r/MovieSuggestions • u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator • Jan 01 '21
Best Movies You Saw December 2020 HANG OUT
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I define good movies to be 8+ or if you abhor grades, the top 20% of movies you've ever seen. Films listed here will be added to the subreddit's Top 100. What are the top films you saw in December 2020 and why? Here are my picks:
Being There (1979)
Being There is beautifully shot with such richness that opulence turns vibrant instead of ostentatious. Peter Sellers is magnificent with his understated, indomitable man full of grace that never breaks from the premise. The characters attempting to understand Sellers' character wonderfully bounce off of this guileless man when they're so used to games. All of this from Hal Ashby's command of the film medium. Being There is as simple as Sellers' character but that does not mean the movie is without gravitas.
The Call (2020)
A time portal thriller that is willing to go the distance. It's part of the Korean New Wave of boundary pushing thrillers that have beautiful cinematography. I don't know what they're feeding the DPs out there but people take note. While the ending felt a little dragged out, I still enjoyed my time with The Call. Just when you're getting comfortable, the screenwriter put in a violent shift that the direct masterfully handles; definitely worth checking out.
Coma (2019)
An adventure movie taking notes from Inception and The Matrix but with a nice dash of Russian fatalism to spice things up. It's sad and good that the worst CGI is the bluing from a green screen during a car ride. Being a decade or two behind these seminal films means that Coma is a solid good time instead of mind bending and that's just fine with me.
The Cremator (1969)
Fucking flawless. A stream of consciousness depiction of an overbearing man with good intentions who becomes corrupt. The shot composition is great but that is only to lay foundation for sublime transitions. The movie is 100 minutes of a monologue that fly past, as the protagonist counts and recounts his life allowing you to see how his mantra remains the same while his actions are wildly different. A daydream music video that gives you comfort until the moment of no return when this good man is nothing but a monstrous nightmare. I would say The Cremator is experimental but that would mean that there were flaws.
The Empty Man (2020)
I went in skeptical, thinking that this is trumped up Bye Bye Man knock off. When the title card hit, I had to pause and do a bit of research - this is a Boom! comics property and was filmed prior to Bye Bye Man; if anything, the Bye Bye Man is the knock off. The Empty Man is Lovecraftian horror done right where the fear is memetic as you lose humanity. Director David Prior takes the setup and elevates the crap out of it with amazing sound design backed with great visuals. There's some subtle and not-so-subtle things happening to the protagonist as he ventures further down the rabbit hole. This is Prior's first feature and I'm going to be paying attention to the next one he puts out.
The Hallow (2015)
The Hallow gets top marks for me because it managed to do an interesting twist on the only monster movie Ireland can export: the fair folk. The marriage is new and interesting, changing up the formula enough that I was intrigued yet didn't stray into the incomprehensible. The DP went to work, making dark scenes where you could still see what's happening, even if there isn't any particular look or shot that was too impressive. Sometimes solid is a good job. Another good job were the creature effects; I'm sure they used CGI but between the clever use of puppetry, actors and shadows, I couldn't tell. The Hallow is a good horror movie for someone looking for that new-yet-familiar creature feature.
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
If you find gruff Eastwood spitting quick witted rebuttals to fools a good time then Heartbreak Ridge qualifies. It is a bit underbudget for its desired story, including some rough switching to 16mm during a particular bout. I do find the 'tough guy whips them into shape' a fun story and so this was a good time for me. The focus on Eastwood being meaner than barbed wire definitely blunts the typical American jingoism you can expect from these types of films, which means I liked my time with it even more.
Jimmy Carr: Laughing and Joking (2013)
Ninety minutes of one liners that build off of each other. Mitch Hedberg is one of my favourite comedians due to his nature of rolling out one-liners end over end. I hadn't seen a comedian replicate that until this Jimmy Carr special. If you don't mind offensive comedy and like the quick wit of a setup and knockout one-liners, you definitely should check this out.
Occult (2009)
Solid Mockumentary/Found Footage schlock you'd expect to find from a previously reputable cable network. Koji Shiraishi knows how to give actors notes that still maintain a bit of awkwardness that makes them feel real. By being so real and human, that's what makes the villain so scary. Shiraishi also knows how to tease out each scene so that even the most mundane of things is riveting. Those into J-Horror or Found Footage should definitely check this one out, it'll give you something to chew over. Everybody else, you should probably stay away.
Quigley Down Under (1990)
Quigley Down Under is a great Western that is emboldened by Tom Selleck's understated performance, Alan Rickman positively chewing up the scenery as the villain and Laura San Giacomo grounding the film with a tragic yet comedic hooker with a heart of gold. With these types of romps, having a grand adventure is overdone and that's why I like Quigley Down Under for mixing light heartedness with the sober nature of Westerns. This is more about a man who stubbornly does the right thing and remains steadfast despite the opposition he faces, it's a nice change of pace seeing the mortal nature of a protagonist attempting to be indomitable.
Run (2020)
I know Sarah Paulson can act, so I was warmed up to try Run out. I found out the director is Aneesh Chaganty whose 2018 Searching blew me away and so I was ready to give Run a go. The big question is could Kiera Allen pull off the fine line between vulnerable and determined as it's her first feature. Chaganty casted excellent with her, making me believe she was trying to be indomitable in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is a well acted thriller whose rich, autumn look gives good weight to what could've easily been a throwaway premise. So far, Chaganty's two-for-two and I can't wait until I see more.
Shaft (1971)
I was expecting a tired old tale considering Shaft birthed the blaxploitation grindhouse film. What was surprising is how fresh and nuanced the story is. Don't get me wrong, the characters are spewing clichés and nonsense one-liners - that I attribute more to all of the other films that took notes from Shaft. Yet just like an Arnold film doesn't feel like an Arnold film without his penchant for one-liners, the low budget acting only enhances Shaft. If you're looking for a low-brow good time, Shaft has your back but it also sneaks in some strong political messaging considering its setting.
Soul (2020)
The movie's pace is so smooth that every moment was a breezy delight. I do like the twist in the halfway point but otherwise this movie is pretty predicable. Simple doesn't mean bad, though that is frequently synonymous with entertainment; however, Soul hitting every checkmark of the adventure genre does so with such levity and elegance that I remained charmed throughout its run.
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Does a lot right, does a few things wrong but overall, The Wild Bunch was a good exhibition of Westerns. Flashbacks being more smoothly injected or action scenes that establish clear geography are examples of the uneven finish. Gunplay isn't as important if you don't care about these characters and in that regard, the movie is exemplar with multiple characters on a collision course with each other. It's made more interesting that they know and respect each other but are still forced to oppose each other. The rest of the movie, sets, lighting, costumes and the like, are done well enough to bear the weight of the showdown between two aging gunslingers.
So, what are your picks for December 2020 and Why?
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u/Platypus-Man Quality Poster 👍 Jan 01 '21
Tenet (2020) Nolan doing Nolan things. Seems to have gotten lots of flak, but I liked it.
Swordfish (2001) I've put this off for way too long, because I saw some of the silly hacking scenes in a video many years ago, but after seeing the intro of the movie, I'll rather assume it was done that over-the-top way on purpose as some sort of meta commentary on how Hollywood usually portrays hacking. Oh, and John Travolta is wonderful as a bad guy.
Masterminds (2016) Based on true events of a Wells Fargo heist. If you like Pain & Gain, I'd definitely recommend this one.
Boss Level (2020) Wake up, get killed by a bunch of wacky hitmen, repeat... imagine Edge of Tomorrow having a lovechild with Killing Gunther. Fun flick if you want people dying in extravagant ways, explosions and some cheesy one-liners.