Logan's Top 10 of 2020

2020 was an...interesting year to say the least, especially in the film industry. With the majority of huge releases being pushed to this year, many would think that there wouldn’t be enough from last year to warrant a conversation, let alone a ranked list. Thankfully, that’s not the case. In hindsight, 2020 was a year with releases that ranged from surprisingly delightful to downright criminal that it couldn’t get a theatrical release in a normal year. Even with all of 2020’s baggage still fresh in our brains, I wanted to take the time to talk about the ten standout films that personally brightened my 2020:

10) The Boys in the Band

Ryan Murphy seemed to have had one busy year. With four total shows airing throughout the year (two on FOX and two on Netflix) as well as a film adaptation of a Broadway musical led by Meryl Streep, it almost seemed like even a pandemic couldn’t keep Murphy down. Surprisingly though, the best thing with his name on it last year was as a producer for Joe Mantello’s The Boys in the Band. Based off of the groundbreaking play from 1968 by Mart Crowley, this Neflix original film follows a group of gay friends who end up getting more than expected when they all come together for a friend’s birthday party in Manhattan. The film’s cast consists entirely of the cast from the 2018 Broadway revival which includes Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Zachary Quinto, etc.

The #10 spot is, personally, the most difficult one to choose due to how easily it can change on a dime. It was Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods one day, Pixar’s Onward on another, and it might even change weeks after this list comes out. That being said though, I’m comfortable with The Boys in the Band because of its fantastic ensemble, smooth transition from stage to screen, and an incredibly strong directorial debut from Joe Mantello. The film deals with the flawed characters in such a rough yet authentic light, painting these characters’ insecurities, desires, and even self-loathing tendencies in a way that gives them the type of life that only transpires when the performers and director truly grasp the source material. While it is a film that isn’t always the easiest to watch, The Boys in the Band is an engaging film that I’ll happily keep on this list until further notice.

9) You Cannot Kill David Arquette

If there was an award for the most “dark horse” film of a year, I’d happily nominate this film for said award. This documentary surrounding David Arquette’s attempt to redeem himself in a sport that loathes him has no right being as good as it is. The film is funny, eye-opening, and surprisingly more captivating than the film could even hint at in its plot synopsis or trailer. While it definitely feels like it’s towing the line of what a sports documentary should do, it still accomplishes what every documentary strives to do: engages the audience from start to finish, regardless of their varying knowledge of said sport. While there are definitely other great documentaries that came out of 2020, You Cannot Kill David Arquette is a blast that is worth jumping into the ring to experience.

8) First Cow

A24 had a strong year for audiences. Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks on Apple TV+, the strong festival run of Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, and even a documentary that I’ll touch on later in this list. However, in this case, my #8 spot goes to the first film they distributed last year: Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow. This period drama follows a cook named Cookie and a Chinese immigrant named King-Lu whose spur-of-the-moment friendship brings a successful venture to their laps while living in Oregon in the 1820’s. What follows is an incredible friendship that might be my pick for one of my favorite duos in recent memory.

Reichardt’s direction is strong, John Magaro’s Cookie and Orion Lee’s King-Lu are a wonderful duo, the cinematography gives the early nineteenth century a warm yet grounded color palette, and the slow pacing gives the film a calmness that works well in a dark room with little to no distractions. It’s a simple, warm film that does so many things so incredibly well. It’s a strong film that I’m excited to rewatch in the future, especially after eating because this film’s food looks WAY too good to watch hungry.

7) Wolfwalkers

Well, I guess I need to watch Cartoon Saloon’s other animated films because the Irish animated film Wolfwalkers is an absolutely gorgeous film from top to bottom. From the creative minds behind 2009’s The Secret of the Kells and 2014’s Song of the Sea comes an Irish folklore film that has incredibly unique animation, a talented voice cast, and a story that never lets go. In an industry that is dominated by large animation studios like Disney and Dreamworks, it’s incredibly refreshing to see films like Wolfwalkers stand out amongst the heavy hitters with such confidence and heart. There’s a lot to love with this film and the fact that it’s currently on Apple TV+ means that it’ll hopefully get more traction as 2021 progresses. That being said though, if you’re looking for a new animated film that just oozes passion and talent, look no further than Wolfwalkers.

6) Mank

David Fincher’s Mank has truly had one of the oddest critical responses from any of the films on my list. The director’s dive into 1930’s Hollywood with Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz seems to be a film that is either beloved or underwhelming amongst viewers. Personally, I’m in the former camp due to the love and care that Fincher puts into the setting as well as how the conflicts in Mank’s personal and professional lives believably lead him to create the script to one of the greatest films of all time. On top of that, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score is perfect for the era, the cast is wonderful, the script from the late Jack Fincher exudes authenticity in the golden era of film with a healthy balance of nostalgia and cynicism, and the dedication to nearly every aspect of the film bearing semblance to the actual Citizen Kane is the closest anyone has probably seen David Fincher geek out.

Mank is not Fincher’s best film but when compared to other projects in the same vein, I believe it captures an era of filmmaking in a way that doesn’t distract from the narrative. It thankfully builds said era in a realistic way instead of like a playground for modern auteurs and actors who just like to spend money to play dress-up and dabble in nostalgia. There’s a lot of respect put into Mank and when it’s all said and done, while it might be vying for a niche market, it’s certainly a quality film that I’d recommend to anyone with an inkling of interest into that era of filmmaking.

5) Boys State

Remember that other A24 film I was going to talk about? Well, it’s Boys State! This amazing documentary follows the 2018 Texas Boys State as a thousand boys spend a week building a government from the ground-up, learning about the process as well as figuring out who will be the leaders of their parties that will ultimately duke it out for the chance to be governor. The film follows five main characters as you see the twists and turns throughout the week, seeing a look at a new generation of politicians that have some political ideas down to a scary degree. Each character is interesting in their own right, the editing is fantastic, the story is captivating, and emotions run high both for the characters and possibly for the audience. This is my choice for the best documentary of 2020 because it is insanely enjoyable to the point where I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this film.

If you’re looking for a great film (and you need to get some mileage out of that Apple TV+ subscription), I can’t implore you enough to give Boys State a chance.

4) Soul

Pete Doctor, Kemp Powers, and Pixar as a whole have yet again shown how incredible they can be when given the chance to dive deeper into their well of creativity. Soul is an absolutely stunning film that is immensely well animated, well acted, hilarious at times, and creates a mature, approachable look at what ultimately can give life meaning to people. Plus, it bolsters killer jazz arrangements by Jon Batiste as well as yet another strong score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This might be Pete Doctor’s best film so far. I could say a lot more but, in all honesty, the best way to experience Soul is firsthand so definitely sit back and let the film take you away.

3) Promising Young Woman

It was clear by the initial trailer that Promising Young Woman was going to be divisive. The film’s story of vengeance could ultimately have led to a poor handling of the sensitive topics as well possibly turning people off by how preachy it could be. Thankfully though, Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut is a sharp, dark film with the wit of Heathers and the popping color palette of a Legally Blonde film, resulting in a film that crazily handles every aspect it juggles almost perfectly. It’s intense, stressful, darkly comedic, emotional, tragic, lovable, and even upsetting at times. With a dynamite lead performance by Carey Mulligan, there’s a lot to love and hate about this film.

For me though, it’s everything I could’ve wanted and more. Watch it.

2) Bad Education

From the man behind 2017’s Thoroughbreds comes one of the most shocking films of 2020 as well as one of the best performances from Hugh Jackman I’ve ever seen. This is the type of film that never stops pulling the rug out from under you even when you’re minutes away from the finale. Add on the true story aspect to the narrative and it’s understandable why my jaw dropped once the final fact revealed its ugly head. Finley’s directing is great, Allison Janney and Ray Romano are incredibly fun to watch, the film’s blue-tinted cinematography almost makes the shocking revelations more potent, and Hugh Jackman’s Superintendent Frank Tassone is an Oscar-worthy performance. It’s beyond frustrating that this film will never get the theatrical release it deserves because Bad Education is a near perfect, fantastic film.

Before my favorite film of the year, here are some honorable mentions:

Onward

Run

The Invisible Man

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

TENET (minus the ear-blasting sound mixing)

Palm Springs

Sonic the Hedgehog (I’m kidding! Gotcha!)

And finally:

1) I’m Thinking of Ending Things

It wasn’t until the end of the summer in 2020 where I began to truly miss movie theaters. The experience of sitting in my room, trying to watch a movie before/after work just wasn’t as fun as the overall movie theater experience. That being said though, my favorite movie-watching experience in 2020 was sitting in a living room barely lit by Christmas lights, constantly looking at my roommate as we both slowly piece together the story to the bonkers, existential horror film known as Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the only film from 2020 that I’d give a perfect score, an incredibly jarring film that is expertly crafted on every level. From the story to the production design to the editing choices, there is a narrative here that is unique, haunting, and even funny at times.

On top of that, the ensemble consists of fantastic performances from Toni Collette, David Thewlis, Jesse Plemons, and Jessie Buckley with Buckley absolutely deserving to be nominated for an Oscar in this upcoming season. The film is dense with hints to the truth surrounding the oddly simple premise as well as references to musicals, novels, and even other films. This is a film that’ll leave an audience behind almost immediately if they’re not paying attention to everything being said. Kaufman does a great job of making an incredibly smart and fun film that doesn’t belittle a person who might not mesh well with his approach. It’s definitely not for everyone but after a year where most films decided to wait out the pandemic, I found I’m Thinking of Ending Things to be the perfect film that I desperately needed in a “gas leak year” such as 2020.

Thank you so much for reading! If you’re interested to hear more about the films discussed in this list as well as other great films from 2020 (and even the worst of 2020), check out this episode of Odd Trilogies with Logan and Andy where fellow Yap writer Andy Carr and I talk at length about our favorites. Here’s to 2021!