To say the least, 2020 was a bizarre year for film-watchers like me. Already hindered by living in a small town with limited access to independent films, the addition of COVID restrictions and not being able to attend film festivals meant I saw only a handful of films at the cinema last year. Of those, not a single one impressed me enough to make my top fifteen films of 2020. So all of the films listed below were watched on my TV or laptop, which, for me, is not the best way to asses a film’s quality. I was also forced to stream most of the films I watched last year, something I had only rarely done in the past, which is at least partly responsible for the astonishing fact that nine of my top fifteen films of 2020 are Netflix or Amazon originals.
The result of all of the above is that I watched only half as many new films in 2020 as I had watched in any of the previous ten years. For that reason alone, it is perhaps unfair to state that 2020 was one of the worst years for film in a very long time (a statement based solely on the films I was able to watch). Still, I saw many of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year and found them wanting, awarding only a small number of films a solid four-star rating. Of special note is the fact that I did not get to see The Father or Minari, two films I was told I must see (they should qualify for next year’s list).
I watched five outstanding documentaries in 2020. Since it is difficult for me to compare documentaries to fictional films, I have decided to create a separate list of these five films, with only my favourite of the five (Disclosure) listed below.
Once again, my list looks very different from the lists of the top critics (as reported by Metacritic), with only two of the seventeen critical favourites on my list. I very much appreciated Nomadland, First Cow, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Da 5 Bloods, Promising Young Woman and Soul, but none of them engaged me enough to cross the line into my top fifteen. Among those seventeen critical favourites were two of my biggest disappointments of the year: The Invisible Man (I hated it in spite of Elisabeth Moss’s marvellous performance) and Palm Springs (a mediocre rehash of Groundhog Day).
Before I make some observations about my list, let me note what I viewed as an odd and distracting phenomenon of 2020 (in both TV and film), namely an obsession with teal and salmon (and similar shades of green and orange). Among the ten films/TV shows that suffered from this obsession were I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, Beanpole, After Life, The Queen’s Gambit, Shirley, The Personal History of David Copperfield, One Night in Miami and Martin Eden. I don’t know what this phenomenon is about, but I hope production designers take note that the beauty of these colours loses its appeal when everyone uses them.
Okay, some observations on the list below:
- 2020 was another great year for films made by and about women. There are only two films on my list directed by women, but four are written by women and six have a female protagonist. It was also a great year for films featuring racial and/or gender and/or sexual diversity. This is reflected in six of the titles below.
- Ken Loach had his second straight film in the number one position, an awesome achievement, especially considering he was in his eighties, that guarantees Loach a place among my all-time favourite directors.
- Only one foreign language film appears on my list this year, a huge change from last year.
- Two of my top three films star actors who died shortly after filming, making their great performances all the more incredible.
- Three of my top five films are Netflix originals (that exceeds the total number of Netflix films found in all of my previous lists combined).
- It’s been a year for great period films: Represented below, we have 1920’s and 1960’s Chicago, 1930’s California, 1950’s New Mexico, 1970’s London, 1950’s New York and 1970’s Italy.
And here is my list, counting down from fifteen:
15. The Nest – Perhaps the most flawlessly-made film I watched in 2020, it is only the overall coolness, especially of the characters, that keeps Sean Durkin’s The Nest from being much higher on my list. Jude Law and Carrie Coon are terrific as a couple trying to deal with many setbacks after moving, with their two older children, into a very old and sinister mansion in England.
14. Martin Eden – This old-fashioned Italian epic by Pietro Marcello looks and feels like it was made in the 1970’s. Based on a novel by Jack London, this beautifully filmed and acted story about socialism versus individualism stars Luca Marinelli as Martin Eden, a self-educated young man trying to find success as a writer.
13. Blow the Man Down – A delightfully quirky indie film from Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down exhibits a perfect small-town (Maine) look and feel as it follows two young women trying to cover up a crime in a town full of secrets. The all-women (almost) ensemble cast is universally good. (Amazon original)
12. Sylvie’s Love – A gorgeous old-fashioned romance from Eugene Ashe that could have been made in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s (when it is set), except for the cinematography and the fact that it involves a Black couple. Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha are excellent as the young couple in question (she a would-be television producer and he a struggling musician in New York City). (Amazon original)
11. I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Charlie Kaufman is the master of original offbeat filmmaking and this film about a young couple visiting the man’s parents on the farm in a snowstorm does not disappoint. Gorgeous cinematography, a great score, an intelligent (if incomprehensible), screenplay, and outstanding performances by Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette and David Thewlis make I’m Thinking of Ending Things a captivating treat. (Netflix original)
10. Saint Frances – Alex Thompson’s raw comedy-drama is written by Kelly O’Sullivan, who stars as Bridget, a thirty-something woman, struggling to find meaning, who gets a job as a nanny to six-year-old Frances (a wonderful Ramona Edith Williams). A wise, warm, funny and unabashedly sweet indie film about life as a woman (includes some heavy and controversial subjects).
9. The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Based on a true story, this Aaron Sorkin film about the trial of anti-Vietnam War protestors in Chicago in 1968 features excellent performances from its ensemble cast, highlighted by the work of Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen. A compelling courtroom drama, told through well-structured flashbacks and a real feel for 1968. (Netflix original)
8. Mangrove – Also based on a true story (this time in London in 1971), this Steve McQueen film about institutional racism could be called ‘The Trial of the Mangrove Nine’. More passionate than the Chicago 7 (and perhaps a little over-the-top), and more relevant to life in 2020, Mangrove also features a very strong ensemble cast, led by Letitia Wright and Shaun Parkes. Great period detail. (Amazon original)
7. The Vast of Night – Set in small-town New Mexico in the late 1950’s, this low-budget indie sci-fi flick from Andrew Patterson tells the story of teenagers Fay (Sierra McCormick), a switchboard operator who hears strange sounds n a phone line, and Everett (Jake Horowitz), a disc jockey at the local radio station who hears the strange sounds on the radio. Stunning cinematography and great atmosphere (with the look and feel of the 1950’s), with superb writing and acting, The Vast of Night is destined to become a sci-fi classic. (Amazon original)
6. The Assistant – Kitty Green’s haunting tale of one day in the life of an assistant in a film production company brilliantly captures the many levels of abuse in a toxic work environment (overseen by a Harvey Weinstein-like boss who is never seen). Julia Garner is perfect as the assistant, and Matthew Macfadyen stands out as the head of the company’s HR.
5. Disclosure – My favourite documentary of 2020, Sam Feder’s critically-important film looks at the portrayal of trans people in Hollywood over the past century. Full of film clips and expert commentary, Disclosure is captivating, intelligent and highly informative – a must-see documentary for our time. (Netflix original)
4. Mank – David Fincher’s riveting biographical drama about Herman J. Mankiewicz (Mank) writing the screenplay for Citizen Kane is a beautifully-structured flashback-driven film. The gorgeous black & white cinematography, the great period feel (1930’s California), the perfect score, the clever and insightful screenplay by Fincher’s late father (Jack Fincher) and the sublime performance by Gary Oldman as Mank make Mank a classic. (Netflix original)
3. Driveways – This quiet, reflective, compassionate film from Andrew Ahn, about the importance of community and connection, couldn’t be more timely. Kathy (Hong Chau) and her 8-year-old son Cody (Lucas Jaye) move next door to Del (Brian Dennehy), a widower. All three are experiencing pain, sadness and loneliness, portrayed perfectly by the spot-on performances of all involved. Dennehy, one of my favourite character actors, died just weeks after the film’s release.
2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – A masterpiece in every way, George C. Wolfe’s film (based on a play by August Wilson) about the recording of a blues album in 1927 Chicago is all the more miraculous because it stars an actor (Chadwick Boseman) who was dying of cancer when he delivered his Oscar-worthy performance. Boseman’s gut-wrenching performance is matched by Viola Davis as Ma Rainey. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom features gorgeous cinematography, brilliant dialogue, wonderful music and good period detail. (Netflix original)
1. Sorry We Missed You – Released in Canada in 2020, and thus eligible for the 2020 list, Ken Loach’s raw heartfelt film is about the ordinary lives of average people in 2019 England. Kris Hitchin and Debbie Honeywood deliver perfect natural performances as Rickie and Abbie, who experience crisis after crisis in their ongoing struggle to make ends meet and make their lives a little better in an alienating and dehumanizing environment. There is no sentimentalizing melodrama in Paul Laverty’s masterful screenplay; just empathy and endless tension.
