The Best & Worst Of 2020

In a year that, oddly, became trendy to hate near the end of it, 2020 provided a weird cinematic landscape. With almost every high profile release being shifted to 2021 (including A Quiet Place Part II, No Time To Die, Top Gun: Maverick, F9 and so on), viewers turned to their TV's and streaming services to see what they had to offer. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and about 7,000 other streaming networks were here to take over when COVID lurked about. Theaters have reopened (Regal was open from August to October and will reopen once a solid slate of films comes aboard, while AMC, Cinemark and a lot of local chains in Ohio are operating) and smaller scaled films had a chance to be shown to more eyes. 

So what did I think? 2020 had a lot of the same type of quality in film from years past. The only differences were safety regulations being put into place for theatrical screenings and more at-home viewings. I'll admit, during the shutdown, I went a bit stir-crazy, but it was considered a leaning experience. Hopefully, things get better in 2021. We shall see.

You know the drill by this time. Up first are the best performances of the year, followed by a listing of my favorite songs made for the movies this particular year. Of course, overrated and underrated options are chosen and displayed and we finish it all up with my lists for the best and worst films of the year. Let's take an honest look back into our most dour year.

The Best Performances Of 2020

(Picks for my personal best is bolded in red)

Best Actor

Christopher Abbott - "Possessor"
Ben Affleck - "The Way Back"
Bartoz Bielenia - "Corpus Christi"
Chadwick Boseman - "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Nicolas Cage - "Color Out Of Space"
Steve Carrell - "Irresistible"
Roger Conners - "Rebirth"
Kevin Costner - "Let Him Go"
Russell Crowe - "Unhinged"
Jim Cumming - "The Wolf Of Snow Hollow"
Pete Davidson - "The King Of Staten Island"
Scott Eastwood - "The Outpost"
Jesse Eisenberg - "Vivarium"
Will Ferrell - "Downhill"
Michael Gross - "Tremors: Shrieker Island"
Aswan Harris - "Rebirth"
Kris Hitchen - "Sorry We Missed You"
Tom Holland - "The Devil All The Time"
Joe Keery - "Spree"
Stephen Lang - "VFW"
Martin Lawrence - "Bad Boys For Life"
Delroy Lindo - "Da 5 Bloods"
Matthew McConaughey - "The Gentlemen"
Marc Menchaca - "Alone"
Gary Oldman - "Mank"
Jim Parsons - "The Boys In The Band"
Simon Pegg - "Lost Transmissions"
Charlie Plummer - "Words On Bathroom Walls"
Daniel Radcliffe - "Guns Akimbo"
Keanu Reeves - "Bill & Ted Face The Music"
Andy Samberg - "Palm Springs"
Will Smith - "Bad Boys For Life"
Dan Stevens - "The Rental"
James Sweeny - "Straight Up"
Vince Vaughn - "Freaky"
John David Washington - "Tenet"
Alex Winter - "Bill & Ted Face The Music"
Elijah Wood - "Come To Daddy"

Best Actress

Radha Blank - "The Forty-Year-Old Version"
Nicole Brydon Bloom - "1BR"
Millie Bobby Brown - "Enola Holmes"
Jessie Buckley - "I'm Thinking Of Ending Things"
Raffey Cassidy - "The Other Lamb"
Jessica Chastain - "Ava"
Alexandra Daddario - "We Summon The Darkness"
Mackenzie Davis - "Happiest Season"
Mackenzie Davis - "The Turning"
Viola Davis - "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Zoey Deutch - "Buffaloed"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Downhill"
Elle Fanning - "All The Bright Places"
Katie Findlay - "Straight Up"
Sidney Flanigan - "Never Rarely Sometimes Always"
Gal Gadot - "Wonder Woman 1984"
Julia Garner - "The Assisstant"
Betty Gilpin - "The Hunt"
Gillian Jacobs - "Come Play"
Lily James - "Rebecca"
Anya Taylor-Joy - "Emma"
Riley Keough - "The Lodge"
Vanessa Kirby - "Pieces Of A Woman"
Diane Lane - "Let Him Go"
Katherine Langford - "Spontaneous"
Lauren Lapkus - "The Wrong Missy"
Yifei Liu - "Mulan"
Rachel McAdams - "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga"
Cristin Milioti - "Palm Springs"
Madalen Mills - "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey"
Janelle Monae - "Antebellum"
Elisabeth Moss - "The Invisible Man"
Carey Mulligan - "Promising Young Woman"
Kathryn Newton - "Freaky"
Sarah Paulson - "Run"
Caren Pistorius - "Unhinged"
Imogen Poots - "Castle In The Ground"
Imogen Poots - "Vivarium"
Andrea Riseborough - "Possessor"
Margot Robbie - "Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"
Tracee Ellis Ross - "The High Note"
Jessica Rothe - "Valley Girl"
Taylor Russell - "Words On Bathroom Walls"
Kate Lyn Sheil - "She Dies Tomorrow"
Kristen Stewart - "Happiest Season"
Kristen Stewart - "Underwater"
Hilary Swank - "Fatale"
Bella Thorne - "Infamous"
Grace VanderWall - "Stargirl"
Samara Weaving - "Guns Akimbo"
Jules Wilcox - "Alone"
Lulu Wilson - "Becky"
Alyss Winkler - "Violet"

Best Supporting Actor

Sean Bean - "Possessor"
Orlando Bloom - "The Outpost"
Chadwick Boseman - "Da 5 Bloods"
Kenneth Branagh - "Tenet"
Bo Burnham - "Promising Young Woman"
Jim Carrey - "Sonic The Hedgehog"
Sacha Baron Cohen - "The Trial Of The Chicago 7"
Russell Crowe - "True History Of The Kelly Gang"
Pete Davidson - "Big Time Adolescence"
Jeffrey Donovan - "Let Him Go"
Colin Farrell - "Ava"
Colin Farrell - "The Gentlemen"
Robert Forster - "The Wolf Of Snow Hollow"
Will Forte - "Extra Ordinary"
Walton Goggins - "Words On Bathroom Walls"
Henry Golding - "The Gentlemen"
Hugh Grant - "The Gentlemen"
Josh Hartnett - "Inherit The Viper"
Aldis Hodge - "The Invisible Man"
Alvin Hudson - "Rebirth"
Charlie Hunnam - "The Gentlemen"
Kevin James - "Becky"
Mick Jagger - "The Burnt Orange Heresy"
Caleb Landry Jones - "The Outpost"
Johnny Knoxville - "We Summon The Darkness"
Martin Kove - "VFW"
Shia LaBeouf - "The Tax Collector"
Keegan Michael Key - "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey"
Ewan McGregor - "Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"
Pedro Pascal - "Wonder Woman 1984"
Robert Pattinson - "Tenet"
Robert Pattinson - "The Devil All The Time"
Chris Pine - "Wonder Woman 1984"
Jesse Plemmons - "I'm Thinking Of Ending Things"
Michael Shannon - "The Quarry"
J.K. Simmons - "Palm Springs"
Vince Vaughn - "The Binge"
Will Wheaton - "Rent-A-Pal"
Fred Williamson - "VFW"

Best Supporting Actress

Jane Adams - "She Dies Tomorrow"
Rachel Anderson - "Rebirth"
Maria Bakalova - "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery Of Prodigious Bribe To American Regime For Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan"
Jurnee Smollett-Bell - "Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"
Alison Brie - "Promising Young Woman"
Alison Brie - "The Rental"
Ember Burns - "Violet"
Rose Byrne - "Irresistible"
Neve Campbell - "Castle In The Ground"
Elizabeth Debicki - "Tenet"
Elizabeth Debicki - "The Burnt Orange Heresy"
Michelle Dockerey - "The Gentlemen"
Blu Hunt - "The New Mutants"
Anya Taylor-Joy - "The New Mutants"
Riki Lindhome - "The Wolf Of Snow Hollow"
Lesley Manville - "Let Him Go"
KateLynn Newberry - "Widow's Point"
Britt Robertson - "I Still Believe"
Kelly Rowland - "Bad Hair"
Alicia Silverstone - "The Lodge"
Hilary Swank - "The Hunt"
Marisa Tomei - "The King Of Staten Island"
Kristen Wiig - "Wonder Woman 1984"
Sasheer Zamata - "Spree"

Best Vocal Performance

Rachel Bloom - "Trolls World Tour"
Nicolas Cage - "The Croods: A New Age"
Jennifer Carpenter - "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge"
Jamie Foxx - "Soul"
Tom Holland - "Onward"
Anna Kendrick - "Trolls World Tour"
Joel McHale - "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge"
Chris Pratt - "Onward"
Ben Schwartz - "Sonic The Hedgehog"
Phillipa Soo - "Over The Moon"
Justin Timberlake - "Trolls World Tour"

Best Movie Songs

"Boss Bitch"
Performed By Doja Cat
"Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"

"Clap"
Performed By Don Toliver 
"F9"

"Diamonds"
Performed By Megan Thee Stallion & Normani
"Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
Performed By Keep Shelly In Athens 
"Unhinged"

"Double Trouble"
Performed By Will Ferrell, My Marianne & Tiesto 
"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga"

"Experiment On Me"
Performed By Halsey 
"Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"

"It's A Man's Man's Man's World"
Performed By Jurnee Smollett-Bell
"Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)"

"Last Laugh" 
Performed By FLETCHER
"Promising Young Woman"

"Like I Do"
Performed By Tracee Ellis Ross & Kelvin Harrison Jr.
"The High Note"

"Muevelo"
Performed By Nicky Jam & Daddy Yankee 
"Bad Boys For Life"

"No Time To Die"
Performed By Billie Eilish
"No Time To Die"

"Only The Young"
Performed By Taylor Swift
"Miss Americana"

"Red & Yellow"
Performed By Lil' Skies
"F9"

"Reflection"
Performed By Christina Aguilera
"Mulan"

"RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)"
Performed By Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin 
"Bad Boys For Life"

"Speed Me Up"
Performed By Wiz Khalifa, Lil' Yachty, Ty Dolla $ign & Sueco
"Sonic The Hedgehog"

"The Other Side"
Performed By Justin Timberlake & SZA
"Trolls World Tour"

"The Plan"
Performed By Travis Scott
"Tenet"

"This Day"
Performed By Usher featuring Kiana Lede
"Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey"

The Most Overrated Film Of The Year

"The Broken Hearts Gallery"
I'll be brief: this was a film that promised a unique, funny and piercing romantic-comedy. It provieded none of these things and got some oddly positive reviews. None of it was funny, but it could partially be because I'm not the target demo.

Overrated Runners-Up: Amulet; Emma; Greed; News Of The World; The Call Of The Wild

The Most Underrated Film Of The Year

"Mulan"
Slammed for no good reason upon release, I personally though "Mulan" was wondeful; equipping itself nicely as a martial arts epic and doing a fine job updating the original classic with enough charm and respect.

Underrated Runners-Up: Ava; Bloodshot; Cut Throat City; Downhill; Fatale; Guns Akimbo; Honest Thief; Inherit The Viper; Lost Transmissions; The Tax Collector; Unhinged

The Worst Films Of The Year

Dishonorable Mentions: 2 Hearts; A Fall From Grace; Agent Toby Barks; A Nice Girl Like You; Banana Split; Behind You; Black Ops; Body Cam; Brahms: The Boy II; Bulletproof 2; Cast & Dogs 3: Paws Unite!; Chick Fight; Dangerous Lies; Darkness Falls; Death Of Me; Disturbing The Peace; Dragonheart: Vengeance; Greed; How To Build A Girl; Iron Mask; No Escape; Sergio; Smiley Face Killers; The Broken Hearts Gallery; The Last Days Of American Crime; The Last Thing He Wanted; The Secret: Dare To Dream; The War With Grandpa; The Wretched; Think Like A Dog

10. "The Vanished"

Children being put into peril in film is nothing new. I know that's a shocking statement, but it is what it is. "The Vanished" might be the most incompetent thriller involving this plot to come along in quite some time. Thomas Jane and Anne Heche play a couple who look like they can't stand to be around each other, as they, and their young daughter, head down to the lake, with their camper, for a little getaway. Within just a few minutes of the film, the child is missing and a manhunt is engaged to find her. The preceeding 100 minutes to follow after this setup are monotonous, tedious and all around ridiculous. Jane and Heche are terrible in this, with their acting not matching the tone or story of this at all. One moment, they act as if they can't be bothered with looking for their child, another moment, they're lashing out at each other, and the next moment, they're pulling a pistol on people they think may or may not have had anything to do with their daughter disappearing. It almost seems like they forget they even have a damn kid to begin with. The writing is disjointed and outrageous. I understand that, during an investigation like this, the parents are limited into what they can do, but the lengths that these two simultaneously do and don't go to to help aid in such investigation is mind-blowing. Jason Patric plays the alcoholic sherrif who's only purpose is to keep telling Heche and Jane that he's gonna do whatever he can to find their daughter (this is even confusingly repeated ten minutes before the end credits). You can tell Patric is a troubled alcoholic because he takes off his cowboy hat when he's downing whiskey. Toss in an obvious stuffed animal standing in for a supposed to be dead dog (that doesn't even match the same color as the living animal) and you have a total nightmare on your hands.

9. "Monster Hunter"

Milla Jovovich is a charming and capable actress. Primarily known as the ass-kicking Alice from the "Resident Evil" series, she's since taken on a string of weird roles since that franchise ended. "Future World", "Hellboy" and "Zoolander 2" among some of the weirdest, it too often feels as if she's trying to latch onto another franchise, instead of branching onto more solo efforts. This is all glaringly evident with her newest effort "Monster Hunter", directed by her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed her in some of the aforementiuoned "Resident Evil" films. Not only can this movie not do anything competently, it's also a popcorn movie that fails on all accounts to be entertaining. Truth be told, during my viewing of the film, I almost dozed off because of how boring it was. Jovovich plays the captain of her army squad. You can tell they're legit because they toss in the most basic military jargon to make the audeince believe they know their stuff ('bravo team" is mentioned an abnormal amount of times in the first thirty minutes and the film insists on repeating this unctuous military limerick throughout). They, somehow, get transported to another dimension that has monsters. The acting is bland, the action is incoherent and, surprisingly, boring and the writing is by far and away atrocious. The one highlight of the film is Tony Jaa. I'm a huge action film fan and martial arts fan, and his performance in the film is so lively and charming, that it's a shame he's stuck in this muck. Better luck next time to Jovovich and Jaa, but this stunk.

8. "Infidel"

Dinesh D'Souza has a production company now. The same drooling moron who specializes in conspiracy theory propaganda "documentaries" (he even had one come out this year, but since it wasn't widely released and little people know about it, I optioned to skip it) is now producing narrative films. "Infidel", a story about a blogger/journalist, played by Jim Caviezel, is kidnapped by members of the Iranian Regime after he makes, what they belive to be, damning speeches. While in captivity, he is forced to write blog posts about being held for ransom by his captors. While the movie wants and strives to be inspiring and hopeful, it is insufferably stupid and wildly uninteresting. The performances are so totally bland, with Caviezel in particular acting so distinterested, it almost borders on inappropriate. The guy's kidnapped and, yet, he looks about as annoyed as if you were to tell him his flight's been delayed. His wife doesn't even look to be too concerned. Oh, she show's signs here and there, but her looks of concern register more as constipation than anything else. The writing is dense and bland and the villains are all one note. There's even a flash drive motiff, placed inside of Jim's shoe that figures into the plot. Yes, they literally shoe-horned it in.

 

7. "The Swing Of Things"

One of the recurring themes of 2020 was the presence of absolute unfunny comedies. So much so that a whopping four appear on this list alone. Enter "The Swing Of Things", one of those movies that uses a wedding as the background and the lead-up to it as set-up and fodder for laughs. It earns no laughs whatsoever and is tedious to get through. A dopeless, happy gentleman is excited about getting a recent promotion at work, and with his wedding around the corner, he and his beau, along with certain friends and family members, take a trip to a tropical locale for the festivities. Cue the absolute desperation as the movie struggles for laughs. The performances are all over-exaggerated as the characters resemble cartoons than actual human beings. The writing might as well be non-existent; it represents the literal iteration of the scene from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" where Charlie exasperatedly tries to explain the origin of Pepe Silva, trying to string together anything to make the scenario work at all. Luke Wilson happens to be the only bright spot here, but that's because he seems to be the only one putting forth any effort to make a difference. And what a sad coincidence: I made the same staement about "The Goldfinch" last year and that was on 2019's worst list. Wilson needs to find better projects that suits his abilities, and what he's doing in this horrific comedy is beyond anyone's guess.

6. "Desperados"

In another example of a comedy set ina  different locale, "Desperados" is horrible. The plot? Three besties (who, by the way, look like they can't stand to be around each other) travel to Mexico. For what reason? Becaue our main lead (Nasim Pedrad) sends a nasty email to her new boyfriend while intoxicated and, instead of logically calling the person up and explaining the misunderstanding, high-tails it to Mexico to steal his phone and delete it from his inbox. The plot is ridiculous and is seemingly concocted from desperation; even in the midst of the COVID pandemic, this wouldn't fly for entertainment. The acting is bland all-around, except from Pedrad, and I don't mean that in a good way. Nasim is usually such a radiant actress who shines in anything she's in and she's proven in the past with "SNL" that she can be funny, but is so shrill and unpleasant here, it's baffling. This is one of the most unlikeable protagonists to come along in a good long while and the fact that we're supposed to root for her and her plight is equally atrocious. The comedy isn't funny (a recurring gag where Nasim keeps getting into oddly sexual misunderstandings with a family on the same resort they're staying at is pretty tasteless) and the pacing is languid and monotonous. I simply hated it.

5. "The Kissing Booth 2"

Upon viewing 2018's "The Kissing Booth", I was repulsed, so much so that if I were to revise my 2018 list, the movie would've easily wound up on the worst list. "The Kissing Booth 2", the sequel (duh), is the exact same drivel as the first film, except worse and running an unnessecarily long 131 minutes. The plot is comepletly non-existent. A continuation of the idiotic predecessor, the film continues to follow Joey King as her heart is torn between two loves: bland wheat bread and stale whole milk. I'm sorry, I meant guy #1 and #2. This is a slog to get through; if this was a theatrical release, I'd be hard-pressed to stay awake in the theater all the way through. Joey King is a radiant performer, no matter what she's in, but even she can't rise above this drivel that involves not only the usual romantic comedy cliches, but also, for some unexplained reason, has an entire subplot devoted to a "Dance Dance Revolution" contest. I wish I was joking. The acting is all static, providing no memorable characters whatsoever. The writing is equally horrendous, but this isn't too surprising considering that this series is based off a Wattpad story. Remember last year's worst film, "After"? We gotta stop mining adaptations from there. Surprisingly, yet not, in the summer of 2021 (just a few months from now as of this writing), this franchise concludes with "The Kissing Booth 3". They shouldn't have even done the first one.  

4. "The Murder Of Nicole Brown Simpson"

Daniel Farrand's last film, 2019's "The Haunting Of Sharon Tate", was critically reviled and is widely regarded as one of that year's worst and most offensive films. I personally found it to be OK; once you realize it's a film based off of Tate's purported dreams, it becomes an entirely different movie and Hilary Duff does a solid job in the title role. His latest effort, "The Murder Of Nicole Brown Simpson", is one of the most distateful and worst films of this year. Whether you believe O.J. Simpson is innocent or not (I fully believe he isn't), this is such an offensive and disgusting portrayal of the late Nicole Brown Simpson, that it stops short of committing slander. The acting, from everyone involved, is utterly mystifyng in how atrocious it is. Mena Suvari manages to be the only person who seemingly wants to make a good attempt out of anything in this (she is an executive producer on this as well), but one wonders what even brought her to the project to begin with. The film suggests that maybe O.J. didn't act alone. Maybe he had an accomplice. Who is it? It could be anyone, but it may be more than likely Glen Edward Rogers, another notrious killer, who, at one point, after having a one night stand with Nicole, stands naked in her living room whilst talking and screaming nonsense to himself. Rogers, played by Nick Stahl with an unerving ambience, and not in a good way, is the focal antagonist here, with O.J. only popping up now and again to give the audience a false sense of suspense. Throw in some acting that wouldn't even pass muster on a Lifetime original movie, and you have one of the worst pieces of speculation ever. There's much better media accounts on this case out there. Watch one of those and bury this one at all costs.

3. "Like A Boss"

Let's just bypass the awful title for a second here and discuss what went wrong. You have the comedic dream team of Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish. You have a potentially OK plot, no matter how thin it's stretched. You also have Salma Hayek. What could possibly go wrong? Anything and everything goes wrong. The comedy is shrill and terrible. The performances are stereotypical and obnoxious. The writing, if there even was such a thing, is at a kindergarten level. The plot is laughable. Two childhood best friends who run their own cosmetics company and yearn to branch out into the big leagues, might get their chance when a big time conglomorate seemingly likes their stuff and wants to turn their company into something huge. Unknown to them but known to the entire audience because they're not stupid, the company is slowly taken out from under them, with the duo refusing to compromise their morals for dollar signs. Cue the would be comedic bickering. Cue the expected falling out that happens near the beginning of the third act and cue the climactic comeuppance of the conglomerate during their biggest presentation of the year. Running just 83 minutes, minus three minutes for end credits, the movie slogs on for seeming hours on end with not a laugh in sight. Bryne and Haddish are talented performers, but they are utterly wasted by talentless writers and stagnant filmmakers who have no clue as to what the hell they're doing. If only someone realizes that these two could work in much better material, then we could get a better vehicle for these two. As for now, we're stuck with this turd which has Salma Hayek in an orange fright-wig commenting on how big her breasts are. Pitiful.

2. "365 Days"

2020 was the second year in a row in which I only gave two films Zero stars. Unfortunately, when I see Zero star movies, my soul is momentarily crushed. Such is the case with "365 Days", a Polish erotic drama film that got distributed by Netflix during the summer. This has to be the most bizarre and morally digusting take on the "Fifty Shades" phenomenon. In it, a guy, named Massimo, is smitten by a woman, one whom he can't seem to figure out if she's real or imagined. When she turns out to be real, he plans on making her his. How so? By forcefully kidnapping her and holding her at his estate for one year (hence the title). If, by the end of that time, she has not fallen for him, she is free to go and live her life. She's determined she won't fall for him, but things could take a turn. How in fresh warm Hell this movie exists is beyond me, but once you watch it and find out it's an actual movie, you're even more dumbfounded. The characters are unctuous and, shockingly, seemingly evil imitations to their "Fifty Shades" counterparts. Massimo is a slimy and disgusting weasel and why this girl would fall for him after being kidnapped is mystifying. Then again, that's why they call it stockholm syndrome. The sex scenes featuired here are incredibly graphic for a feature film, so much so that if the film was submitted to the MPAA ratings board, it wouldn't even get an NC-17 (and they gave "Showgirls" a hard time). Male and female nudity is on full display here (the infamous boat scene is full on porn and no one can tell me anything different). The writing is ungodly atrocious, the cinematography is dank and ugly and the soundtrack, yes, even the soundtrack, has to be the worst music I've ever heard concocted for a film. Most people jokingly say they watch porn for the plot. This is actual porn with a plot and people were really watching it. I kid you not, a sequel is in development, but has been delayed due to the pandemic. Jesus, Almighty.

1. "After We Collided"

If there's one thing I love with movies, it's consistency. After last year's famously heinous "After", filmmakers rushed a sequel, mainly due to the success the film found on Netflix. This sequel, "After We Collided" is just as bad, if not worse, than it's already obnoxious predecessor. This movie, for some odd reason, has an R rating (the first was PG-13), but all that means is that they get to drop 101 F-bombs (counted by yours truly). Speaking of, anytime the characters say "fuck", it looks like they're fighting off deadly sneezes that could kill them at any minute. Any actual sexiness that occurs here looks merely like two tropical fish that have washed ashore and are constantly rubbing against each other. The film continues to follow our two bland protagonists as they proceed to fight, love and cry over each other. This is pretty much the same movie as the first, but I chose it as the worst of the year not just because I could, but because this type of movie makes me sick. The type of movie that sits there and insults the audience's intelligence while giving them absolutely nothing in return. Remember when I mentioned the egregious mishandling of Jennifer Beals in the first film? Well, she thankfully doesn't return here (bless her heart), but her role does. Not only is her role recast, but it's a person with an entirely different race. You don't think anyone would put two and two together? As for our two leads, they are still woefully stranded by a non-existent script and romance. The film startlingly rips off "Fifty Shades Darker (Tessa is now working at a publishing firm, just like Anastasia in that series), features Selma Blair returning for what must be 30 seconds as Tessa's mom, only here long enough to scream at her daughter on the phone, and they somehow manage to have Dylan Sprouse in here and they make him as lifeless as a dead pig. There's even a car accident in the movie, thrown in for would-be dramatic tension. Last year, I hoped and pleaded that no more movies like this would get made anymore. Not only did this drivel get a sequel, but it's getting two more. Sometimes, only on the rarest occasions, I hate Cinema. Thanks "After We Collided"; you and "After" are two of the biggest pieces of shit I've ever had the displeasure of viewing. And I'll probably say the same thing about the other two planned for release. Anna Todd, the autor of this puke-inducing soucre material, which i said was the worst book I had ever read, has a cameo in this. When all else fails, blame her. 

The Best Films Of The Year

Honorable Mentions: All The Bright Places; Alone; American Murder: The Family Next Door; Athlete A; Bad Boys For Life; Bill & Ted Face The Music; Black Is King; Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery Of Prodigious Bribe To American Regime To Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation Of Kazahkstan; Castle In The Ground; Come To Daddy; Corpus Christi; Cut Throat City; Da 5 Bloods; Dick Johnson Is Dead; Downhill; Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga; Extraction; Father Soldier Son; Freaky; Greenland; Guns Akimbo; Hamilton; Happiest Season; Honest Thief; I'm Thinking Of Ending Things; Inherit The Viper; Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey; Lost Transmissions; Mank; Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; Miss Americana; Mulan; Mystify: Michael Hutchence; Never Rarely Sometimes Always; Onward; Open 24 Hours; Over The Moon; Palm Springs; Possessor; Rebirth; S&M 2; Scare Package; Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street; She Dies Tomorrow; Sonic The Hedgehog; Sorry We Missed You; Soul; Spree; Stargirl; Straight Up; The Beast; The Boys In The Band; The Debt Collector 2; The Forty-Year Old Version; The Hunt; The Invisible Man; The King Of Staten Island; The Lodge; The Lovebirds; The Man Standing Next; The Outpost; The Rental; The Tax Collector; The Traitor; The Trial Of The Chicago 7; The Way Back; Trolls World Tour; True History Of The Kelly Gang; VFW; Vivarium; Words On Bathroom Walls

10. "The Wolf Of Snow Hollow"

Whatever flows through Jim Cumming's mind, I want Hollywood to keep funding him in order to let it flow out into the masses. "The Wolf Of Snow Hollow" is the most brilliant and original horror-comedy of the year, transcending so many layers whilst putting on an absolute daffy show that it succeeds on so many levels. The film follows Cummings as Officer John Marshall as he tends to a muder investigation in the small Utah town of Snow Hollow. While clues and patterns repeatedly suggest that a wolf is on the loose in their podunk town, John is aggresively adamant that it's a human. Whether it is or not, he has no time for foolishness, inculding dealing with the head Sheriff's heart murmur, who just so happens to be his father (played by the late great Robert Forster in a funny and endearing final performance).  This is an exceptionally great film, one that sneakily tugs on the heartstrings while it has you giggling profusely. Cummings, who also wrote and directed this, is an oustanding filmmaker, one with vigor and grit and enough talent to reinvent the horror-comedy genre as we speak. The writing is incredibly sharp and the performances are all well done. Not only is Cummings hilarious, but his character is also a recovering alcoholic that's trying to have a better relatioship with his daughter. Riki Lindhome is so sweet in this, allowing Cummings his time to shine, but also determined to find the killer on her own means. As for Forster, in what would turn out to be his final film, he's terrific, exuding fear of retiring from his Sheriff position, but also exuding warmth in his final scenes. He will surely be missed. The locales are nice and cozy and the finale is bravura in turning the audience's expectations on their head. I just loved this one.

9. "Impractical Jokers: The Movie"

"Impractical Jokers" have a heavily devoted fanbase (including myself) for a good reason: they pull jokes and pranks not on the public, but on themselves and the four guys at the center are sweet, charismatic and love one another to a high degree. Given the basis of the show, it was difficult to imagine a feature film to be made around them, but they pulled it off, no matter how thin the narrative might seem. Our four New Yorkers, Joe Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Sal Vulcano and Brian "Q" Quinn have a mishap during a Paula Abdul concert in the 90's. Now, in 2020, the guys encounter Abdul again, but she has no recollection of the concert and loves their show so much that she offers them V.I.P. tickets to her concert in Miami. The only problem? There's four guys and only three tickets. So, they hit the road and compete in their usual challenges and whoever loses the most doesn't get to go. The guys spend about 30% of the film acting and they come off as natural as can be, probably because they play themselves. When they're off-sciipt, as they usually are, they still manage to pull off bullseyes and showcase their personalities. The film manages to be hugely winning and immensely funny, the guys being so goofy it's impossible to not let the laughs overtake you. An interlude where Sal has to pose as a mall santa is terrific, and a challenge where they have to recieve help for their broken down vehicle is priceless. Let's not forget about the white tiger that tortures Sal midway through (you have to see it to believe it). I adored how go-for-broke silly this was and it has plenty of heart lying within it's humor.

  

8. "Tenet"

Christopher Nolan is a director whose films I love, but I dread whenever they come out. I know that's a wild contradiction, but place yourselves in a room for ten minutes with film snobs and independent filmmakers. They go ballistic for it and adore his movies three months before it comes out. This is how it's been since "Inception" and that's how it'll be for a long while. All of that being said, his films are tremndous and groundbreaking; let's not forget his fantastic "Dark Knight" trilogy and his reigning achievement "Interstellar". "Tenet", his movie all about time, is terrific, a 150 minute epic that, surprisingly, flies by. John David Wshington plays someone only known as "The Protagonist" as he gets involved in an organization known as "Tenet", dealing specifically with operations involving the inversion of time. The plot get's really twisty after that, so much so that to explain it here would give me a bit of a headache (and I've seen the film twice). Nolan sometimes makes films that need to be viewed more than once in order to understand them. While I'm not too privy on movies that do that, "Tenet", on both occasions, proved to be a dazzling spectacle. The acting is top notch all across the board and the action sequences, mostly accomplished with practical effects, are amazing to behold. Travis $cott's "The Plan", the song made for the movie, is one of the best songs made for a motion picture this year; it's hypnotic music and melody transfixing me so much. For Nolan's next film, I suggest making something more straightforward like "Dunkirk". And please do away with the IMAX gimmick; I saw my first IMAX screening this year with Pixar's "Onward" and it was a waste of money for the upcharge; the screen was smaller and the sound was the same. More movie, my ass.

7. "Unhinged"

 "You know what a courtesy tap is? It's light.. friendly...". I have been quoting Russell Crowe's batshit bonkers performance in "Unhinged" since I saw it. He gives such an amazing and crazy performance that I ate up every single second he's onscreen. In "Unhinged", he plays a nameless antagonist who goes nuts and decides to follow a woman and her son (Caren Pistorious & Gabriel Bateman) after the woman honks at him for sitting at a green light for (admittedly) far too long. That honk proves to be deadly as Crowe violently and viciously hunts them down. In what is the modern day equivalent of a B-movie, the film succeeds at ratcheting tension and arm-rest clenching suspense out of it's insane premise and makes one appreciate how much fun movies can be. One might be baffled that I put such a film, in particular, this one, on my best of the year list, but I simply can't deny how much fun I had with this. No matter what, Russell Crowe turns in one of the best performances of the year. This man's name is not known by the end (he calls himself "Tom" at one point, but it's left open as to whether that's his real name or he's making a ruse), but the impact he leaves and the havoc and mayhem he leaves in his wake is bananas and horrifying. It was just enough, and yet, I wanted more.

6. "Let Him Go"

I will always love Kevin Costner. He can be in a four hour movie reading off his contact list in his phone to the audience and I'd still eat it up. This film, however, doesn't just belong to him, it belongs to a commanding and feirce Diane Lane. Both of them take control of this script (based on a novel by Larry Watson) and tear through the country plains with ferocity and tenacity. In it, a couple (Costner and Lane) find their son dead after a horse-riding accident causing their daughter-in-law to take her son, their grandson, to another man, a member of the infamous Weboy Clan, a family known for being ungainly and ruthless. After they find out that her new husband took her and their grandson to another town, the couple know and fear that their grandchild is being put into a dangerous enviornment and travel from town to town, determined to get him back to their house, where he's safe. The film is very slow-paced, but it never fails to hold the viewer's attentions. Not only are all of the performances stupendous (including a domineering and vicious peformance from Lesley Manville), but the writing is exceptionally tight and the cinematography and locales are breathtaking. Last year, when discussing "Motherless Brooklyn", I yearned for more noir-ish movies to be made, and this year, we have "Let Him Go". Let's see what 2021 brings.

5. "The Gentlemen"

Guy Ritchie has made his official comeback to the genre that made him famous to begin with: gangster movies. He's been away from it for well over a decade (his last was 2008's "RockNRolla") and "The Gentlemen" works like gangbusters. It's opening credits dazzled with the lovely "Cumberland Gap" by David Rawlings, the film features an all-star, ensemble cast, including Matthew McConaughuey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farell and more, everyone comes together and work like clockwork to make the picture as effective as it is. The writing is filled with the usual snap, wit and barbs that Ritchie is known for and the humor is outlandish, yet refreshingly restrained. The plot, weaving from chracter to character and involving a huge drug business, is more or less carried by the performers, but in a film such as this, that is not only expected, but more than OK. I don't have too much more to say on this, other than if you've seen "Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels", "Snatch" and the aforementioned "RockNRolla" and you loved those, than you'll love this just as much.

4. "You Don't Nomi"

"Showgirls" is a tremendous piece of work. I seriously, and honestly, love it. Not only is it the absolute best of the "so-bad-it's-good" subgenre, but it's a fierce piece of cinema that wasn't afraid to take any chances. With documentaries so prevalent as of late (and this year was a damn great year for them) that, thankfully, someone thought of doing one on the impact of "Showgirls". And wouldn't you know it, it's one of the best documentaries I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Foregoing the usual format of such a film (there are zero talking head interviews, as the subjects narrate over footage and images), the film is based on Adam Nayman's book "Showgirls: It Doesn't Suck" and looks at all of "Showgirls" and it's nooks and crannies, from everything as broad as the dialouge ("I used to LOVE Doggy Chow!") and the wild scenery, to everything as mundane and tiny as the way shot's are blocked and filmed, showcasing one scene in which the dominace level switches between Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley) and Cristal (Gina Gershon). It also tells of the impact the film has had on certain individuals, the film industry and many others. Actors from the film look fondly back on it (Kyle MacLachlan, national treasure that he is, appears in archival footage, but gave a temendous performance no matter what) and the film has developed a feverish fanbase, even inspiring it's own musical. Whether you love "Showgirls" or not, there's no denying how impactful and downright inspiring "You Don't Nomi" is.

3. "Wonder Woman 1984"

Superhero films aren't going anywhere anytime soon. As long as they're made well, they can stay as long as they like. "Wonder Woman 1984" (or as the marketing stupidly referred to it as, "WW84") is a true, one of a kind spectacle. Gal Gadot couldn't be a better fit for the titular role, embodying the persona of Wonder Woman and making her all the more lovely and wonderful. In returning after the character's 2017 debut feature, Diana Prince has made a comeback, this time in the 1980's, with her beau Steve (Chris Pine), long gone... or is he? Meanwhile, Diana meets Barbara (Kristen Wiig), a shy, but smart co-worker, and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), an oil tycoon who wants more money and power. They all come across a stone, known as the Dreamstone, which grants one wish to those who hold it. Greed, lust and more overcome our characters as Diana tries her best to make sure nothing and no one gets out of hand. The acting is terrific from all involved and the emotional heft carried in this sequel is surprisingly resonant (a late scene involving Diana and Steve, I will fully admit, had me riddled with tears). Newcomers Wiig and Pascal, however, steal the show. Pascal is appropiately slimy, while Wiig impresses the most as the underdog, rising for the wrong reasons. The action sequences are spectacular and the music score by Hans Zimmer is absolutley amazing, combining the synth-heavy '80's with the bravado of superheroism. A lot of people, surpisingly, had problems with this particular film. Why, I'm not sure, but all that matters is I had a damn fun time with it and am eager to see it again.

2. "Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emacipation Of One Harley Quinn)"

To many of my friends, close or casual, this will be a shock, only because it's not number one. I've seen "Birds Of Prey" three times (two in the theater, one at home), and every single time, I bounced around like a giddy child while viewing it. It filled me with so much joy and happiness that it makes me feel more alive than anything else. I'm a huge fan of 2016's "Suicide Squad" and still believe that movie to be highly underrated. I can fully agree, however, that this follow-up is superior. Margot Robbie is a wonder as Harley Quinn, a menace to society, now broken up with the Joker and out on her own. With her connection to the Clown Prince no more, she has unpaid debts to anyone she wronged. This includes Roman Sionis (Ewan McGreggor), an eccentric and wonderfully flamboyant villain, who is on the hunt for a rare diamond that's been ingested by a girl (Ella Jay Basco) that just happens to have codes inside of it. Along for the ride are Huntress (Mary Eilzabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), thus forming the title flock. The acting, writing, snappiness and cinematography all pop out off the screen and onto the viewer in an absolute flurry of glitter, colors and blood. The film has such a happy-go-lucky attitude about it that it's amazing more people don't love it. Then again, opinions exist, so there's that. But either way, this is one of the best comic-book films I've seen, and it has an ecclectic and bouncy soundtrack to go along with it. This was my top film of the year for a long, long time. But, just like 2019, the very last film I saw in theaters this year ended up overtaking it.

1. "Promising Young Woman"

It's title a spin on the egregious and disgusting quote from the judge presiding over the trial of rapist Brock Turner, calling him a "promising young man", Emerald Fennell's debut film follows Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas (Carey Mulligan) as she looks to take revenge into her own hands, after her friend was raped and the men involved were able to walk away from it without so much as a slap on the wrist. Her friend eventually dies (it's assumed to be suicide) and this leaves Cassie with a hollow feeling. The only way to fill it is to get justice, and she's not stopping until everyone pays for their deeds. This movie was like an absolute gut-punch to the senses; the film not holding back and for good reason. This is something that needs to be handled in mainstream cinema and the fact that this movie even exists is a triumph. That it's the single best film of the year is another. Carey Mulligan gives the most commanding and ferocious peformance of the year as Cassie, a woman who doesn't take any shit from anybody. Her arc is astounding and the way it all comes around at the end is phenomenal. Bo Burnham lends aimable support and where his character ends up is shocking, and yet well-acted no matter what. The scene where he and Cassie let their guards down and sing along to Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind" is magnificent; one of the few brief moments of levity to come along during the film. Other turns from Laverne Cox, Alison Brie, and Chris Lowell are top of the line, while small turns from Connie Britton, Christopher Mintz Plasse, Adam Brody and Max Greenfield leave more than their mark well after they've exited the film. The soundtrack is top notch, filled with all different types of genres and fusions, weaving the viewer into it's intricate spider's web. The film holds an iron grip on it's audience and doesn't let go until days after one has viewed it. This is not only the best film to tackle the subject of assault and it's effects on the victims who unfortuantely go through it, but it's also the very best film of the year; it shows an incredible amount of power, prowess and skill both on and off the camera. In the center of it all is Carey Mulligan, giving the performance of the year. She's not the villain, far from it, but a hero, going to lengths that others won't go to in order to see justice prevail. In the end though, she get's the last laugh. As she is owed.