Top 10 of 2020

[Mal]

Let's go!

[Mal]

1. The Assistant
2. Birds of Prey
3. The Wild Goose Lake
4. The Truth
5. Underwater
6. Color out of Space
7. Bad Boys for Life
8. Gretel and Hansel
9. Downhill

[baby doll]

US Theatrical Releases

Warm
I Wish I Knew (Jia Zhangke)

Mild
I Was at Home, but... (Angela Schanelec)

Cold
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley)
The Traitor (Marco Bellocchio)

[Ezee E]

1. The Lodge
2. Color Out of Space
3. First Cow
4. Gretel and Hansel
5. Wild Goose Lake

[TGM]

1. Weathering With You
2. Sonic the Hedgehog
3. Underwater

<.<

[Ivan Drago]

1. Birds of Prey
2. VHYes
3. Emma.
4. Gretel & Hansel
5. Bad Boys For Life
6. Sonic The Hedgehog
7. Color Out Of Space

[Ezee E]

I got an Alamo Season Pass, almost considered Birds of Prey, but have a feeling I'd be very annoyed and want to walk out.

[Peng]

Finally watched enough to start.

1. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
2. The Invisible Man
3. Sibyl
4. The Way Back
5. Onward
6. Miss Americana
7. Emma.
8. Deerskin
9. And Then We Danced
10. Birds of Prey

[baby doll]

Premieres

Mild
The Rabbit Hunters (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)
Stump the Guesser! (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)


US Theatrical Releases

Spicy
Jinpa (Pema Tseden)
Vitalina Varela (Pedro Costa)

Warm
I Wish I Knew (Jia Zhangke)

Mild
I Was at Home, but... (Angela Schanelec)

Cold
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley)
The Traitor (Marco Bellocchio)

[Peng]

1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
2. Bacurau
3. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
4. The Invisible Man
5. Sibyl
6. The Way Back
7. Onward
8. Miss Americana
9. Emma.
10. Deerskin

[TGM]

Doesn't appear like there's gonna be much change to this list anytime soon:

1. The Hunt
2. Onward
3. Sonic the Hedgehog
4. Weathering With You
5. Underwater

[Peng]

1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
2. Bacurau
3. Bad Education
4. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
5. The Invisible Man
6. Sibyl
7. The Way Back
8. Onward
9. The Assistant
10. Miss Americana

[Peng]

1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
2. A White, White Day
3. Bacurau
4. Bad Education
5. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
6. The Invisible Man
7. Ema
8. Sibyl
9. The Way Back
10. Onward

[Ezee E]

The struggle is real...

1. Invisible Man
2. Night of the Kings
3. Color Out of Space
4. The Lodge
5. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
6. Possessor
7. Tenet
8. Kajillionaire
9. First Cow
10. Da 5 Bloods

[Ivan Drago]

lol i may not have a top 10 list this year that i'm happy with then again theaters closing possibly for good may have sapped any joy movies give me but here is one for shits and giggles

1. I'm thinking of ending things
2. She Dies Tomorrow
3. First Cow
4. The Invisible Man
5. The Assistant
6. And Then We Danced
7. The Boys In The Band
8. The Lodge
9. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
10. Emma.

[Peng]

1. First Cow
2. Da 5 Bloods
3. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
4. A White, White Day
5. Bacurau
6. The Wolf House
7. Bad Education
8. Rewind
9. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
10. The Invisible Man

[Ezee E]

Yeah. Some of these Netflix movies are showing on the screens. Doing my best to visit the theaters to support, but one man can only do so much, lol.

[Ezee E]

To watch:
Palm Springs
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Zola
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Wendy
Promising Young Woman
Shirley
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
On The Rocks
The Father
Becky
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

[baby doll]

Premieres

Warm
L'Année dernière Ã* Dachau (Mark Rappaport)
Apiyemiyekî? (Ana Vaz)

Mild
Anna/Nana/Nana/Anna (Mark Rappaport)
La France contre les robots (Jean-Marie Straub)
The Rabbit Hunters (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)
Strasbourg 1518 (Jonathan Glazer)
Stump the Guesser! (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)

Cold
American Murder: The Family Next Door (Jenny Popplewell)


US Theatrical Releases

Spicy
Jinpa (Pema Tseden)
Vitalina Varela (Pedro Costa)

Warm
I Wish I Knew (Jia Zhangke)

Mild
I Was at Home, but... (Angela Schanelec)

Cold
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley)
The Traitor (Marco Bellocchio)

[Mal]

1. On the Rocks
2. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
3. Feels Good Man
4. American Utopia
5. The Assistant
6. Saint Frances
7. Driveways
8. First Cow
9. Ghost Tropic
10. Fourteen

[DFA1979]

Using this thread for recs since I've only seen four or five movies from 2020.

[Pop Trash]

Other Music
The Invisible Man
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Da 5 Bloods
First Cow
Feels Good Man
Boys State
The Vast of Night
You Don't Nomi
Beastie Boys Story

[Ivan Drago]

I finally have a top 10 list I'm happy with.

1. I'm thinking of ending things
2. She Dies Tomorrow
3. On The Rocks
4. First Cow
5. The Invisible Man
6. The Assistant
7. And Then We Danced
8. Synchronic
9. The Boys in the Band
10. Emma.

[Peng]

1. Dick Johnson is Dead
2. First Cow
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. Da 5 Bloods
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6. A White, White Day
7. Bacurau
8. The Wolf House
9. Bad Education
10. Rewind

[Peng]

1. Dick Johnson is Dead
2. First Cow
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. Da 5 Bloods
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6. A White, White Day
7. Time
8. Bacurau
9. Collective
10. The Grand Bizarre

Five docs at the moment, which indicates either a great year for docs or the current situation crippling narrative film's making/release, or (most likely) both.

[Ezee E]

To watch:
Palm Springs
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Zola
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Wendy
Promising Young Woman
Shirley
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
On The Rocks
The Father
Becky
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

[dreamdead]

Hoping to do a run of films here this month, but so far:

1. Bacurau
2. Dick Johnson is Dead
3. Palm Springs
4. The Assistant
5. Da 5 Bloods
6. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
7. Mank

ETA: Only fully convinced by the top 2, but still working on the list.

[Ezee E]

Palm Springs is only available on Hulu I believe.
hmmmmm....

[Idioteque Stalker]

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. The Trip to Greece
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. The Vast of Night
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6. The Assistant
7. The Wolf House
8. Time
9. Emma.
10. Da 5 Bloods

Worst year maybe ever.

[baby doll]

Worst year maybe ever.1981 still gets my vote. I can only think of four spicy movies from that year: Too Early/Too Late, Modern Romance, Cutter's Way, and Diva. Maybe La Femme de l'aviateur but I'd need to see it again first. And I still haven't seen The Arabic Numerals Series, Eijanaika, Freak Orlando, Ms. 45, Orderly or Disorderly, Thief, or You Are Not I.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I have the same number of four star films in 2020 as I have in 1981, so they are somewhat equal to me. Currently I give the tiebreaker to 2020 as the worst year because strictly speaking Das Boot is a more impressive cinematic achievement than The Trip to Greece.

EDIT: To be fair, I haven't seen a lot of movies from 1981, but of course the same is true to 2020.

[Dukefrukem]

1981 gave us Raiders, Escape from New York, Mad Max 2, Possession and the Evil Dead. It's by far better than 2020.

[baby doll]

1981 gave us Raiders, Escape from New York, Mad Max 2, Possession and the Evil Dead. It's by far better than 2020.As I've said elsewhere on this forum, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Possession both have serious problems with pacing that hold them back from being great films: In each, the filmmakers' compulsion to knock the viewer's socks off every ten minutes or so reaches a point of diminishing returns pretty early. I'll have to take another look at Escape from New York, since I can barely remember it, but my first impression is that it had a distinctive look and there were a couple good scenes but I never cared about the plot enough to get very involved in anything that was happening. I haven't Evil Dead or The Road Warrior but the latter at least piques my interest.

[Pop Trash]

Raiders of the Lost Ark has serious problems with pacing

lol

[Pop Trash]

1981 gave us Raiders, Escape from New York, Mad Max 2, Possession and the Evil Dead. It's by far better than 2020.

It's a great year for genre films, esp. horror. Even a great werewolf movie (American Werewolf in London), and a solid werewolf movie (The Howling). Admittedly less great for dramas and comedies, although haven't seen a lot from that year still. It did give us Modern Romance which is a fine comedy.

[baby doll]

lolGreat counter-argument.

[Lazlo]

1. Palm Springs
2. Driveways
3. Dick Johnson is Dead
4. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
5. Hamilton
6. Mangrove
7. Tenet
8. Lovers Rock
9. First Cow
10. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

Interesting year.

[Irish]

1981 gave us Raiders, Escape from New York, Mad Max 2, Possession and the Evil Dead. It's by far better than 2020.

It's a year that really celebrated mediocrity. For every "Road Warrior" or "Evil Dead," there's a "Victory," "Looker," "Quest for Fire," "For Your Eyes Only," "Excalibur," or "Outland." Top grossers included shit like "On Golden Pond" and "Cannonball Run." (And "Golden Pond" went on to win major awards.)


1981 still gets my vote. I can only think of four spicy movies from that year: Too Early/Too Late, Modern Romance, Cutter's Way, and Diva. Maybe La Femme de l'aviateur but I'd need to see it again first. And I still haven't seen The Arabic Numerals Series, Eijanaika, Freak Orlando, Ms. 45, Orderly or Disorderly, Thief, or You Are Not I.

I'd add "Reds," "Blow Out," "Atlantic City," and maaaaaaaybe "My Dinner with Andre" to your shortlist.

"Ms .45" and "Thief" are def worth a watch, although ".45" is a bit of a tryhard.

[baby doll]

I'd add "Reds," "Blow Out," "Atlantic City," and maaaaaaaybe "My Dinner with Andre" to your shortlist.

"Ms .45" and "Thief" are def worth a watch, although ".45" is a bit of a tryhard.I haven't seen Atlantic City (which premiered in 1980 anyway) or Reds. Blow Out is fun, but even after a second viewing, I still can't get completely behind a political thriller that is so at pains not to make any kind of political statement whatsoever. (I prefer Sisters, Dressed to Kill, Raising Cain, and Femme fatale.) I wrote about My Dinner with André on Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/sukiyakiramen/film/my-dinner-with-andre/).

[Irish]

Lemme amend: Those are movies I would shortlist, in addition to yours.

Premiere dates are a dodgy proposition, really. "Evil Dead" played locally in 1981, showed at Cannes in 1982, but wasn't distributed in the US until 1983. "Road Warrior" debuted in Australia in late 1981, but wasn't released in America until mid-1982. But somehow we collectively refer to them as movies from 1981.

"Reds" is a great movie with great performances, and it's a shame it lost out to middlebrow swill like "Chariots of Fire" and "On Golden Pond." I'd be interested in what you thought of it.

I see your point about "Blow Out," but yeah ... still a great movie movie. I'll take the first hour of that over most of the other '81 releases. (And to rebut: non-political political thrillers are almost refreshing after the frantic paranoia of some others, eg: "Ipcress File" and "Parallax View," etc.)

[baby doll]

Premiere dates are a dodgy proposition, really. "Evil Dead" played locally in 1981, showed at Cannes in 1982, but wasn't distributed in the US until 1983. "Road Warrior" debuted in Australia in late 1981, but wasn't released in America until mid-1982. But somehow we collectively refer to them as movies from 1981.I go by first public screening, whenever and wherever that happens to have been. The General premiered in Tokyo on December 31, 1926, so by my reckoning, it's a 1926 film.


I see your point about "Blow Out," but yeah ... still a great movie movie. I'll take the first hour of that over most of the other '81 releases. (And to rebut: non-political political thrillers are almost refreshing after the frantic paranoia of some others, eg: "Ipcress File" and "Parallax View," etc.)Maybe I'd be more forgiving of Blow Out as a non-political political thriller if the John Lithgow character weren't such a standard-issue movie psycho whose actions seem motivated more by the requirements of the plot than any internal motivation.

[Irish]

I go by first public screening, whenever and wherever that happens to have been. The General premiered in Tokyo on December 31, 1926, so by my reckoning, it's a 1926 film.

Yeah, that's the way it's done nowadays and I hate it.

"Atlantic City" was shot in the United States and starred American actors in an American story. That it had European financing and a European director seems inconsequential, as does its premiere at Venice in the fall of 1980. Lancaster and Sarandon were both nominated for the 1981 Academy awards, too, because that's when the movie was distributed in the United States.

Likewise any recent movie debuting at a high profile festival, but isn't distributed for a year or more afterwards.

Cf: "The Witch," which premiered at Sundance in January, 2015 but wasn't available to general audiences until February, 2016. I don't know how to refer to it as a product of 2015 when most people couldn't and didn't see it in 2015.

Gotta say, this seems a strange peeve coming from you, the guy who has said, and more than once, that "best of the decade" lists are an arbitrary distinction.


Maybe I'd be more forgiving of Blow Out as a non-political political thriller if the John Lithgow character weren't such a standard-issue movie psycho whose actions seem motivated more by the requirements of the plot than any internal motivation.

God, you're making me wanna watch it again, lol.

TBH, the only scene I remember clearly is the set-up in the forest, with the bridge, and how the film is obviously a riff on "Blow Up" but done so precisely and with such care that it comes off as fresh, if not unique.

[baby doll]

Yeah, that's the way it's done nowadays and I hate it.

"Atlantic City" was shot in the United States and starred American actors in an American story. That it had European financing and a European director seems inconsequential, as does its premiere at Venice in the fall of 1980. Lancaster and Sarandon were both nominated for the 1981 Academy awards, too, because that's when the movie was distributed in the United States.

Likewise any recent movie debuting at a high profile festival, but isn't distributed for a year or more afterwards.

Cf: "The Witch," which premiered at Sundance in January, 2015 but wasn't available to general audiences until February, 2016. I don't know how to refer to it as a product of 2015 when most people couldn't and didn't see it in 2015.

Gotta say, this seems a strange peeve coming from you, the guy who has said, and more than once, that "best of the decade" lists are an arbitrary distinction.It strikes me as rather provincial to privilege a film's US release date, as if a film doesn't matter unless it's reviewed in the New York Times. After all, the overwhelming majority of films never get a commercial release in the US (including most avant-garde films), and when a film does open there, it's often many years after its premiere (A Brighter Summer Day didn't open in New York until 2011). Also, since I don't live in the US, it seems arbitrary--and vaguely colonialist--to date a film by its US release date rather than its British, French, Japanese, or Mongolian release date. The King of Comedy apparently opened in Iceland 1982, so to date it as a 1983 film implies that Icelandic spectators don't matter, or matter less than American spectators, who couldn't see the film until 1983.

On the other hand, if the argument is that we should date a film by when it opens in its home territory, the example of Atlantic City just goes to show how difficult it often is to assign a film an unambiguous national identity. Is The Last Emperor Italian, Chinese, or British? When I lived in Hangzhou, the DVD shops I went to had it mixed in with Chinese films, suggesting that at least some Chinese people regard it as such, but according to IMDb, it's a British-Italian-French co-production. Yet despite having a British producer and a cameo appearance by Peter O'Toole, it apparently opened in the UK later than it did in the US, as it won the Oscar for the best film of 1987 and the BAFTA for the best film of 1988.

[Irish]

Are we really arguing about this? I guess we are.

Before we throw around terms like "provincial" and "colonialist" ... Why are festival selection committees the arbiter of release dates? If movies are a democratic art form, made for general audiences, wouldn't that be elitist and exclusionary?

How does it make sense to define an American movie by a one-off event occurring in Europe?


The King of Comedy apparently opened in Iceland 1982, so to date it as a 1983 film implies that Icelandic spectators don't matter, or matter less than American spectators, who couldn't see the film until 1983.

In this context, they don't matter. Who gives a shit when Icelanders first saw an American movie?


Is The Last Emperor Italian, Chinese, or British?

Good example, but one could just as easily argue edge cases shouldn't define the field.

(PS: It's British.)

[baby doll]

Are we really arguing about this? I guess we are.

Before we throw around terms like "provincial" and "colonialist" ... Why are festival selection committees the arbiter of release dates? If movies are a democratic art form, made for general audiences, wouldn't that be elitist and exclusionary?

How does it make sense to define an American movie by a one-off event occurring in Europe?

In this context, they don't matter. Who gives a shit when Icelanders first saw an American movie?

Good example, but one could just as easily argue edge cases shouldn't define the field.

(PS: It's British.)I'm not committed to the idea that cinema is inherently a democratic art form made for general audiences. Some films, notably avant-garde films, have a narrower appeal and do not find commercial distribution. That doesn't mean Peter Tscherkassky is a less important filmmaker than Christopher Nolan. Incidentally, it's been a long time since commercial movies made their money from theatrical distribution, and in light of the recent announcement by Warner Bros., it seems likely that more and more commercial films will bypass it altogether, even if movie theatres come back after the pandemic.

I don't think this is merely an issue about dates: It's really an issue about which films are considered important. If the criterion of mattering is a theatrical release in some national territory, a great many films (including some of the best ever made) will fail to clear that bar because they only play at festivals and other, less formal screening venues (e.g., screenings organized by film co-ops and ciné-clubs). I would argue that's more elitist and exclusionary than going by first public screening because the implication is that a film might as well not exist unless a distribution company is willing to spend thousands of dollars to release it.

On the subject of Icelanders watching American films, I don't accept the view articulated by Pauline Kael in her review of Bonnie and Clyde that that American audiences have a special affinity for American films, as if the American public were a homogeneous mass united by some unique national essence. Even in countries as ethnically homogeneous as Japan and South Korea, there isn't one audience, nor does there seem to me any good reason for privileging one group of spectators over another as being a more ideal audience for a film. All films are available to a wide range of appropriations and interpretations and no one is an ideal spectator.

[megladon8]

I would argue that Americans do have a propensity to prefer American films, as do English audiences with English films, French with French, etc.

Not only due to language (when talking with friends / coworkers about movies, it is more often that they aren't interested in "something with subtitles" than being open to it). Also due to cultural familiarity and a higher chance of connecting with their sociopolitical, religious or philosophical views.

[baby doll]

I would argue that Americans do have a propensity to prefer American films, as do English audiences with English films, French with French, etc.

Not only due to language (when talking with friends / coworkers about movies, it is more often that they aren't interested in "something with subtitles" than being open to it). Also due to cultural familiarity and a higher chance of connecting with their sociopolitical, religious or philosophical views.The issue isn't whether Americans prefer to watch American movies (most Canadians also prefer to watch American films); the issue is whether Americans are ideal spectators of American films, my argument being that no one is an ideal spectator of any film. Obviously a black person from Watts is going to see things in Killer of Sheep that a white guy from Scandinavia won't, but the Scandinavian guy may also see things in the film that are less apparent to a black American spectator. Everybody brings their own personal agendas, biases, and blindspots to a movie, and there's no correct way of understanding a movie. (Miriam Hansen has even argued that Hollywood succeeded on a global scale in part because Hollywood films meant different things to different people, both in the United States--which is incredibly diverse--and abroad.) The idea that a Pacific Islander in Hawaii has some special insight into Burnett's film that black audiences in Toronto and London don't ignores the heterogeneity of American audiences. Moreover, Hollywood movies are increasingly designed to appeal to an international audience (particularly audiences in mainland China).

Also, for what it's worth, none of the French people I know will go anywhere near a French movie. They prefer '80s Hong Kong films.

[StuSmallz]

If movies are a democratic art form, made for general audiences, wouldn't that be elitist and exclusionary?

Who gives a shit when Icelanders first saw an American movie?Uh...

[Pop Trash]

My top ten from 1981 since I know ya'll are breathlessly awaiting my $.02 on the matter.

The Road Warrior
Raiders of the Lost Ark
An American Werewolf in London
Modern Romance
Blow Out
Ms. 45
Escape from NY
The Evil Dead
Polyester
Mommie Dearest


Easily better than 2020 for me but nostalgia is a cruel mistress.

[Pop Trash]

The release date thing imdb uses is good for standardization. I realize there is some elitism w/ having a Cannes or Toronto premier being the end all/be all but esp. w/ foreign films it helps to not make release dates so Americentric. Something like Audition is a 1999 film because it played in Japan then, even if the vast majority of English speakers never saw it until 2000 (or even 2001 / 2002). International critics polls like Sight & Sound need to have a common consensus about the year of a movie, even if individual publications generally go by year of release in their respective country or even city (Chicago critics will often include a movie as that year if it opened up January or February in Chicago, even if it opened up in NYC the previous December).

[Ezee E]

To watch:
Palm Springs
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Zola - moved to 2021
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Wendy
Promising Young Woman
Shirley
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
On The Rocks
The Father
Becky
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

ADDING:
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Small Axe Anthology - Parts 4 and 5
40 Year Old Version
Bacarau
News of the World
Pieces of a Woman
Judas and the Black Messiah (?)

[Philip J. Fry]

Wolfwalkers is definitely a must watch. And I'd add La Casa Lobo and I'm No Longer Here. There are also a few anime films I'd say are good to really good.

[dreamdead]

1. A Sun
2. Bacurau
3. Dick Johnson is Dead
4. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
5. Sound of Metal
6. The Assistant
7. The Forty-Year Old Version
8. Palm Springs
9. Da 5 Bloods
10. Shirley

Others:
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank

Trying to catch up on a lot and some things will inevitably fall behind, but Chung Mong-hong's A Sun is deserving of the praise that the Variety writer threw its way when he namechecked it as the year's best film. It operates across multiple registers, as a low-key gangster film, as a family melodrama, and as a study on lower-class life and beliefs in aspiration. It feels like a slice-of-life text, and the comparisons to Lee Chang-dong's scripts is apropos--this Taiwanese film is pretty understated, yet there are echoes and reverberations that feel similar to the way that Lee's Secret Sunshine or Poetry operated, where payoffs on those small moments occur some time later. There are a slew of gorgeous individual shots and moments, from the hotpot visual to the dream sequence to the sequence that gives the film's its English title, to the coda. Just a marvel.

[Ivan Drago]

I finally have a top 10 list I'm happy with.

1. I'm thinking of ending things
2. She Dies Tomorrow
3. On The Rocks
4. First Cow
5. The Invisible Man
6. The Assistant
7. And Then We Danced
8. Synchronic
9. The Boys in the Band
10. Emma.

So.....this went through some changes.

1. I'm thinking of ending things
2. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
3. Nomadland
4. She Dies Tomorrow
5. Sound of Metal
6. One Night In Miami...
7. Wolfwalkers
8. On The Rocks
9. Soul
10. The Assistant

[baby doll]

Premieres

Warm
L'Année dernière Ã* Dachau (Mark Rappaport)
Apiyemiyekî? (Ana Vaz)

Mild
Anna/Nana/Nana/Anna (Mark Rappaport)
La France contre les robots (Jean-Marie Straub)
The Rabbit Hunters (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)
Strasbourg 1518 (Jonathan Glazer)
Stump the Guesser! (Evan and Galen Johnson/Guy Maddin)

Cold
American Murder: The Family Next Door (Jenny Popplewell)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Jason Woliner)


US Theatrical Releases

Spicy
Jinpa (Pema Tseden)
Vitalina Varela (Pedro Costa)

Warm
I Was at Home, but... (Angela Schanelec)
I Wish I Knew (Jia Zhangke)

Mild
Beanpole (Kantemir Balagov)
La Gomera (Corneliu Porumboiu)

Cold
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley)
The Traitor (Marco Bellocchio)


Reviewed in the New York Times

Spicy
Liberté (Albert Serra)

Warm
Le Daim (Quentin Dupieux)
A Girl Missing (Fukada Koji)
Hill of Freedom (Hong Sangsoo)
Sibyl (Justine Triet)
To the Ends of the Earth (Kurosawa Kiyoshi)
Yourself and Yours (Hong Sangsoo)

Mild
Family Romance, LLC (Werner Herzog)

Cold
Fire Will Come (Oliver Laxe)
Heimat Is a Space in Time (Thomas Heise)

[Idioteque Stalker]

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. The Trip to Greece
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. The Vast of Night
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
6. The Assistant
7. The Wolf House
8. Time
9. Emma.
10. Da 5 Bloods

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. The Trip to Greece
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. The Forty-Year-Old Version
5. The Vast of Night
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. The Assistant
8. The Wolf House
9. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
10. Time

[Peng]

Year's end snapshot.

1. Dick Johnson is Dead
2. Lovers Rock
3. First Cow
4. Wolfwalkers
5. David Byrne's American Utopia
6. Da 5 Bloods
7. Soul
8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
9. A White, White Day
10. Time

[Rico]

The year of hot garbage. Not enough quality movies to even make a top 5. I hope they don't make any awards shows for this year.

[Dukefrukem]

Only saw 32 films this year, which is not surprising. The top 10 is not good.

https://letterboxd.com/dukefrukem/list/2020/

Best thing I saw all year was Hamilton along with THREE Netflix movies.

1 Hamilton
2. The Vast of Night
3. Palm Springs
4. The Hunt
5. Horse Girl
6. The Haunting of Bly Manor
7. Extraction
8. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
9. Vivarium
10. Color Out of Space

[Idioteque Stalker]

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. The Trip to Greece
3. David Byrne's American Utopia
4. The Forty-Year-Old Version
5. The Vast of Night
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. The Assistant
8. The Wolf House
9. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
10. Time

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. The Grand Bizarre
3. The Trip to Greece
4. David Byrne's American Utopia
5. Sound of Metal
6. The Forty-Year-Old Version
7. The Vast of Night
8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
9. The Assistant
10. The Wolf House

[Ezee E]

Making some movement.



To watch:
Palm Springs
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Zola - moved to 2021
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Wendy
Promising Young Woman
Shirley
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
On The Rocks
The Father
Becky
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

ADDING:
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Small Axe Anthology - Parts 4 and 5
40 Year Old Version
Bacarau
News of the World
Pieces of a Woman
Judas and the Black Messiah (?)

[transmogrifier]

Add Hunter Hunter

[Ezee E]

Add Hunter Hunter

Neat premise. ADDING.

[Ezee E]

Making some movement.



To watch:
Palm Springs
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Zola - moved to 2021
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Wendy
Promising Young Woman
Shirley
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
On The Rocks
The Father
Becky
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

ADDING:
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Small Axe Anthology - Parts 4 and 5
40 Year Old Version
Bacarau
News of the World
Pieces of a Woman
Hunter Hunter
I'm Your Woman
Judas and the Black Messiah
Malcolm & Marie

Definitely glad I watched On the Rocks despite the low reception to it and the bad trailer.

Came across some clips and stills of I'm Your Woman which now gets added.

Malcolm & Marie is going for awards... Despite it being "2021," I'll be lumping it into 2020 since it's trying to be nominated.

[Ezee E]

From Letterboxd
https://a.ltrbxd.com/sm/upload/im/fe/ru/bb/yir-banner-1900-o.png?k=98da07798a

From left to right:
Wolfwalkers
Wolf of Snow Hollow
Kajillionaire (80% sure)
Tenet
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mangrove
Birds of Prey
Palm Springs (? 20% sure - haven’t seen it)
Minari
Nomadland
Sound of Metal
I’m Thinking of Ending Things

[Mal]

https://letterboxd.com/2020/#title-page

[Mal]

I'm not counting any movie released in Jan/Feb for awards as 2020.

[Ezee E]

I'm not counting any movie released in Jan/Feb for awards as 2020.

The 2020 Matchies are gonna be hard as hell to figure out lol.

[Mal]

The 2020 Matchies are gonna be hard as hell to figure out lol.

Nothing I've seen that has been released in January has been great anyway

[Ezee E]

Nothing I've seen that has been released in January has been great anyway

I'm crossing my fingers that Judas and the Black Messiah is as good as I'm hoping, and assuming that majority of us haven't watched Nomadland yet, which are probably two of the bigger ones for Oscars?

[Dukefrukem]

https://letterboxd.com/2020/#title-page

I still don't know what those first two are.

[Mal]

Gal with the crossbow is Wolfwalkers

[Idioteque Stalker]

Might second from left be Possessor or Bacurau? I haven't seen either, but it's bothering me we can't figure it out.

[Peng]

Haven't seen it either, but second from left is The Wolf of Snow Hollow.

[Ezee E]

And I just watched Wolfwalkers...... Eeep, just didn't see it from the side angle I guess.

Is that Palm Springs for sure too?

[Peng]

Yes, because the link to the full image has that as Andy Samberg on a pool float.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive, pg_1,q_80,w_1600/dmya0jbxepridwawo6m2.jpg

[Ezee E]

Almost there...

Heard about this movie The White Tiger being really good now...


To watch:
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Wendy
Shirley
Palm Springs
Zola - moved to 2021
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Promising Young Woman
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
The Father
Becky
On The Rocks
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

ADDING:
Bacarau
News of the World
Hunter Hunter
I'm Your Woman
Judas and the Black Messiah
Malcolm & Marie
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Small Axe Anthology - Parts 4 and 5
40 Year Old Version
Pieces of a Woman

[dreamdead]

Some Updates: Reichardt and Ahn.

1. A Sun
2. Bacurau
3. Dick Johnson is Dead
4. Sound of Metal
5. First Cow
6. Driveways
7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
8. The Forty-Year Old Version
9. The Assistant
10. Palm Springs

Others:
Da 5 Bloods
Shirley
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank

[Spun Lepton]

Went to my diary on Letterboxd and put this together. My Top 10 from 2020.

Sorcerer (1977)
Miss Sloane (2016)
Possessor (2020)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Dark Waters (2019)
Host (2020)
His House (2020)
The Color Out of Space (2019)
Knives Out (2019)
Upgrade (2018)

[Spun Lepton]

Went to my diary on Letterboxd and put this together. My Top 10 from 2020.

Sorcerer (1977)
Miss Sloane (2016)
Possessor (2020)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Dark Waters (2019)
Host (2020)
His House (2020)
The Color Out of Space (2019)
Knives Out (2019)
Upgrade (2018)

Ah, I misread the thread name. This is my Top 10 Unseen Films from 2020.

[Ezee E]

Convinced I should see The Father now.

Cutting 2020 off by Oscar noms though.

[QUOTE=Ezee E;630756]To watch:
Underwater
Bad Boys 4 Life
Wendy
Shirley
Palm Springs
Zola - moved to 2021
Social Dilemma
Trial of the Chicago 7
One Night In Miami
Promising Young Woman
Soul
Mank


MAYBE, I need a push:
The Father
Becky
On The Rocks
Wolfwalkers

Acclaimed, but don't really care:
Ammonite
Emma.
French Exit

ADDING:
Bacarau
News of the World
Hunter Hunter
I'm Your Woman
Judas and the Black Messiah
Malcolm & Marie
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Small Axe Anthology - Parts 4 and 5
40 Year Old Version
Pieces of a Woman

[Stay Puft]

About time to take a crack at this, I'd say:

1. Liberté
2. First Cow
3. The Wolf House
4. Zombi Child
5. The Grand Bizarre
6. Ema
7. Lovers Rock
8. Tripping with Nils Frahm
9. Ghost Strata
10. Stay Awake, Be Ready

[Mal]

1. On the Rocks
2. City Hall
3. The Assistant
4. Feels Good Man
5. Dogs Don't Wear Pants
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. Another Round
8. Saint Frances
9. Driveways
10. Zappa

[Ezee E]

I'll get to The Father, but here's my faves for the year:

https://i.imgur.com/CxueoLo.png

[Ezee E]

I guess for TV:

Better Call Saul (Season 5)
Mandalorian (Season 2)
Small Axe
Queen's Gambit
Ted Lasso

Westworld (Season 3) is the only other season I watched, and doesn't deserve to be included.

[Peng]

Mine hasn't changed from the year's end snapshot. (http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showthread.php?7746-Top-10-of-2020&p=631380&viewfull=1#post631380) Only The Father left of my anticipated features that have some 2020 release date and I think I'll be done with the year.

As for TV:

1. Bojack Horseman (Season 6)
2. The Good Place (Season 4)
3. The Queen's Gambit
4. Better Call Saul (Season 5)
5. What We Do in the Shadows (Season 2)
6. My Brilliant Friend (Season 2)
7. I May Destroy You
8. Ted Lasso (Season 1)
9. Cheer
10. The Great (Season 1)

Small Axe would slot in at #5 if by putting its entries in my film's lists I haven't arbitrarily decided against putting it on TV now.

[Spun Lepton]

I'll get to The Father, but here's my faves for the year:

https://i.imgur.com/CxueoLo.png

Good gawd, I love World of Tomorrow so much. I must have watched it a half-dozen times.

Still have yet to watch The Invisible Man and Palm Springs.

Or ... any of those movies, honestly.

[Ezee E]

Good gawd, I love World of Tomorrow so much. I must have watched it a half-dozen times.

Still have yet to watch The Invisible Man and Palm Springs.

Or ... any of those movies, honestly.

Lol. Majority of my friends said that they never heard of those movies either.

I wonder what they'll think of World of Tomorrow...

[Peng]

Probably as final as can be now:

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead
2. Lovers Rock
3. First Cow
4. Wolfwalkers
5. David Byrne's American Utopia
6. Da 5 Bloods
7. Soul
8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
9. A White, White Day
10. Time

11. La Belle Epoque
12. Bacurau
13. Collective
14. The Grand Bizarre
15. Fourteen
16. World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime
17. Nomadland
18. The Father
19. La Llorona
20. Promising Young Woman

HM: Marona’s Fantastic Tale, Another Round, The Climb, The Wolf House, Bad Education