We were debating, in one of my film critic organizations, how to approach awards season in this most peculiar year, and when to publish our annual awards. Various members weighed in on the topic (January 2021 seemed to have the most momentum) before one veteran critic came in with their own burning hot take: "There's no reason to do any awards this year," he wrote in an email, to paraphrase, "because nothing worth seeing has come out yet."
I disagreed with him at the time and still do. Yes, it has been a year of disruption, missed opening dates, and general chaos in the industry, as covid-19 has rocked studios and indies to their core -- such that the real year of miserable viewing might come in 2021, after all these productions have been ground to a halt for so long -- but there has still been an assortment of outstanding work, albeit released directly to streaming.
Don't be so quick to give up on 2020, even if few of the Big Deal releases actually come to pass this calendar year. Here's a batch of excellent films well worth your streaming time (and, in some cases, the extra dollars it will take to see them), along with where you can check them out.
"7500"
What: An airplane hostage thriller involving a single pilot and a group of terrorists.
Why: Surprisingly well staged, with flourishes of atmospheric suspense and interesting psychology that belies its action-genre sounding premise. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the beleaguered pilot, desperately trying to protect the crew and passengers, including the mother of his child.
Where: Amazon Prime
"Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets"
What: A "documentary" about the last day and night of a dive bar in Vegas that draws its regulars for one last hurrah.
Why: Turns out not to be a doc, but rather, a carefully staged presentation from the Ross brothers (actually shot in their hometown of New Orleans), that nevertheless remains a fascinating, melancholy study of our drinking rituals and the chance characters we meet and interact with when sauced.
Where: Amazon ($4.99 rental)
"Boys State"
What: Doc about a longstanding Texas political experiment where young men (and women, separately) gather in Austin for a week of mock primaries and elections.
Why: The film gives a sense of how political factions are formed, and previews a democratic candidate in waiting, and a successfully unscrupulous right-wing campaign manager who might well prove to be forces in the years to come.
Where: Apple TV
"Crip Camp"
What: Another documentary, this one ostensibly about a summer spent at an upstate N.Y. camp for the disabled in the early '70s that led to a political movement for handicapped rights.
Why: It's not a nostalgia trip about "that one summer" or a sentimentalized appreciation of a special place: Instead, it's a document of a revolution, with many of the movement's leaders having come from those summers upstate. It's moving but in a fierce sort of way.
Where: Netflix
"Dick Johnson Is Dead"
What: Still another doc, though of an entirely different order: Here, director and DP Kirsten Johnson muses about the impending death of her dad, the lovable and (still) full of life, Dick.
Why: It might seem macabre, staging several fake death montages of your own pop, but it suits the sensibility of the Johnson family -- Dick seems to take particular joy in a scene shot in 'heaven' with dancers, confetti, and cut-out faces of some of his favorite entertainers. It's funny, sweet, and more than a little twisted, but it would be hard to produce a more loving tribute.
Where: Netflix
"First Cow"
What: A warm drama from Kelly Reichardt about a pair of friends in the turn-of-the-century Pacific Northwest, who earn a small bundle creating delicious pastries for a settlement of trappers, taking huge risks in the process.
Why: The film has its own gentle pace and easy approach, but it doesn't mask the savage, muddy atmosphere of this barely established outpost, and the danger our protagonists face in trying to take advantage of the lone wealthy patron in the vicinity.
Where: Amazon Prime
"The Invisible Man"
What: A woman escapes an abusive relationship, only to be stalked by her ex, whom she can't see.
Why: Leigh Whannell's updated suspense thriller becomes a perfect emblem of the #metoo era, with Elisabeth Moss' struggling heroine finally able to take on her rich, white, control-freak ex directly, in a battle of wits, ingenuity, and strength of will.
Where: HBOM
"Never Rarely Sometimes Always"
What: A drama about a high-school teenager and her cousin in rural Pennsylvania, who have to travel to NYC alone so she can get an abortion.
Why: One of the most searing scenes of the year occurs near the end of Eliza Hittman's brilliant film, as our protagonist, having endured numerous obstacles and delays, finally gets to a clinic, and undergoes an intense admission interview. Hittman's film, verite in tone and effect, remains devastatingly understated, but there's no mistaking the anguish and emotional toll on these two young women.
Where: Amazon Prime
"Palm Springs"
What: An offbeat comedy about a dude stuck at a wedding in a time loop before one of the bridesmaids gets stuck with him.
Why: The chemistry of stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti is superb, the jokes are flowing, and the "Groundhog Day" update has enough new tricks up its sleeve to keep the film merrily rolling along.
Where: Hulu
"Relic"
What: A stately horror film about an elderly woman living alone in the Australian countryside, who is haunted by manifestations, that come to involve her daughter and granddaughter as well.
Why: Spare but reverberating, Natalie Erika James' haunted house spin allows for plenty of spooky atmosphere and bewildering interior architecture, but at its root, it's a film about generational transposing and the way our lives play in cycles.
Where: Amazon Prime
"Shirley"
What: A thoroughly fictional narrative about the author Shirley Jackson, living with her professor husband, and welcoming a young couple into their peculiar fold.
Why: Another great Elisabeth Moss performance, woven into a mind-bending narrative about Jackson's working methods, and the lengths she will go to produce a bold piece of work. Josephine Decker is in her element, crafting a film about the fertile creative breeding grounds of a college campus, and the performances are strong across the board.
Where: Amazon Prime
"Time"
What: A documentary about a loving married couple, separated by a long prison stint, and the children raised in the absence of their father.
Why: You can read the through-line easily enough, but Garrett Bradley's film isn't just another takedown of the justice system, or call against racial bias, it's also a moving meditation on the subject of hours and days, the ways in which change comes to all of us from the moment we step foot on this Earth to the day we no longer move at all. Delicate and exhilarating, you will not soon forget it.
Where: Amazon Prime
