2019 saw the release of award-winning movies like Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story, 1917, Joker, and way way more. 2020 had a bit of a rough start for movies with films like Dolittle and Birds of Prey coming in with not-so-great reviews. So, here’s the list of the best, worst, and most anticipated movies of 2020 (so far).
The Best
Emma
Emma is a comedy-drama film based on the book of the same name by Jane Austen. The film follows the book closely with only a few small differences. Emma’s personal character development was enjoyable to watch with Anya Taylor-Joy bringing another element of wit, intelligence, and humour to the character. The soundtrack, scenery, and language were beautiful, with Emma being one of the most harmless and just plain enjoyable movies I’ve seen in years.
The “Eh”
Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey (and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is an American superhero film based on the Birds of Prey in DC Comics. The rest of the film follows Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) becoming independent of the Joker and joining a group of superheroes to save a young girl from an evil crime lord (Ewan McGregor). The visual style of the movie is fantastic, fun, and colourful, and somewhat represents Quinn herself. Cathy Yan’s direction brings forth an entirely new Gotham City, and Robbie and McGregor’s performances are truly brilliant. However, the downfall comes with the screenplay which is ultimately leaving Birds of Prey being just…fine? If you love DC and Harley Quinn, check it out—you won’t be disappointed. Be warned, this is not a Birds of Prey movie—it’s a Harley Quinn movie with the Birds of Prey in it.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is pure family fun. As you know, Sonic is a super-fast alien living on Earth with a bag of rings which can transport him throughout the universe. Ben Schwartz’s voice acting was brilliant (obviously) but Jim Carrey’s performance was easily my favourite part of this movie. His slapstick comedy was back in full force, and it really took me back to movies like Ace Ventura and The Mask. However, the script was nothing extraordinary, with some of the characters’ decisions seeming stupid and inconsistent. With that being said, the team behind Sonic listened to the feedback about the awful design and they spent the time to reanimate it. So, go to the movies and give them support. They deserve that much at least.
The Worst
Dolittle
My favourite failure of 2020 so far with people even describing it as “the most unwatchable film [Downy Jr] has ever made.”
I’m going to go ahead and spoil the entire ending for you. If I had to deal with it, so do you.
After the final battle, Dolittle diagnoses what’s been wrong with an ill dragon—a clogged arsehole. Dolittle, being the good man that he is, sticks his hand up the dragons arse and pulls out human bones and bagpipes (amongst other things). Then the dragon farts in Dolittle’s face. Comedic gold, right?
Don’t waste your money going to the movies to see this. Go watch Cats instead—somehow, it’s less of a mess.
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island follows five people who have won a contest for a trip to Fantasy Island where all their fantasies turn to living nightmares. This isn’t a good or fun movie. All the initial appeal gets lost quickly, so you end up just at the movies sitting through a whopping two hours and 36 minutes of garbage. The performances are average, the VFX is lacking, and it’s not worth your time.
Most Anticipated
There’s a huge line-up of exciting and unique films coming out over the next few months. Here are the ones to keep an eye on.
Black Widow
Black Widow is the 24th addition to the MCU which follows the life of (the now deceased) Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Johansson described this film as an opportunity to show “a woman who has come into her own and is making independent and active choices for herself.” Needless to say, this is going to be a good one.
Mulan
You’ve probably seen the 1998 Disney animated film, Mulan. Well, just like every other fantastic animated movie, there’s a reboot! The trailer was met with mixed reviews and a lot of disappointment that Mushu the dragon didn’t make an appearance. Mulan will be in cinemas on March 27th, and I’ll be excited to see how it ends up.
Wonder Woman 1984
The DC Extended Universe is back on June 5th with its ninth instalment, Wonder Woman 1984. This film will follow the 2017 Wonder Woman, bringing in legendary DC Comic characters Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah. Not much information has been given about the exact plot. Although, the poster design has been met with a lot of love so far.
A Quiet Place: Part II
John Krasinski is back with a sequel to his award-winning 2018 film, A Quiet Place. While Krasinski returns to the screen in flashback scenes, the story follows Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) and her family as they navigate silently through the terrors of the outside world. A Quiet Place: Part II comes out on March 19th.
The Eternals
The Eternals (November 2020) is the 25th instalment in the MCU, with an all-star class including Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, and Kit Harrington. In the film, The Eternals will come together to protect the earth from the Deviants following the events of Avengers: End Game.
The New Mutants
The New Mutants is the 13th and final film in the X-Men film series and will be released in Australia on April 3rd. Maise Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy take the screen together as two of the five in a group of young mutants. This horror film has been described by producer, Simon Kinberg, as having “its own unique, original voice to it” with theories suggesting that it will have a “young adult vibe.”
The French Dispatch
The trailer for The French Dispatch has left fans and critics laughing. It truly seems to be the most “Wes Anderson-style” Wes Anderson film of all time. Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Timothee Chalamet, and countless other big-name actors come together for this bizarre and brilliant comedy-drama. The French Dispatch will be in cinemas later this year, but in the meantime, check out the trailer for more about the plot.
Of course, this list is incomplete with films like In the Heights and Bill & Ted Face the Music definitely worthy of honourable mentions. What’s your favourite (or least favourite) movie of 2020 so far? What movie are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
