While 2020 did not have many fantastic movies, it did still have plenty of great ones. This list is late due to trying to catch up on some films I missed so that I could make a proper list. This was a very strange year so to accompany that here is a very odd top ten list.
10. The Personal History of David Copperfield was a massive surprise. I have never read Dicken's novel and was not expecting much out of this movie. This was a pure delight, full of magic and whimsy. Dev Patel was fantastic in the leading role as well as the rest of the cast. Some pacing issues in the first act aside I had a smile on my face almost the whole time.
9. Words on Bathroom Walls was a great coming of age romance while also being a very respectful portrayal of schizophrenia. Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russel had fantastic chemistry. The real star of this movie was the script. Numerous lines punched me in the gut in the best way possible. My only issue was a couple of odd story choices but overall one of the better coming of age movies in recent memory.
8. Unpregnant was a movie I had not heard of until I stumbled across it late night on HBO Max, not expecting a thing I clicked play and was immediately hooked. Hayley Lu Richardson was incredible and possibly awards-worthy. She nailed every single comedic and emotional beat. Barbie Ferreira was also great though a side plot with her character did not work for me. This was a great road trip dramatic comedy that made me laugh and cry.
7. Onward was a welcome return to form for Pixar with one of their best original films in years. The animation despite feeling more Dreamworks than Pixar was still beautiful to look at. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt both did phenomenal voice work. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer also had a good dynamic, though their subplot is the weakest plot of the film. The humor works well and in typical Pixar fashion, they nailed the emotional beat. This was a pure delight from start to finish.
6. The Gentleman was a classic Guy Ritchie ganger film with a fantastic script and great performances. Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrel, and Henry Golding all deliver wonderful hilarious performances. The biggest surprise though is Hugh Grant reinventing himself in a sleazy hysterical role. The unique way the narrative unfolds kept me consistently intrigued. This was just pure cinematic fun throughout.
5. Wonder Woman 1984 has turned out to be a surprisingly controversial film. While flawed and a step down from the first film I still had a great time and loved a few moments. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine still have fantastic chemistry and nail the emotional beats. Pedro Pascal was one of my favorite villains in recent memory. Kristen Wig was good but the writing around her character was underwhelming. The action that was there was really fun despite needing more. Regardless of its flaws this movie still delivered three of my favorite scenes of the year that hit all the right emotions.
4. Bill and Ted Face the Music was a perfect conclusion to the series. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter stepped back into their roles without missing a single step. They are still both hilarious as these characters. Samara Weaving was great as Winter's daughter with plenty of great moments. Brigette Lundy-Paine was phenomenal as Reeves's daughter. They nailed Keanu's early facial expressions and truly felt like a younger him. Weaving and Lundy-Paine are both hilarious without taking away from our leads. This movie was hysterical from the very start and kept me laughing throughout. To my surprise, they opted for an emotional finale over comedy and succeeded where most comedies fail by knocking it out of the park. I was in tears of joy when this movie ended
3. Soul blew me away in almost every aspect. This was Pixar's best film since the early 2000s. Stunning animation with phenomenal music and wonderful characters were presented nonstop. Jamie Fox and Tina Fey are both hilarious, playing off each other perfectly while nailing the emotional beats. The score is hauntingly beautiful and gave me chills numerous times. There is a small part at the beginning of the second act that worried me but the movie got past it quickly. Soul was an ambitious, emotional, creative masterwork that I cannot recommend enough.
2. The Invisible Man was a perfect way to update this classic story with one of the best horror-thrillers in recent years. Elizabeth Moss deserves the Oscar for her performance here. She acts against a green screen or sometimes even nothing masterfully. You root for her character and feel every single bit of her terror. Leigh Whanell is a director to keep your eyes on as he makes this cheap seven million dollar movie look like a major blockbuster. With a phenomenal script, acting and direction this was almost my favorite movie of the year.
But nothing could beat my number one film and one of my favorite films of all time....
1. Tenet blew me away in every single aspect. This was a pure cinematic masterpiece and equal to Nolan's other best films. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson are incredible leads with wonderful chemistry. Elizabeth Debecki's character evolves slowly and she sells the role flawlessly. Kenneth Branagh is an appropriately menacing villain. The complex script demands and rewards multiple viewings as you discover new things on each watch. The action sequences are the most innovative I have ever seen. Every single one of them had my jaw on the floor in awe. The musical score always got my blood pumping and enhanced every single scene. Nolan went full unhinged with this movie and it's easily his most ambitious film yet. Tenet while not my favorite Nolan film might be his masterpiece an easy 10/10 and the best movie of 2020.
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