The Best Movies of 2020

These past few months have been pretty hectic for me in my personal life, so I kept delaying writing this for a long time and now I have run out of time! So forgive me if it seems like I have much less to say than in my past best movie blogs. As always, a TL;DR ranking my favorite films from the last cinematic year will be at the end of the blog.

DISCLAIMER: I did not see every movie from 2020 (including the extended awards season going into 2021), so there will be some potentially good or great films that will not make it onto my list. I did, however see every Best Picture nominee except one, so I should have pretty decent Oscar predictions for each category. But first, honorable mentions are due.

Honorable Mentions

Bad Education
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Color Out of Space
Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train (still in theaters and absolutely beautiful; my first theater movie in over 14 months!)
Driveways (worth watching for a memorable final performance from Brian Dennehy)
First Cow
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Greyhound
La Llorona (fantastic Guatemalan horror dealing with the genocide that happened there)
Let Them All Talk
The Mole Agent
Onward
Over the Moon
Palm Springs
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Tenet (very enjoyable Nolan flick but it just did not strike me as a favorite)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (this film did not do anything for me beyond the snappy dialogue)
Two of Us
The Way Back

Movies That I Did Not Get to See

All In: The Fight for Democracy
The Assistant
Collective
The Father
Hillbilly Elegy
The Life Ahead
The Mauritanian
The Midnight Sky
Miss Juneteenth
On the Rocks
Pieces of a Woman
Time
The Truffle Hunters
The United States vs. Billie Holiday

And now we continue with the Best Movies of 2020 according to Robert!

Oscar Predictions for Unincluded Categories

• Costume Design - Emma.
• Documentary (Short Subject) - I am unsure as I was unable to see any of the nominees.
• Film Editing - Sound of Metal
• Makeup & Hairstyling - Pinocchio
• Production Design - Mank
• Short Film (Animated) - See Documentary (Short Subject).
• Short Film (Live Action) - See above.

Best Cinematic Song: My Shot (Hamilton)

No, Hamilton, I will NOT throw away your shot at this award just because you are technically a stage play that was filmed and not a "real movie". I am bending the rules here and including Hamilton in my favorite films of 2020 because this is my list and I absolutely loved it. I could not honestly find a song in another movie that I enjoyed anywhere near as much as about 5 songs from Hamilton, which are worth mentioning briefly: "Wait for It", "Guns and Ships", "Yorktown", and "It's Quiet Uptown". But ultimately, I picked the most iconic song from this movie as the definitive best cinematic song from 2020. Hop on Disney+ and enjoy this amazing musical if you have not yet done so.

Honorable Mentions: This Is 40 (The Forty-Year-Old Version); and A Change Is Coming... (One Night in Miami...).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Io sì (The Life Ahead)

Best Horror Performance: Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man)

Until very recently, The Invisible Man was the last film that I had seen in theaters. Armed with my two vaccine shots and two weeks of time, I was able to go see Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train in IMAX this last week, and it did NOT disappoint. However, The Invisible Man still holds a very special place in my heart since it was my last theater experience for the longest time, and along with that comes Elisabeth Moss' incredible performance in it. She is anxious, terrified, furious, feral, and every kind of emotion in between in this role as a woman being stalked by her abusive ex. Moss elevates this film out of a pulp fiction thriller into a truly harrowing look into gaslighting and abusive relationships, and that makes her definitively worthy of this award.

Honorable Mentions: María Mercedes Coroy (La Llorona); and Nicolas Cage (Color Out of Space).

Best Animated Film: Wolfwalkers

I recently read an article aimed at the Academy that told them that they did not have to give the Best Animated Feature Oscar to Pixar every single year that they release a movie, and I have to say, I agree. Wolfwalkers is a GORGEOUS film filled with some of the best hand animation style and techniques that I have ever seen; in terms of pure animated beauty, I would have to put it up there with Bambi, Akira, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The story is also phenomenal with great characters and themes, but so few people saw this movie because of its exclusivity to Apple TV+. However, once it is available to own, I would highly recommend buying this or borrowing it from a friend because it is, without a doubt, the Best Animated Film of 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Onward; and Soul.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Soul

Best Music: Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor (Mank)

I very well could have just handed this award to Hamilton and no one would have been able to disagree, but after already bending the rules once for that movie, I had to go with another one in this category. I absolutely LOVE how Trent Reznor has developed over the past two decades into a phenomenal film composer during his partnership with Atticus Ross, starting with their Oscar win for The Social Network. Reznor's scores still have some Nine Inch Nails-esque sound to them for the most part, but his and Ross' work in Mank blew me away with how different it was from their previous outputs and how perfectly it captured the style of cinematic music during the era of Citizen Kane. Their collaboration with Jon Batiste on Soul was equally incredible, but I am giving this award to Mank because I guess I have been tainted a bit with the Golden Era nostalgia that Oscar-bait films all seem to have. Give it a shot on Netflix if you have access to it.

Honorable Mentions: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) [like I said, this would have easily won if I bent the rules AGAIN for Hamilton]; and Ludwig Göransson (Tenet).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, and Trent Reznor (Soul)

Best Supporting Performance: Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

Youn Yuh-jung is the heart and soul of Minari as the elderly grandmother who immigrates from South Korea to help her daughter raise her two grandchildren. She also has the most complex character in a film filled with them, ranging from mischief to tenderness. Believe me when I say that she steals every scene that she is in, as I just do not have the time necessary to do her performance full justice here. Her growing relationship with her grandson, David (adorably played by Alan S. Kim), is something truly beautiful to watch and provides most of the best scenes in the film, especially during a conversation about death. If you have not yet seen Minari (which was filmed in Oklahoma), do so as soon as you can.

Honorable Mentions: Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami...); and Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Supporting Role - Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Supporting Role - Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Western Film: News of the World

There are two unspoken rules when it comes to my movie lists: there is always a Western film on it, and there is always a science fiction film on it. This year, the latter could have been Tenet (if it was better) but ended up being The Invisible Man. As for the Western, it goes without saying that News of the World was the best of the bunch in 2020 and it was not particularly close. Tom Hanks is fantastic (as always) as a traveling speaker who reads newspapers to small towns in the West, and his chemistry with young actress Helena Zengel carries the film as they develop a bond with each other. There are some intense and creative shootouts that get your heart racing, but the true strength of this film lies in how it handles emotional trauma and grief. I love this movie and could not have made this list without giving it an award somewhere.

Honorable Mentions: First Cow; and Nomadland (it is a sort of modern Western in a way).

Best Screenplay: Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami...)

Although this is considered an adapted screenplay, Kemp Powers wrote the original stage play as well, so I have no qualms with saying that it easily has the best dialogue of ANY film released in 2020. The back and forth between every character carries so much weight in a way that reminded me very strongly of the great August Wilson, whose recent cinematic adaptations (Fences and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) deserve far more praise than they have received. Powers has a, um, powerful voice here that resonates through his characters and discusses the responsibility that black people in positions of influence have towards leading the fight for their community. There is not a single dull moment in this film that relies heavily on heated arguments, similarly to many of my favorite films (12 Angry Men, the aforementioned August Wilson adaptations, etc.), which makes it fairly easy to give Best Screenplay to Powers and One Night in Miami... If, like me, you have Amazon Prime for those easy deliveries (although I wish there was a similar company that actually treated its employees like human beings), you can watch this for free on there.

Honorable Mentions: Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman); and Christopher Nolan (Tenet).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Adapted Screenplay - Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Original Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Ensemble Cast: Da 5 Bloods

It is a shame that this movie got almost no recognition from the Academy, receiving just one nomination (Best Original Score). Spike Lee has crafted another gem with Da 5 Bloods that not only has a lot to say about race and war, but has many intense moments, making it one of the most entertaining films that he has made. On top of that, every actor brings their A game to this film, with some great scenes featuring the late Chadwick Boseman and wonderful interactions between Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and especially Isiah Whitlock Jr. However, the true star of this movie is Delroy Lindo, who I mainly knew as an actor who always played in supporting roles (namely Gone in 60 Seconds). He gives an incredible performance here as a Vietnam vet and devoted Trump supporter who struggles with guilt, PTSD, and strong racism. I will sing his praises here and anywhere else because he did NOT get the recognition that he deserved for such a great role. If Da 5 Bloods was criminally underrated by moviegoers, Lindo was doubly so. Watch this on Netflix if you have not already.

Honorable Mentions: Minari; and One Night in Miami...

Best Documentary: Dick Johnson Is Dead

What starts out as a fun documentary with its fair share of gallows humor descends into the sadness that comes with watching an elderly parent slowly wither away mentally. There are so many themes in this very personal production from Kirsten Johnson about her father that hit me square in the chest, pushing me to remain deeply connected with my own parents before they reach this state as well. I watched my grandfather go through this same change before his death, but I did not truly understand how much it must have impacted my mother and her siblings until I saw this film. It is a heartfelt and slow goodbye to a wonderful man (who is still alive today, by the way) that celebrates who he was as a person and who he is now. Since this is on Netflix, you have no excuse for not watching this beautiful documentary.

Honorable Mentions: The Mole Agent; and The Way I See It.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Documentary (Feature) - Collective

Best Cinematography: Lachlan Milne (Minari)

For a film that resides in the emptiness of the Ozark countryside before the internet and focuses primarily on family interactions, you might be surprised with just how wonderful its cinematography is. Milne, alongside director Lee Isaac Chung, has captured the beauty that can be found in everyday life with such care and artistry in Minari. One scene in particular stands out to me because they had only one shot to get the perfect take when they burned down a building in real life at night time with little to no background lighting. This moment and many others like it help escalate this film from a great movie to one of the best movies made in 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Joshua James Richards (Nomadland); and Nicolás Wong (La Llorona).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Joshua James Richards (Nomadland)

Best Femme Fatale: Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

One of the aspects that I love most about Promising Young Woman is how it takes the femme fatale trope and flips it on its head. The traditional stereotypes of being a point of view from the male gaze, being a villain, being a supporting role, and being judged as promiscuous that are associated with femme fatales are transformed into being from the point of view from the character, being the protagonist, being the leading role, and using the appearance of promiscuity against male predators. None of this would be possible without Carey Mulligan's incredible performance as Cassandra, who seeks to punish would-be rapists that think having sex with inebriated women is consensual and consider themselves "good guys". Mulligan has moments where the pure rage inside her will make the hairs stand on the back of your neck, but also moments where the suppressed grief of losing a loved one will make your eyes tear up. Add in a twisting and wholly original plot (crafted expertly by writer-director Emerald Fennell) and you have one of my favorite films from 2020 along with a wonderful performance from Mulligan.

Honorable Mentions: María Mercedes Coroy (La Llorona); and Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom).

Best Sound Effects: Sound of Metal

There was no universe that existed where any movie other than Sound of Metal took home this award. In a film that deals with deafness and how it affects one's life, the team behind the sound design of Sound of Metal has done a phenomenal job at putting us into the experience of what the loss of hearing feels like. The tinnitus that starts in the early stages drives dread into you along with Ruben, who is played fantastically by Riz Ahmed (very deserving of his Best Actor nomination). The confusion and frustration of not being able to understand others anymore can be felt during the moments of pure silence only interrupted by the occasional muffled voice. Finally, the sharp static of using a prosthetic to hear again gives us the sadness over what has been lost forever when a beautiful duet between a father and daughter gives way to the garbled mess that Ruben now has to decipher in order to hear. I absolutely loved this film, and so I also want to mention that Paul Raci is wonderful in his role as the head of an outreach for people with hearing loss. This one is also on Amazon Prime, so go enjoy this great film if you have not.

Honorable Mentions: The Invisible Man; and Color Out of Space.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound of Metal

Best Historical Performance: Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

I already loved Daniel Kaluuya as an actor for his memorable role in Get Out, but he delivers a performance here that is like no other as Fred Hampton. His replication of Hampton's charisma and skill as an orator blew me away, which reminded me of David Oyelow's terrific portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma (2014). Kaluuya has a strong presence in every scene that he is in and carries this film as its soul, showing us Hampton's great socialist and unifying message that is often buried beneath the propaganda touting the Black Panther party as just militant extremists (similarly to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, a.k.a. Malcolm X). One of the magical things that this film does is show WHY the Black Panther party armed themselves: it was not to start an armed revolution; it was to protect themselves against a police force that was all too eager to gun them down in the streets (how the times have not changed). The tragic massacre and execution of Fred Hampton hits you like a hammer in this film, especially because Kaluuya spends a lot of time showing us who Hampton was as a person before his death. I highly recommend that everyone watch this film in order to educate ourselves on the United States' past and to see Kaluuya's portrayal of Hampton.

Honorable Mentions: Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom); and LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah).

Best Crime Thriller: I'm Your Woman

Mark this down as the biggest surprise of 2020 for me. Rachel Brosnahan gives her best performance in this film as Jean, a newly-made mother who must deal with the aftermath of her husband's acts in the crime world. I found this very reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs in that what would traditionally be the central focus of a crime story happens completely offscreen. The helpless wife of the male criminal that is usually relegated to a supporting role in films like this one instead becomes the protagonist and gives us a great, original story that also is not afraid to touch on issues of race and class. Arinze Kene and Marsha Stephanie Blake also deserve praise for their strong performances, and director Julia Hart (who cowrote this with her husband Jordan Horowitz, of La La Land fame) needs to be credited with creating one of my favorite crime films in recent memory (probably since Baby Driver). I wish more people had seen this film, but I am very excited to see what Hart gives us in the future. This is currently on Amazon Prime so check it out on there!

Honorable Mentions: Da 5 Bloods; and Promising Young Woman.

Best Leading Performance: Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Although Viola Davis is technically the leading role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Chadwick Boseman has so many incredible moments throughout the film that made both myself and most of Hollywood consider him to be a co-lead. Boseman displays incredible emotional depth as Levee Green, a tortured man who has been ridden down by society in a Jim Crow world. He has two separate scenes where he describes past experiences in the Deep South that will tear your heart open, making you fully understand his character and his ambitions. It gives me so much joy that August Wilson is finally getting the film adaptations that he always deserved before his death, and Boseman brings Wilson's beautiful words to life in such a way that will move you. This is also on Netflix, so take the time to give Boseman's final performance the honor that it deserves.

Rest in peace to the playwright of Deep Azure; the embodiment of Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall; the soul of Levee Green; the legend of King T'Challa; the Black Panther himself: Chadwick Boseman. You will live on in the hearts of countless children across the world who got to see an African superhero on the big screen representing them and inspiring them to be great.

Honorable Mentions: Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal); and Frances McDormand (Nomadland).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Leading Role - Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Leading Role - Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Best Director: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

In what will come as a surprise to literally no one, Chloé Zhao easily takes home this award for her masterpiece that is Nomadland. Although it is not MY favorite film of 2020, it did resonate with me (and many others) with its portrayal of a woman who has nowhere that she wants to go and has no roots holding her down. In many ways, I find this to be a modern update on Easy Rider, which also struck a chord with the young generation of boomers way back in 1970. Classify that statement as praise, not criticism, as Zhao brings us into the lives of these nomads in a way that feels incredibly real. It helps that Frances McDormand (who deserves all of the praise that she has been given) is one of just two actual actors in the film, which lives on the line between documentary and fiction. This hyper-realism is intensified by Zhao's perfect direction, and I am certain that she will be the second woman to win Best Director (after Kathryn Bigelow for the harrowing film The Hurt Locker) and the first woman of color to win the award. If you have access to Hulu, do yourself a favor and go enjoy this wonderful film about grief and living on the road.

Honorable Mentions: David Fincher (Mank); and Julia Hart (I'm Your Woman).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best International Film: Another Round (Denmark)

Mads Mikkelsen has become one of my favorite actors in the world between my introduction to him as the creepy Le Chiffre in Casino Royale and his heartwrenching role in The Hunt. He delivers once again in Another Round, a Danish film about alcoholism and dissatisfaction with life. This film struck home for me in a personal way that I cannot describe, and its final stance on alcohol and self fulfillment is one of the most thoughtful and complex messages that I have ever heard or seen. This film pulls no punches and will make you question many things about your own absolute convictions. It should have won Best Picture - Foreign Language at the Golden Globes but that whole category was scuffed as soon as they slotted Minari into it despite it being an American film. At least Thomas Vinterberg got nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, so there is some retribution for Another Round. This movie is also on Hulu so go absorb this masterpiece at your leisure.

Honorable Mentions: La Llorona (Guatemala); and Two of Us (France).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Another Round (Denmark)

Best Charismatic Performance: Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami...)

I thought that no one would ever be able to top Denzel Washington's portrayal of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X), and I was very wrong. Kingsley Ben-Adir has been acting for a while, but I had never heard of or seen him before this film, and he is absolutely electrifying as Shabazz in One Night in Miami... Very few people around me growing up knew much about Shabazz beyond being the "violent version of MLKJ", and I am not proud of that. But if I could show this film to them, they would see the passionate and compassionate side of Shabazz that made him so beloved during his lifetime. Ben-Adir fully immerses himself into the role of Shabazz, not only looking like him but speaking like him as well, matching speech patterns and the fire in his voice. I already spoke about how incredible the script for this film is, but everyone acting in this movie is phenomenal as well (shoutout to Leslie Odom Jr. in particular as Sam Cooke). But Ben-Adir truly brings Shabazz back to life in full form, which makes him well worthy of this award and many, many more. I cannot wait to see what director Regina King (primarily known for her acting but showing great potential in her directorial debut) helms next and what future films Ben-Adir will be in.

Honorable Mentions: Radha Blank (The Forty-Year-Old Version); and Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods).

Best Visual Effects: Wolfwalkers

Sure, this is technically an animated film, but I have never let that stop me before from awarding Best Visual Effects to the rightful winner (see Kubo and the Two Strings). Wolfwalkers was easily the most beautiful film made in 2020, and I already sung its praises earlier in this list. But I want to specifically laud the animation techniques that they used in creating this film. They would use 3D models to visualize what each shot would look like and how each scene would move, then use charcoal and pencil to draw the actual movie by hand. This results in a very fluid animation style that retains those hand-drawn qualities that make it so dazzling. In addition, the story follows an Irish girl during Puritan occupation who becomes able to shapeshift into a wolf, and using this framework, sets out to make some great commentary on religion and class. This was my favorite film of 2020 for a very long time before I saw the eventual winner. Speaking of which...

Honorable Mentions: Tenet; and Color Out of Space.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Tenet

Best Film: Minari

Family. A very heavy and complicated word. But Lee Isaac Chung was unafraid to bare his heart when he wrote and directed this film. Minari follows a Korean-American family as they move to Arkansas from California in order to build their own farm while raising two children, and it is unflinching in its depiction of every struggle that they have while doing so. Chung was raised in similar circumstances, so this movie is very much biopic and coming from a place of truth. This verisimilitude shines throughout the film and gives it that hyper-realistic quality that I pointed out in Nomadland. I mentioned how beautiful Youn Yuh-jung's performance is, but every actor is wonderful in this film. We see a father (played by Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead fame) struggle with his perceived self worth and distorted priorities. We see a mother (played by Han Ye-ri) who no longer trusts her husband and is straining to raise her children amidst her marital turmoil. We see a grandson (the aforementioned Alan S. Kim) who wants nothing to do with his atypical grandmother (Yuh-jung) but lives in fear of imminent death due to his heart murmur - a character based on Chung, of course. I will say that the daughter (played by Noel Cho) has a diminished role, but she is perfect as the strict older sibling to David.

All of these very difficult issues that every young family must deal with are navigated with such care by Chung and the cast. As a father in a young family myself, I connected strongly to this film in a deeply personal way that both moved me and inspired me. My favorite films of each decade often have that intimate bond to me that elevates them beyond all other films, such as Room and Roma. Other times, it is the depiction of a world viewpoint that immerses me in someone else's shoes that makes a film a masterpiece in my mind, teaching me things that I would never have understood on my own. Films like this include Schindler's List, 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, and Wind River. Still others are simply cinematic masterpieces that push forward the medium in brilliant new ways, such as Birdman and The Lighthouse. In this case, Minari is all of the above; it connects to me personally, it shows me the viewpoint of an immigrant family during Reagan's America, and it is directed with beauty and perfection.

Minari is, without a doubt, the Best Film of 2020 to me, and I will be rooting for it during the Oscars just as I did with Moonlight during the 2017 ceremony. Minari is a film about family, and my family is where my heart lies.

Honorable Mentions: Wolfwalkers; and One Night in Miami...

OSCAR PREDICTION: Nomadland

TL;DR

1. Minari - (Best Film, Best Supporting Performance, Best Cinematography)
2. Wolfwalkers - (Best Animated Film, Best Visual Effects)
3. One Night in Miami... - (Best Screenplay, Best Charismatic Performance)
4. Another Round - (Best International Film)
5. Promising Young Woman - (Best Femme Fatale)
6. The Invisible Man - (Best Horror Performance)
7. Nomadland - (Best Director)
8. Sound of Metal - (Best Sound Effects)
9. Hamilton - (Best Cinematic Song)
10. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - (Best Leading Performance)
11. Judas and the Black Messiah - (Best Historical Performance)
12. I'm Your Woman - (Best Crime Thriller)
13. Da 5 Bloods - (Best Ensemble Cast)
14. Dick Johnson Is Dead - (Best Documentary)
15. News of the World - (Best Western Film)
16. Mank - (Best Music)

Thanks again for reading through my miniature reviews and awards list! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I look forward to doing this again next year. Leave a comment with your opinions, by all means!