2020 Mid Year Top 10
Believe it or not we are halfway through the year! Quarantine hasn't slowed me down and as of now I have seen 93 films this year. One thing that this time indoors has done is give me a chance to check out films I normally wouldn't, with VOD being a haven of new films to be seen. Some have been hidden gems and some have earned the moniker "it's on VOD for a reason." Either way, here is my mid year top 10 with a healthy dose of honorable mentions!
Honorable Mentions: Vivarium, The Way Back, The King of Staten Island, The Platform, Bad Education, Shirley, Emma, Saint Frances
10. Sea Fever

This stellar, slow burn sci fi thriller was a hidden VOD gem that I found. Hermione Corfield is a revelation as a lead character who is smart, capable and unlike many films in the genre is actually listened to. You are along for the ride like all the characters and we aren't given concrete answers to what ultimately happened. And despite its low budget the visuals are impressive.
9. Swallow

I wasn't expecting to like this movie, fearing its subject matter would turn me off. It still might turn some off but it's actually a tastefully done and empowering film about a housewife discovering herself and breaking free from her controlling husband. Haley Bennett is fantastic in the lead, helping guide us through her character's unique journey that builds to an incredibly emotional finale with an equally fantastic Denis O'Hare. Like I said, it won't be for everyone but I was entranced in her journey.
8. 7500

This in an incredibly intense film, taking place in the cockpit of a flight from Berlin to Paris that has been taken over by terrorists. Anchored by Gordon-Levitt's commanding performance as the co-pilot who must save everyone on board while not letting the terrorists into the cockpit, the film is relentless from the start. Thriller fans can find a lot here and I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety 90 minute run time.
7. Underwater

This Kristen Stewart starrer is probably the most surprising entry on this list. After years of delays, the film was finally released in the dumping grounds of January and labeled as a bad Alien rip off. However, I found this to be an intense undersea sci fi thriller, capitalizing on the inherent claustrophobia of its setting for a stellar first two acts before delving into its Lovecraftian denouement. People need to stop hating on the film and on Stewart, who is fantastic here. Check it out, I think you will be surprised.
6. The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell directed this remake, a modern twist on the classic Universal monster story. Paranoia and gaslighting are key themes and are embodied in a fantastic lead performance by Elisabeth Moss. The movie looks fantastic, with an economical Whannell making use of its limited budget to mine suspense out of empty rooms and chairs and saving any special effects until the third act. It also features one of the more surprising death scenes in that it comes out of nowhere. Even knowing this you probably won't see it coming!
5. The Assistant

This is a very important film, the first to come out of the Me Too era, about the day in the life of an assistant to a powerful film producer who is most definitely not Harvey Weinstein but totally is. It's a hard film to watch but details the safeguards in place for how people like Weinstein can get away with doing such terrible things.
4. Extra Ordinary

There is a good chance you have never heard of this Irish supernatural comedy, which is a shame. Even though it's only #4 on my list, if there is any movie that benefits from its inclusion I hope it's this movie. I greatly enjoyed its deadpan sense of humor. Maeve Higgins is delightful in the lead role as Rose, a driving instructor with supernatural capabilities who is needed to stop a musician from performing a Satanic ritual that will give him a hit his career desperately needs. As the musician, Will Forte is his manic best and brings his signature crazy as the villain. In a sea of serious films, this is a welcome diversion.
3. Wendy

It took quite some time for director Benh Zeitlin to follow up his breathtaking Beasts of the Southern Wild, but it finally hit in February of this year. The world building is incredible in this visually stunning film that features a very unique take on the Peter Pan story. Young Devin France is a revelation and her relationship with The Lost Boys is a strong driving force in the story. This disappeared from theaters too quickly and it's a shame it didn't get the attention it deserved because I liked it as much as, if not more than Beasts.
2. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

This is a raw, wrenching and beautiful film about a young girl and her friend walking through New York in search of help for an unplanned pregnancy. The performances by the two leads, both no name actresses with no previous acting experience, are heartbreaking in their realness. This should be required viewing not just for men, but for any teen navigating the mess of a world we live in now.
1. The Vast of Night

This low budget sci fi throwback is one of the strongest debuts I have seen in a long time. It feels like a lost episode of The Twilight Zone, perfectly capturing a 50's aesthetic and building a palpable tension through its stunning cinematography and star making turns by the two leads Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz. I'm not kidding about the cinematography, featuring two fantastic long takes that sweep through the sleepy town. It's hard to cram everything I like about the movie into a small paragraph but my favorite scene in the film revolves around McCormick listening to a character tell a story on a phone call. It doesn't sound exciting but if your attention isn't grabbed by that point I don't know what to tell you.
And that's my list! The movie landscape is shifting daily and it's hard to predict what my end of the year list will look like. Will any of these films still be there or will some films from the upcoming slate steal their spotlight? Check back at the end of the year to find out and in the meantime check out VOD. While not many of those films made this list, there are many fantastic films out there awaiting discovery.