Tenet was my #1 most anticipated film coming into 2020 and one of the few big budget films to actually get released during the pandemic. Tenet was supposed to be the big tentpole film to usher audiences back to the theater.  Alas, that didn’t quite happen.

 

Thankfully, I was able to see it on the big screen twice and it’s hard to deny the fact that it being such an amazing experience going back to the theater after months of being quarantined didn’t play a role in it landing in my top spot for 2020.

 

That being said, I loved everything about Tenet.  Many will be turned off by it’s confusing plot.  For me, it’s films like Tenet why we go to the movies and a testament as to why movie theaters are more important than ever.

 

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite filmmakers and while Tenet might not match some of his previous efforts, it’s a wholly original film, something that is truly lacking in many films today.

Where to watch: Available for rent on streaming services

Sound of Metal was originally titled Metalhead and was supposed to be directed by Derek Cianfrance, who directed Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines.  Instead he handed it off to first time director Darius Marder who wrote Pines.  You would never think that Sound of Metal is an effort from a first time director.  The film is crafted with such care and love.

 

Many might dismiss Sound of Metal as some kind of heavy metal film, which would be an unfortunate mistake.  The film revolves around Ruben, played by Riz Ahmed who gives one of the finest performances of the year, as a drummer who is losing his hearing. What follows is a powerful journey of someone coming to terms with their disability.  The film also shows Ruben as he learns to live with the fact that he may not be able to perform music again, something he’s so passionate about.

 

Sound of Metal includes a scene at a playground with Ruben and a young deaf boy that is easily one of the most beautiful scenes of the year.

 

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Palm Springs was one of the first films to be released during the pandemic and it’s kind of the perfect film for a nation of people who were being quarantined in their homes. In Palm Springs, Andy Samberg plays Nyles, a guest at a wedding who happens to be living the same day over and over again.

 

Yes, the Groundhog Day similarities are hard to miss, but unlike Bill Murray, Nyles ends up sharing this same day with Sarah, the bride’s sister, played by Cristin Milioti. What follows is one of the more fun films of the year as Nyles and Sarah both find meaning for their lives with one another.

 

At its core, Palm Springs is about life and how much more fulfilling it can be when you spend it with someone you love.

 

Where to watch: Hulu

Carey Mulligan might just be the most underappreciated actress working today. If you can find another one, let me know.  I will wait here.  She continues to pump out quality work in films that nobody really talks about.  Films like Wildlife, Mudbound, Suffragette and Shame come to mind.

 

In Promising Young Woman she literally commands your attention as Cassie, a woman looking to get even at men who prey on women. It becomes clear early on that her motivations for her actions are very personal in nature.

 

Promising Young Woman is a very different kind of revenge film and if you saw the trailer, you might be expecting something completely different.  In short, this is not Kill Bill, so don’t go in expecting some kind of killing spree.  Cassie’s way too clever for that. The film does a great job of showing how a traumatic event can literally consume someone’s life.

 

The end of the film is sure to polarize many people, but I thought it was deliciously perfect.

 

Where to watch: In theaters

I love a good courtroom drama, especially when it’s directed by Aaron Sorkin, the man who wrote my favorite courtroom film and maybe the greatest courtroom drama of all-time, A Few Good Men.

 

Chicago 7 is Sorkin’s follow-up to the fantastic Molly’s Game.  Here, Sorkin is again dealing with a real-life event, the trying of a group of peaceful protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which turned into a violent clash with police.

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The film features a fantastic ensemble cast, highlighted by Sasha Baron Cohen, who proves how talented of an actor he really is. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is also a very timely film and shows how different the judicial system can be when the color of your skin is not white.

 

Where to watch: Netflix

If Rear Window and Misery had a baby it would be Run.  Relative newcomer Kiera Allen plays Chloe, a teenager who is being held captive in her home by her overbearing mother played by Sarah Paulson.

 

Allen gives a really strong, brave performance, enhanced by the fact that she is confined to a wheelchair in real life. Paulson is great here as well, which is not surprising considering I’m not sure there’s an actress working right now that plays unhinged better than Paulson.  She’s perfect as a mother who will stop at nothing to keep her daughter safe.

 

Run is directed by Aneesh Chaganty, who directed the surprisingly great 2018 film Searching.  If you haven’t seen that one yet, definitely check it out.

 

Where to watch: Hulu

First Cow is one of those films you really have to stick with.  It’s a slow burn, especially in the beginning, but it might just be one of the better payoffs of the year.

 

First Cow follows Cookie, a cook who joins up with a group of trappers as they travel West in the New World.  In his travels, Cookie meets a Chinese immigrant named King Lu. What follows is a gentle, beautiful tale about male friendship and finding someone to share in your aspirations with.  It’s also a film about the passions of cooking!

 

Cookie and King Lu soon start a business selling a fried treat, which the locals love. Unfortunately, the means at which the two men are procuring their main ingredient soon sets a series of events in motion that threaten their way of life.  For those patient enough to give First Cow a shot, you will be rewarded.

 

Where to watch: Xfinity

Uncle Frank is easily the most heart-warming film of the year for me. It tells the story of Beth, played beautifully by Sophia Lillis, as a teenager from South Carolina who heads north to attend NYU in the year 1973.  New York is also where her Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a professor.  Both Beth and Frank have fled South Carolina where they grew up, a place they never fit in. Beth because of her extraordinary brilliance and Frank because of his homosexuality, a secret he has kept from his strict, religious family.

 

When the family patriarch passes away, Beth and her Uncle Frank must travel back to South Carolina.  What follows is an endearing road trip film/coming of age story.  The relationship between Frank and his niece is so beautiful and genuine.

 

While it might be easy to assume it’s Beth who will be coming of age, it’s actually Frank who must deal with whether or not his family accepts him for who he truly is.

 

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Once upon a time, the year started with the surprisingly awesome Invisible Man being released in February, a time of the year that is usually a movie wasteland.  It hinted at a year with so much potential for amazing cinema.  So much for that.

 

Either way, The Invisible Man remained one of the biggest must-watch films of the year.  It’s expertly crafted by director Leigh Whannell, who is now a director to keep an eye on after this effort and 2018’s Upgrade.

 

Elisabeth Moss gives a powerful performance as Cecilia, a woman trapped in a toxic relationship.  The film might be one of the better depictions of what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship. The Invisible Man also features the most shocking scene in a film I saw all year.

 

Where to watch: HBO Max

Okay, stay with me on this one.  Swallow tells the story of Hunter, played by Haley Bennett, a pregnant housewife who finds herself with the urge to consume dangerous objects.

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The reason for her odd new habit unravels and comes to light throughout the film.  While the subject matter seems somewhat peculiar, the film really is about feeling marginalized and not in control of your own life.

 

Like Invisible Man, Hunter is trapped in a controlling marriage emotionally and physically, relegated to her mundane routine of cleaning the house and cooking dinner. Hunter longs for control of her own body and life, which manifests in this dangerous new habit.

 

Haley Bennett gives the finest performance of her career.  The film is also beautifully shot, filled with lush, vibrant colors.  If you’re not squeamish, give this one a look.

 

Where to watch: Xfinity