2020 changed the game - in many ways more than one, but as far as I'm concerned the biggest alteration to our universe is what the year did to movies.
Going to the theater was no longer a thing - for most of the year - at all. My family and I were part of the true lockdown for the first half of the year, before I got cranky and restrictions were loosened enough that I left the house anyways. But still, movies were not a thing.
In fact, in 2020 I didn't get to the theater at all! It wasn't until early 2021 that I attended a private screening of Godzilla vs. King Kong that I sat in front of a big silver screen. Boo!
So stuck inside the house, we had to turn to what was available - and a good portion of that wasn't feature films, but rather television streaming series.
Much to my delight, the quality of what I saw was so high, that I feel perfectly comfortable sliding in a bunch of television offerings into my yearly movie top 10 for 2020. I did delay making this list for over a year, because there were hardly any movies to rank, but then I reflected on just how good all those tv shows were and figured - why not?
So here we go. First, the runners up!
Tiger King
Bat-shit insane documentary that plays more like a crazy comedy/drama found footage tv series. Yes, my wife and I were thoroughly captivated by this both repulsive and irresistible garbage caravan of ego, sex and sin. Couldn't stop, wouldn't stop watching. We binged it in two and a half days.
Can't say I was sympathetic to any of the players at all. Maybe a little bit for the poor person who got their arm ripped off by a tiger, though I certainly don't blame the tiger at all.
Birds of Prey
Saw this on our newly subscribed service - HBO Max. Enjoyed it a lot actually. Great action, lots of fun and depraved moments. I was less crazy about Ewan McGregor's sadistic villain - the scenes of him torturing a family and terrifying a young woman in his club were very odd and out of place. Didn't fit the tone of the film, and served no purpose beyond that establishing that his character was a bad guy. Yes, we already got that - didn't need gratuitous violence and sexual anger to establish this.
Onward
Pixar swings for the fences, and mostly comes up with the goods in this fantastic tale of brotherly love set in a Zootopia version of Middle Earth. Liked it very, very much. Almost loved it. The choice of dealing with half a dad was a bit odd, the way having Princess Merida's mom turn into a bear was also odd. A bit off putting and strange, but in the end the emotional notes do get struck well enough.
Umbrella Academy
Don't know if this was actually released in 2020, but I was kind of blown away at the production value and how the story held my interest. There really is a great golden age of television quality these days. Hoping for a third season.
Top ten -
10. Big Mouth
Unless I specify otherwise, with the TV shows that pop up on this list I am including them for all the seasons that have aired so far.
Ok, this is a cartoon that is all about kids in middle school and all the shit they go through. The stories are primarily focused on puberty and sex and awkwardness. It is highly embarrassing, highly uncomfortable and HUGELY hilarious. I typically laugh so hard I'm in tears at least a couple of times in every single episode.
There is much that is OH SO WRONG about this show - but I have to say, it does pretty much nail every topic that it deals with. Yes, there is a bit of woke preachiness that seeps through, especially in later seasons - but the show is so foul and politically incorrect that it never sticks.
9. Soul
Enjoyed this a bit more than "Onward" - Blown away, again, by the animation - which perfectly captured the outlandishness and otherworldliness of the after-life, and also the overwhelming joy of "the real world". Pixar does enjoy these strange body-switching tropes, and switching with the cat was another "Ok, I guess we're doing that" moment, but this time it works a bit better. As with all of their best stuff, the emotions run deep and the big questions raised are profound. Seen this twice, over a year ago at this point, and I need to watch it again.
8. The Invisible Man
I remember catching this fairly early in the pandemic. It is simply an outstanding thriller that uses all the right tools in the right measure to string us along and shock us at all the right moments. The story also serves as a powerful analogy for man on woman abuse - and delivers a satisfying resolution of justice in the end. Great stuff.
7. Hamilton
I was supposed to see this live pre-pandemic, and gave my ticket to my wife when I forgot I had scheduled a poker night. She thought it was ok. I was still excited to see it some day, and then Disney decided to drop this on their streaming service a good two years earlier than expected. I was happy to check it out - and I was pleasantly blown away.
I love history, I love America - and this production is an absolute genius way to get everyone excited about both. Lin Manuel Miranda's brilliant high concept, casting primarily people of color in the almost all white roles in our history - does the trick in relieving the audience of their baggage and letting them absorb the true power behind the words of our founding fathers.
I must've watched this three or four times the weekend it came out. I now know all the songs, and like all of them and LOVE more than a few of them. The Skyler Sisters, Say Goodbye, You'll Be Back & Burn jump to mind as some of my favorites. Hamilton is thrilling and invigorating, and makes my heart swell with pride. I will always and forever be a patriot, and Hamilton is a great affirmation of this fact.
6. The Boys
Another television series - this one is an absolutely brilliant sendup of the Marvel and DC movies. It's dark, extremely violent and sexually explicit - but oh so great. I've watched and loved both seasons and can't wait for the third to drop. Great to see Aya Cash show up in season two, she was the lead in my old high school friend's show on FX "You're the Worst" and she's fantastic here as a literal ex nazi super-baddie.
So many great eye popping moments (sometimes literally). I love Karl Urban's c-word loving leading man (why is it that the c-word is so easy to say with an accent?) and it's amazing seeing Dennis Quaid's kid take the reins as our long suffering protagonist. My favorite character is probably the pathetic "The Deep" his talking gills are just super bizarre and amazing at the same time. And of course, Homelander is the ultimate "Super" villain. Can't wait to see what happens with him next!
5. The Crown
The first season or so were certainly pre-2020, but since I wasn't allowing tv shows onto my list prior to that, this seems like a good time to rank this here and to praise all of the shows seasons that have been released so far.
And yes, all the seasons and characterizations are great - but I confess I do love the first two seasons and Clair Foy's QE II the most of all. She is absolutely brilliant, and beautiful of course, and I love learning about the early days and events of the queen's monarchy.
I also confess, as an American, I have lived the bulk of my life with little or no appreciation for the royal family of England. After all, we are born and raised to believe that it's not what's in your blood but rather what's in your soul that matters. Royal entitlement is backwards and not who we are.
But this show, more than any other book or documentary I have read about the royals, really demonstrates why the family and the crown matter. It's about heritage, it's about legacy, it's about tradition and how our ancestors influence who we are. It's not easy to dismiss this if you are born British - and certainly impossible to discard it if you are actually in the royal family itself. This show gives a window of insight to these truths, and I really enjoy finally understanding what all the fuss is about.
Yes, ultimately it is a soap opera, and there are certainly giant historical inaccuracies throughout I have no doubt, but it is highly entertaining and every production dollar certainly shows up on screen. It's a much watch if you have any interest at all in the royals or if you are like me and have curiosity
4. Ted Lasso
Sucked it up and plunked down $4.99 a month just so I could watch this show, and I have to say it was worth it. It lived up to all the hype that my friends built up. At first glance TL seems like a typical, well crafted comedy/drama with snappy dialogue and contrived but enjoyable situations.
But really the show is a lot more than just that. The major themes of the show, kindness and forgiveness loom so large that they actually supersede the prime directive of these kinds of shows - conflict at all costs. I knew I was forever hooked when (spoilers) the lead character IMMEDIATELY forgave Rebecca when she confessed what she had done to him. So unexpected, so fresh and so powerful.
2020 was the year I watched season one, so I will save my praise for the second season until 2021 - but I have to say, I don't know if I've watched a better show than the first go-around of Ted Lasso. Remarkable lead character who is certainly a role model as to how to live, and a brilliant supporting cast that is sucked in and seduced by Ted's unstoppable optimism and kindness, just as the audience is.
3. Rick & Morty
I have been watching this show for quite a few years now - but let me take this opportunity to sing it's praises and rank it high on my top 2020 list of Movies AND TV Shows - for all of the seasons, including the one I watched in 2020.
This show ranks for sure as one of my all time favorite TV series. It is deep, it is profound and it is also deeply and profoundly disturbed. The humor is twisted, and often explicit. The show can be gory and shocking, but it is also enthralling for a Star Trek / Star Wars / Sci-Fi fan. The writing is both brilliant and hilarious, the characters are surprisingly deep, especially our two leads and their immediate family.
Love R&M so much and love that my teenage daughter and I have bonded over this show and never miss an episode. It makes me laugh, sometimes makes me cry (not because of heart breaking scenes, but because the show is just so damn good) and will live on in my life probably for the rest of my life.
2. The Queen's Gambit
Although this is a tv show, it is a limited one time only, one season, mini-series - so it feels like a movie and will not continue and will always be perfect.
I just love this story, entirely fictional though it is, even though it does try at times to get a bit preachy. It's just so well done, so well written and acted and shot - that I couldn't help but be enraptured by the story and the chess and the characters.
Favorite moment - when we see that all of the chess girl's friends that we've met along the way are on the other end of the phone all working together to help her succeed. Such a stand up and cheer moment! Love this show so much!
1. The Mandalorian
2020's season one was about as good as it gets for a Star Wars fan. I'd say season 2 (in 2021) might've even been better - but I'll focus on season one here.
Amazing, thrilling, exciting and fulfilling Star Wars in long form, live action! Just awesome. Loved it so much and didn't miss an episode and in fact watched all of them again more than once.
God bless Faverau and Filoni, they've rekindled the love of Star Wars in fans of all ages even more so than even the big budget movies of late. Can't wait to hopefully follow these characters for many years down the road. Grateful that it seems to be continuing with the surprisingly different "Book of Boba Fett"
My one big disappointment in 2020 was Wonder Woman 84. I wanted to love it, really I did. My first impression on Facebook that I offered was mostly positive. But in watching it again and listening to the well deserved criticisms it received from my friends, I have to say, it was pretty awful. The villains were terrible, the story was all over the place and badly structured. The best stuff was the interaction between Gal and Chris Pine, and even that suffered because Chris' character died and the way he was brought back was pretty flimsy. Makes me sad that so many talented people could make something that is so bad.
Anyways, that's it for that shit-show known as 2020. A lot of great entertainment was available, even if it wasn't traditional movies in theaters. I'm glad that 2021 has returned a bit more to tradition, and so my upcoming top 10 for that year will return the focus more to movies. But not entirely!
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