My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2020

A couple of introductory comments this year:
• Obviously 2020 was seriously messed up in many, many regards, just one of which was closed movie theaters and rescheduled/re-planned releases. As a result, I only saw 16 new releases either in a theater or via streaming/TV, and did not officially review many of them. Also, I have not included movies that were specifically made for streaming sites (The Half of It or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, for example). That’s merely a judgment call on my part. The upshot: This is only a Top 5 instead of my usual Top 10.
• For 12 years I’ve been posting these lists with an admittedly clunky headline. But that long-ago decision (explained in my first entry) seems particularly important now. Because way too many people confuse their opinions with facts. [Author’s Note: And I wrote this paragraph before Wednesday. Jeez Louise!] It’s easy to say “the line has been blurred” but that’s categorically untrue: Facts remain facts, opinions are still opinion, and those twain ain’t meeting anytime soon. So, the following list of best movies is my opinion, which may differ from yours. I’d be worried if it didn’t.

5) Gretel and Hansel When I walked out of the theater last February, I wasn’t even sure if I liked this film or not. But the gothic horror, directed by Anthony Perkins’ son Oz, has definitely stuck with me. Stark, slooooow, atmospheric, majorly f’ed up, with yet another stellar performance from young Sophia Lillis.

4) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan That footage of Giuliani jamming his hand down his pants was a bit of a momentum shifter, I think. Oh what a nice surprise to have Borat back, just when we needed him most, providing huge laughs and reminding us that the newly-empowered far-right are just a bunch of dopes. But it was also a kinder, gentler Borat, with the movie celebrating female empowerment (really!) and skewering anti-semitism with genuine compassion. Very nice!

3) On the Rocks The most “grown up” movie I saw all year. Sofia Coppola makes her Woody Allen film and Bill Murray gives us classic Murray in this light comedy set on the gorgeous night streets of upscale Manhattan.

2) News of the World I don’t rush to Tom Hanks films like I used to (is Greyhound the sequel to Sully except this time he lands a bus on the Hudson?), but paired with veteran director Paul Greengrass, I thought it was worth a chance. This is the kind of movie your home screen can never do justice to, with sweeping western vistas. Plus there are galloping horses, old-timey guns, man vs. nature, a hero’s quest, and ever-trusty Hanks steering us along the dusty path. Shout-out to young Helena Zengel, who delivers a first-rate performance. Yes, this ticks all the boxes for a cowboy flick, but it also has warmth and loss, trust and loyalty.

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 It’s a good thing they didn’t have a global pandemic in 1968 because oh man was that a messed-up year. Two decades later I was taking a college course about it, and in another class we read Tom Hayden’s memoir. As my academic recollections have gotten a bit fuzzy, this film provided an excellent refresher. In Chicago near the Democratic convention, cops in riot gear cracked down on a peaceful protest, and things turned violent. (How can modern audiences possibly relate to this story?!?) Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed this reenactment of the resultant trial of the supposed ringleaders, with much dialogue taken from the trial itself. Does Sacha Baron Cohen steal this movie (eh?) as Abbie Hoffman? Quite possibly! On the prosecution side, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is rock-solid, and no stock baddie. Meanwhile, as William Kunstler on the defense, the great Mark Rylance twists, turns, and strains all in the name of justice. But this is truly an ensemble piece, and Sorkin makes it crackle with wit, wisdom, danger, drama, and the ever-present debate between idealism and compromise. We can only wonder how it will compare when/if the Capitol Terrorists come to trial.

Honorable mentions: Uncle Peckerhead; VHYes; White Riot; Zappa; Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan

Worst movie: Though not horrifically bad, I’ll give the nod to Wonder Woman 1984, a jumbled, lightweight sequel with a really unclear message.

My best-of lists from: 2019, 2018, 2017/16, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

You can check out all my movie reviews by clicking here.