Not much happened in 2020, right? Totally uneventful, nothing to report.
Despite the major disruption to the release schedule as a result of the pandemic, we still received a steady stream our films for our lockdown entertainment and indoor isolation, Although, frankly, the quality wasn't always there, and it pales in comparison to recent years, a handful of gems could be found in the retooled slate.
A few dishonourable mentions first though, with these titles ranking in the bottom ten of my list (alphabetically).
A Rainy Day in New York
Bloodshot
Blumhouse's Fantasy Island
Brahms: The Boy II
The Grudge
Line of Duty
Songbird
The Turning
Quezon's Game
Uncut Gems
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Here are my twenty favourite films of the year. Based on UK release date, as always.
20. Disclosure (dir. Sam Feder)
Opportunities offered to us by the likes of Disclosure are vital, with Sam Feder's moving documentary providing a piercing insight into the representation and depiction of trans lives on screen. Guided by stars speaking with such vulnerability and candor, Disclosure should be mandatory viewing.
19. End of the Century (dir. Lucio Castro)
Memory, a brief emotional connection and a lot of yearning are central to End of the Century, the emotional directorial debut from Lucio Castro. With two fantastic, naturalistic lead performances, the film balances the specifics of a romance spanning twenty years and the universal themes and emotions at its heart.
18. Small Axe: Education (dir. Steve McQueen)
The final instalment in Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology series is arguably its best. Powerful and informative, personal yet expansive, Education explores the subtle, systemic manner in which Black people have been oppressed for decades, with the combined strength of the direction, screenplay and acting result in this impressive 63-minute feature.
17. Saint Maud (dir. Rose Glass)
Rose Glass' provocative screenplay and taut direction, matched with Morydd Clark's excellent performance, mark both as talents to watch, together turning in one of the most skin prickling horrors in some time with Saint Maud.
16. Rocks (dir. Sarah Gavron)
A film of magnificent authenticity, and made with all the heart and soul in the world, Sarah Gavron's Rocks tells a relevant tale of survival. While an incredibly bleak watch at times, the empathy and charm that cuts through the stark imagery - mostly indebted to its fantastic ensemble of mostly-new-to-screen talent - brings to life one of the most captivating films of the year.
15. Dark Waters (dir. Todd Haynes)
Dark Waters is not a horror film, but it may well be the scariest film of the year. Painting a true, bleak portrait of a corporation's valuation of financial greed over public health concerns, Todd Haynes' carefully-measured legal drama leaves a haunting impression as to the lengths the powers that be will go to in order to succeed.
14. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (dir. Eliza Hittman)
Proof that so much power can be found in silence, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a quietly moving, well-observed and textured feature with a standout performance from Sidney Flanigan in her acting debut. The titular sequence is particularly astonishing.
13. And Then We Danced (dir. Levan Akin)
While And Then We Danced's narrative beats may feel familiar at times, Sweden's International Feature Oscar submission is radical in other ways. Oozing with emotion, heart and soul, the ravishing visuals, stunning performances and sensitive direction captivate.
12. Eternal Beauty (dir. Craig Roberts)
Craig Roberts' well-observed and deeply personal second feature, Eternal Beauty, is an impressive and surprisingly layered effort filled with pathos, inventive visuals and a daring subject it balances with such sophistication. A sublime Sally Hawkins registers one of the year's very finest performances.
11. 1917 (dir. Sam Mendes)
Sam Mendes reframes a rather straightforward war story with a technical prowess that astonishes in the Best Picture-nominated 1917. Deeply engrossing while never becoming an exercise in style over substance, 1917 is further grounded by a terrific performance from the rising George Mackay.
10. Misbehaviour (dir. Philippa Lowthorpe)
Feelgood while never diminishing its importance or relevancy, Misbehaviour is elevated by its consideration of different female perspectives that provide light and shade to the issue of liberation and equality, with the intersection these various voices allow imbuing the feature with a depth that enriches the conversations greatly. Its crowning achievement, however, is the terrific ensemble led by Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
9. Kajillionaire (dir. Miranda July)
Miranda July's Kajillionaire is a moving, surprising, funny and sometimes painful movie that manages each tonal shift with impressive sophistication, resulting in a feature that won't be everybody's cup of tea, but will stun those compelled by its offbeat characters and their eccentric world. A beautifully written story of belonging and family, told through a world-class ensemble, Kajillionaire is an underseen gem that deserves your time.
8. i'm thinking of endings things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)
An enthralling exploration of memory, time and fantasy, i'm thinking of ending things will be as alienating for some as it is wholly transfixing for others, making this 2020's most divisive (yet debatable) film. Fantastically measured in every sense, everything from the production design to the cinematography, the music to the screenplay is crafted to illicit an intense reaction - one that requires focus and dissection to fully digest. Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons and Toni Collette are all incredible.
7. Summer of 85 (dir. François Ozon)
An emotionally-rich, sincere and decadent coming-of-age tale, Summer of 85 is a heart-swelling, heartbreaking ode to first love and heartbreak, to teenage desire and to memory. Nostalgia permeates throughout writer and director François Ozon's latest, crafting a timeless and elegant feature that speaks to the lover in us all. Landing its tonal shift because of the sensitive writing and wonderful performances, Summer of 85 will embed itself in the hearts of those who fall under its spell - and got us as close to a romantic, sun-kissed trip abroad as most of us had last year.
6. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (dir. Cathy Yan)
Comfortably the year's greatest blockbuster - and superhero flick, for that matter - Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey injects vibrancy and personality into the genre with this immensely enjoyable and endlessly fun adventure with Harley Quinn and Gotham's new girl group. Margot Robbie continues to demonstrate a perfect understanding of the role, surrounded here with a strong cast and group of filmmakers intent on escaping the DC Universes' wider issues with a standalone, fantastically-soundtracked and colourful romp.
5. taylor swift - folklore: the long pond session (dir. Taylor Swift)
Not content with just delivering two (!) of the very best albums of 2020, Taylor Swift also wanted in on the film list, presumably devastated that last year's Cats didn't appear on many 'best of' lists. In the long pond session, she's breaking down her first surprise record of the year, Folklore, with behind-the-scenes discussions and stripped-back performances of all seventeen tracks from the deluxe version of the record. A rewarding insight that enriches the greatest collection of work in her career to date, I'm surely not the only one hoping we return to long pond for evermore.
4. Babyteeth (dir. Shannon Murphy)
In her astonishing directorial debut, Shannon Murphy demonstrates a remarkable ability in controlling the various tones of Babyteeth, while also circumventing sentimentality in favour of something far more emotionally enriching and rewarding. With one of the finest ensembles of the year - tremendously led by Eliza Scanlen, who breathes such complexity into her character - and a powerfully emotional and layered screenplay, Babyteeth is an extraordinary debut.
3. Bad Education (dir. Cory Finley)
The darkly funny, sadly relevant and morally blurred Bad Education proves Cory Finley to be one of the most exciting new directors in the industry. Guiding this fascinating true story through its delicious twists and turns with a keen eye for the relevant and recognisable, Makowsky's sharp screenplay, and the fantastic combination of Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, makes for such a compelling piece of filmmaking. Finley spearheads with refreshing confidence in his sophomore outing, certifying himself as a director to always watch.
2. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (dir. Marielle Heller)
We spend just 109 minutes in this neighbourhood, but what a beautiful, profound and powerful time it is. So very brilliantly, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood avoids your typical biopic trappings by using the beloved children entertainer Fred Rogers as a supporting character whose moral compass is used to drive our lead, troubled protagonist to a better place in his life. With stunningly creative direction from the incomparable Marielle Heller, perfect casting in Tom Hanks and a superb ensemble around him, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood explores emotional vulnerability like few films ever have.
1. Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-Ho)
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For a full ranking of every 2020 release, you can head here!