Friends, I watched over 100 movies this year, the most since college. I’ve been using Letterboxd to chart them. If you like to watch movies, and sort of catalog them, I encourage you to join! That way, we don’t have to wait to discuss movies in this year-end list. I became a pro member, and I can now check stats. I re-watched 28 films, and I primarily watched comedies, dramas, and horror. Instead of seeing friends at restaurants, bars, parties, we watched some movies together. Staehli and I, instead of going out on dates, we watched movies on the couch.
Movies featured heavily into a big life event. I’ll get this out of the way at the top. The pandemic has not been kind to anyone, including me. I made a mistake. I got crossfaded in late August watching a strange movie (that I really cannot recommend) called The Boxer’s Omen. It’s basically a mystical battle movie between Bhuddists and Witchdoctors, and there’s some nationalism subtext/text about China vs. Thailand that as an American, I just do not understand. The imagery is horrific but also gross, and it’s an uncomfortable movie. Also, after watching it, my brain broke.
I had a major panic attack, of the kind that I’ve never really had before. It was scary! My chest and left arm hurt, I had difficulty controlling my breathing, my whole body shook. I have a Xanax prescription, and used it to stop the panic attack. After about an hour, my body calmed down, but my chest and arm still hurt later. I went to the ER, just in case it wasn’t a panic attack. They confirmed it wasn’t a heart attack, and was a panic attack. My brain didn’t really get better, and later that week, I started having intrusive thoughts about self-harm. I sought out the company of friends, but my brain had difficulty imagining a future. I was very pessimistic, despite having a loving wife, wonderful cats, a comfortable job, supportive friends, and ostensibly having fun doing things I liked: roleplaying and DMing Dungeons and Dragons games, watching movies, reading books, making food, etc. It was rough. I went to the doctor, who prescribed me some daily anti-anxiety meds. They really helped! October was probably my favorite month. Then after Thanksgiving, the thoughts came came back. My dose got upped, and I’ve started seeing a therapist. My brain is still recovering, and I’d like for 2021 to just be better! I’m sure we all would.
But against that backdrop, I’ve had art: movies, TV, books, music, digital art that I’ve found on Instagram and Tumblr, and more. I struggled with books this year, but movies were easy. And a good movie could not only distract me, but transport me, make me feel less lonely. They were also something I could share with my wife and best friend. We could laugh, cheer, cry, gawp, and discuss at length afterward. They helped pass this excruciating year. My favorites this year haven’t always been the best movies, but have been movies I’ve thought about afterward, images and moods that snuck in and didn’t let go. Surprisingly, it includes a number of films released in 2020. I was also comforted by the fact that this year, partially by virtue of watching more movies, I saw more movies written and directed by women. I hope to continue that trend next year.
Favorites/Most Appreciated
2020 Releases:
Birds of Prey was the last movie we saw in the theaters, and I found myself thinking about the costumes, colors, soundtrack, and sheer energy this film has. I think it made an impression that even few of the Marvel movies really matched.
I also think about the colors in Emma., a sort of candy-coated period drama. Anya Taylor Joy delivers a great performance as titular Emma, and has real chemistry with Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightly. The romance is accessible, believable. They have chemistry, something that I better appreciated in movies this year. I’ve struggled with Austen before, but this movie was both faithful and helped me understand the choices and context those choices are made in.
Similarly, Palm Springs had great chemistry, great images, and a story that felt very appropriate to our pandemic life. Just reliving days over and over and over. This also had a great laidback, goofball energy.
Kajillionaire was the least colorful of those films, but I think I had perhaps a stronger emotional reaction. Wild, eccentric and also sort of romantic! Weirdo small-time con artist Evan Rachel Wood finding connections outside her strange family, discovering more about herself. Director Miranda July has things to say about learned behavior, learned helplessness, circumstances that affect people, and their ability to escape that. You get a dash of cultists, some potential hoarder kind of vibes, some multi-level marketing style thinking, some cosmic existentialism, and some heist action. But like, emotional heist.
It’s odd but also beautiful and there’s a lot of small things going on here that encourage close watching. Some awkward scenes that I had to watch with a blanket on my head, but it’s all affecting. I just want Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez to have a nice time.
Non-2020 released favorites:
Uncut Gems: Tight, propulsive, anxiety inducing but also funny. Everything happens for a reason, every action has a consequence and you get introduced to this insane, insular world. Loved this. Adam Sandler, and everyone else, is great in this.
Colossal: Anne Hathaway’s sort of kaiju movie. Once you get on this film’s wavelength, you’re going to have a good time. The editing is a bit sneaky in the first bit at unsettling you with what kind of movie it is. Is this movie a comedy? It’s funny without traditional punchlines, it’s all in the edits and acting tics. Is this movie a sort-of RomCom where the small town guy helps the girl with her drinking problem? It’s about addiction, but doesn’t go to absurd lengths to hammer it in. The film seems to start there but then decidedly zigs. Is it a Kaiju movie? Yes, but there are no real cool CGI monster battles to speak of. But once you just trust it, I found it pretty rewarding and somewhat empowering. I loved that Anne Hathaway got to play fucked up pretty well, with vaguely redeeming qualities.
The Bird Cage: I loved Robin Williams as a kid and teenager. He was like a living cartoon. The Bird Cage was the first trailer I remember seeing that seemed to be a bridge between his child films (Aladdin, Jumanji) to his more adult roles. I wanted to see it for a long time, but never did until this year. This was delightful.
Rebecca (1940): Alfred Hitchcock was good at making movies. It’s a damn shame this isn’t streaming anywhere other than sketchy uploads to Youtube. It’s a masterpiece of tension.
The House on Haunted Hill: Staehli and I watched all of Central Cinema’s “Baron von Terror” horror host films, which included trashy classics (and some true ugh trash) that you’ll see below. But for sheer campy fun, nothing beat our first one: The House on Haunted Hill, which is an old, twisty Vincent Price flick. If you’re in the mood for some spooky stuff, go with this!
Sleeping with Other People: Whereas Colossal plays with Jason Sudakis’ charm, Sleeping with Other People just sets him up well with Alison Brie. Again, there is some real charisma between these two fuck-ups who decide not to sleep with one another, despite being potential sex addicts. Romantic tension escalates!
Why Don’t You Play in Hell? A Japanese film that is an ode to underground filmmaking, but also introduces funny and ironic pay-offs in a ten year time skip between the inciting incidents and the main action of the film. It’s a comedy that begins upping the drama at the end. Cartoonishly violent, showing the downside of simply dreaming about doing something cool without any follow up. A really ambiguous ending!
The Lighthouse: Epic, horny, dreadful, claustrophobic, dense, and also reminded me of Annihilation.
Paterson: This, for me, is the surprise on the list. I threw this on after Staehli had a bad day because it was an Adam Driver flick that she hadn’t seen. Jim Jarsmuch isn’t my favorite filmmaker, I find his films a bit too dreamy for their own good. But this slice of life tale of Paterson, the simple poet, just doing what he loves, for himself, has really stuck with me as time has gone on. I appreciate the smallness of this film, the walks, the work he puts into his poems, his appreciation and encouragement of others. It’s quite nice.
Trick ‘r Treat: A great little Halloween film.
Thirst: Vampires in Korea! An exploration of faith, relationships, and more. A bit long, but still great.
The Castle in the Sky: I had never seen this Miyazaki, and it really contrasts with his other stuff. The meditative moments come at the very end of the film, and there’s such great action at the beginning. That train sequence! The movement here is electric, and there’s a real villain, rare for Miyazaki.
Carol: Amazing film. Haynes is re-working modes of cinema we don’t see much anymore: straight melodramas and “problem pictures.” He’s re-worked them for queer relationships and maximized yearning. The framing of the cinematography, the script, the small subtle physical acting of Blanchett and Rooney. There’s a lot going on here, and it all comes together for a tense, but ultimately hopeful film. I don’t agree with the charges of coldness, I think a better term is restrained. The passion seethes underneath the surface, but it’s the 50s! You can’t let that out! Until they create a space for themselves in the car, which the cinematography highlights. Again, the story and technicals work really well together here.
Other Notables:
Both Midsommar (Director’s Cut) and Possession were notable in that they had a deep effect on me, but as horror films, those feelings were negative. I was repulsed, I was disturbed, I had nightmares. The movies were not “fun” per se, but they were effective, moving pieces of art about the dark, dark parts of human nature. I have no “stars” to give because I am unsure how to calculate my “enjoyment” or satisfaction with this kind of art that is designed to provoke such a reaction. Staehli and I had to process these films extensively afterward. Midsommar, we saw at Central Cinema just before the pandemic set in, and it was an uncomfortable film to watch on the big screen. I think Midsommar never truly resolves its inciting trauma, though I think that is part of the point: Florence Pugh is hurting, and no one will acknowledge it except the Swedish cult.
Possession is a different beast, a movie about obsession, abusive relationships, and a very young Sam Niell. Everyone in this movie is loathsome, but magnetic. This is the movie that I watched right before the one that featured into my major panic attack, and for me, it’s difficult to separate them.
Worthwhile Re-watches:
Gone Girl: Rewatched for the first time since seeing in theaters, and it holds up. It’s slick and fun! Neil Patrick Harris’s character is a little under baked, but Tyler Perry is great!
Phantom Thread: Saw as a series with The Favourite and Gone Girl. A wonderfully shot, delightedly askew.
When Harry Met Sally: It’d been forever since I saw this, I totally forgot about the other couple, Harry and Sally’s friends. I also forgot all of the time skips, which helps explain the changes as the characters grow and change. You really do root for Harry and Sally!
The Mummy: A still great action flick. The CGI isn’t too bad, because it’s not really trying to be lifelike. Everyone in this movie is pretty hot!
The Lost Boys: I had pegged this movie wrong from when I saw it in high school. It’s a campy classic.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: Gorgeous autumnal animation.
Everything Else I saw:
Steven Universe: The Movie: The plot felt a little pat, all things considered. For a movie, I wish they had expanded the scope a little, or at least not spent so much time revisiting the core concepts. At the same time, Spinel’s animation was amazing, and I appreciated her ‘20’s inspiration and aesthetic, as a thing from Pink Diamond’s past that has come to haunt her.
The Favourite: I saw two Yorgos Lanthamos films this year, and this was by far my favorite. Outstanding performances.
Spring Breakers: Nihilism, but not the loose, goofy fun kind that would dominate Gen Z internet culture a few years later, instead the amoral kind about a descent down the moral ladder fireman style.
John Wick Chapter 2: Good, focused on the action rather than the story. Fun.
John Wick: Parabellum: Read above!
Speed Racer: Amazing madness. The special effects have aged so-so but all of the insane color palettes are amazing. Also, Christina Ricci and Emile Hirsch actually have chemistry, and have a scene where they just…talk, and bounce ideas off one another! Staehli and I noted that was unique for a big blockbuster these days, outside a few key pairings.
Always Be My Maybe: A series of perfectly fine jokes.
Josie and the Pussycats: The last movie I saw outside my home, at a friend’s movie night. Funny! I talked a great deal at the time that it felt very pre-9/11 because it was concerned very much with teen identity and what we would later call brand identities. Post 9/11, those concerns get all muddled in politics and more introspective and arguably less fun.
Midnight Run: This movie was often referenced by other media I have enjoyed. I…just don’t understand why. I do miss this chill/positive Robert DeNiro though.
28 Days Later: Looks artefacted all to hell as one of the first digitally shot movies.
The End of the Tour: I turned this off and gave away my copy of Infinite Jest.
The Big Sick: After sitting with this: I realized I liked it, but I honestly wanted something more evenhanded than we got. I loved Zoe Kazan’s portrayal of Emily, and wanted more of her. I know the big conceit of the movie is that she’s sick, but she’s in a coma for a good chunk of the film! Kumail is able to play off of Ray Romano and Holly Hunter to good effect, and they play a pretty good couple (in fact, all of the supporting actors are pretty good), but this was less a romantic comedy than a comedy-drama, with some romance.
Ingrid Goes West: O’shea Jackson Jr. steals the show here.
The Bling Ring: I believe all the after-school-special lighting, script, and acting is intentional. I think it gives everyone an amateurish feel that emphasizes how young everyone actually is, as well as dramatize how things actually turned out. I also really liked some of the long, long shots.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Delightfully thorny performances and unsympathetic characters. Great to see Melissa McCarthy get dramatic.
Breathless: Famed French New Wave film for its technical innovation, but I have more thoughts about its feminist leanings.
Hail, Caesar: Delightful madness, and a ton of random folks in all these small roles.
The Mummy Returns: I last saw this in theaters, and it was way worse than I remembered!
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story: A series of fun jokes.
National Treasure: This functions like an old-school adventure story, which is sort of fun, but is also not good.
The Rock: I only remembered a few of the sequences from when I last saw it, so there was a lot going on here.
Clueless: Better than I remembered! Sweet and funny and definitely 90s.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Wow, the style remains great, but Scott Pilgrim is a piece of shiiiiiit.
Raising Arizona: I know some folks love this movie, but I do not. It’s still good, but not my favorite Coen movie.
I, Tonya: Real tour d’force for Margot Robbie. Funny, dramatic, worthwhile.
The Beach Bum: The worst person in the world becomes a (spoiler alert) Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet. This movie is such bullshit.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse: I think my third time through it? Animation and story remains gorgeous.
Blood and Black Lace: Giallo horror flick. Not too bad.
Can’t Hardly Wait: Watched with a podcast commentary. A spectacle of its time, but some parts were sweeter than I remember.
Jennifer’s Body: Fun! Plays with horror tropes! People did Megan Fox wrong!
The Vast of Night: Neat, some good camera work but………it also could have been a podcast.
The Missing Link: I like the Laika films, in part because they can let villains be villains. This one falls a little flat for me.
White House Down: I like Channing Tatum but I do not buy him as an action star. This was fine.
The Guest: Tight little thriller.
Plan 9 from Outer Space: Dumb, campy fun and also too talky.
Mars Attacks!: A very, very silly film, with one of the strangest casts, just all over the place. Weird to imagine how influenced I was by this as a kid. Could have done with more mayhem!
Point Break: Remains a near perfect action film.
Dragonheart: A supersized Witcher episode.
The Italian Job: Dumb fun.
Pacific Rim: Holds up!
22 Jump Street: Fun!
The Man from UNCLE: when can we have more of this Guy Ritchie?
Addams Family Values: A sort of perfect film.
The Little Shop of Horrors (1959): Roger Corman sure made some movies.
Reefer Madness: A bad morality tale.
The Pirates of the Caribbean: I was reminded how even handed this was between everyone, but Kiera Knightly is the real reason to watch this, as is Geoffrey Rush.
Witches of Eastwick: Horny! Super horny!
Black Sabbath: Fun little giallo picture.
Carnival of Souls: Dreamy, and worthy of its cult classic status.
A Bucket of Blood: I liked this a lot more than the other Roger Corman movie.
Dementia-13: That Francis Ford Coppola sure went far. His first movie is…pretty interminable.
The Scorpion King: Boy, is this not good.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga: Maybe the movie that we have quoted around the house more than any other, but at the same time, the plot is just…barely there. Fun and distracting.
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die: Pretty good B-movie!
The Beach Girls and the Monster: Dumb monster movie mashed up with those old school beach pictures. Effective enough!
Ready or Not: Just as good as I remember.
Crimson Peak: Better than I remembered!
Teenagers from Outer Space: Terrible, terrible, terrible.
Knives Out: Just as good as I remembered. It’s strange to me that they’re making another one!
Manos: Hands of Fate: Truly, truly bad.
The Slumber Party Massacre: Fantastic slasher flick, written and directed by women!
Deep Red: More Italian giallo horror. Good for what it was.
Witching and Bitching: Misogynistic Spanish film with very high production values. Do not see this.
Hubie Halloween: Way better than I thought! Functions more like a classic PG kids film, though obviously not for that audience.
The Village: I knew what the twist was, but was still moved by parts of this, including the gorgeous cinematography. I like Bryce Dallas Howard a great deal.
Horror Express: Pretty good Hammer Horror film with a very nice backstory about Christopher Lee helping out Peter Cushing.
The Love Witch: All that aesthetic for…what reason?
Spider Baby: Do not watch this, it is bad.
Rebecca (2020): Better than I thought it might be, but does not even approach Hitchcock’s masterpiece.
Death Becomes Her: A lot of fun!
A Tale of Two Sisters: Tense, very good Korean ghost story.
Witchboard: A totally fine B-movie about a haunted Ouija board.
Paprika: Not as deep as I hoped for, great animation though.
The 13th Warrior: Perfectly fine! Just dudes being dudes, killing a cannibal necro-cult.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Good animation, fun characters, poor racial politics.
The Lobster: A bad time.
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle: Very much of It’s time. I remember losing it when I saw this in high school, or early college. Now, my reaction is more: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Most of the racial jokes hold up, the sex ones not so much.
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas: Better and funnier than it really has any right to be.
The Santa Clause: The plot only sort of makes sense.
The Happiest Season: Team Kristen Stewart.
Extra Ordinary: A charming, wandering, paranormal Irish film.
See you next year!
Word Choice 