Adrian's Favorite Films of 2020

 Adrian's Favorite Films of 2020

Yes I am making this list over a year out of when I should be making it. I regrettably let myself go from analyzing and writing about films for almost 2 years. My personal life just didn't allow for it. Now I am back at a point where I intend to do more writing about films I watch. So let's start again with films i watched from 2020. We'll do 20 of them. 

20. Mugen Train

Had a ton of fun watching this in the theater. The final third of the movie is actually quite fantastic. However, the main body of this film pales in comparison to the final act. Unfortunately that's one of the most memorable parts - that you forget most of this movie. Great third act though. Lot's of fun. Don't need to watch again. 

19. Nomadland

A lot of people loved this. It's a beautiful looking film. Frances McDormand is one of the best living actresses and her performance is masterful. For me, I actually got bored in the theater.. which happens so rarely. I just didn't find this entirely interesting. I get why people say its amazing but I can't lie to myself for the sake of pretentious misery hype. Or boredom. It was cool to know that many of the people in this film aren't professional actors. Shout out to Zhao for that. She's a great talent. 

18. The Social Dilemma 

This is a very watchable doc with some really good intel on those who helped build the digital landscape that we know today. It just isn't as groundbreaking as it thinks it is. That being said I'd recommend this to anybody. Very well produced. 

17. Pieces of a Woman

It's very heavy. Well made. Benny Safdie is in this. And I'll leave it at that. 

16. Emma

I wouldn't appreciate this film as much if it wasn't for my friend Olivia - who explained to me in great detail about how well the costume design is done in this movie. So shout-out to her.  It's lush. It's classic. It's Anya. 

15. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Sorkin is solid. Good pace and the humor hits most of the time. The editing was my biggest issue with this movie. Some choices threw me off and kind of screwed with the momentum. Great ensemble cast. Very watchable movie. Most people will watch this, learn something, and then say "yeah it was good." But not much more than that. 

14. The Invisible Man

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was thrilling and modern. I was unsure of what direction this adaption would take and I think most of it works very well. Moss's performance went under the radar. Whannell's Upgrade (2018) was underrated and I'm glad this got a more commercial audience. 

13. On The Rocks

This was low stakes fun/chill//sweet. Streamed on AppleTV. The film even looks like an Apple commercial. Something about this film put me at ease. Rashida <3. 

12. A Quiet Place 2

I saw this in a really cool theater in Tennessee. I was extremely excited to get out of town to visit Nashville and it ended up being a very fantastic trip. Seeing this was an escape within an escape. I am obsessed with the exhilarated feeling that escaping gives. Leaving the theater was leaving a new escape into a new but known escape. A really good feeling. Vacation. I need another one. The movie is thrilling and fun by the way. 

11. Extraction 

This was a pleasant surprise. Some really good choreographed action and a fun performance from Hemsworth. Holds its own in my high expectations for action choreography at this point. I love all the John Wick movies and I am obsessed with THAT sequence in Atomic Blonde. If you know you know. This matched those expectations. Highly recommend this for those who need some high thrills and love a good action flick. 

10. The Outpost 

Not enough people watched this. It's based off the Jake Tapper novel I did not read. Cleanly and respectfully done. The film is a thrill ride. Took me back to the first time I watched Black Hawk Down in my friend's basement. 

9. Possessor 

Cronenberg will Cronenberg. How cool does this synopsis sound?.. "Tasya Vos, an elite, corporate assassin, takes control of other people's bodies using brain-implant technology to execute high-profile targets." Very cool, right? Soooooo up my alley. Watch it if you haven't. Gave me similar feelings to Upgrade (2018). SciFi is unbeatable when done carefully. I hear the uncut version is even better. I'll have to watch it soon. 

8. Run 

I had a hard time placing this movie on this list. It doesn't do anything new or groundbreaking, but it was one of the most satisfying movies I watched that year. Performances were convincing in each role. Watched it on Hulu but it looks like a Netflix original. I'm not going to explain that further. 

7. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

This is one that really grew on me the more I thought about it. I was at very different place in life when I first saw this compared to today, and I think that's really cool when that happens. The movie grows with you. Some sort of alignment happens. Charlie Kaufman movies are always so worthwhile. One of my favorite writers. Jesse Plemons is a powerhouse actor a this point. 

6. Promising Young Woman

This had a real Refn feel to it - so it felt right at home for Carey Mulligan to be so good in this. The color and cinematography felt and looked sharp. This subverted my expectations in the way that I thought this was going to be a gore-fest. It was not. However, the tension in this movie was well paced all the way up until the ending. Then it exploded. 

5. Boys State

This feels like a great sports movie. I guess maybe it is. Has the pacing and competitive edge as great E60 documentary. A great recommendation for anybody. There's a lot to pick up and discuss regarding how we view public service in this country. Just a great doc. 

Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Cory Booker and Rush Limbaugh. 

4. Mank

It's not exciting. At all. That is ok. Runs off charm and flare of a director whose passion bleeds through this screenplay. Gary Oldman is so good its criminal. The black and white is refreshing and sharp. Would have loved to see this in a theater. No way I should be watching a new Fincher film on a 27 inch tv on Netflix. Feels like a sin (looking at you too Mr. Scorsese.) Yeah, i know there were some screenings. I don't live in NYC or LA okay?

3. Minari 

This is the movie version of Ryuichi Sakamoto on the piano. Tender and inspiring. The cast fuses together gracefully. This is a movie about the little things. Promises and ambition - where we end up is a product of how we treat those areas. Beautiful movie. Mountain Dew. 

"They need to see me succeed at something for once."

2. Another Round

A movie strictly about alcohol and its effect both physically and emotionally. Living life to the fullest and regaining youth, or addiction and a delivered pain for those around you and/or yourself. Such a topic causes such a blunder. Everything is good, one way or another, in doses.

1. Tenet

I just deleted a huge essay about this movie. I realized I can't talk about it without coming up short of my intentions at the moment. The venue for me to talk about this movie is a dimly lit pub with people as nerdy as I am about this film.  

"What's happened, happened. It's an expression of faith in the mechanics of the world, it's not an excuse for doing nothing."