It's been over a year since I put anything up on here. I've been bouncing back and forth as to whether I want to try doing all this on Youtube or if I even want to do it, but I randomly felt like giving it another shot on here so here we are. It's been a while and it's a whole different world out there, a world where going to the movies doesn't seem like something that will be possible for a while. Luckily, this year whether it be before shutdowns or after through online releases, has still delivered some pretty amazing movies. This list will be my 15 favourite of the year so far, many of which are available to watch at home right now so hopefully this will give everyone some new things to watch.
#15 - Big Time Adolescence
Written and directed by Jason Orley, this film follows a highschooler played by Griffin Gluck who's best friend is her older sister's slacker ex-boyfriend. The film doesn't break any new ground in the coming-of-age genre, but it offers a really strong and genuine friendship at its center and an overall heartwarming and fun time. Gluck is really solid, and Pete Davidson while often hit or miss as an actor does a pretty amazing job in his role. This is on Hulu right now and it's a great easy watch so I'd highly recommend it to pretty much everyone.
#14 - The Way Back
I know a lot of people hate Ben Affleck, but I'm not one of those people. That being said, Ben Affleck has made a lot of fucking mistakes over the years, which makes this film feel pretty damn authentic and therapeutic. It's the kind of movie designed to make you cry, and while it shys away from the sports drama side of its story it still provides a lot of emotionally strong moments. I wish the film spent time getting to know the actual basketball team more, but nonetheless director Gavin O'Connor manages to elevate what could have been a run of the mill sports drama.
#13 - The Lodge
This is the first of several horror films on this list, and it's one I have a lot of conflicting thoughts on. The way this film builds an atmosphere impressed the hell out of me, and while it definitely feels similar to Hereditary it manages to fully become its own thing. There are some twists and turns that I really dug, but I found that the ending fell pretty flat compared to everything prior. Riley Keough is amazing in the film and while I do have some issues it's still a pretty damn good flick.
#12 - Gretel and Hansel
This is a film that a lot of people will probably hate, but I knew exactly what to expect and I was more than happy. Oz Perkins got my attention by being the son of Anthony Perkins, who gave my all time favourite film performance in Psycho, but I now seek his films out of appreciation for his style rather than his familial connections. Perkins is very much a style over substance horror filmmaker, but the way his style creates tension just really works for me. Narratively this film falls a bit flat and there's a lot of voice over that didn't really work for me, but Perkins boasts some absolutely killer visuals, and the score is honestly one of the best I've heard in a long time. Certainly not for everyone but a film I really enjoyed... and this film is honestly the reason I decided to do a top 15 instead of 10.
#11 - Birds of Prey
Is this film being one of the best DCEU films really saying much? No. But this is a damn fun movie. It's messy as all hell, but because of the wild nature of its main character it kinda works brilliantly. The narration here works really well, and there's just so much fun to be had. Did I mention fun??? The colours are vibrant, the violence is choreographed beautifully, and in case I didn't say it enough already, IT IS SO FUN. Robbie is great, Ewan McGregor is fucking awesome, and while I wish there was more of the supporting cast I think they all did a solid job.
#10 - Onward
This is a really solid movie. If I'm holding it up against the rest of Pixar's catalog it doesn't stand up as one of the better ones, but it's an enjoyable family film and it doesn't really need to be anything else. The animation is pretty beautiful, and the world-building is fairly well done. I really don't have any complaints, and I guess I shouldn't since it's in my top 10, there just isn't anything that WOWED me. If you haven't seen it it's on Disney Plus right now, so take a break from The Mandalorian or the Jeff Goldblum show and watch this.
#9 - Emma
Emma is simply a delightful film. Anya Taylor Joy is one of my absolute favourite young actors and it was awesome to see her in a fully comedic role. She embodies this iconic Jane Austen character perfectly, giving it sass and class and her delivery of the pretty awesome dialogue is just great. This is also just a stacked fucking cast. Johnny Flynn is a guy I want to see do well and he slides in as the perfect opposition to Emma at many points in the film, and I really just loved his performance. Callum Turner from Fantastic Beasts shines in his role, as do Sex Education stars Connor Swindells and Tanya Reynolds and Gemma Whalen who plays Theon's sister in Game of Thrones. But the supporting standouts are no doubt Mia Goth and Bill Nighy. Nighy isn't in that much of the movie, but oh man is he ever hilarious. Goth is just perfectly cast here. She delivers such a strong sense of innocence, and her unique look accompanied by some great acting just makes her character impossible to not love. This is simply an enjoyable as hell period piece with a loaded cast.
#8 - The Platform
If you haven't seen this film on Netflix yet get the hell on it. I doubt this film could be less subtle in portraying its themes of class struggle and greed, but that doesn't matter, as it delivers a unique and clever sci-fi horror premise that manages to surprise throughout. I thought early on that this would be best suited as a short film (partially because it is similar to Next Floor, a short by my all-time fav Denis Villeneuve), but it surprisingly never overstayed its welcome. It can be a lil gross watching people massacre food but it really is a strong and clever film.
#7 - The Hunt
Another aggressively unsubtle horror film, The Hunt is simply a film I had a blast watching. This is actually the last one I saw before theaters shut down, so it holds a special place in my heart, but I also just genuinely had a blast with it. I'm not a very political guy, and I see a lot of hypocrisy from both sides of the spectrum, so seeing a film satirize and make fun of both ends of the spectrum was music to my ears, because let's be honest, everyone at least sucks a little bit. Politics aside this is just a fun ride, with the first twenty minutes being absolutely hilarious in terms of how they handle violence and determining a protagonist. If nothing else, watch this for Betty Gilpin.
#6 - The Invisible Man
A lot of people were skeptical before this film came out, but I love the 1930s original, and I think Leigh Whannell seems like an awesome guy, so I was quite excited for this. There are some scenes that fall into generic traps, but there are also points where Whannell uses the premise as a vehicle for some really amazing moments of tension and some super cool effects. The opening scene is brilliantly tense, and sets up the fear in Adrian (played by The Haunting of Hill House's Oliver Jackson-Cohen) without even showing or telling what it is he actual did or has done. Elizabeth Moss is amazing in portraying the pure fear of her character, and the character of Cecilia in general is just really awesome. A cool atmosphere and some awesome scares make this one of my favs of the year.
#5 - Swallow
Now for a film that was nowhere near my radar. This film is pretty tough to watch at times, due to the nature of it's main character swallowing foreign objects, but is incredibly rewarding in how it tackles its themes. Hayley Bennett is absolutely incredible, and director Carlo Mirabella-Davis does a great job in making the audience care about her. The cinematography is incredible and the colour palette works alongside it to make something that feels sleek and modern and incredibly artistic. This is a film that may move up this list with a rewatch, I was a very big fan.
#4 - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
This film came hot out of Sundance and got my attention just by what I consider a really intriguing title. This is a very raw and intimate story about a teenager and her cousin travelling to NYC to get an abortion, which they can't do where they live in Pennsylvania. The scene in which the title refers to is worth watching alone, but the way Eliza Hittman approaches every aspect of the film just makes for a very emotional watch. It's fairly slow and at times plotless which may turn people off, but I loved the sense of authenticity in this, and it's strong points are very very strong.
#3 - Beastie Boys Story
This was just another fucking delight. This is essentially a filmed TED talk featuring the two surviving members of The Beastie Boys. However, these two are full of energy and creativity, and the film/stage show is directed by one of the most interesting filmmakers working today in Spike Jonze. What we are left with is a high-energy, high-fun, but also very touching film highlighting the ups and downs of the iconic trio. I learned so much about them from this and it gives you some awesome music to queue up, and the way the two remember their friend and colleague is just really heartwarming.
#2 - Possessor
Now Possessor on the other hand is far from heartwarming. This film to put it simply is vicious. The film follows an agency that essentially acts as hitmen, however they implant their agents into the bodies of people close to their targets to perform assassinations. This delivers a brutally violent film with stunning visuals and many questions surrounding identity to ponder. A lot of people had trouble with this one at Sundance, but apparently I'm crazy in not finding the film too hard to watch. That being said, it really is graphic, but I found any violence worth watching through for how thematically rich and visually strong the film was. The film also features an astounding performance from Christopher Abbott. I really love this performance because horror in recent years has been dominated by female performances, and this slides in right alongside the best of those. Now I don't love that just because he's a man, I know white guys tend to have it pretty easy, but I love it because his performance gives off a strong sense of grief and vulnerability similar to what we see in Florence Pugh in Midsommar and Toni Collette in Hereditary as well as many other examples, so the fact that he fits in among them rather than typical male horror performances acting almost like a hero is why I really love his work in this film. But yeah if you think you can stomach it, consider this an absolute must watch.
#1 - The Gentlemen
And last but certainly not least, The Gentlemen is my favourite so far. I have not laughed this hard at a movie in a long time. The cast is amazing, whether it be Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McConaughey... fuck it there's too many awesome actors. This film is told through a hilarious and quippy script that all the actors nail, and an overall infectious energy felt through every department. This film is puzzling and weird but also super fun and clever, and there just simply hasn't been a film this year that had me as excited about this one.
#15 - Big Time Adolescence
Written and directed by Jason Orley, this film follows a highschooler played by Griffin Gluck who's best friend is her older sister's slacker ex-boyfriend. The film doesn't break any new ground in the coming-of-age genre, but it offers a really strong and genuine friendship at its center and an overall heartwarming and fun time. Gluck is really solid, and Pete Davidson while often hit or miss as an actor does a pretty amazing job in his role. This is on Hulu right now and it's a great easy watch so I'd highly recommend it to pretty much everyone.
#14 - The Way Back
I know a lot of people hate Ben Affleck, but I'm not one of those people. That being said, Ben Affleck has made a lot of fucking mistakes over the years, which makes this film feel pretty damn authentic and therapeutic. It's the kind of movie designed to make you cry, and while it shys away from the sports drama side of its story it still provides a lot of emotionally strong moments. I wish the film spent time getting to know the actual basketball team more, but nonetheless director Gavin O'Connor manages to elevate what could have been a run of the mill sports drama.
#13 - The Lodge
This is the first of several horror films on this list, and it's one I have a lot of conflicting thoughts on. The way this film builds an atmosphere impressed the hell out of me, and while it definitely feels similar to Hereditary it manages to fully become its own thing. There are some twists and turns that I really dug, but I found that the ending fell pretty flat compared to everything prior. Riley Keough is amazing in the film and while I do have some issues it's still a pretty damn good flick.
#12 - Gretel and Hansel
This is a film that a lot of people will probably hate, but I knew exactly what to expect and I was more than happy. Oz Perkins got my attention by being the son of Anthony Perkins, who gave my all time favourite film performance in Psycho, but I now seek his films out of appreciation for his style rather than his familial connections. Perkins is very much a style over substance horror filmmaker, but the way his style creates tension just really works for me. Narratively this film falls a bit flat and there's a lot of voice over that didn't really work for me, but Perkins boasts some absolutely killer visuals, and the score is honestly one of the best I've heard in a long time. Certainly not for everyone but a film I really enjoyed... and this film is honestly the reason I decided to do a top 15 instead of 10.
#11 - Birds of Prey
Is this film being one of the best DCEU films really saying much? No. But this is a damn fun movie. It's messy as all hell, but because of the wild nature of its main character it kinda works brilliantly. The narration here works really well, and there's just so much fun to be had. Did I mention fun??? The colours are vibrant, the violence is choreographed beautifully, and in case I didn't say it enough already, IT IS SO FUN. Robbie is great, Ewan McGregor is fucking awesome, and while I wish there was more of the supporting cast I think they all did a solid job.
#10 - Onward
This is a really solid movie. If I'm holding it up against the rest of Pixar's catalog it doesn't stand up as one of the better ones, but it's an enjoyable family film and it doesn't really need to be anything else. The animation is pretty beautiful, and the world-building is fairly well done. I really don't have any complaints, and I guess I shouldn't since it's in my top 10, there just isn't anything that WOWED me. If you haven't seen it it's on Disney Plus right now, so take a break from The Mandalorian or the Jeff Goldblum show and watch this.
#9 - Emma
Emma is simply a delightful film. Anya Taylor Joy is one of my absolute favourite young actors and it was awesome to see her in a fully comedic role. She embodies this iconic Jane Austen character perfectly, giving it sass and class and her delivery of the pretty awesome dialogue is just great. This is also just a stacked fucking cast. Johnny Flynn is a guy I want to see do well and he slides in as the perfect opposition to Emma at many points in the film, and I really just loved his performance. Callum Turner from Fantastic Beasts shines in his role, as do Sex Education stars Connor Swindells and Tanya Reynolds and Gemma Whalen who plays Theon's sister in Game of Thrones. But the supporting standouts are no doubt Mia Goth and Bill Nighy. Nighy isn't in that much of the movie, but oh man is he ever hilarious. Goth is just perfectly cast here. She delivers such a strong sense of innocence, and her unique look accompanied by some great acting just makes her character impossible to not love. This is simply an enjoyable as hell period piece with a loaded cast.
#8 - The Platform
If you haven't seen this film on Netflix yet get the hell on it. I doubt this film could be less subtle in portraying its themes of class struggle and greed, but that doesn't matter, as it delivers a unique and clever sci-fi horror premise that manages to surprise throughout. I thought early on that this would be best suited as a short film (partially because it is similar to Next Floor, a short by my all-time fav Denis Villeneuve), but it surprisingly never overstayed its welcome. It can be a lil gross watching people massacre food but it really is a strong and clever film.
#7 - The Hunt
Another aggressively unsubtle horror film, The Hunt is simply a film I had a blast watching. This is actually the last one I saw before theaters shut down, so it holds a special place in my heart, but I also just genuinely had a blast with it. I'm not a very political guy, and I see a lot of hypocrisy from both sides of the spectrum, so seeing a film satirize and make fun of both ends of the spectrum was music to my ears, because let's be honest, everyone at least sucks a little bit. Politics aside this is just a fun ride, with the first twenty minutes being absolutely hilarious in terms of how they handle violence and determining a protagonist. If nothing else, watch this for Betty Gilpin.
#6 - The Invisible Man
A lot of people were skeptical before this film came out, but I love the 1930s original, and I think Leigh Whannell seems like an awesome guy, so I was quite excited for this. There are some scenes that fall into generic traps, but there are also points where Whannell uses the premise as a vehicle for some really amazing moments of tension and some super cool effects. The opening scene is brilliantly tense, and sets up the fear in Adrian (played by The Haunting of Hill House's Oliver Jackson-Cohen) without even showing or telling what it is he actual did or has done. Elizabeth Moss is amazing in portraying the pure fear of her character, and the character of Cecilia in general is just really awesome. A cool atmosphere and some awesome scares make this one of my favs of the year.
#5 - Swallow
Now for a film that was nowhere near my radar. This film is pretty tough to watch at times, due to the nature of it's main character swallowing foreign objects, but is incredibly rewarding in how it tackles its themes. Hayley Bennett is absolutely incredible, and director Carlo Mirabella-Davis does a great job in making the audience care about her. The cinematography is incredible and the colour palette works alongside it to make something that feels sleek and modern and incredibly artistic. This is a film that may move up this list with a rewatch, I was a very big fan.
#4 - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
This film came hot out of Sundance and got my attention just by what I consider a really intriguing title. This is a very raw and intimate story about a teenager and her cousin travelling to NYC to get an abortion, which they can't do where they live in Pennsylvania. The scene in which the title refers to is worth watching alone, but the way Eliza Hittman approaches every aspect of the film just makes for a very emotional watch. It's fairly slow and at times plotless which may turn people off, but I loved the sense of authenticity in this, and it's strong points are very very strong.
#3 - Beastie Boys Story
This was just another fucking delight. This is essentially a filmed TED talk featuring the two surviving members of The Beastie Boys. However, these two are full of energy and creativity, and the film/stage show is directed by one of the most interesting filmmakers working today in Spike Jonze. What we are left with is a high-energy, high-fun, but also very touching film highlighting the ups and downs of the iconic trio. I learned so much about them from this and it gives you some awesome music to queue up, and the way the two remember their friend and colleague is just really heartwarming.
#2 - Possessor
Now Possessor on the other hand is far from heartwarming. This film to put it simply is vicious. The film follows an agency that essentially acts as hitmen, however they implant their agents into the bodies of people close to their targets to perform assassinations. This delivers a brutally violent film with stunning visuals and many questions surrounding identity to ponder. A lot of people had trouble with this one at Sundance, but apparently I'm crazy in not finding the film too hard to watch. That being said, it really is graphic, but I found any violence worth watching through for how thematically rich and visually strong the film was. The film also features an astounding performance from Christopher Abbott. I really love this performance because horror in recent years has been dominated by female performances, and this slides in right alongside the best of those. Now I don't love that just because he's a man, I know white guys tend to have it pretty easy, but I love it because his performance gives off a strong sense of grief and vulnerability similar to what we see in Florence Pugh in Midsommar and Toni Collette in Hereditary as well as many other examples, so the fact that he fits in among them rather than typical male horror performances acting almost like a hero is why I really love his work in this film. But yeah if you think you can stomach it, consider this an absolute must watch.
#1 - The Gentlemen
And last but certainly not least, The Gentlemen is my favourite so far. I have not laughed this hard at a movie in a long time. The cast is amazing, whether it be Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McConaughey... fuck it there's too many awesome actors. This film is told through a hilarious and quippy script that all the actors nail, and an overall infectious energy felt through every department. This film is puzzling and weird but also super fun and clever, and there just simply hasn't been a film this year that had me as excited about this one.
Written by Matt McKenzie
Ugh, I still need to see The Gentleman! I honestly just keep forgetting about it, but I'm excited for it.
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