It's a story confidently told with firm cinematography and quality performances.
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7: Color Out Of Space
Richard Stanley brings the classic HP Lovecraft short story to brilliant life. Within the framework of a traditional horror narrative, the film brims with neon light, uncanny phenomenon, grotesque abominations, and scariest of all, Nicholas Cage slowly going insane and losing his sh*t. Some of the Cage Rage is actually laughable, but I couldn't help but to compare it to what Jack Nicholson did in
The Shining forty years ago--considering that both films are about families torn apart by paranormal phenomenon, I find both performances eerie in their own ways. With more Lovecraft adaptations on the way, I have a feeling this is just the beginning, but what a glorious sight it is.
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6: Sound of Metal
Not nearly as metal as I expected. In fact, there's nothing cool about losing your hearing, and this may be the closest a film can get to emulating the experience of deafness to audiences. Part of it is the inventive way it shifts the soundtrack and eerily manipulates dialogue and noises. What really sells this, however, is the creditable story, which focuses on the very real issues surrounding the deaf community. Riz Ahmed's performance gives it all emotional weight and realism, to the point where I related to the character's plight through the thick and thin of it all. The movie is an experience I appreciate, but hope I'll never have to endure it in real life.
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5: Nomadland
Not everybody enjoys the comfort of a stable job, home, and life. For those rugged souls who must wander the country in search of paychecks and places to park the vans and trailers they live in, this film is dedicated to the nomad Americans. Frances McDormand balances grit, personality, and tenderness in her grounded portrayal of a one such nomad--her simple struggles and pleasures paint a compelling portrait against the serenity of the American Southwest. One can't help but to feel for the plight of the real people who live this way (some of whom even populate the film in major roles). I thank the film for shedding light on their transient lifestyles, and I thank the people themselves for the hard work they do in jobs we never pay attention to.
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4: Wolfwalkers
You can count on Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart to deliver a heartfelt myth rendered in handsome 2D animation. Stylish and colorful, Wolfwalkers offers a gorgeous painting in motion that brings its Irish-inspired world to vivid life. The characters remain lovable, even in the midst of gut-wrenching war and trauma, and their journey explores sharp themes of cultural barriers and tolerance. There is charm and personality beneath the grit, and the contrast cements this as a bold and beautiful piece of art.
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3: Onward
What looks like a mere
Shrek knockoff might be one of the smartest and most profound adventures of the year. With the amusing premise of a stereotypical fantasy world evolved into modern suburbia, the film takes the opportunity to play on mythology, the classic hero's journey, and typical archetypes. The result is often surprising, but also hilarious and satisfying. But the film is attentive to its story, layering its cast of lovable characters with depth and emotional resonance that elicits smiles and tears from the audience. I'm personally awed by the economy of the script, in addition to the gorgeous animation quality and the eye-popping way it spins old tales in fresh new ways.
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2: The Invisible Man
It's always the films you don't see coming that catch you off-guard and leave a lasting mark. I did not see any good reason for another
Invisible Man adaptation, and naturally I didn't expect much. Like the actual Invisible Man, the film snuck up on me, tricked my senses, and left me wondering about what just happened.
Leave it to Leigh Whannell to orchestrate such jaw-dropping choreography and effects--the hospital fight scene has got to be the best I've seen since the one in
T2: Judgment Day. The sudden and violent action is framed rather well around a twisty narrative that will always keep you guessing, even up to the end. Elizabeth Moss shows us a character worth rooting for--one that balances trauma and determination in the midst of abuse and harassment. I was left gobsmacked, and ultimately pleased, with the fresh and bold experience crafted out of such a classic concept.
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1: Soul
This pretty much wins 2020 by default. I mean, come on, it's Pixar doing a film on the afterlife. What if souls had feelings? It can't lose!
It's uncanny how Pixar can distill the enigma and grandeur of life after death into such a short, breezy, lighthearted cartoon. Its ultimate message on how to live life becomes prominent thanks to the comedic pairing-off of characters and the madcap adventure they experience in and out of the city. This is one of those odd films where there's no real hero or villain involved, it's simply a good story that hinges on the wants and desires of its characters. In light of that, the film retains a humanist tone that persists through the peril, the laughter, the jazz numbers, and the eye-popping spectacle.
I'm floored that Trent Reznor, of all people, scored half of this movie (those synths and beats are sweet), but this film also raised my appreciation of the jazz genre (courtesy of Jon Batiste). This might be my favorite performance from Jamie Foxx, but the rest of the voice cast pulls their weight well. The animation is sharp, clean, and vivid as ever. Character designs are cute. Best of all though, the film is well-written, well-executed, and its statement on life makes it a valuable, inspiring experience.
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