A truly odd year for film, with theaters being mostly closed. I think the only film I actually saw in a theatre was Uncut Gems, which didn’t make the list unfortunately.

Some spoilers ahead.

In no particular order…

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

I still haven’t checked to see see if my theory is right about what Charlie Kaufman’s latest 2+ hour troll of a movie is about, but I can’t wait to be wrong when I do.

Black Bear

I love it when a trailer does not give away or tell you what a movie is actually about at all, or even misleads you to think it’s a whole different style of movie.

Other Music

When I lived in New York, a friend once showed me Other Music, and at the time I had no idea just how pivotal it was to what would end up becoming a good chunk of the music I listen to today.

The Platform

A modernly-cheesy psychological / horror movie akin to Cube, Circle, and Saw. Not a great film, but a guilty pleasure.

The Social Dilemma

While the film over simplifies the issues, I’ll advocate for any reminder and insight into the nightmares of social media.

The Vast of Night

Creatively shot throwback to radio dramas with sci-fi backbone.

The Invisible Man

Horror is my favorite genre, and its become way oversaturated with Blumhouse milking the genre to death, but they do put out gems every now and then. The above scene is the highlight of the entire movie, so at least watch it if you don’t mean to see the rest of the film.

Feels Good Man

The pepe drama of the last couple years riled up the internet and affected esports particularly. I didn’t look too deep into the issues at the time, but this film shines a strong light on the situation.

Tesla

A rather unique biopic. Here’s an excerpt of an interview from… AARP ?

AARP: The movie is mostly a historical period piece, but sometimes the actors talk straight to the camera, or google how many patents each man held, or sing karaoke, or break the fourth wall to tell the audience what they just saw never happened. What was your favorite anachronistic scene?

Kyle MacLachlan: When I pull out an iPhone and I'm smoking a cigar. That was really quite brilliant. It took people by surprise and made them think.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs is a modern take on Groundhog Day and allegedly broke the Sundance record for a film purchase at at 17.6 million and 69 cents. It turned out way better than I expected and Hulu could use some wins.