2020 was one hell of a year! It was the year of the Coronavirus, a deadly pandemic that put the world into a complete halt. People had to stay at home and world events had to be put on hold! But if there's one thing that didn't stop, it's the movies! And thank goodness for that! What else would keep people company—and sane!—during these quarantined times? In this regard, 2020 was no different in putting out great films for quality entertainment. As well as a few others that were questionable. But which were the best and which were the worst? Here's a quick recap of 2020 in film!
BEST
Soul
If you didn't cry while watching Disney's "Soul," you might as well be made of stone! Both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, this tale of a deceased jazz pianist teaching a soul what it means to 'live on Earth' will have you bawling until the last credits roll. Not to mention leave you going all full-on Aristotle and questioning the true meaning of life! That has become Pixar's specialty, after all!
The Invisible Man
From "Mad Men" to "The Handmaiden's Tale," Elizabeth Moss has proven herself to be quite the talented actress. But none of those TV shows really captured the essence of her craft than her starring role in one of this year's best horror flicks, "The Invisible Man." Her acting chops led to such a believable performance of being chased and tortured by a man no one can see. Admittedly, her character, Cecilia Kass, was not the best by any means, but even you had to root for her as she tried to get away from her invisible tormentor.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Starring the late great Chadwick Boseman and Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is the type of film that'd normally get some strong Oscar Buzz. And for good reason too! Telling the story of the legendary jazz singer Ma Rainey and her overly-excited trumpeter as they take on the music industry within a racist world, it's a startling look at how Black artists—even to this day!—still don't get what they deserve!
The Half of It
Sure, "The Half of It" may seem like the typical teen coming-of-age rom-com chick flick on Netflix, but if you actually watched it, you'll know that it's more than that! By putting an LGBT+ spin on the overused helping-your-friend-get-the-girl-you-like trope, it updates the love triangle between the introverted straight-A student Ellie, adorkable jock Paul, and golden girl Aster to fit 2020's standards.
Mulan
The much-anticipated live-action adaptation of Disney's "Mulan" was not without its controversies. It even reached a point that millions wanted to "cancel" the movie before it even got released on Disney+. But notwithstanding those issues, no one can deny that this new retelling is awesome, action-packed, and authentic. There's still that Disney magic here and there, but the faithfulness to the original story and the epic cinematography makes it one of the finer of Disney's recent live-action remakes.
WORST
365 Days
Let's not beat around the bush (no pun intended!): 365 Days is basically softcore porn. The story of a Sicilian mobster kidnapping a Polish executive and torturing her until she eventually consents to have sex with him is just too off-the-rails and a porn-like fantasy that you just can't take it seriously. And come on, with all so many sex scenes, it's almost as if the plot never really mattered in the first place.
Capone
As talented as Tom Hardy is in playing gangsters, even he couldn't save "Capone" from the depths of banality. Too eccentric for its own good, they focused too much on the violence instead of effectively playing out the compelling story of one of America's most notorious gangsters. The potential was there, but the execution left a lot to be desired!
Artemis Fowl
If there's a 2020 film that really didn't live up to people's expectations, it's "Artemis Fowl." It had everything at its disposal for a big hit—big stars like Judi Dench and Colin Ferrell, a big studio like Walt Disney Pictures to back it up, and the best CGI and special effects in Hollywood. But even with all of that, the film, overall, came out too dense, unimpressive, and for fans of the original novel, a huge disappointment.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
So many critics all whole-heartedly agree: "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" was just a series of gags. It wasn't a film that deserved the likes of Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, and even the great Peirce Brosnan! Sure, the infamous international singing in Europe merited a parody comedy film for its many outrageous oddities, but that film wasn't it!
Dolittle
Yet another example of why a movie needs more than an all-star cast to really entertain audiences. With all the potential in the world, the 2020 "Dolittle" film had what it takes to become one of the biggest family movies of the year. Most especially with Robert Downey Jr. of MCU Ironman-fame at the leading role. However, the movie itself ended up rather stale, overacted, and childishly funny to a fault. Its humor had no depth, its plot had no impact, and some special effects left a lot to be desired.
Did your favorites end up in among the best and worst films of 2020? Which do you think will reign supreme in the awards shows? Or do you even care about that at all? In the end, you were probably just thankful you had something to watch at all while stuck at home during a global pandemic!
