At the start of the year I definitely wouldn’t have thought I’d see only 21 films at the cinema by the end of it. Because of circumstances we’re all aware of, though, I saw a number of films I definitely wouldn’t have seen in a ‘normal’ year.
So the first movie was The Gentlemen and the final was Wonder Woman 1984.
Interestingly, despite a line up of films that was a lot different than what I expected to see I only scored four of the 21 under 7/10 but there were only seven that were 8/10 or better. Damn you, virus.
Without further ado, here's my top 5 of 2020, a Marvel free list too!
1. The Dry (9/10)
Saving the best to almost last, this Australian crime drama based on the novel of the same name is outstanding. Eric Bana is AFP agent Aaron Falk and he returns to his home town of Kiewarra for the funeral of a childhood friend who may or may not have murdered his family. He’s drawn into investigating what happened as well as having to deal with the demons of a 20 year old mystery death he’s accused of perpetrating. It’s a simmering drama, well acted and set to the backdrop of a devastating drought. A must see.
2. Just Mercy (9/10)
Based on the true story of civil rights campaigner Bryan Stevenson (Michael B Jordon), as he tries to free a wrongly convicted man of a murder charge and death penalty. After a slow start it’s all quality and there are parallels to the classic To Kill A Mockingbird. Jamie Foxx is excellent as the accused man and Brie Larson is also in the cast. I think anyone who saw this would agree it’s a great story.
3. 1917 (9/10)
The story of two young soldiers in WWI tasked with delivering a message that would prevent their regiment from walking into a trap, and in turn save one of the young men’s older brother. It holds tension brilliantly through being shot in a style that makes it appear the movie has been filmed in one continuous shot. I described it back in January as amazing and while I haven’t got to seeing it again I’ll stand by that review.
4. The Way Back (8.5/10)
Now this is one I probably would have missed had things been different this year but I’m so glad I saw it. Ben Affleck is a former basketball prodigy who is, to be kind, a mess but takes on the job of coaching his old school’s team. The reason why he’s a mess came as quite a surprise and was very well masked until midway through the film. On a basic level it’s a standard redemption story but it’s much better than that and is a superb film. (On Netflix now if you want to check it out).
5. A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood (8/10)
Tom Hanks plays legendary American children’s show host Fred Rogers and focuses on his friendship with a reporter Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). Vogel is a fictionalized version of the journalist whose article on Mr Rogers the film is based on. The reporter approaches the story with the idea that Rogers can’t be as nice as he seems as he’s trying to deal with his resentment towards his father. While Hanks is the star it’s Matthew Rhys’ film and it’s just a good solid easy to watch film.
Honourable mentions: The other two films to top the 8/10 mark were The Gentlemen (a very cool gangster film from Guy Ritchie) and Tenet which was the film that was supposed to reboot cinema during the pandemic. Tenet was a good film to watch on the big screen but is quite complicated, probably too complicated for its own good.
Worth a watch: I really enjoyed Rams, Hope Gap, Unhinged and The Personal History Of David Copperfield (just about all of which I may not have seen normally).
Surprise of the year: Sonic The Hedgehog (7/10) – I really didn’t think a film based on the Sonic game could be any good at all, even with Jim Carrey is the cast as the villain Dr Robotnik. But, in a big way thanks to amazing vocal chemistry between James Marsden and the guy who voices Sonic it really works. Carrey is at his brilliant zany best, almost channelling some of his classic characters. A heap of fun, and I admit to having watched it four or five times since.
Flop of the year: Bill & Ted Face The Music (6.5/10). A bit harsh to call it a flop, it wasn’t bad but they just shouldn’t have waited 30 years to complete the saga. It’s more like Bill & Ted’s Daughters Excellent Adventure and that’s part of the let down.
The film I wanted to like more: Wonder Woman 1984 (7.5/10). Wonder Woman was one of the best films of 2017 so there was plenty expected of the sequel. While I suspect when I see it again I will like it more, it was a bit long and I find superhero films that have two villains feel a bit overstuffed. The 80s setting is cool and there’s a great cameo in the credits. I hope they redeem themselves with Wonder Woman 3 (and I wonder if she’ll ever be called that on screen!).
What does 2021 hold? Well, after what 2020 was supposed to hold who knows. Basically everything that was due to be released this year was held over so hopefully we finally get to see Black Widow, Ghostbusters Afterlife, A Quiet Place 2, Fast & Furious 9 and the rest of the Marvel slate that’s overdue.
