T’s Favourite Films of 2020

2020 was…a year. So much happened that I cannot even begin to unpack and all the events that happened in real life are far, far more entertaining and absurd than anything writers and creatives everywhere could ever conceive. That said though, I think with large droves of people spending more time at home under lockdown/quarantining and subsequently watching films, binge-watching shows, reading etc., 2020 really cemented the importance of art and its place in our daily lives. I had a bit of free time when my studies were temporarily suspended which I utilised to watch as many films as I could manage, but of course I am only one person and my studies did eventually resume thereby taking away all the free time I had meaning there will be some films I did not get around to watch even though I delayed this list till now to try and watch as many major 2020 releases as I could. I’m also an ignorant westerner which means this list is very lacking in films not in the English language which I am extremely embarrassed about and I promise I will do better! But without further ado here are my (i.e. this is a subjective list) favourite films of 2020.

Honourable Mentions

There were so many great films I watched in 2020 and I initially considered doing a top 20 or even top 30 list but I didn’t want my list to be too long, thus there were inevitably films that didn’t quite make the cut but I still loved and enjoyed, to the point that they warrant a mention here. This includes films like: ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’, ‘First Cow’, ‘One Night In Miami’, ‘Shiva Baby’, ‘Black is King’, ‘Soul’, ‘Emma’, ‘Education’, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’, ‘Mank’, ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’.

Top 10 Films of 2020

10. Disclosure, dir. Sam Feder

“Representation” is a word that gets thrown around a lot, sometimes to the point where its meaning becomes hollow because people utilise it for brownie points without actually putting thought into the ways a certain group is represented. This documentary examines what “representation” means for trans people on-screen starting all the way back in the silent era of Hollywood up to modern-day. From the bad (D.W Griffith’s work), to the ugly (also D.W Griffith’s work), to the good (‘Pose’), the documentary highlights how far trans representation has come but also how far it still has to go. The most touching part of the documentary is getting to hear trans actors, writers etc. talk about media they watched in which they saw themselves represented and how it impacted them in ways I wouldn’t have considered as someone cis. I’m not really a big fan of the talking heads documentary format as I feel that it’s overdone, but here it was necessary to give multiple trans voices the chance to speak and give their opinion versus just a few figures as trans people are not a monolith.

This documentary is available to watch on Netflix and it’s one that should be required viewing for all, so get streaming!

9. Miss Juneteenth, dir. Channing Godfrey Peoples

There is a scene very early on in this film in which Turquoise (played by the incomparable Nicole Beharie) and her daughter Kai (Alexis Chiaeze) attend the first meeting of the Miss Juneteenth pageant in which Turquoise’s old rivals make suggestive, slightly snide remarks regarding Turquoise and the fact that she is a single mother that struck me, and I was slightly taken aback that the film had managed to tap into something so specific and vivid that it felt like it was plucked out of my own memories. ‘Miss Juneteenth’ is a film that is so achingly familiar, and so relatable to me as the daughter to a single mother (and I’m also an only child like Kai). The film is by no means a perfect film, and I had issues with some of the writing including the subplot with Kendrick Sampson’s character but this film is one of the most grounded and heart-warming portrayals of a single mother-daughter relationship I have seen on film in the last couple of years. And that is all down to the wonderful performance at its centre from Nicole Beharie, who deserves so much better than the mistreatment and racism she had to endure on Fox’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’, along with the performance from newcomer Alexis Chikaeze and the believable chemistry the two had.

I am likely letting my personal feelings get in the way of “objectivity” here, but good cinema is all about the feelings it stirs up within you and this made me feel warm and seen, and I’m pretty sure I called my mum right after I finished watching it, too. The film is available to watch currently on Amazon Prime for those interested.

8. Mangrove, dir. Steve McQueen

‘Small Axe’ is an anthology of six films directed by Steve McQueen that sought to put a spotlight onto Afro-Caribbean history in Britain, and though Steve McQueen did not plan for nor could he have foreseen the socio-political climate of 2020 around the time of the anthology’s release, it felt fitting that a series of films highlighting Black stories would be released at such a time. And none of these films felt quite as relevant to the current times as ‘Mangrove’, a film about the 1971 trial of the Mangrove Nine, which looked at racial prejudice and police brutality which was present in the 70s and is still very much present today as highlighted by the biggest and most heart-breaking news story that came out of 2020 in the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the racist police force. ‘Mangrove’ highlighted an aspect of Black British history that’s not taught in the school History curriculum because there’s an inherent focus on Black suffering and trauma over triumph in the Black history we’re taught, whilst also touching on issues still affecting Black people in the UK and globally currently in a way that was touching and timely. 

I have already mentioned ‘Education’, another film in the anthology which looks at discrimination in the British school system, in my honourable mentions and I’d recommend you watch all six films. They’re available for free on BBC iPlayer for the Brits and on Amazon Prime for everyone else.

7. The Assistant, dir Kitty Greene

Watching this film made me think back to a time in 2017 when The New York Times published a detailed account of all the women that had come forward about Harvey Weinstein, and the subsequent birth of the #MeToo movement which followed in which a lot of other people in the entertainment industry were exposed for the heinous, disgusting things they’d done. There are two things I remember about this specific time period- the first being just how many people were exposed for being abusers, and the second being the general sense of unsurprise that accompanied a lot of these stories. The abuses that came to light formed part of a larger culture in Hollywood and beyond that had been normalised, allowing it to carry on for decades without the monsters who abused people ever facing any consequences for their actions. This film perfectly tapped into the culture that protected all these powerful people who flagrantly abused people out in the open for years without ever having to show anything or explicitly say words like “sexual misconduct”, “harassment” etc. The film portrays the powerlessness that comes both with being subjected to abuse, and wanting to do something to stop it but being shut down by the figures who help abusers through their complicity and complacency in a measured, nuanced way.

Despite never saying or showing anything explicitly, this film was still a difficult watch so I’d go in with caution but it is still one I’d highly recommend. At the very least you should watch it for Julia Garner’s superb performance that I feel is being overlooked this awards season (along with the film, which when you consider the subject matter is…suspicious, maybe it touched on the nerve of a lot of old men on awards voting boards).

6. Rocks, dir. Sarah Gavron

One of the most frustrating aspects of growing up as a minority is the way you’re forced to relate to stories featuring people that look nothing like you due to the lack of media representation of people that do. ‘Rocks’ represents something rare in that it shows young (mostly) Black and Brown British girls who are not sexualised or brutalised, even though the story at the film’s centre is a heart-breaking one. The film feels grounded and authentic in how it represents young girls of colour, and this is down to the script which doesn’t feature any of the stilted dialogue present in similar films written by out-of-touch adults trying to write teenagers, but also down to the wonderful performances from the young cast (who also contributed to the dialogue/script). All of the cast, including Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali, D’angelou Osei Kisssiedu, Shaneigha-Monik Greyson among many more, gave first-time performances that were endearing and naturalistic, helping to add to the authenticity of the film. Everything about this film just felt so genuine and like the film was made with so much care and empathy that though the story is sad, and I did cry…a lot (I’m a Pisces…yes I’m going to be the person who blames things on my star sign), I also couldn’t stop smiling all throughout because I was so delighted at seeing Black and Brown girls on my screen who were front and centre, and who were just allowed to be.

This film has been available on UK Netflix for nearly a year but it’s just recently been put on Netflix US and I’d highly recommend you watch this one so that we can support films focused on young Black and Brown girls like this, but also just because it’s a really good film.

5. Nomadland, dir. Chloé Zhao

Inspired by the 2017 non-fiction novel ‘Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century’, this film explores the American sub-culture of “nomads” (older American workers, mostly those adversely affected by the great recession of 2008, who travel the country in camper vans in search of work) in a pseudo-documentary style in a way that felt authentic and empathetic. I say it has a pseudo-documentary style as the film features a lot of real life nomads who play fictionalised versions of themselves who get to talk about the ways in which the recession affected them and the nomad way of living in a way that’s more touching than actors saying these words would’ve been, no matter how good the actors are. The film presented a surprising critique of capitalism, or at the very least trickle-down economics, through the stories of the nomads featured in it. All of the stories were carefully and masterfully interwoven with the story of Fern (played by Frances McDormand in a performance that’s guaranteed to land her an Oscar nod and maybe the win, too) which is about grief as much as it is about freedom. The film also has the most gorgeous cinematography of any film I watched in 2020, with expansive landscape shots that give a sense of isolation as much as they do a sense of community.

It might be a little slow-paced and meandering for some, but it’s a beautiful film that’s well worth the watch and I highly recommend.

4. Lover’s Rock, dir. Steve McQueen

I’ve already mentioned Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ anthology earlier in this list, and where ‘Mangrove’ showed the burden of systemic racism and presented a story that was more painful and heady, even if it is ultimately triumphant, ‘Lover’s Rock’ is more focused on Black joy, music, love and sensuality. The film isn’t too heavy on the plot, instead it offers up an enriching experience where British-Caribbean culture is at the forefront and viewers just get to watch two young Black people be young and free, and joyful. The two leads, played by Amarah-Jae St Aubyn and Michael Ward, had chemistry that oozed out of the screen and watching their characters was such a delight, whether they were dancing or riding a bike, or kissing. Everything about this film was so mesmerising, from the music, to the costume design, to even the way the camera moved, smooth and sensual. I could not stop smiling the entire way through the film, and watching it made me feel nostalgic for a time-period when I wasn’t even alive and my mum was literally a child.

It’ll probably be a bit painful to watch a 90-minute film about a house party whilst we’re in the middle of a pandemic where we can’t even see our friends much less go to a party ourselves, but this is one I highly recommend all the same, if for nothing else then for the scene where everyone dances to Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting”.

3. Sound of Metal, dir. Darius Marder

Sound design and mixing is something that an average movie-goer doesn’t pay much attention to when watching a film, although occasionally they might notice it when it’s not good (*cough, cough* ‘Tenet’). This film is one where you can’t not notice the sound design and mixing for it is so interwoven into the story of Ruben (played by Riz Ahmed in my favourite male performance of 2020) losing his hearing, and is such an integral part of the film. To call the sound design of this film “immersive” would be gross as it implies deafness is some sort of experience non-deaf people can dip their toes into and try-out but I will say, the sound is used masterfully to place the viewer in Ruben’s shoes so you view the world of the film the way he does, and so you feel the sense of loss and isolation he feels after losing his hearing. And those themes of isolation and having to adjust to new circumstances, as well as embracing the silence and stillness, are themes that are surprisingly timely right now making this film even more moving than it already is.

This film is available on Amazon Prime and it’s one I highly recommend, it’s beautiful and has the best ending of any film I watched in 2020.

2. Minari, dir. Lee Isaac Chung

‘Minari’ tells the story of a family’s struggles in their pursuit of the “American dream” which is something so quintessentially American (as much as I, someone who is not American, can judge anything to be “quintessentially American”) that it is absurd, by which I mean racist, that the film was given the designation of “Foreign Film” for the Golden Globes. But though it tells an American story at its core, ‘Minari’ also presented the universal experience of immigrants in a way that was as touching as it was relatable. Anyone who is a child of an immigrant will see their own family reflected onscreen in the struggles the family have, from the sacrifices the parents have to make for the sake of building a better future for their kids, to the struggle of assimilating to fit in with your peers as a child so you don’t have a difficult time versus holding onto your culture and beliefs because they’re not something to be ashamed of even if kids in school may make you feel otherwise. The film felt so personal and so poignant because of the wonderful script by Lee Isaac Chung based on his own experiences growing up and because of the wonderfully tender soundtrack by Emile Mosseri (which is my favourite film soundtrack of 2020). Everyone in the cast including Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Youn Yuh-jung, Alan Kim and Noel Kate Cho gave superb performances, and in a just world they would all receive award nominations but will likely be overlooked (apart from Steven and Youn Yuh-jung) for the same reason that the cast of ‘Parasite’ was overlooked last year whilst the film itself swept awards season (hint: it’s racism).

This is a lovely film that’s so tender and so relatable and shows the adaptability and perseverance of immigrants in a way that’s touching and affecting. It will be released for a theatrical run and on-demand in February or in March depending on where in the world you live, regardless I highly recommend it.

1. Time, dir. Garrett Bradley

“Time is when you look at pictures from when your babies were small, and then you look at them and you see that they have moustaches and beards, and that the biggest hope that you had was that before they turned into emn, they would have a chance to be with their father.”– Fox Rich.

This film which spans two decades of the Rich family’s life after the father, Rob Rich, was sentenced to life in prison, is a beautiful, simultaneously heart-felt and heart-breaking, portrait of the passage of time the family lives without him and of the time stolen from the Rich family as a result of mass incarceration. The film weaves B-roll home footage Fox Rich filmed over the years with A-roll footage from present-day to effectively convey the passage of time and all the milestones over its just 81-minute runtime in a way that is impressive, just as it is poignant. At a time where people are fighting for their civil rights and for equality and justice, and there are popular slogans like “defund the police” in the cultural zeitgeist, this film helps to contextualise and humanise that fight by showing the very real people who are affected by the mass incarceration system which is akin to modern day slavery, and people who are affected by the systemic racism seen in policing, in the judicial system and in so much more; it’s a call to abolition like no other. To call it “powerful” or “timely” feels hollow because those kinds of terms are used so often in relation to media like this, but it is. It’s a film that shows the horrors of the systems in place actively working against and discriminating against Black people, yet is filled with so much beauty at the same time- beauty in the black and white cinematography, beauty in the soundtrack, and above all else, beauty in the love and tenacity of the Rich family, of Fox Rich in particular.

There is no film I watched in 2020 that touched me and spoke to me quite like Garret Bradley’s ‘Time’ so for that reason, there was no other film that was going to top this list. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime and it’s one I would recommend to everyone because whilst it’s good to educate yourself on racism and examine your own privilege etc. etc., it’s also important to realise that all of it exists beyond praxis and there are very real people such as those in this film and beyond who are impacted by racist systems and policy.

I hope you’ll give at least one of the films mentioned on this list that you haven’t seen a chance, and do let me know your thoughts if you watch anything I’ve recommended here. I don’t wanna jinx anything, but here’s to a happy and healthy 2021!

–T