Well, I hope to forget about 10,000 moments in 2020, but here’s a big thank you to movie studios for delivering some needed escapism. Like every 12-month window, I will fondly remember plenty of great flicks, so let’s briefly look back at 2020…while wearing some blinders to block out any dystopian distractions.

Here are my top 20 films of the year:

“You have no time to take it all in. (On the) first day, they throw you into that arena, and it’s like a battle royale. It’s crazy,” Steven Garza says. Steven is a high school student, one of about 1,000 teens who descended on Austin, Texas for an annual American Legion-promoted tradition: Texas Boys State, a week-long government-simulation event. Yes, this is a thing! Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss somehow navigate a path through the festive, political-jockeying maze (and they needed a year to edit their footage). Young men compete for votes in this sociological Petri dish, but the boys also forge some general friendships - and cope with some hurt feelings - along the way in a documentary that remarkably plays out like a Hollywood yarn.

Real-life pals Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin star in a “Sideways” (2004)-like comedy on an indie budget about two loveable losers who wrestle with life in Upstate New York. Actually, Covino – who directed the picture – had enough cash to film in France as well. His character – Mike – isn’t very amiable because he regularly sabotages his best buddy Kyle (Marvin), but hey, what are friends for? “The Climb”, with an awfully witty script and a pitch-perfect supporting cast, proves that friendship is sometimes a rocky ride.

Director Julia Hart’s atmospheric noir lives and breathes in the 1970s, as Rachel Brosnahan helps navigate this cinematic time machine to a seedy Pittsburgh crime world. Jean (Brosnahan) finds herself on the run, crossing into the unknown without grasping the reasons. Since she’s managing a baby in tow, Jean is more vulnerable than Bambi on the first day of hunting season. Her limited options are a microcosm of women’s rationed opportunities during that period, but co-stars Marsha Stephanie Blake and Arinze Kene play hopeful allies. Jean’s journey towards possible independence – as well as far-out costumes and vibes - make “I’m Your Woman” a groovy and grimy 2-hour getaway.

Director/writer Lee Isaac Chung helms an autobiographical feature of his childhood – or a small sliver of it – from the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) leads his family to the middle of nowhere in Arkansas to start a farm and grow Korean vegetables. Without much of an economic safety net, he realizes the slim chances of actually lassoing the American dream. His wife Monica (Yeri Han), her mother, and their two kids feel the monetary friction in a frank, authentic struggle within the home. “Minari” feels similar to Jim Sheridan’s immigrant tale “In America” (2002), and that’s a compliment!

Directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s explosive, distressing documentary clarifies a horror show: the sexual abuse and its cover-up at USA Gymnastics. Cohen and Shenk interview “The Indianapolis Star” reporters who broke the story in 2016, as well as the survivors – the former gymnasts – who speak out against their abuser. Heartbreaking but also empowering, “Athlete A” is a thorough 103-minute record of tenacious investigative journalism and the brave women who found their voices.

Anyone semi-coerced into meeting their boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s parents will painfully relate to Jessie Buckley’s character in director/writer Charlie Kaufman’s uncomfortable feature. This 20-something (Buckley) is “thinking of ending things” with her relatively-new beau Jake (Jesse Plemons), but she agrees – for some reason - to have dinner with his mom (Toni Collette) and dad (David Thewlis) after a long, sketchy drive in the driving snow. Jake and his folks don’t offer much comfort at their homestead, as Kaufman introduces idiosyncrasies, fears, and anxieties from across the human lifespan. Think “The Twilight Zone” but without many clear answers in a challenging production that leaves a mark…long after it ends.

never rarely.jpg — **14. Never Rarely Sometimes Always**

Director/writer Eliza Hittman places Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and Skylar (Talia Ryder) on an uneasy journey from rural Pennsylvania to New York City. For these teenagers, they embark on this impromptu trip with no chaperones, and they attempt to navigate The Big Apple’s urban minefield of subway logistics, heavy foot traffic, and cold concrete so that Autumn can have an abortion. Hittman explains during a March 2020 interview, “I was just thinking about a way to create an atmosphere of hostility towards these young women rather than having a conventional antagonist.” Autumn, however, painfully reveals her feelings about a specific adversary from her recent past in one of the most emotional moments in 2020 cinema.

Winston Churchill said, “Never give in. Never, never, never.” For Abbie and Ricky Turner (Debbie Honeywood and Kris Hitchen), that’s easier said than done. Abbie’s an at-home care worker who runs herself ragged all over Tyne and Wear, England, and Ricky works for a delivery company - with long hours and tricky stipulations - that treats him like an indentured servant. With debt climbing higher than their eyeballs, no free time, but plenty of exhaustion, this family of four suffers the consequences of dire employment realities in director Ken Loach’s (“I, Daniel Blake”(2016)) disheartening feature about today’s economic squeeze on the working class. Raw and relatable, this impactful movie will leave you as fatigued as the Turners.

sound of metal.jpg — **12. Sound of Metal**

Riz Ahmed delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as a 30-something heavy metal drummer who reinvents himself, but not because of a new band. Ruben (Ahmed) loses his hearing, as director/writer Darius Marder’s character study follows his lead’s journey to find acceptance and peace with his new reality. Olivia Cooke and Mathieu Amalric play key supporting roles, and Ruben’s mentor Joe (Paul Raci) is a much-needed lifeline. Ahmed wore auditory blockers on-set to simulate complete hearing loss, and Marder plays with sound that sometimes reproduces Ruben’s world-perspective. Also, remind yourself of the film’s title during your viewing, including the very beginning and end. You’ll be glad that you did.

promising yong woman.png — **11. Promising Young Woman**

Carey Mulligan deserves an Oscar nomination as a femme fatale striking fear in the hearts of men. Cassie (Mulligan) is a vigilante of sorts, but rather than ride NYC subways like Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) in “Death Wish” (1974), she pretends to be inebriated in local watering holes, dance clubs, and Irish bars. She then terrifies her aggressors when they overstep their bounds. Director/writer Emerald Fennell’s sobering - but also playful - screenplay takes dark turns and steers into some levity with Bo Burnham’s breezy, accessible arc. Ryan (Burnham) could be the male outlier to melt Cassie’s heart, as Mulligan masterfully portrays a lady standing on a knife’s edge between potential bliss and endless cynicism.

Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a struggling college student, isn’t keeping up with the Joneses these days, but she’ll need to stay one step ahead of her parents, her best pal Maya (Molly Gordon), distant aunts and uncles, five dozen other acquaintances, and her sugar daddy in a hilarious, nerve-racking comedy debut from director/writer Emma Seligman. Sennott is flat-out marvelous, as Danielle attempts to find solace - and quite frankly trap doors - from sticky conversations, double-takes, and wide-spread embarrassment during a period of mourning, a shiva. (Her Uncle Marty’s second wife’s sister died…I think.) Shot primarily at one location, Danielle needs an escape, but chances are that you’ll walk away from Seligman’s movie with a big smile and a few (more) strands of gray hair.

The United States’ education system has rightfully taken its share of lumps over the years (and decades, right?), and director Cory Finley (“Thoroughbreds” (2017)) delivers pummeling blows on Roslyn High School. Based on an infamous true story, more than a smidge of corruption has plagued this Long Island institution, although no one would know it from an initial look at the brick, mortar, and friendly teachers and staff. Geraldine Viswanathan plays an upstart teenage reporter who digs into hidden spaces far from the busy hallways, as Finley’s flick carries a brooding sense of impending doom, like Alexander Payne’s “Election” (1999). Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Ray Romano, and the rest of the cast and crew earn straight A’s!

one night in maimi.jpg — **8. One Night in Miami**

On Feb. 25, 1964, Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) knocks out Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion at age 22. Afterward, Cassius, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) get together at the Hampton House Hotel for an evening of conversation. Believe it or not, these four icons truly did meet that night, and screenwriter Kemp Powers (based on his play) imagines their discourse in a mesmerizing, intricate feature that leaves you hanging on every word. Director Regina King’s film mostly transpires in a modest room, but grand viewpoints burst through the walls and off the screen as the men recognize the moment in American history and their positions in it. Goree, Ben-Adir, Hodge, and Odom Jr. deliver convincing performances that will surely lead to more than one Best Actor or Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Director/writer Christos Nikou began scribing his “Apples” script – about a worldwide pandemic - in 2012. Little did he know that COVID-19 would shake up the planet, but thankfully his plague dramedy carries a lighter touch. For unknown reasons, random adults suddenly develop amnesia, including our lead (Aris Servetalis) – otherwise known as # 14842 - and a team of doctors and counselors help him form a new identity and start over. Nikou’s first feature film pits an average guy against uncomfortable, awkward surroundings, and through comic absurdity, he helps the audience ironically latch onto some sense of normalcy. A quirky, innovative gem!

Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) and his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) live together in a spacious, comfortable London flat, but she breaks some life-changing news to her dad. She’s moving to Paris, and - because of Anthony’s dementia – he has to pick up his life and relocate to a nursing home. Plenty of movies capture this unenviable topic, but director/co-writer Florian Zeller looks at the crisis from Anthony’s perspective, his world, which clouds our judgment about on-screen realities. These two masterclass actors traverse through Zeller’s disconcerting puzzle and place long-lasting faces on a problem that impacts millions of families.

american utopia.jpg — 5. **David Byrne’s American Utopia**

With a minimalist stage design of hundreds of slender, elegant metal chains hanging from the rafters, 68-years-young David Byrne and 11 talented musicians/singers perform a film version of their successful show at New York City’s Hudson Theatre. Spike Lee’s clever camerawork captures Byrne and his harmonious compadres – who all don matching gray suits – as they strut, tap, and twirl barefoot to lively, bouncy tracks and ballads from the lead artist’s new album and some absolute classics from yesterdecade, including this critic’s favorite Talking Heads song. It’s 36 years since “Stop Making Sense” (1984), and Byrne’s steps may be more tender, but he hasn’t lost any in his toe-tapping, sometimes politically-driven, and encouraging 100-minute look at our imperfect humanity.

A star is born! Radha Blank writes, directs, produces, and plays the lead in a charming underdog tale of a middle-aged woman trying to jumpstart her playwriting career. Blank pens memorable supporting players - including a group of sincere but unpolished high school students, her best friend who moonlights as her agent, and a younger love interest – who mark her journey to possible nirvana. Still, Broadway-Eden is a ways off, as Radha grapples with the uncomfortable comforts of New York City, her professional shortcomings, and coming to terms with her age through relatable self-deprecating humor and honest reflection. Here’s hoping for “The Forty-One-Year-Old Version” in 2021.

Director Max Barbakow and screenwriter Andy Siara turn this rom-com – about two strangers meeting at a Palm Springs wedding – on its head with a wacky, fanciful premise that gifts more surprises, chuckles, and genuine smiles than a Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration filled with laughing gas. Due to a pair of bizarre, out-of-this-world of mishaps, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Made of Honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) are stuck with one another and need a miracle to free themselves. Sure, Siara’s script borrows an idea (which I won’t reveal) from a classic 1990s comedy, but Samberg and Milioti share boundless chemistry and comedic timing in a film that never loses momentum or authenticity. A new classic!

Have you ever lived on a farm? Have you ever spent a few hours on one? Well, director Viktor Kosakovskiy – inspired by his childhood pet piglet - places his camera on a small Norwegian homestead and follows the stories of a mama pig named Gunda, her piglets, nearby cows, and a one-legged chicken in a 93-minute documentary sans dialogue. Shot in dreamy black and white, Kosakovskiy frames his friendly subjects at exceptionally close range and watches them stroll through their days. While some carefree moments trigger warm smiles and wonder, others crystalize – for us – their everyday struggles, including Gunda’s never-ending motherhood-grind. Kosakovskiy and cinematographer Egil Haskjold Larsen bequeath a rich, transparent embrace of nature. That’s not exactly right because our living, breathing thespians reside on a farm.

Joe (Jamie Foxx), a piano player, misses his shot to perform on a big stage, and he – without warning - finds himself in the afterlife. This passionate jazz musician now exists in The Great Beyond and The Great Before, and he mentors a soul-in-training (Tina Fey) while hoping to return to his first love: music...on Earth! Directors Pete Docter and Kemp Powers strike hilarious and affecting notes, as their animated film magically offers tangible life lessons that our parents, teachers, and friends have told us a thousand times, but never like this. Imaginative, whip-smart, and touching, “Soul” is the warm chicken soup and philosophical hug that we need right now. Pixar, you’ve done it again!

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Jeff Mitchell's Top 20 of 2020

Jason Carney