I think it's fair to say that this year has sucked all around. I watched the same number of movies as 2017, a year that was one of the worst of my life. I haven't been to a movie theater in ten months, not that anything really released this year anyway. I made a pretty decent dent in my To Be Watched list from home at the beginning of the lockdown but kind of fell apart by the end of summer.
Normally, I would put together a top ten of the films I saw that released in the current calendar year. I think I saw a grand total of six films from 2020, one of which was a televised theater production (Hamilton) and another was a stand-up special, so we're going to do things a little differently this year. I went back and looked at all the films I saw for the first time this year regardless of when they were released and ended up with about 130. I have narrowed those down to the ten I most enjoyed. Not necessarily the "best" films but the ones that made me want to die a little less.
10. Wonder Woman 1984 - This film had it's share of problems and I'm not sure how it will stand up to a second watch but it was bright and colorful and campy with low stakes. Any other year, none of that would be a compliment but it's December and I'm barely hanging on here.
9. In the Mood for Love - This is widely regarded as a classic and justifiably so. Pretty sure it lowered my blood pressure by 10% easy.
8. 1917 - Hey, remember January when all we had to worry about was out of control brushfires and the looming threat of nuclear war? Good times. I still had the mental energy to process this incredible war film back then.
7. Spring - Monster fucking! Yay!
6. The Color Purple - We all need a little more Miss Celie in our lives, especially this year. If that bitch didn't give up, you can't either.
5. Klaus - A stunning film and instantly part of the new Christmas canon.
4. Knives Out - If only for the memes.
3. Only Lovers Left Alive - I craved new vampire content and this was delicious.
2. Anna and the Apocalypse - Zombies beat vampires? What? That's just the topsy-turvy world we're living in, folks.
1. Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn - I mean, duh. Even before the pandemic hit, this movie brought me unrivaled joy and a bitchin' soundtrack.
I don't even know if I can say that I'm looking forward to movies in 2021. I mean, sure, I am but who the hell knows when stuff is actually going to come out? Hope springs eternal, I guess?
355 - Was supposed to come out this year. Didn't. Band of lady assassins starring Jessica Chastain, so it has my money regardless.
Coming 2 America - No idea if this is going to be good.
Raya and the Last Dragon - Yes.
The King's Man - prequel to the Kingsman movies so no Taron Egerton but it should still have a lot of stuff blowing up.
No Time to Die - Daniel Craig's last (we'll see) outing as James Bond.
Last Night in Soho - horror film from Edgar Wright, which probably means horror comedy, which I am here for.
Black Widow - Are we ever gonna see this damn thing? It's holding up the release of like five other Marvel films.
Free Guy - Ryan Reynolds as a video game NPC who gains self-awareness.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - Obviously.
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Five Rings - Marvel breaking some new people off the bench.
Suicide Squad - the Redux. We'll see if this one can nail the tone correctly.
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - I am loving these increasingly ridiculous titles. I hope there's like five in this series so they end up with The Bodyguard's Cousin's Roommate from College's Half-Brother's Hitman.
Candyman - I was really hoping this would come out this year but no, we can't have nice things.
Death on the Nile - Costumes!
Dune - Sand Worms!
Uncharted - Okay, I just started playing these games and they're really fun so I hope this won't suck.
Eternals - More Marvel deep cuts!
Mission: Impossible 7 - Let's see if this is one that finally kills Tom Cruise.
The Matrix 4 - I mean, what is this even going to look like?
The French Dispatch - Wes Anderson whimsy!
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