Top 10 Films of 2020

Granted, it took me a while to make this list, and not only that, it really has been a while since I updated this blog. I can see the cobwebs already. Nevermind, cleaned that. Now, 2020 was an interesting year for the film industry worldwide as the world was (and is still is) hit with the Covid-19 pandemic and the movie industry was one of the most affected industries. Cinemas were closed, staffs were cut off, big budgeted movies were shelved off by studios and locked in their vaults, and also the rise of the abundance of streamed films on Netflix and alike.

Thus, there was not really much films released in 2020, and the ones that got released were almost all indie films and low-budgeted films. Which is why it took me a while to finish them off because usually I am more motivated to watch movies that are heavily marketed; the popcorn ones. I am one of the sheep, I guess.

So, here's the top 10 films of 2020.

10. Nomadland 

Honestly, I kinda think this film is a bit overrated. It's not bad, it was an indie film and it has good qualities to it like good cinematography and real-life inspired stories. But Best Picture at the Oscars? I don't think so.

7/10

9. The Banker

This Marvel duo tells the true story of a black banker in USA in the 60s, who struggled to rise as easily as other bankers, who were dominantly white at that time. A good film and probably the most underrated film of 2020.

7/10

8. The Trial of The Chicago 7

A Netflix film helmed by Aaron Sorkin, one of the best screenwriters in Hollywood, and this is his second film after Molly's Game. For a Netfilx film, I think this film is good, but it felt pale compared to other Aaron's works like Moneyball and Molly's Game.

7/10

7. Minari

A heartwarming entry from A24 that will definitely makes you feel nostalgic and missing your childhoold, despite whatever country or nationalities you're from.

7/10

6. News of The World

A film with Tom Hanks at its lead would rarely fail you, and this film was a fresh and unique take on the Western genre.

7/10

5. Another Round

Mads Mikkelsen starred as a high school teacher who experimented to take daily intake of alcohol and see its effects on his life. A feel-good film and Mads Mikkelsen ftw

7/10 

4. The Devil All The Time

This is a good example of one of the good and time-worthy Netfilx films. With a gripping and dark story at its center, and helmed by a strong cast, The Devil All The Time is not only one of best films of 2020, but one of top 10 Netflix films for me. I will say this is the first film that Tom Holland slowly strays away from playing the typical teenage-like-high-pitch-voice character.

7/10

3. Tenet

A film by Christopher Nolan, the maestro, that lowkey disappointed me and a lot of his fans around the world. It was not bad, far from it, the technacilities were fine, it's that the problem was this is the first film by Nolan in which he succumbed to the typical "director fells into his obsession fetish/style" till it isolated the audience. If Michael Bay is a sucker for mindless action trope, and 6 Underground was the film in which he all out felt into the syndrome, then Tenet would be Nolan's 6 Underground. Inception was great because it gave us time to understand the rules set out in its fictional universe, while in Tenet, you wouldn't even understand the basic rules of its premise, and boom - we're already in into the mind-boogling reverse time travel plot.

7/10 

2. The Father

A beautiful film with Anthony Hopkin's great performance at its center. Probably his best performance of all time.

8/10

1. Mank

A film long in development by David Fincher with the screenplay written by his late father, Mank was based on a true story behind the development of Citizen Kane. Some said that this film was not amongst Fincher's best works, and I agree, but I think considering the cinematography, the dialogues, and the strong performance by Gary Oldman, this was the best film of 2020 for me.

Honorouable mentions:

- Borat: The Subsequent Moviefilm

- Da 5 Bloods

- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

- Extraction

- The Courier