There’s been an abundance of content this year with a lot of talk around it being a banner year for film and the return of cinema. While I don’t necessarily agree, there have been some great releases with limited cinema runs. I have to admit the majority (80%) of the best films I’ve seen this year were not seen in the cinema. As for the quality of the films in comparison to previous years – I’ve had this conversation with a number of people – it has been a little underwhelming. While all the films mentioned below were really great, and there were a few memorable scenes and risks taken (especially ‘Titane’ – the wildest film of the year), there has not been a single standout film for me this year. I’m talking films that will stand the test of time like ‘Parasite’ or ‘Moonlight’.
I also struggled to form a top ten list of TV shows. While there were bound to be some reliable favourites returning (‘Succession’ being the most obvious standout), overall it’s been a bit underwhelming there too. Gone is the golden age – the ‘Mad Men’ era where every great show, like ‘The Leftovers’ or ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ proved to be one of the best of all time, near-flawless. That said, every pick in each top ten is worth your time. For me, music was where things got really interesting. I found it almost impossible not to do a top 20, as there were so many standouts.
Hopefully next year will be better for film and TV as things have begun to return to normal somewhat. As always, I’d encourage everyone to vote with their feet and get to the cinema to support films; failing that please make the effort to pay to view smaller releases as piracy, big-budget releases and general apathy across the internet toward paying for content is making it near-impossible to survive as a filmmaker or creative in general.
As with every year, what you see below is what I’ve seen or heard this year so there may be a couple of pieces from 2020 in there.
FILM
1. The Climb
2. Shiva Baby
3. About Endlessness
4. Titane
5. Annette
6. The Painter & the Thief
7. Another Round
8. Nomadland
9. Sound of Metal
10. The Killing of Two Lovers
Honourable Mentions
Power of the Dog, PVT Chat, Enfant Terrible, The French Dispatch, Gunda, Ham on Rye, Zola, Undine, Roadrunner, Velvet Underground, The Card Counter
Overrated
Violation, Saint Maud, In the Earth, Green Knight, The Father, Many Saints of Newark, Don’t look Up, Palm Springs, The Harder They Fall, Promising Young Woman, Sweat
TV
1. Succession
2. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
3. The Underground Railroad
4. Pretend it’s a City
5. Landscapers
6. PEN15
7. The North Water
8. Insecure
9. Help
10. Time
Honourable Mentions
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dave, I Think You Should Leave, Inside No 9, Uprising, Always Sunny
Overrated
Search Party, Master of None, Only Murders in the Building, Wandavision, Squid Game, It’s a Sin, Sex Education, Loki, Framing Britney Spears
MUSIC (Albums)
1. Black Country, New Road – For the First Time
2. Black Midi – Cavalcade
3. Spirit of the Beehive – Entertainment, Death
4. Godspeed! You Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee At States End!
5. Iceage – Seek Shelter
6. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
7. L’rain – Fatigue
8. Goat Girl – On All Fours
9. Tyler, the Creator – Call Me if You Get Lost
10. Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
Honourable Mentions
Low, The Weather Station, Japanese Breakfast, Pharaoh Sanders, Another Michael, Damon Albarn, Liars, War on Drugs, Bnny, Ed Dowie, Cory Hanson, Mogwai
Overrated
Adele, St Vincent, Sam Fender, Lorde, Lil Nas X, Lana Del Rey, Self Esteem, Cassandra Jenkins, Kacey Musgraves, Dave, Olivia Rodrigo
MUSIC (Singles)
1. Black Country, New Road – Track x
2. Animal Collective – Prester John
3. Black Midi – John L
4. Iceage – Shelter Song
5. BADBADNOTGOOD – Beside April
6. Godspeed! You Black Emperor – Our Side Has to Win (for D.H)
7. Goat Girl – Anxiety Feels
8. War on Drugs – Living Proof
9. Liars – Sekwar
10. Dry Cleaning – Scratchcard Lanyard