Batman Movies Ranked (Theatrical)

Coming out this weekend is the latest iteration of everyone’s favorite cape crusader, Matt Reeve’s “The Batman.” In honor of that movie’s release, I wanted to release to you my list of favorite theatrical Batman movies. Actually, I got on a Batman kick last year after the release of Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” (a movie that ended up not making the list), with a plan on releasing it in the summer, but got distracted. Now within the last week I’ve seen a lot of people on social media and YouTube releasing their own Batman lists and suddenly I look like a trend follower instead of a trend setter. But oh well. Such is life.

A quick word about what I’ve deemed eligible here. By my personal count, there have been over 40 Batman movies that have been released. So to narrow it down, I’m going specifically with the movies that got a traditional theatrical release. I use that specific wording because three animated Batman movies, “Batman: The Killing Joke,” “Batman: Return of the Cape Crusader,” and “Batman and Harley Quinn” got a one-day specialty release in theaters. I didn’t put those in here. I’m also not including every movie where Batman made an appearance, so no Suicide Squad or Justice League movie. Just the ones that felt enough like a Batman movie. I had to make a personal judgment call on some of them, but it is what it is. Just know that there are a lot of these movies and most of them are on HBO Max. One day it would be fun to go through all of them and rank the non-theatrical movies as well. But for now we’re being simple and I’ve narrowed it down to 11 movies to rank and discuss.

And finally, this is my personal list based on my personal experiences. I’ve been a life-long Batman fan and huge DC fan. I grew up with these characters. But I still have different experiences with these than other fellow DC fans and thus this list might look very different from what you may expect. And that’s OK. It’s 100 percent biased and subjective, just like all movies are. There’s no right or wrong answer. Just personal opinions. So after you’ve read through this and have become sufficiently shocked at how I ordered this, I would be very curious to see you drop a note with how you would rank them. So let’s get started!

11- Batman Forever (1995)

We’re coming out of the gate swinging, with an absolute shocker, mostly for which movie is NOT in last place. We’ll get to why I think “Batman & Robin” deserves a second look, but it’s that movie’s predecessor that I think is the true mess. The two opposite sides of the spectrum for a Batman movie in regards to tone are the movies that decide to be super dark and serious as well the movies that decide to be lighthearted and silly. And whichever direction you decide to take your Batman movie is totally fine. Own up to it and do a good job at what you set out to do and I’ll be happy with it. But “Batman Forever” is a movie that wants to have its cake and eat it, too. It tries to be both campy and silly, taking advantage of the wonkiness of Jim Carrey, while also being as dark and realistic as the Tim Burton movies. The two tones clash so hard and the result is a movie that is a big, embarrassing pile of nothing that has no idea what it’s trying to do. And of all the Batman movies, this is the one that I have no desire to return to.

10- Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Almost a movie that I didn’t include because it’s more of a Justice League prequel than a genuine Batman movie. But nevertheless it wound up being the closest shot at a Ben Affleck solo movie that we ended up getting. And I’ll let you know straight-up that Ben Affleck is the one thing that worked to perfection. He was a great choice for both Batman and Bruce Wayne and he gave it his all. I just wish he had a competent man leading the way and had an opportunity when the mother studio had an idea of what they were doing. To me what “Batman v. Superman” represents is Warner Bros. and DC’s ineptitude at setting up a proper cinematic universe. They saw the success of Marvel and rushed into their Justice League. Instead of making individual movies leading up to “Justice League,” they made one giant bridge movie, five movies in one, and called that good. There are individual elements of this movie that work well. And there’s an ultimate cut that smooths out some of the rough edges. But not even that ultimate cut fixes the inherent problem at hand of there simply being too much going on. I think Warner Bros. has learned from this debacle and figured out their formula for success. But that doesn’t change the fact that “Batman v. Superman” is still an incredibly frustrating disaster instead of being the cinematic milestone that it deserved to be.

As a quick note, neither cut of “Justice League” is on this list, and neither is the 2016 “Suicide Squad,” wherein Ben Affleck gets a cameo. But all three would be higher than “Batman v. Superman” if I did include them.

9- Batman Returns (1992)

A second, or perhaps third controversial placement? I’ll have more to say about Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” in a second, but I think his movies get overshadowed by Nolan’s trilogy. And honestly, rightfully so. For the most part. Much respect for Tim Burton in what he did, both for Batman and for the superhero movie genre as a whole. But Tim Burton walked so that Christopher Nolan could run. “Batman Returns” specifically is a movie that is really hokey and borderline obnoxious. It’s not a mess like “Batman Forever,” but its extreme dedication to being dark and serious takes me out of the movie a bit when it comes to the origins of Catwoman and Penguin. It goes for a realistic interpretation, but those two characters are almost supernatural in their creation. Danny DeVito is having a lot of fun as Penguin, but he’s really hard to watch and his performance doesn’t hold up. In stark contrast, Michelle Pfeiffer absolutely nails the character of Catwoman and Selina Kyle, but the way in which she get falls out of a window and gets swarmed by cats is a little weird. Maybe if it was just Bruce and Selina, things would be much better and I could forgive the wonky origins, because I do love Michael Keaton as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, but Penguin is just too much. And most of the movie is focused around him. I’ve watched this twice in the last year, one a few days ago, and it’s just a movie that doesn’t connect with me.

8- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

I want to say right before we start here that I really love Christopher Nolan and, as I stated in my summary of “Batman Returns,” he got Batman and the world right. The way he took some hokey, comic book characters and gave realistic portrayals in a dark world made for two of the greatest superhero movies ever made. But this final chapter is just… yikes. The initial hype of seeing this in theaters was incredible. And I was on such a high for a long time with it. And while there are still some great performances and some incredible sequences, this is just a movie that completely falls apart the more that I’ve seen it and pondered about it. And while I still love Nolan, this is the point where he began a string of movies that just fall flat for me. Yet there are still a large amount of Nolan fanboys that worship the man as their lord and savior. Not only will they refuse to believe he is incapable of doing anything wrong, but they will also not let anyone on the internet have an opposing opinion. And I think it’s this ludicrous Nolan hype that has elevated “The Dark Knight Rises” much higher than it deserves. If this was anyone other than Nolan that made this exact movie, I think the consensus would be that this is really just a mediocre superhero movie with a lot of problems. But because it’s Nolan, I get nearly crucified every time I bring up the fact that I think it’s not that great. But don’t worry. I’ll continue to give Nolan his much deserved praise. I just don’t think he stuck the landing on his trilogy.

7- Batman & Robin (1997)

Yup. Not last place, like one would think the consensus might be, but No. 7 of 11, ahead of “Batman Forever,” “Batman v. Superman,” “Batman Returns” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Are some of those movies more competently made films with better filmmaking qualities? Sure. And no, I don’t have any level of nostalgia for this movie or any of the Schumacher or Burton films. My childhood love of Batman comes from the animated series. We watched the Christopher Reeve Superman movies a lot as a family growing up, but not the Batman movies. In fact, I had not even watched “Batman & Robin” all the way through until last year, despite hearing so much about it from every angle, the people who think it’s the worst movie ever and the people who love it. And I’m here to tell you that this movie deserves another look. It is an unmitigated disaster of a movie with so many issues, which is why it has a 3.7 on IMDb and a 12 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. And that’s almost why it is so darn entertaining. You can say it’s a “so bad, it’s good” sort of movie. And I accept that. But to a degree, I also believe that it is self-aware and knows exactly what it is, almost to the level of Adam West Batman camp and silliness. But whether it was intentional or unintentional, the entertainment value on this movie is so high that I really kinda love it. It’s not the Batman movie anyone wanted in 1997 and it almost killed the whole Batman franchise, but it just might be the Batman movie we all need in 2022, so I really encourage you to give it another, preferably with a big group of friends.

6- Batman (1989)

And now we head into the top six of this list, where all of the remaining entries are very high quality films that deserve to be watched for all of the right reasons. And much respect goes to this initial Tim Burton entry for helping to pioneer the comic book movie genre, together along with the Christopher Reeve Superman. And while I’m not sure the full history of Batman in the comics, I do feel confident in saying that this movie is very much responsible for the trend of Batman movies being dark and gritty. Just about every Batman movie since has made an attempt to follow its lead. And like I’ve mentioned with Nolan a few times now, Tim Burton paved the way for Nolan to make the two masterpiece films that he did. I don’t think Nolan could’ve done that without Tim Burton setting the standard. And while I do think that there is a level of hokiness that doesn’t quite fit the serious tone, namely the permanent smile stuck to Joker’s face, Jack Nicholson nevertheless does a terrifying job of being a sinister villain in perhaps the most classic clash of Batman vs. Joker. And it’s interesting in hindsight to note that this is essentially a classic 80s gangster movie with Batman characters. It worked very well for its time and I still think it holds up well to today, even though not all of its sequels follow suit.

5- Batman: The Movie (1966)

Back in the 1960s, Batman wasn’t dark and serious. He was goofy and silly. You sit back, throw all logic out the window, and you watch the legend himself, Adam West, entertain you to no end. And while, when done right, I love the dark and grim Batman movies, I honestly miss the idea of Batman being simply fun and entertaining. That might be why I really enjoyed “Batman & Robin” when I finally watched it last year. And it might be why I love No. 3 on this list. But unlike “Batman & Robin,” there is absolutely no question in regards to intent. This is 100 percent self-aware and purposely being goofy and silly. This is all the comic book characters gathering together to take down the heroes in a comic book villain style that almost doesn’t exist in the modern day. This is a giant, rubber shark biting Batman in the leg while hanging from a helicopter while Robin rushes to get the shark-repellant spray to stop it. And this is master detective Batman and Robin, solving all of the Riddler’s complex riddles in a manner of seconds, using logic that makes no real sense. Adam West is the absolute king of campiness and I honestly think the world of comic book movies and shows could use a lot more of that. And I was almost tempted to put this even higher on the list, but, well…

4- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Remember when I said my personal childhood introduction to Batman came via “Batman: The Animated Series”? Yup. Well, that and “Batman Beyond” defined my Batman childhood. “Mask of the Phantasm” is not a movie that I watched until fairly recently, and re-watched this past week in preparation for this list, but it’s pulled directly from “Batman: The Animated Series,” which is one of the greatest shows ever made. When I watched it, I became immediately filled with all of the joyous Batman nostalgia and I wanted to immediately go binge all of my childhood Batman. So yeah, in a completely subjective and personal list, this is the nostalgia that gets boosted up on my list, even if this particular movie is a fairly new watch for me. In fact, it almost feels out of place on this theatrical list. If I were to ever do the non-theatrical list, this movie fits better with all of those, which there are many great ones. But it did get a theatrical run and most Batman rankings include, so I’m fine with it representing an important part of my childhood here. On top of the nostalgia, it’s also honestly one of the best individual Batman stories. It has the classic Batman vs. Joker, the doomed romance, and some flashbacks that give origins to both Batman and Joker in this universe, all woven together in a beautiful, yet simply 71-minute animated film. It’s short, but it packs a real punch, giving you everything you want in a Batman film, showing why the animated series was so great.

3- The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

I kid you not, I was very tempted to put “The LEGO Batman Movie” at No. 2, in between the two movies that you know were going to be at the top of this list. In the vein of “Batman & Robin” and “Batman: The Movie,” this is Batman being very silly and fun. And for a lifelong Batman fan, I remember laughing so hard at this movie in theaters that it was almost painful. Laughter that doesn’t give you a break and makes your stomach hurt. That’s the type of laughter that is extremely rare for even the funniest of comedies. And while the casual person can watch and enjoy, this is a parody movie that is directed at the lifelong Batman fan as it pokes fun at every single generation of Batman, from Adam West all the way up to Christopher Nolan. And the more you know about Batman, the funnier it is and the more you will understand all the references. And on that note alone, this is a movie that every Batman fan needs to see. But the thing that makes it worthy of being this high up on the list is that, through all the comedy, it somehow manages to also be a very touching Batman movie on its own. The best comedies also have a good deal of drama and this movie cuts deep and hits you in all the feels, which is something that I was not expecting at all. I said when I first watched it and I stand by it now, this is one of the best Batman movies ever made. And here’s me holding true to that.  

2- Batman Begins (2005)

I’ve had a lot of spicy choices on this list. Made some decisions that probably shocked you. And while I momentarily considered mixing it up at the top, sometimes the predictable and boring answer is the right one. No surprises. Nolan’s first two films are both masterpieces. He took Burton’s formula and perfected it. He made a dark and gritty film that really worked. And he took comic book characters and removed all the hokiness from them. No permanent smile. No supernatural cat thing. None of whatever the penguin thing is. And no self-aware silliness. Which works because Nolan knew exactly what he wanted and he crafted the perfect universe that feels lived in and real. Gotham came to life in a way that it never had before. And all the villains feel like they could’ve actually been real villains in a real universe, which makes this movie scarier and more intense. And he even answered the silliness of Bruce Wayne dressing up in a Batman suit and gave us an origin story that stands as one of the best, if not the best origin story ever told. The absolute gold standard for every origin story. And honestly, probably the best individual pure Batman movie ever made with the my personal favorite Batman via Christian Bale, the perfect choice for both version of the character.

1- The Dark Knight (2008)

Perhaps the easiest choice in the history of making lists on this blog in the last 10 years is creating a Batman movie list and putting “The Dark Knight” at No. 1. It’s the obvious choice. And it’s almost so obvious that it’s the boring choice. Yes, grass is green, the sky is blue, the Earth is round and spins around the sun, and “The Dark Knight” is the best Batman movie. Although to my previous comment I just made, “Batman Begins” might be the best individual pure Batman movie because “The Dark Knight” is more of a Joker movie than a Batman movie, but it still belongs on this list, obviously, and is no question deserving of the top spot. “Batman Begins” is the gold standard for superhero origin stories and “The Dark Knight” is the gold standard for superhero villain stories, which is why the two movies fit together so well. They both set out to do different things and they both do a perfect job at accomplishing those goals. And the movie is not dark just for the sake of being dark. Everything it puts in place has a purpose for being there, with haunting themes that stick with you for years after you see it. The type of movie that gets better over time and never gets old upon any re-watch. The only issue it really has is that every dark superhero movie that came after it never fully understood why and how it worked so well, so it started a trend of every superhero movie being unnecessarily dark. But that’s, of course, not this movie’s fault. Nolan knew what he was doing.

DrogeMiester's Top 10 BEST Movies of 2021

It’s time again for my top 10 favorite movies of the year, which is always my favorite post to do. Each year always provides its own unique set of circumstances, but with COVID still raging on that definitely has made the last couple of years especially unique. The result was an indie-heavy list in 2020 as those smaller films were the only movies that came out. Most of the major blockbusters scheduled for 2020 got pushed into… 2021, meaning we kinda doubled up on the bigger films this year while the box office was in recovery. In compiling my list this year, it felt like I had twice the usual options, which is not necessarily a bad problem to have.

On top of that, the last two years have been a unique year for the awards season. Specifically, the Oscars extended their eligibility for the 2020 season through February 2021. Some have chosen with their lists to follow the Oscar calendar year. And that’s fine. I have chosen to stick with the normal calendar year, which means half of the best picture nominees from last year’s ceremony are 2021 films in my book, not 2020 films. Yeah, it’s a bit of an ambiguous judgment call, but that’s what I’ve decided on. That’s the fun thing of having your own site. You can set your own rules. Real quick, I don’t count festival releases or any sort of special release like that. And I don’t count Oscar-qualifying runs. If a movie is released in limited release one year, then is expanded into wide release the next year, I’ll count the year that it hit limited release, but that’s different than Oscar-qualifying run. I can elaborate later if you’re curious.

I don’t usually spend that much time elaborating on that, but in this case those parameters will be very critical for this specific list. Outside that, per usual, I have not seen every movie from 2021. There are a few major ones, like “Mass” and “King Richard,” that I missed, as well as a few like “Drive My Car” that I count as 2021 films, but have not yet expanded far enough for me to see them. And that’s OK. In the past I’ve been a lot more worried about that. And while I try to see everything I can, I’ve accepted the fact that I will never see everything and that this list each year is merely a snapshot in time of what I was feeling in the moment. If my favorite movie ends up changing over time or I find a new movie that would’ve made the list, that’s perfectly fine. That was definitely the case when I put together my decades list the other year. It’s fun to go back and re-evaluate or look back on what I was feeling in the moment. But anyways, with all those formalities out of the way, let’s dive into the list proper!

10- Free Guy

This final spot on the list that we’re starting with was probably the hardest. Mainly because I was certain that “Free Guy,” “The Suicide Squad” and “Shang-Chi” were all sure-fire entries on this list, ones that would be much higher as well. But given the large number of options, as explained above, I simple ran out of space and was devastated that I could only include one of those three. All three are highly entertaining blockbuster films that I could watch many times over, but the ever so slight edge goes to “Free Guy,” mainly for its high level of creativity. Conceptually it was a very high risk film that turned into a fantastic high reward. It’s Ryan Reynolds being Ryan Reynolds, but sometimes that shtick works perfectly and this was the right vehicle for it. Moreover, this felt like such a fun, unique concept, a bit of a breath of fresh air from our usual Blockbuster affair. It also seems to prove to me that the best video game movies are not the video game movies that are based on a specific IP, but are original concepts that feel like video games, with this and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” being two great examples. I’m glad this caught fire because I’m ready for more from this world.

9- The Mauritanian

The what? Here’s the first potential surprise on this list. Perhaps because this is one of the movies that was eligible for the 2020 Oscars, but also because, out of all of last year’s awards contenders, this is one that slipped right under the radar and wound up being completely ignored. After I watched it, I was a bit upset and floored at this for not getting more attention. Because, yeah, this was way better than most of last year’s nominees. It’s in the vein of a “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a strong honorable mention for this list, in that it’s a historical piece you watch for the sake of education and not entertainment. In both cases, the American government is the antagonist of the film. In this case, the story revolves around one Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was imprisoned for being suspected of being involved in the 9/11 attacks. He was detained for years and years… without even being officially charged. The lawyers involved in his case were portrayed as horrible villains by the media for even attempting to stick up for him. Yet the guy was 100 percent innocent in one of the most shocking miscarriages of justice that I’ve seen. Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, and Tahar Rahim gave performances that all should’ve been nominated last year, but weren’t. Given that awards mean nothing, I encourage you to watch this and decide for yourself.

8- tick, tick… BOOM!

Musicals were a big trend of 2021. And there were a handful that could’ve qualified for this list, as well as a few that could be contenders for the worst nonsense of the year, but of the ones that I really enjoyed, “tick, tick… BOOM!” was the one that I felt elevated itself above the rest for not simply being a flashy, gorgeously choreographed showcase of music and dance, but for being a whole lot more. First off, the construction of this musical is fascinating. It’s based on the Broadway play of the same name, which is loosely based on the life of playwright Jonathan Larson – as written and directed by Jonathan Larson himself before he died. But the movie is more of a look on Jonathan Larson’s life, while also showcases the performance of the musical inside of the musical. And if that all sounds confusing, it makes more sense in my brain than when I type it out. But mostly I gravitated to the story of Jonathan Larson, who had a rather tragic life that is depressingly relatable. The second you think it’s going the way it should, the floor gets ripped out from under him and stabs the audiences in the heart because his road feels all too familiar. An emotional gut-punch of a film with a stand-out performance from Andrew Garfield that is among his best in a great year for him.

7- Last Night in Soho

This will probably go down as the other major surprise. The other choices on this list are ones you’ve probably seen on other lists. I highly doubt you’ve seen “Last Night in Soho” on anyone’s list. And if you have, then it’s still unique nonetheless. I heard all the mixed reviews before going in and had to thus temper my expectations a bit. But I was blown away and it’s not because this was better than I was expecting. It’s because this is genuinely a fantastic film that is a lot more in line with the quality of all the other Edgar Wright movies than pretty much anyone is giving it credit for. The retro 60s horror was a lot of fun, but I was mostly completely drawn in by the dual story arcs going on that were juxtaposed to a certain extent. Thomasin McKenzie plays a young fashion designer in the modern world who is obsessed with the past. Yet when she sees visions and dreams of a woman from the past, a singer and model from the 60s played by Anya Taylor-Joy, she becomes slowly horrified that her dreams of the past are perhaps not as rainbows and butterflies as she would hope. The descent into madness on both fronts is incredible and the final act that most people are hating on is a bonkers one that I absolutely loved. I guess it’s not for everyone, but I don’t care. It was perfect for me.

6- Nobody

With the recent emergence of “John Wick” as perhaps the best modern action franchise, there are a so many studios and filmmakers who are desperately trying to cash in on that trend and become the next “John Wick.” And while some have been entertaining and many have failed, it was Universal that struck gold with “Nobody,” using Bob Odenkirk as their lead star and “Hardcore Henry” director Ilya Naishuller as the director. An unlikely combination that works like a charm. Bob Odenkirk, who plays Saul Goodman in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” is not one who you’d expect to step right into an action star role, but that’s the point of this movie. He’s a regular husband and father, trying to live a normal life. But nothing is normal about how his past has gone and said past comes back to haunt him and forces him to defend himself and his family. Keanu Reeves is one who has had a history of being an action star, so his turn as John Wick wasn’t surprising, but Bob Odenkirk doing this did seemingly come out of nowhere, but I was absolutely here for it. If you need to scratch the action itch, this one will do the job better than most action movies out there today.

5- The Mitchells vs. the Machines

A solid year for animation in 2021. And a tip of my hat to Disney for “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon,” both of which I really enjoyed, but the best animated movie of the year is not even a question. From producers Lord and Miller, the duo responsible for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The LEGO Movie,” and directors Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, who worked on “Gravity Falls,” comes a movie that is definitely on par with all of those things. That’s some pretty high praise, but well deserved praise in my mind. This is wacky and zany and fun. It’ll easily entertaining your kids and perhaps have them watching it on repeat for years. But it’ll also entertain adults and people of all ages as well. One of those prime examples of how we don’t need to give crappy animated a pass simply because “the kids loved it.” Because movies like this exist that entertain both. It throws everything at the wall and all of it sticks. It’ll have you laughing hysterically the entire run. It’ll have you in awe of the animation and all the little things thrown in, much like “Spider-Verse.” But it’ll also have you in a puddle of tears by the end with how emotional and powerful it gets. Animated movies don’t get much better than this. And if you haven’t checked it out, it’s right there on Netflix for you to fix that.

4- Pig

Speaking of John Wick action movies that are trying to cash in on the trend, this is… NOT one of them. Despite it seeming like that when you watch the trailers and read the premise. Nicolas Cage as a lonely man who is out for vengeance when someone steals his beloved pig? I mean, I would be fully on board with that if that was in fact what it was, another zany Nicolas Cage performance that goes all out in its wackiness, making him the next John Wick. But what you get instead is a very slow, well-paced drama about a man with a dark past whose last real connection, his pet pig, gets ripped away from him and leaves him broken and scarred even more. You expect to go in having a lot of fun with this, yet you wind up bawling your face off if you’ve ever experienced the special connection of human and pet, whether it be a dog, a cat, or whatever. I’ve always said that Nicolas Cage is a great actor who can give a great performance when he wants to. He won an Oscar for a reason. But he mostly chooses to have fun with the roles he picks and I’m totally fine with that. But in “Pig” he brings that acting prowess back to the forefront and shows that he’s still got it. If it were up to me, he would 100 percent be getting his second Oscar win. No one in 2021 was better than him.

 3- Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sometimes in life, the most popular movie of the year is also one of the best ones. Spider-Man movies will always make a lot of money, regardless of their quality. But this is the Spider-Man of all Spider-Man movies. The “Avengers: Endgame” of the franchise, if you will. And while I will still claim “Spider-Man 2” as my favorite Spider-Man movie, you get why I am making that comparison. This movie is one of the top five highest grossing domestic releases ever and is the most successful Sony release and most successful Spider-Man movie, even when you adjust for ticket price inflation. So you’ve likely all seen it and there’s a very big reason why it has become so massive. It’s one of those rare movies where the hype was through the roof and it somehow managed to live up to all the hype and perhaps exceed it. It was 100 percent pure fan service, but every piece of fan service was there for a reason and had a critical part of the film. It not only provided a fantastic arc for Tom Holland in this recent trilogy, but also provided a lot of closure and satisfaction for other things and characters. Y’all know what I mean, but I’m still not going to spoil it here. I wrote a giant spoiler review if you haven’t checked that out, though. I’ve seen it three times now and it gets better each time. And not just for the entertainment value, but the emotional peaks of the movie still got me, even though I knew they were coming.

2- CODA

From really big to really small. A Sundance film initially that went straight to Apple TV+, a streaming service that not as many have. But yet I’ve been very pleased that it has remained in conversations all year and has even been picking up steam in awards season, to the point where this is one of the films that could theoretically win best picture. By some people’s parameters this would be my No. 1 of the year as some might disqualify my actual No. 1. We’ll get to that in a second here. And it would be a deserving of that title and I hope it wins best picture. CODA stands for “children of deaf adults.” The movie is a coming of age story about a girl who can hear, but whose parents and siblings are deaf, played by actual deaf actors. The plot might go in a direction that you expect it to go, but this proves you can take a familiar concept and still make an incredible movie if your execution is done well, which this movie is done to perfection. Because the emotion is intense and the feel-good moments throughout are off the charts. As a frosting on the cake, actual people from the deaf community have responded very well to this. I had a friend from said community who reached out to me and was blown away by how perfect this movie was in representing the deaf community and the challenges that CODAs go through. And that knowledge just makes it all better.  

1- The Father

Yes, the reason why I put so much emphasis in the intro of this post describing the parameters of what I consider a 2021 film is because my No. 1 film is one that many have labeled as a 2020 film. To me it’s a 2021 film and I will argue that case for those who dispute it. And it’s one of the most emotionally powerful films that I’ve seen as of late. It’s about a man suffering from dementia. And sure, we’ve seen many movies like that before, but how many of them have looked at dementia from the vantage point of the person going through that? Anthony Hopkins is the central focus of the movie and everything around him keeps changing. He suddenly turns around and is in different locations that he’s not used to. People tell him stories that are different than what he remembers them saying. And the emotion and frustration is so intense because no one can seem to understand. His reality is not reality, but to him it very much is. And we as an audience are never clued in as to what is real and what isn’t, which makes the experience that much more surreal. If you’ve ever known a grandparent or other elderly person in your life who has gone through dementia or another similar mental illness, this movie will connect with you in ways that no other film can. Anthony Hopkins, in controversial fashion, won best actor for this role last year. And he absolutely deserved it.

 

Honorable Mentions

With the list proper complete, here are some honorable mentions. Nos. 11 - 25 on my list. All of which were deserving of making the cut. But, as explained, there were just so many options this year, all things considered. Even this full 25 is not all-inclusive of everything I enjoyed watching this year. No detailed explanation for each, but if you’re curious for one or perhaps why another movie didn’t show up, comment and let me know. And, as always, I’d be curious to know what your top 2021 movies are, with whatever parameters you choose. 

11- The Suicide Squad
12- The Night House
13- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
14- The Green Knight
15- The Last Duel
16- In the Heights
17- Encanto
18- Judas and the Black Messiah
19- The Power of the Dog
20- F9: The Fast Saga
21- Raya and the Last Dragon
22- A Quiet Place Part II
23- Fear Street Part 1: 1994
24- Malignant
25- Lamb

DreamWorks Animation Studios Ranked

Ranking DreamWorks Animation is something that I’ve been intending on doing for many years now. After ranking Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, the next logical step in my brain was to dive into DreamWorks, the next big animation studio after those two. It’s been five years since I posted my initial Disney ranking, but we’re finally here!

The motivation to finally get this done came from my Disney tournament group on Facebook. We’ve done lots of various movie-related polls and March-madness style tournaments since I started the group May of last year. This month our big tournament was DreamWorks. So I’ve been using that tournament as a means to figure out exactly what my favorite DreamWorks movies are so I can finally get this list out into the world. However, I’ll be honest upfront and say that DreamWorks is a bit of a chore. The big reason why this has taken so long is because a large percentage of DreamWorks’ filmography ranges from bad to forgettable. I’ve thought about starting a marathon many times, and even began once or twice, but never completed it.

Because of that latter point, this list is going to be a tad bit different. I don’t have a solid ranking from top to bottom, like I usually do. But I did put a lot of effort into revisiting the movies that I know I enjoy in order to create a solid top 10. So I will give you that top 10 and a brief explanation of each choice. But then below that the rest will be divided into tiers. And yes, one of those tiers is the movies I have not yet seen. It feels wrong to post a list like this without having seen every movie, but I’ll explain that below.

Final note, the three Aardman movies that DreamWorks helped co-produce (“Chicken Run,” “Wallace & Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” and “Flushed Away”) I decided not to include. They were included in our tournament, but on a personal note I consider them more Aardman and less DreamWorks. Aardman can get its own post one day. Because Aardman is great! Anyways, with that intro out of the way, let’s dive in!

 

10- Abominable (2019)

The first choice on this list is a more recent one. A movie that flew right under the radar. Not many chose to see this one in theaters. My theory behind that is that there was a strange phenomenon wherein three animated yeti movies from different studios were all released within a year. “Abominable” was the third, behind “Smallfoot” and “Missing Link.” And I’m sure that many skipped it because they weren’t interested in another yeti movie. Which is a shame because this movie is absolutely adorable. The yeti in this one is more like an animal than a humanoid and a lonely young girl stumbles upon it and befriends it. What ensues is a movie that has strong “E.T.” vibes, in a very good way, and makes you feel like you’re watching a Pixar movie at times rather than a DreamWorks movie. Because, yeah, this hits you with the feels. If you skipped this in 2019, then go back and fix that. You’ll be glad you did.

 

9- Madagascar (2005)

All hail the New York Giants! The Madagascar franchise fell off a cliff rather quick as “Madagascar 2” and “Penguins of Madagascar” are atrocious piles of dinosaur manure. And they both scarred me so bad that I never cared to see “Madagascar 3,” even though I hear it’s slightly better. But all of that is a shame because this first “Madagascar” is an insanely quotable gem. It has a large voice cast, all of whom are perfect for their characters. Ben Stiller as a lion, David Schwimmer as a giraffe, Chris Rock as a zebra, Jada Pinkett Smith as a sassy hippo, with Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter as the lemurs this group of zoo animals stumble upon. All of them are a hoot. And even though the penguins were awful in their solo movie, I still quote them from this movie on a regular basis. And if the song “I Like to Move It” doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, you might not be human. Sure, it might not hit the emotional highs of others, but this movie is wildly entertaining.  

 

8- How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

The clear fan favorite here. It won our tournament. And for good reason. In terms of pure animation, it doesn’t get much better across any animation studio than the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise. Absolutely gorgeous animation followed by a captivating score in all three movies. Unfortunately I do require a movie to go along with my movie. I’m not grading based on technical achievements alone. Luckily for the first movie, it manages to give us what the second two films failed miserably at. A plot and characters worth caring about. Because, yeah, this first movie is a beautiful metaphor for what to do in the face of hatred and prejudice. Hiccup standing up against the ugly traditions of his friends and family, being brave enough to attempt to make a difference, is a beautiful lesson this movie teaches and has gotten even more relevant in the decade since its release. I don’t really have anything negative to say about. It’s a well-polished movie on most accounts. It just doesn’t soar quite as high for me compared to some of these others, but it still belongs here in the DreamWorks top 10.

 

7- Kung Fu Panda (2008)

The “Kung Fu Panda” franchise successfully does with the “Shrek,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Madagascar” franchises do not. Be consistently good across all films. DreamWorks has a very bad sequel problem, but they managed to stick the landing with all three “Kung Fu Panda” movies. No, I’m not ranking DreamWorks franchises here, but I did want to point that out since this first movie is the only one to represent the franchise in this top 10. I will also say that others are probably a bit higher on this movie than me. I don’t want to call this juvenile, but I do think this leans very heavily on the silly, slapstick humor. And in case you forget, the movie will continue to remind you that Poe is fat, out of shape, and loves gorging on food. But it’s also a fun movie that sticks the landing in a powerful way. The idea that there is no secret ingredient and that you have the power to control your life choices and make yourself great is a movie message that’s always been one of my favorites. It’s like in “Space Jam.” You had it in you all along. You just have to believe in yourself and you can do great things.

 

6- Shrek 2 (2004)

As I said above, DreamWorks has a massive sequel problem. And in a funny twist of events, “Shrek 2” is probably responsible for that, even though it’s easily their best sequel by a wide margin. It did so insanely well at the box office, becoming the highest grossing animated movie ever at the domestic box office and holding that for over a decade, that DreamWorks got a little carried away and starting focusing more on pumping out endless sequels that regurgitated jokes and plot points than creating quality content. While “Shrek 2” suffers from that to some extent, it’s still an insanely fun and wild ride. The humor hits hard and the finale with “Holding Out for a Hero” is one of my favorite movie finales. The movie also has a lot of heart to it. Early into marriage, Shrek and Fiona discover some major differences. After sleeping it over, both commit to changing for the other one. But that happens a tad bit too late as Shrek has already gone down the rabbit hole with his plan. How it all wraps I think is a very important lesson that could be learned in all relationships and marriages.

 

5- Megamind (2010)

One of the most common things I hear from “Megamind” fans is how underrated they think this movie is. I disagree. I think “Megamind” is very properly rated. It’s a very popular movie that a lot of people love. And I’m on that train, too. I also don’t think people use the word “underrated” correctly, but that’s a discussion for another day. “Megamind” very cleverly takes the superhero genre and flips it on its head, giving us an unconventional superhero film that holds up very well a decade later after this massive wave of superhero movies that was sparked by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hero is done being a hero and retires while the villain becomes the new hero when a more villainous villain shows up, one that was supposed to be the new hero. This is all about your past not being the determining factor for what your future has in store. And it works so well. It also has Will Ferrell at the top of his game as the voice of Megamind. This and “Elf” prove to me that if you put a leash on him, that’s where he thrives the most. I mean, a lot of people don’t even know Will Ferrell is Megamind.

 

4- The Croods (2013)

While I don’t think “Megamind” is underrated, due to it being more popular than some give it credit for, “The Croods” is a movie that I personally think IS underrated. At least that’s the vibe that I’ve gotten. I’ve seen very few people share the exact amount of praise as I have. Even in our tournament, I was really the only one to give it a strong defense. The best I got from others was “It’s a fun family film.” And that it certainly is. It’s wonky and hilarious, with jokes that still make me laugh when I watch it. But it’s also a lot more than that to me. It’s a movie that is all about embracing change and accepting new opportunities rather than being stuck in the past. And using cavepeople to portray that is the perfect subject matter for this metaphor. Are we acting like cavepeople in our lives or are we willing to embrace the change? At the core of that message is a father/daughter relationship that feels so real. And when Emma Stone and Nic Cage’s characters reconcile at the end, I still tear up. In my opinion, very few movies from DreamWorks successfully balance the wonkiness and emotion as well as “The Croods.”

 

3- Shrek (2001)

When I think of DreamWorks, I think of “Shrek.” This movie is the movie that really put them on the map and gave them their identity. Its popularity also heavily contributed to transforming the animation genre as a whole, for better or for worse, by essentially putting a nail in the coffin of 2D animation. Regardless of impact, I think “Shrek” is a movie that was insanely hilarious at the time and is still insanely hilarious today. It throws so many fairytale IPs in a blender and dumps them on the screen, making you laugh and smile at all the references. But I don’t think it goes overboard with that. It uses the IP dump as a garnish to boost the story it’s telling. That being an unconventional fairy tale of its own where the beautiful princess is swept up by the ugly ogre. The beautiful princess is also an ugly ogre at night. And when they both realize their happily ever after, Fiona’s magical transformation keeps her as an ogre. A comedic, yet poignant message. It’s not the outside that matters, but what’s on the inside. But also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone can find love. Even an ugly ogre.

 

2- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

I learned with our DreamWorks tournament that “Spirit” actually does have a stronger base of support than I realized. I thought this would be my “Bambi” pick from my Disney list, one that seemingly came out of nowhere in the eyes of others to be insanely high. But I’m glad that I’m not alone on loving this movie. Yet this is also like “Bambi” in several other ways. Minimalistic dialogue with animals as the protagonists and man as the antagonists. Both movies heavily guided by the music of the film, almost as if they wrote the music first, then came up with a story to support it. Bryan Adams is in charge of the soundtrack while Hans Zimmer does the score. The two of them combine to send you on an incredible adventure with this horse, his union with a Native American boy named Little Creek, and both of them trying to escape the grasp of the U.S. Army in the Old West. When needed, Matt Damon provides some narration to gently guide us forward since these horses don’t talk. It’s an absolutely gorgeous film and if it’s one that managed to slip under your radar, you need to go give it a watch.

 

1- The Prince of Egypt (1998) 

While not always the obvious top pick for me, in exploring all the top contenders in depth, “The Prince of Egypt” is the one that definitely stands head and shoulders above the rest. And it’s no coincidence it looks like it came directly from Disney. It did. Kinda. Jeffrey Katzenburg started DreamWorks in 1994 after leaving Disney. “The Prince of Egypt” was a movie that he pitched to Michael Eisner, but had it rejected. History lesson aside, the soundtrack for this musical does not miss. And it’s rather impressive that in just one attempt, DreamWorks created something that at least matches all the greatest Disney musicals. Yes, it has a very spiritual message to it, but it’s mostly a compelling tale about two brothers who were once very close, yet wind up on opposite sides of a great conflict. It’s an emotional, powerful, and mature tale that not only does justice to its Biblical source material, but also adds depth that no other adaptation of this story has matched. It is undoubtedly a majestic masterpiece that is not only unparalleled in the realm of DreamWorks, but is one of the greatest animated movies from any studio.

Honorable Mentions: 

These nine films from DreamWorks are movies that weren’t quite good enough to crack my top 10, but are ones that I enjoy. These are approximately in order, but I’m not committing to officially numbering them Nos. 11 through 19 because I didn’t put as much effort into getting them into an exact order. They’re fairly interchangeable, anyways.

- Puss in Boots (2011)
- Over the Hedge (2006)
- The Croods: A New Age (2020)
- Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
- Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
- Home (2015)
- Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

 

Forgettable: 

Not bad. Not good. Movies that just kinda exist in the realm of DreamWorks. I wouldn’t hate my life if one of these was chosen as a movie night, but I also wouldn’t actively seek these out or watch them on my own. These are in alphabetical order.

 - Antz (1998)
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
- Rise of the Guardians (2012)
- Shrek Forever After (2010)
- Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
- The Road to El Dorado (2000)
- Trolls (2016)
- Turbo (2013)

Bad:

 These are the six movies from DreamWorks that I will actively avoid and label as atrocities. I considered at one point doing a separate post, having a top 10 and a bottom 10 DreamWorks list. But I decided against that. Mostly because re-watching all of these to determine that exact order is not something I decided that I have a desire to do. Because of that, these are also in alphabetical order. 

- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
- Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
- Shark Tale (2004)
- Shrek the Third (2007)
- The Boss Baby (2017)

 

Haven’t Seen: 

Embarrassingly enough, there are six DreamWorks movies that I have not seen yet. Here they are alphabetically. The explanations right below, if you’re curious.

- Bee Movie (2007)
- Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
- Spirit Untamed (2021)
- The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021)
- Trolls World Tour (2020) 

“Madagascar 3” and “The Boss Baby 2” are sequels that I’ve avoided due to painful experiences with their direct predecessors. I’ve heard “Madagascar 3” is slightly better. I’ve heard “The Boss Baby 2” is not. Plus the latter came out just last month. “Spirit Untamed” is also a movie that’s just too recent. “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” my No. 2 movie, inspired a Netflix series that is very juvenile and directed at young kids. “Spirit Untamed” is a movie directly attached to that series, so it’s not one I desired to go out to the theaters for. “Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans,” another movie released last month, is a Netflix film. I could easily watch it, but I would feel obligated to first watch the “Trollhunters” series, which I have not done.

“Trolls World Tour” is one that I’ve been meaning to check out. Despite not caring for “Trolls,” the trailers were rather amusing and I’ve wanted to watch it. But COVID happened and Universal, who owns DreamWorks Animation, opted to send it straight to PVOD, skipping theaters. Paying $20 or $30 to watch it is not something I wanted to do. Then they put it on the premium tier of Peacock, which I don’t have. I only have the free tier. So it’s a movie that they’ve been dangling out on a string and I’ve not cared quite enough to take the bait.

And finally… “Bee Movie.” This is one bizarre creation that I’ve read and watched many things on. I have no good excuse as to why I haven’t seen it, even for the sake of curiosity. There’s just never been a day in the last 14 years where I said to myself, “Today is the day where I finally sit down and watch ‘Bee Movie’.” Maybe that day will come. Maybe it won’t. I don’t know.

DrogeMiester's Top 10 BEST Movies of 2020

It's time to pick up this blog from off the shelf, dust it off, and fire it up. Because it's time for an end of year list! And what a strange year this is to do an end of year list on. The whole world was thrown off its groove with COVID. And while there are much bigger problems to worry about than movies getting postponed and theaters shutting down, that was nevertheless a major part of my routine that got taken from me. The consequence of that is me not spending much time on this blog in 2020. But I promise that once things go back to normal with the movie industry, I'll get back into the groove of things. Believe it or not, though, movies actually did come out this year. And I did see a lot of them. And not just in the first two months. Yeah, most of the major blockbusters that we were expecting all got shoved into 2021 and beyond, but streaming got thrown in the spotlight, with the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other services becoming the center of the movie universe. And that let a lot of the smaller, independent films get more attention than they normally would've. All things considered, there are so many disclaimers and stipulations that could be said about how this list ended up, but I'm not going to dive into all of them. You understand. So let's just dive in!   

10- Horse Girl

If you take one look at the title of this film without knowing anything about it, you might think it's a Disney-esque family drama about a girl and her horse, like Secretariat or Seabiscuit. Nope. That couldn't be further from the truth. This is about a shy, awkward young woman who starts having dreams about being abducted by aliens and suddenly begins to think that she's a clone of her grandmother. But is she just going crazy or is she the only sane one around? The movie is so bizarre and up to your own interpretation that it kinda becomes a choose your own adventure thing. Is it a psychological drama about mental illness or is it a sci-fi movie with aliens and time loops, akin to Netflix's series "Dark"? You decide. Although I do think there is a definitive answer. It just requires watching the film, thinking about it, then watching it again to pick up clues that were secretly left behind. It also provides an interesting social experiment. Did you enjoy this movie and try hard to understand it because you knew it was a Sundance film? Or did you toss it aside after the first watch because you assumed it was dumb Netflix original? One's expectations of a film can go a long ways in determining one's level of enjoyment. Just some food for thought for you.   

9- Clouds

The story of Zach Sobiech and his song "Clouds" is one that I have a strong personal connection with. Zach was a high school student who got diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. In 2012, he learned that the cancer was terminal and only had a few months to live. So he wrote the song "Clouds." Zach passed away in May 2013 and that's when the song went viral. Zach's song and story really meant a lot to me because my younger brother passed away in January 2013. I used the song to help me through a lot of rough times. So when I learned that Disney+ was releasing an original film based on Zach's experiences, I knew I was in for a bit of an emotionally traumatizing ride. And that's exactly what I got. I feel like a bit of a dork because I know the real story well enough to notice that they manipulated the facts a bit to turn this into a teen romance like "The Fault in Our Stars." But the director here does know the family and the screenplay is based on a memoir written by Zach's mother. So the movie doesn't do anything too crazy. What they certainly nail is the emotion behind the story and why it means so much to a lot of people. So if you're in the mood for a good cry, fire up your Disney+ because this is one of the best original films that they've released.  

8- The Invisible Man

When I started to think about creating this list, my initial thought was that I was going to end up with a list full of indie films that no one has heard of. And I was totally fine with that. But then I went through my list of movies that I'd seen and I was like, "Oh yeah, that was this year!" This was one of the final movies to get released before COVID struck in the United States. That means life was normal when I saw this in a theater. That feels like such a long time ago. There were a lot more mainstream horror films that were supposed to come out. And I was really excited for a lot of them. But this is a solid representation of mainstream horror. There's nothing deep or metaphorical about this movie. Just a really solidly executed scare-fest and perfect example of what a remake should do. This wasn't an attempt to recreate the old classic. It takes that premise and does something completely modern and unique with it. A girl's boyfriend fakes his death, figures out a way to become invisible, and terrorizes the poor girl while making everyone else think she's crazy. Much of the horror comes in the idea that the guy could be present in any scene. If more of these Universal Monster remakes were like this, maybe the new Dark Universe would've worked out. 

7- Relic

Of all the movies on this list, I'm predicting that this is the top candidate for movie you've never heard of. This is a Sundance film. One of four of them that made this list and one of two that I actually saw at Sundance as me and a friend decided to purchase tickets to a few showings. And I was really hoping that this would be a movie that would breakout like "The Witch" or "Hereditary," two other indie horror films that initially premiered at Sundance in past years. But then COVID hit and they chose to release this in drive-in theaters during the summer. That means it probably flew right under everyone's radar, but if you like "The Babadook," you need to check this one out, too. Different studio, different filmmakers, but the two movies are pretty much cousins. "The Babadook" is a metaphorical horror film tackling mental illness. "Relic" is a metaphorical horror film that tackles dementia. Perhaps it's not quite as good as "The Babadook," but it's still extremely effective. A movie that you need to check out if you're a fan of good indie horror. Much of the film is vague, leaving it up to your own interpretation. Unless you're fancy like me and the director walks out and explains the whole thing. Perhaps that's cheating, but it did make me appreciate it even more.  

6- Onward

Pixar made two solid original animated films in 2020, "Onward" and "Soul." And while it might be the slightly less popular opinion, for me it was "Onward" that was the better of the two. In fact, at this point in time, "Onward" is my pick for best animated movie of the year. Although I do have to add the disclaimer there that I haven't seen "Wolfwalkers," mainly because I don't have Apple TV+. And I'm waiting until March to get my free trial so I can see a few more Oscar films at the same time. I'll keep you posted on that. Back to "Onward," though, the great thing about Pixar is that they are so good at tugging at the heartstrings. And they're always good at going at it at different angles, meaning all of their films manages to hit someone in the feels in a personal way. "Onward" was that for me. And it goes back to my paragraph about "Clouds." My younger brother passed away in 2013. And even though "Onward" came out seven years later, a Pixar movie about the relationship between two brothers who realize how important they are to each other completely wrecked me. Plus, on top of that, it was a super nerdy film with a lot of fantasy and adventure. Maybe that caused it to fly over some people's heads. But that's OK. Pixar has something for everyone, right?  

5- I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Going into this movie, the title made me assume this was a movie about suicide. I braced myself and dove in. Only to find out that the title refers to the girl thinking of ending things... with her boyfriend. It's simple at first. They've been dating for a month or so and they're finally going to meet his parents. He thinks things are going very well, but she's a lot more unsure about it. But lest you think this is some sort of simple romance, this is a Charlie Kaufman film. His niche is writing or directing challenging films that make you think. He's probably most well known for writing "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," if you want a film comparison. But this one starts to get weirder and weirder until at the end it has gone completely bonkers and off the rails. It's one of those movies where you have to immediately dive into internet theories about what it all means, spend some time thinking about it, then watch it again. Each viewing gives you more clues about what it is until eventually the movie completely transforms into something much different. Once it connects, the full picture of it is quite the amazing work of art. And it's on Netflix, so multiple viewings is very doable. Just beware, if you prefer your movies to be simple, this is a movie to stay clear of.

4- The Half of It

Boy loves Girl A. Girl A doesn't acknowledge Boy. Boy goes to Girl B for advice on how to win the heart of Girl A. Typical teen romance, right? One might expect Boy to eventually fall in love with Girl B and for them to live happily ever after. But that's not what this movie does. It subverts your expectations for this type of teen romance and instead has Girl B also falling in love with Girl A, while she's giving Boy advice on how to win over Girl A. Girl A is the popular, attractive type. Girl B is the nerdy, unattractive type, who not only has to deal with her lack of confidence, but also the pressure of what her family and society will think if she comes out as being attracted to girls. Thus this is a very real and messy teen romance film that included my favorite quote of the year: "Love isn't patient and kind and humble. Love is messy and horrible and selfish... and bold. It's not finding your perfect half. It's trying and reaching and failing. Love is being willing to ruin your good painting for the chance at a great one." As this is another Netflix film, once I heard that line, I paused the film and wrote it down in my notes on my phone. And I rarely do that. But this is truly a special teen romance film that is superior to most. And that quote is one that I will always remember and refer to.  

3- Kajillionaire 

The third of four films on this list to come from Sundance. And the second of two on this list that I actually saw at Sundance, the other being "Relic." For a while I thought this was going to be my No. 1 film of the year. The Sundance experience combined with a film I loved and a movie industry that screeched to a halt due to COVID nearly resulted in this winning by default. But further thought this week resulted in me putting it at No. 3, which is still really good. This is a quirky comedy about a paranoid, compulsive family of three who commit a bunch of small cons to make a living. The result is their 26-year-old daughter being highly uncultured when it comes to the world around her. In my initial Sundance viewing, I was completely caught off guard with the humor and the quirkiness because I literally had no idea what to expect. Upon a deeper exploration a year later, it's the drama and emotion that stood out. The daughter develops a desire of wanting to be cared for, then feels quite empty when she realizes that her parents refuse to satisfy that desire. Thus the movie becomes extremely well-rounded. This came out in select theaters in September following its January Sundance premier, then to PVOD in October. You can rent it for $6 right now. I think that's worth it!

2- Da 5 Bloods

This is the choice that I surprised myself the most with in terms of how high up it wound up being on my list. But when I compared it to all the other options, there just simply wasn't much question in regards to how superior it is to many of the other 2020 films. This comes from Spike Lee, a filmmaker who most definitely is not afraid to express exactly what he is feeling. Most of his films are very socially relevant and speak to issues that he is passionate about. I'm not a Spike Lee expert by any means, but I don't think I've heard of a casually entertaining Spike Lee film. That's not what he does. With "Da 5 Bloods," the topic at hand is the Vietnam War, specifically the experiences of some black Vietnam War vets years later in their life. They not only have to deal with racism, but also the negative reactions from other towards people who served in the war. There's a lot of conflicting emotions for them and a lot of trauma that has built up for years. The plot follows them returning to their old war grounds to search for treasure that they hid. I'll admit that it's a bit slow to begin, but once it hits, it hits hard. The entire second half of the film left me speechless in a way that perhaps only Spike Lee can accomplish. It's the type of film that sticks with you long after you watch it.   

1- Promising Young Woman 

And here we are. My award for the best movie of the bizarre year that was 2020 goes to "Promising Young Woman." This is the fourth Sundance film on this list. I didn't see it at Sundance, but I did spend 11 months listening to people rant and rave about it. After finally seeing shortly after its Christmas release, I was left stunned. Carrying the whole film is a legendary performance by Carey Mulligan, who is left broken and scarred by a past I will not reveal because that's kinda the point. What happened to her to cause her to drop out of a potentially successful career path in order to go on a revenge tour towards those who wronged her? And lest you think this is going where you think it's going, this movie will spend its entire runtime blindsiding you at every turn. And that's all I'll say. My only critique is that it leans a little too much on shock value at times, but it was rather effective in the moment. "Gone Girl" is my movie comparison. Both are extremely effective, female-led thrillers that cause your jaw to hit the floor. I haven't watched all the Oscar contenders. Some haven't yet been released due to special Oscar rules this year, but at the moment I hope they shower this with all the awards. At the very least, give Carey Mulligan her well-deserved Oscar.