My Favourite 10 Movies of 2020

It’s the most wonderful time of the year; a time where to look back through the year that was and bring you my top 10 favourite movies of the year. Despite the most topsy-turvy year in cinema, thanks to a disastrous virus I’m sure you’ve heard about, I still managed 78 new releases in 2020, so I have a few to choose from. And looking through my notes, I gave 30 movies an excellent rating of 4.0 or better, indicating to me that 2020 was another fantastic year to be a movie fan – aren’t they all? That’s a glorious strike rate of 38.46, for all you cricket fans.

I was going to try something different this year; the more I do this, the more I find movie ratings shift like tectonic plates; some movies get better the more you think about them, whilst some don’t hold up quite the same on subsequent viewings, or over time. That being said, I was toying with the idea that a movie with a rating of 4.0 could theoretically beat out a movie with a 4.5 in the end of year race to make my Favourites, but considering I have 12 movies with a 4.5 rating alone, not even all of them are going to fit! This year’s rankings; she’s a tight one!

Obviously, it goes without saying, that I didn’t get to every movie this year, so my sample size is my own. The same goes for my upcoming selections, and if I neglect a movie you love, or favour a movie you hate, that’s my opinion, but be constructive, and write in the reply box below to let me know what you think. I’m a big boy, I’m sure I can take a little gentle ribbing, and I’d love to hear your own choices.

So, without any further ado, please enjoy my picks for my favourite 10 movies of 2020!

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My Favourite 10 Movies of 2020

10.   The Peanut Butter Falcon

A tranquil and warm-hearted retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with a glaring look at how we might poorly view people with down-syndrome, with Zak replacing the role of slave Jim. It’s hard not to be just so proud of everyone involved in making this movie; creating a lively showing from such an excellent idea. Shia LeBeouf, Dakota Johnson and Zack Gottsagen in the lead roles, knock it out of the park. In my review, I mentioned how great it was to see positive representation of people with disabilities, and recounted a tale of a boy with down-syndrome who saw the movie in theatres, elated to see himself represented on screen.

09.   I’m Thinking of Ending Things

I didn’t know what to expect with I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and I still don’t know what I got. In my review, I went through a couple of theories as to what the movie might be about, but all of them seem to be as likely as the next. The movie gave me a sense of dreadful futility when watching it, but then I had a wave of joyful optimism when trying to make sense of the it the next day – I don’t know, I’m all over the place. But what I think makes I’m Thinking of Ending Things so special an experience, is the uncertainty, and a Shakespearean-like performance from Jesse Buckley, through long dreamy discussions talking about nearly every topic under the sun, with her boyfriend, played by Jesse Plemons. The movie contains the most mind-bending transformations of Toni Collette and David Thewlis through the middle of the movie too. All I know is that this movie was great, and I’m happy to honour it at nineth place on my list.

08.   The Old Guard

So, picture this – Charlize Theron is a badass solider, right? She can never die. And, she has been around for centuries, fighting in every war… Are you sold yet? How are you not sold yet?! Wait until you see the movie! Yes, Wolverine and his X-Men compadres can take a seat, while Charlize Theron and her crew take the lead in this new comic-book franchise deeply detailing the implications and ramifications of regenerating immortality. I can question aspects of the story in The Old Guard myself, but the potential is out of this world, thanks to the maturity with which the themes and the premise are handled; exceptional. Plus, this movie contains great action scenes; you get to see broken bodies reform and come back to life. It’s awesome. Woo, The Old Guard, yeah!

07.   Misbehaviour

There’s nothing like a multi-faceted look at revolutionary feminism to get your mind ticking. Set during the 1970 Miss World Championship in England, Misbehaviour strength comes through giving every character an opportunity to share their perspective, from the protestors (played by Keira Knightly and Jesse Buckley) to the contestants (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, of note). It makes for an extremely interesting time, and important historic viewing, since the movie suggests it was this event that helped push women’s social liberation onto the mainstream agenda. Despite the themes, it’s not dour, as Misbehaviour still manages a light-hearted tone. Greg Kinnear wears prosthetic make-up to look like Bob Hope too.

06.   Uncut Gems

Well, little did I realise when I saw Uncut Gems way back in January, that it would slip so low on my favourites come the end of the year, and believe you me, sixth is low for this absolute thrill-ride. There are not many movies like this one, where the tension and tone outweigh whatever is happening on screen completely. Then you think, ‘how will this end?’ and what we got, I did not see coming. Save your money going to theme parks, and watch Uncut Gems, where the adrenaline of Adam Sandler’s gem-trading addiction to gambling is the equivalent of going through a rollercoaster spook house. Directors, the Safdie Brothers, have created something really special here.

05.   Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Contentious! Maybe it’s the lack of superhero movies to inspire me in 2020, but I love this movie. I’ve watched it again since February, now that it’s on Netflix, and yes, it still holds up. Admittedly, I’m not too familiar with Huntress or Black Canary or Cassandra Caine outside of this movie, so I can’t be disappointed that they’re not like their source material – I don’t know how much that would matter anyway, because these characters work. I said it in my review; I love how Black Mask and Zsasz are these conceited fools, playing bad guys in a crime-ridden city that has come to respect chaos over competence. The costumes are remarkable, the pacing is constantly energetic; forgive that Birds of Prey is really the Harley Quinn show because Margot Robbie is born to play that demented damsel. Birds of Prey is wonderful.

P.S. I’ve seen video essays talking about how Birds of Prey is a movie talking tampons, omitting butt-shots, and avoiding showing that woman’s misery who she is forced to dance on the table; this is a gal’s movie without voyeurism, and I couldn’t agree more. Well done director Cathy Yan for that. And I neglected to mention the soundtrack in my review, which is consistently punchy, and so relatable, to me and Miss Quinn alike; ‘I’m a bitch. I’m a boss. I’m a bitch and a boss, I’ma shine like gloss!’ (Dojo Cat 😉)

04.   Hillbilly Elegy

I’ll admit it; perhaps it’s easier for me to look passed the politics ‘surrounding’ this movie (because there’s actually nothing political ‘within’ the movie) because I don’t live in the U.S. of A; I’m a bit disappointed that my fellow critics have held this movie so low. This is a movie about a young boy born into a fractured family and neighbourhood, taken in by his Grandmother, forcing him on the straight and narrow. Hillbilly Elegy has fantastic performances by Amy Adams and Glenn Close, that may appear cliché at first, but totally are not when you see what the real people actually looked like, as this movie based off a true story. Clichés have to start somewhere anyway, right? The movie is laid out going back and forth with the same delicacy as Little Women for mine; a movie that the critics adored. I say, critics, don’t focus on how the community ‘got like this’, focus on how it is, for this one boy already in the system. Focus on the razor thin edge that J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso and Owen Asztalos) finds himself navigating to not repeat the cycle.

03.   Babyteeth

On the surface, this movie is a simple drama, but I think Babyteeth’s ability to make ordinary people out of characters and handle them with care, makes it special. In other movies, Ben Mendelsohn’s therapist character might have been a polished, highly efficient father, and Eliza Scanlen’s schoolgirl could have been brightly intuitive beyond her years, making it easy to sympathise with her. But not here. These characters feel truer to reality, and often you’re left to guess at what they’re truly feeling. Plot-wise, a young school girl with a life-threatening condition meets a wild boy, and whilst her parents are horrified, they will not deny their daughter her first, and maybe only, romance. I get a strong sense that Babyteeth is meant to show how we are all making it up as we go along, and life can be ridiculous, and ridiculously hard to plan out when there are constant curveballs thrown our way. Babyteeth comes to us through some of Australia’s finest – Scanlen, Mendelsohn and Essie Davis – and a very impressive directorial debut from Shannon Murphy. I don’t see that many Australian movies, but I’m glad I saw this one. I know The Dry, starring Eric Bana, comes out New Years Day, and, it’s got stiff company to live up to.

02.   The Trial of the Chicago 7

In 2020, only two movies earned a top-teer rating off me, and the first to make this list is The Trial of the Chicago 7. When it comes to magnetic dialogue, I think Aaron Sorkin sits atop the tree (Quentin Tarantino fans just shuddered). Sorkin’s directing credentials are getting up there, following on from a pretty good movie in Molly’s Game, but The Trial of the Chicago 7 is his best; a fast-paced tale and an ideological feast for the brain. This movie tracks the criminal trial following on from anti-Vietnam War riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with a focus on the political motivations of those concerned, and how increasingly unjust the trial becomes. I’d expect to see Mark Rylance and Sacha Baron Cohen feature heavily in upcoming award ceremonies, and Frank Langella probably won’t get his merited praise for bringing the infuriatingly ignorant judge to life, but I’ve got the opportunity here and I’m taking it; well done, sir. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is well acted and well-made, across the board.

01.   1917

Yes, some might think it sneaky to include 1917 when its already had its time in the sun, but 1917 came out in January in Australia so I haven’t had my proper opportunity to rave about it yet! 1917 is a glorious achievement, detailing the horrors of WWI from the perspective of two special soldiers, chosen to cross the battered war-torn terrain to deliver a message that a fellow platoon is heading into a German trap. It’s funny; people rag on Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker for playing like a video game (including me) but 1917 sort’ve does too, going from one well-constructed location/level to the next, and because it’s so beautifully enthralling it doesn’t bother me at all. The film is shot to look like one take, as if the camera follows these young boys without breaking until the mission is complete. You feel the time constrain of the mission, and you feel the disgusting, tired, terrifying, vile horrors of war. God bless that I never had to go to war as a teenager, and I’ve gained a new appreciation for those brave souls that did, for sure. Of course, all of this has been said before, because 1917 deserves all the accolades that have come its way for a while now – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a little bit more, because 1917 is my Favourite Movie of 2020.

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A special mention to Freaky, Motherless Brooklyn, Richard Jewell, Magic Camp, and even The Hunt, The Prom, Honey Boy, Mank and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom which I know will be memorable for years to come. I just want to honour so many freakin’ movies this year! 2021 should be a beaut’.

Below, I’ve posted the full list of movies I’ve seen this year, so you can see exactly what I had to pick from. What great movies did I miss this year? What movies do I have in my top ten that are just gross? What movies did you love? Let me know in the reply box below and let’s start a conversation.

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Cinematic Releases and VOD

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

An American Pickle

Antebellum

Ava

Babyteeth

Bad Education

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Birds of Prey

Bloodshot

Bombshell

– Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

– Capone

Cats

Dark Waters

Dolittle

Emma.

Fatman

Freaky

Happiest Season

Honey Boy

Jojo Rabbit

Jumanji: The Next Level

Like a Boss

Little Women

Misbehaviour

Motherless Brooklyn

Richard Jewell

Scoob!

Sonic the Hedgehog

Spies in Disguise

Tenet

The Call of the Wild

The Gentlemen

The Hunt

The Invisible Man

The King of Staten Island

The Lighthouse

The New Mutants

The Peanut Butter Falcon

The Secret Garden

The Way Back

The Witches

Trolls: World Tour

Underwater

Unhinged

1917

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Netflix Original Releases

All the Bright Places

Da 5 Bloods

Enola Holmes

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Hillbilly Elegy

Horse Girl

Hubie Halloween

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolutions

Project Power

Rebecca

– Spenser Confidential

The Christmas Chronicles 2

The Devil All the Time

The Last Thing He Wanted

The Old Guard

The Prom

The Trail of the Chicago 7

Uncut Gems

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Disney+ Original Releases

Artemis Fowl

Black Beauty

Godmothered

Magic Camp

Mulan

Onward

Stargirl

The One and Only Ivan

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

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Stan Original Releases

A Sunburnt Christmas

The True History of the Kelly Gang

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* A dash (-) in front of a movie title indicates I did not write a review.