Best movies of the pandemic year
The pandemic forced many of last year’s most anticipated films into 2021, and studios found new and controversial ways to release their content directly to consumers. Pixar’s latest film, “Soul” dropped on the Disney Plus streaming service, Warner Brothers sent “Wonder Woman 1984” to HBO Max, and Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet…” wait “Tenet” came out, right?
With much of the “big” releases off the schedule, 2020 became a year of intimate storytelling and smaller-scale discoveries. There were revelatory films from first-time directors, genre-bending documentaries and new perspectives from creative and exciting voices.
Of the 97 films released in 2020 I saw, these 20(ish) movies are my favorites. As usual, I found a few creative ways to overstuff my list, including my first ever “Special Prize” accolade for a certain filmed version of a mega-popular Broadway musical. Should it count as a movie? Who cares? I watched everything at home this year anyway.
Special Prize - “Hamilton”
Lin Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical came to Disney Plus with high expectations, and director Thomas Kail repackages the energy of the original stage show into something equally thrilling on the “small” screen. Blending recordings of multiple performances of the original cast with close-ups and insert shots created specifically for this movie version, “Hamilton” super fans (like me) have something that’s pretty close to being in the room where it happened.
1) Nomadland
An achingly gorgeous character study from writer/director Chloe Zhao (“The Rider”), “Nomadland” is a compassionate, melancholy exploration of a rarely-seen American subculture, centered on a widower (the incredible Frances McDormand) who learns to embrace a nomad lifestyle while in search of short-term employment. McDormand acts alongside a mix of professional actors and the real-life nomads who inspired Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book of the same name.
Enhanced by stunning stunning cinematography from Joshua James Richards (who somehow manages to make Wall Drug, South Dakota look like paradise) and musical contributions by pianist Ludovico Einaudi, Zhao’s seemingly small story steadily builds into a deeply-moving portrait of loss and new beginnings.
I saw “Nomadland” at the virtual edition of the 2020 New York Film Festival. It will be released in theaters and the Hulu streaming service on Feb. 19.
2) The Small Axe Anthology - “Mangrove,” “Lover’s Rock,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Alex Wheatle” and “Education”
Any one of “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen’s five distinct, feature-length films about West Indian immigrants in London during the 1960s and 1970s could be considered for this list. “Mangrove” is a thrilling courtroom drama, “Lover’s Rock” boasts some of McQueen’s biggest creative flourishes, and John Boyega delivers a commanding, career-best performance in “Red, White and Blue.”
The fifth film, “Education,” however, draws a clear thematic line between the five distinct stories, to the point where the anthology title “Small Axe” becomes an apt and meaningful representation for McQueen’s ambitious cinematic intentions. All five films available now on Amazon Prime.
3) I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Probably the most divisive title on the list, thanks to writer/director Charlie Kaufman’s propensity for intricate, oblique storytelling.
A sometimes baffling mix of romantic drama, horror, fantasy and about 90 other things, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” propels itself to a surreal climax on the shoulders of an intoxicatingly labyrinthian performance by Jesse Buckley (“Wild Rose”). She’s one half of a young couple who endures a perilously snowy road trip, a hallucinatory detour to a rural high school and an unforgettable dinner with the in-laws.
It’s (probably) brilliant, but it’s also okay if you totally hate it. Available on Netflix.
4) Promising Young Woman
A bold, unsettling, darkly funny directorial debut from Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman” rides an extraordinary performance from Carey Mulligan to explore the scarring consequences of toxic masculinity, complicity and revenge. In theaters and available to rent on premium VOD.
5) Never Rarely Sometimes Always
A quiet-but-wrenching story about a teenage girl (breakout Sidney Flanigan) who travels to New York for an abortion after being refused treatment in her small town, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” dramatizes the mountain of adversity (and inherent danger) that restrain so many young women in America. The scene that inspires the title is the most devastating five minutes on screen this year. Written and directed by Eliza Hittman. Available on HBO Max.
6) Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee’s sprawling, messy and mesmerizing war film about four Vietnam War veterans who return to the country years later to retrieve their squad leader’s remains (and a stash of gold) continues the filmmaker’s streak of brash, urgent storytelling. Delroy Lindo’s commanding central performance is big, loud and masterful. Available on Netflix.
7) Dick Johnson is Dead
In this genre-bending documentary about the everyday challenges of dementia, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stages elaborate “death scenes” and fantasies of the afterlife as a means for both of them to cope with his declining health. The morbid silliness is entertaining, but the exercise also unlocks profound conversations about mortality and purpose. Available on Netflix.
8) The Invisible Man
Leigh Whannel’s propulsive reimagining of the classic horror villain reinvents itself in every act, powered by expertly orchestrated scares and a reliably incredible Elisabeth Moss performance. The movie’s modern approach also addresses gaslighting and victim shaming without sacrificing thrills. Available on HBO Max.
9) One Night in Miami…
Regina King delivers the best stage adaptation in a season full of them (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Boys in the Band”) with a story about Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown hanging out in a Miami hotel room. King’s creative use of the limited space adds fire to the four superlative performances by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Leslie Odom Jr. and Aldis Hodge. Available on Amazon Prime.
10) Soul
Pixar’s latest masterwork from “Inside Out” director Pete Doctor explores another abstract world in a visually dynamic way, this time focusing on a struggling Jazz musician (Jamie Foxx) who finds himself counseling an uninspired soul (Tina Fey) in The Great Before. Vibrant music, gorgeous imagery and life affirming in the way the best Pixar movies are. Available on Disney Plus.
11) Spontaneous
A teenage love story but with exploding people. Writer/director Brian Duffield flirts with tough subject matter (random tragedy, survivor’s remorse, etc.) through the prism of dark humor and rom-com tropes. A full review ran in Coeur Voice last week. Available to rent on VOD.
12) Palm Springs
This clever riff on the “Groundhog Day” time loop comedy finds Andy Samberg and Cristen Milioti attending the same desert-set wedding reception over and over again. The spark between Samberg and Milioti elevates the well-worn concept before the film builds in a surprising, emotional climax. Available on Hulu.
13) First Cow
Writer/director Kelly Reichardt’s frontier-set film follows the friendship between two settlers (John Magaro and Orion Lee) as they hatch a plan to sell baked goods made with the stolen milk from the cow owned by the settlement’s wealthiest resident. The story seems slight on paper, but “First Cow” builds into a deeply-felt story of the “American way” and all its inherent limitations. Available on VOD and Showtime.
14) The Vast of Night
A mysterious radio frequency descends on a small 1950s town, and two teenagers go on a “Twilight Zone” investigation in this propulsive and visually dynamic debut from Andrew Patterson. Available on Amazon Prime.
15) The Father/Relic
Two more devastating dementia-focused films. “The Father” with Anthony Hopkins dramatizes the inner workings of a mind that can’t keep time, locations and memories straight. In the horror film “Relic,” dementia takes on a more literal, demonic form. “Relic” is available now on VOD. “The Father” will debut in theaters and VOD in February.
16) Kajillionaire
Another delightfully bizarre character study from Miranda July (“Me and You and Everyone We Know”) about low level con artists (Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger) and their emotionally-stunted adult daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). Available on VOD.
17) Sound of Metal
An Oscar-worthy Riz Ahmed plays a drummer who loses his hearing suddenly and must recalibrate his life while still pinning hopes on a cochlear implant surgery. Available on Amazon Prime.
18) Time
A documentary about activist Fox Rich and her family that blends years of home video footage with the present day fight to get her incarcerated husband released from prison. Clocking in under 90 minutes, “Time” still manages to convey enormous love, anguish and hope. Available on Amazon Prime.
19) Minari
Writer/director Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical drama about a Korean-American family trying to establish an Arkansas farm is a detail-driven and engrossing coming-of-age tale with warm, naturalist performances, especially from young Alan Kim. Coming to theaters and VOD in February.
20) The 40-Year-Old Version
Radha Blank writes, directs and stars in this story of a New York City playwright and teacher who staves off creative inertia by joining the city’s underground rap scene. Blank’s wit and directorial flourishes shine in this promising debut film. Available on Netflix.
Honorable Mention: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix), “Bad Education” (HBO Max), “Mank” (Netflix), “Miss Juneteenth” (VOD), “Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV+), “David Byrne’s American Utopia” (HBO Max), “Weathering with You” (HBO Max).
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Tyler Wilson has been writing professionally about movies since 2000. He is the co-host of Old Millennials Remember Movies, available everywhere you get podcasts. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.
