Top 5 2020 Films
By Austin Johnson
5.) First Cow
“It’s the getting started that’s the puzzle.”
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Kelly Reichardt is a filmmaker that I totally fell in love with during 2020. I watched her directorial debut from 1994, River of Grass and Wendy and Lucy from 2008 for the first time. Both of them blew me away, much like First Cow, her most recent film which came out in March, right before COVID really swept societal norms to the side. I didn’t see it in theaters, but I know I would have if the theaters were open. It was distributed by A24, and Reichardt is worth anyone’s time, so it’s a no-brainer kind of thing. Watching it at home didn’t take away from its subtle greatness. That is definitely Reichardt’s trademark at this point, along with telling damn good American stories for over 25 years.
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4.) Another Round
“No I'm not indifferent. It's not easy to learn
when you've got your head stuck in your phone.” |
Another Round is the Danish selection for the 93rd Academy Awards and I’m totally pulling for it to win. Thomas Vinterberg has figured out a way to combine comedic timing with honest human moments in a fashion that I’ve rarely seen matched. The technical control paired with the out of control narrative is so awesome. Mads Mikkelsen may have given the best performance that I’ve encountered from a new film this past year. He’s infectiously annoying but brilliant, giving us multiple reasons to be upset with him and cheer for him. Thomas Vinterberg has strung together a nice run that spans over 25 years and Another Round has me keen on checking it all out.
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3.) Mank
“You cannot capture a man's entire life in two hours.
All you can hope is to leave the impression of one.” |
At the beginning of 2020, I knew deep down that Mank was the film I was most anticipating as a fan. I’ve written about Fincher plenty, and spoken about him plenty on our podcasts. Mank not only met my expectations, but it exceeded them and cemented itself as one of the most unique films to start off the decade for any writer/director. During that first week of December, I had a blast living in Mank’s world for a bit because Fincher’s film is a spectacular one to pair with Citizen Kane for a double feature. It actually stands next to it and adds to the lore. Well done, Finch.
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2.) Sound of Metal
“Ruben, As you know, everybody here shares in the belief that being deaf is not a handicap. Not something to fix. It's pretty important around here. All these kids... all of us, need to be reminded of it every day.”
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Sound of Metal adjusted as COVID decided that for so many films in 2020. It was supposed to come out sometime in the summer, but got pushed to early December for release through Amazon Prime. It took a few seconds for me to know what kind of film I would be consuming with Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal. Marder helped Derek Cianfrance write the screenplay for The Place Beyond the Pines, but this is his directorial debut when it comes to feature films. I felt like I got hit by a truck while watching this one even though it was on the couch at my apartment. Tears poured out and I couldn’t help but text everyone I know that would be remotely interested.
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1.) Never Rarely Sometimes Always
“If I do this, will my parents get any kind of statement?”
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Sound of Metal was a truck and Never Rarely Sometimes Always was like an 18 wheeler. Eliza Hittman is a director I haven’t seen anything of until now. That will change sooner than later as her 2020 input is definitely my favorite. All year, I heard about how soul-shaking the film is but I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters even though I know it would’ve rocked me twice as much on the big screen. It hit VOD in April and then later on HBO Max put it on their streaming service. When I finally started it at home, on my bloody couch, it didn’t take long to realize I was in really good hands with a story worth every damn second of attention one can give.
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