Normally, I would have seen all of my favorite movies in theaters, but this year, I streamed nearly all of them.
I watched nearly a hundred and forty different films that were meant to be released in theaters (that's how I distinguished between films and TV movies--no shade to TV movies, but you can't really ask them to compete against movies with more resources).
You won't see Minari or Nomadland on this list, because as far as I'm concerned, they're 2021 movies. I realize that the pandemic threw off a lot of release schedules, but a movie that the majority of the movie-going public cannot see until late February is not a 2020 film.
Again, these are my favorite movies, not necessarily the best movies. I will admit that this year, more than any other year, I couldn't get into super depressing films. That's why I haven't watched Pieces of a Woman yet, because to be frank, it sounds like grief porn, and I don't really know who needs that at this particular moment.
Also, not to call President Obama a fibber, but there is no way he watched Beanpole. Not a chance. The movie is about Russia after the war and features a scene (spoiler alert, but you're never going to watch it) where a woman has a seizure while dancing with the child in her care, falls on him, and smothers him, and that's one of the less horrifying moments in the film.
Smothered Russian children?
In this economy?
I couldn't really get into First Cow either, but I'm sure that some of these films would have hit different in a theater. To all of you complaining that movies like Wonder Woman 1984 weren't that good, I'd like to remind you that very few movies are meant to be watching in your living room, while you're on your phone, with your children yelling for you from the next room. Even Casablanca would have trouble holding up under those conditions.
I will say that when this is all over, we need to talk about film accessibility. This year it was easier than ever for more people to see truly great films, and I think that's a good thing. Films that spend most of their time in festivals, appealing to film elitists, are not doing themselves or anyone else any good. Let's figure out ways to get more indie pictures in more places.
By the way, I know the Apocalypse is here, because there are TWO Ryan Murphy films on this list.
What is happening America?
Okay, enough time on the soapbox, here's the list--
40. Driveways
39. Hansel and Gretel
38. Palm Springs - Derivative, yes, but works if only based on the charm of its two leads
37. Underwater - Kristen Stewart for whatever the next Alien reboot is, please, and no more godawful gay holiday movies.
36. Bad Hair
35. Godmothered - Really adorable, very much in the spirit of Enchanted. You're on sleeping on some of these Disney+ straight-to-streaming opportunities.
34. The Boys in the Band - The play is...dated...to say the least. Joe Mantello and a first-rate cast of gay (let me say it again) GAY actors make it that rare example of a film that surpasses its source material.
33. Time
32. Freaky - I think it's safe to say that I will now watch anything Christopher Landon puts his name on.
31. The Prom - I had so many problems with this film, it should rightfully be on a "Worst of" list, but it was so infused with joy and star power, I have a hard time resisting. In any other year, I probably would tear it apart, but it was exactly what I needed during the quarantine holiday season.
30. The Trial of the Chicago 7 - I am not exactly a member of the Sorkin cult, but I do love his theatrical way of writing. I do, however, wonder how great this film would have been if they had let someone else direct it. The direction isn't bad, but Sorkin works better when someone else is giving him boundaries (See The West Wing vs. Newsroom).
29. Cuties
28. Timmy Failure - Mike White made a family film and none of you talked about it. Shame, shame, shame.
27. An American Pickle - Strange and glorious. Maybe my favorite Seth Rogen film ever.
26. Dick Johnson Is Dead
25. Lucky Grandma - While I couldn't handle depressing during this pandemic, my appetite for weird only grew. This really hit the spot.
24. Big Time Adolescence - Yes, King of Staten Island was a miss, but this film proved that there is a way to channel Pete Davidson's f-boi damage as long as you don't build an entire movie around it. It's interesting how the two films seem to be in conversation with each other, but this one hit the poser on the head.
23. Sea Fever
22. The Half of It - Gay, teenager Cyrano? Sign me up.
21. Selah and the Spades - The rightful heir to Cruel Intentions
20. Onward - Being the last big movie to come out before we all took to our homes was obviously going to make you forget just how amazing this film was. There has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of Soul, but for my money, this is the movie that pulled off that Pixar magic of helping young audiences understand complicated ideas about grief, loss, and family.
19. Emma
18. The Vast of Night
17. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
16. AKA Jane Roe
15. Lost Girls
14. Vampires vs. The Bronx
13. The Kingmaker
12. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
11. Sorry We Missed You
My Top Ten
10. Uncorked
9. Swallow
8. Miss Juneteenth
7. Boys State
6. Blow the Man Down
5. Crip Camp
4. The Forty-Year-Old Version
3. The Sound of Metal
2. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
1. Promising Young Woman
My number one is, in my opinion, an absolutely perfect film. All hail Emerald Fennell. Welcome back, Carey Mulligan. This should be required filming for people who love movies, straight men, and anyone who wants to see a movie with a cohesive style, 70's era boldness, character-driven narrative, and style to spare. I can't say enough good things about it, other than that it's worth $20 to stream it, and I'd argue it's worth a lot more.
Now here's hoping we get back into the theaters this year.
I miss all that popcorn.
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