Top 20 movies I watched in 2020

Another year, another top movie list. Since Covid hit hard this year, not many movies get released, which make my job a lot easier. But as a challenged-addicted man that I am, let’s throw in another 10 old movies that I just watched, cause we all need more entertainment.

American please stay the f in so we can have more movies in 2021 though.

20/ American Pie Presents: The Naked Miles (2006)

Let’s start the list with a trip down memory lane. American Pie is an iconic sex comedy that contributed greatly to my personalities today. I revisited this movie almost a decade after my first viewing thinking it’s not going to hold up. But I was wrong.

The humor still hit nicely. There were couple of scenes that I busted out laughing while the worst jokes were not that bad. The most shocking discovery is that a movie named “The naked miles” is actually a heart-warming true love conquers all story. Despite the ease of brainwashing horny teenagers into thinking sex is the purpose of a men's existence, the filmmakers dedicated the movie to educate them on how to love and be happy. For that, they get my absolute respect.

19/ Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

A great example of juxtaposition done right, this movie combines scout and zombie into a hilarious 1h30m adventure. Scout has always been the underdog in the eyes of true American, probably even worse than nerds. Zombie, on the other hand, has always been considered as a top tier horror factor. The impossible challenge is even more impossible when these zombie can sprint and sometimes even pretend to be normal.

Scouts Guide did everything right: the likable cast, a clear objective, good visual, very decent blood effect for its budget and extremely innovative ways to incorporate scouts things into fighting zombie. Also, if you are a simple man of culture, I promise you this movie will easily be your favorite.

This picture sums up this movie perfectly.

18/ Gerald’s Game (2017)

What happen when your significant other died during a BDSM section with you handcuffed tight to the bed? A lot of internal struggle, bad memories flashback, panicking and big brain time. I won’t go more into the movie since I’ve reviewed it before.

You can check out Gerald’s game full review

17/ Yes Man (2008)

A very unfortunate man (in everyway) is tired from getting fucked by bad luck decided to partake a self-help workshop that advocate people to always say yes. As a no man his whole life, he is a bit skeptical but quickly learn that somehow saying yes is the way.

Scientifically, logistically and statistically speaking, Yes Man is an absurd movie. But it's suppose to be. The message is obvious from the start but the movie is still written good enough for you to doubt it. Yes Man is a true example of good teamwork. From directing to acting to writing, everything blends together well. It was pretty refreshing to see a Jim Carrey movie in which he doesn't overpowered everything else.

It's hard to see Jim as the attractive male protagonist in a romcom movie with his wackiness.

16/ 500 Days of Summer (2009)

In a good movies, there are a lot of subtle, almost invisible details the regular audiences won't be able to see. 500 Days of Summer is a good movie in that sense. The film, on the surface, it's just another love story with unhappy ending between a conventional boy and a cute but generic girl. But if you look deeper, it's more than that.

The way Marc Webb faded out Summer's voice to focus on Tom's thought is the biggest hint that this relationship has problem from the start.

500 Days of Summer is a coming of age movie, not a love story. Tom needs to grow up and self-realize that his point of view about relationship is wrong. Throughout the movies, the there were multiple hints which show that Tom didn't truly care about Summer, but rather, the concept of having Summer for himself. The filmmakers could have chosen the easy way where they spell out everything. But they took the hard way which required a lot of hinting by controlling what we see and adding subtext to what we hear.

15 / Freaky (2020)

Slasher and body swap are both dying genres due to the result of Hollywood's usual overmilking. If you can't milk a dead cow, try milking their children instead. Hence, the conceptualization of Freaky, the first slasher horror meets body swap comedy.

The creative team behind this movie's posters and after credits is hella creative.

Freaky did both of the genres justice. A good slasher movie requires creative yet brutal killing methods be filmed as realistic as possible (preferably with practical effect, not CGI). Some kills in Freaky are so freaking brutal yet the creativity is a bit lacking. A good body swap movie requires funny/awkward situations created by two characters as different from each other as possible. What's more different than a serial killer and a sweet teenage girl? I think it's fair to compare Freaky with a roller-coaster. It constantly changes (in its tone) which gives most people a mix (but mostly positive) feeling afterward.

14/ Marriage Story (2019)

I watched this movie during Tet, when I was single. There is nothing flashy about Marriage Story, just like how there’s nothing flashy about marriage. At first there was magic, then, small conflicts start to become bigger to the point of no return. That's exactly how I went from a 6 years relationship to being single 6 months prior.

So talented, so dramatic... and so memeable.

This movie hits like a truck if you have ever had a civil breakup with someone you still love. It hits even harder when you realize no one was wrong. Sometimes, life happens. “You and I both know you chose this life. You wanted it until you didn’t”. Sometimes, things change. This is my biggest problem with marriage. Why promise to love each other forever when you don’t even know what you would like for breakfast 5 days from now?

13/ Soul (2020)

What's the purpose of our existence? Why do we have to continue this life that we didn't get to choose? What's there after dead? Pixar attempted to answer all of these philosophical questions that have been lingering in humanity's mind since the dawn of civilization using children-friendly animated movie.

As a man who frequently think about superficial problems and how to fix mankind, Soul intrigues my sympathy. Joe is a middle-age man who hasn't had his shot yet. Some may look at my age and consider me as a youngster, but I feel like Joe most of the time. The difference is that Joe learned his life lesson, unlike me. 22 is also a perfect representation of me. Her ideology, struggles and choices in the movie are all relatable to me deeply, deeper than I would like it to be. Beside, Soul is an all-around well-made animation. The sole (haha) reason why its not at the top is due to its predictable plot points and unfulfilling ending. Honestly, it's impossible to have the best ending in Soul since the life questions above are too hard to answer.

My "Why are human stupid" face

12/ The Gentlemen (2020)

The Gentlemen is a ironic title for a crime movie that features all type of bad guys. The protagonist is the biggest weed producer in the world. His wife runs an illegal sport car garage. The antagonist is the upcoming king of cocaine. Everyone else is either a street thug, a scammy businessman, a semi pro black mailer or just a casual murderer. All of them use incredibly polish English with thick British accent cause deep down they are all gentlemen.

Look at this stacked cast!

Saying The Gentlemen is a unique movie is an understatement. From the script to screen, every aspects of The gentlemen has its own flare. The costumes and props are flawless. The dialogs are witty. The way Hugh Grant navigate the story from start to finish is mesmerizing. The star power is astonishing. Finally, the acting is insane. Guy Ritchie gets everyone to play something they aren't familiar with, which keeps me on the edge of my seat waiting for every beat. If I was born in Britain or were heavily invested in the British culture, this movie could easily top this list.

11/ The Croods: A New Age (2020)

If you're looking for a simple time away from all of this real life problems, looks no further than The Croods 2. The idea of cavemen humor woven with modern society isn't new or unique but the filmmakers clean execution is what make it special.

After surviving the end of the world in the first one, The Croods face a never before seen challenge: a contemptuous, condescending neighbor. The trap that separate the good sequel to the bad one (most of the time) is the character arc continuation. If your character has overcome the death of their parents in the first movie, don't kill off their uncle in the sequel and pat yourself on the back. The Croods 2 kept the smart, relatable humor and struggles while also expand the universe and extend the character's arcs in a meaningful direction. The movie also has a lot of good jokes, either making you reflect on today society or turning out to be brilliant setup for later scenes, always aiming to hit two birds with one prehistorical stone.

This scene is the best set up I have seen in years.

10/ Alive (2020)

Following the success of Train to Busan, more zombie apocalypse movies are being spawned my the Korean filmmakers. Luckily, Alive is a unique one. The protagonist's biggest problems aren't zombie, but instead the isolation from civilization which leads to boredom, hunger and mental insanity.

Boredom, hunger and mental insanity are ironically super relatable problem of common folks during the 2020 pandemic.

Alive is a budget-friendly movie with the whole thing taken place in an mid-priced apartment complex. As a filmmaker wannabe in a country with not-so-developed movie industry, I try to learn a lot from this 1h38 survival flick. The protagonist is also a gamer who makes many life-threating mistakes, in other word, very me. The movie gets dragged down in act 3 with the introduction of a mandatory sudden act 3 villain. I understand why the detail is there but I don't feel like it's the best decision to highlight the theme of Alive. Also the pretty-looking yet wooden-acting Park Shin-hye often took me out of the movie.

9/ Extreme Job (2020)

What's the common thing between a police detective and fried chicken? Probably nothing. Another comedy juxtaposition made the list, Extreme Job tells a hilarious story of an accidental success of a fried chicken restaurant opened by 5 undercover cops as a front to their operation. The premise sounds ridiculous and so does the movie.

There is a very thin line between a funny joke and a wow-why-is-this-considered-a-joke joke. I was worry during the opening scene when the filmmakers pushed a little too far to the wrong side by making all the cops look retarded and incompetent. Fortunately, the movie pulls back soon enough when it gets to the restaurant. The plot points escalated quickly and logically, which really helps maintaining the audiences' laughter. There are failed jokes here and there but it was either saved by brilliant acting or unbelievably well-directed action sequences. Also those fried chicken cooking scene is a piece of art.

8/ The Babysitter (2017)

Unlike other movies on the list which succeed by being creatively conceived and carefully made, Babysitter succeed by just being over the top. Imagine an ice cream sundae with every sweet toppings there is compare to a Gordon Ramsays' dish. Sometimes I just like to have a few scoops of simple flavored frozen cow's milk.

I'm a simple man, I see Bella Thorn looking like this, I press view.

Babysitter is a movie that you should go in blind. If you are a fan of generally good, weird time, just hit the play button. If you are a fan of good-looking cast playing obnoxious characters, hit the play button. The worst enemy of Babysitter is its trailer as it reveals way too much too soon. On the other hand, Babysitter would not have been this high on this list if it wasn't for the bully scene. That is the most heart-warming yet unrealistic yet cheerful scene I've ever seen in movie history.

7/ Justice League Dark - Apokolips War (2020)

I would never understand why #Releasesnydercut is a thing when the DC Animated Movie Universe exists. DCAMU is a titan in terms of quality, consistency and characters' accuracy. In 2013, this universe was kickstarted by The Flashpoint Paradox. 7 years later, the DCAMU concluded its 16 movies run with Justice League Dark - Apokolips War.

Dry humor Batman > murderous Batman.

Living up to its name, this movie is an all-out war to end all wars between every heroes and villains from the past 15 movies against the unstoppable forces of Darkseid. If you are thinking this is like End Game of DC, you would realize why there is a "dark" in its title. DC really go all out and put the heroes to hell. The movie ending asks the question that I often have: isn't death a better choice in some cases?

6/ The Call (2020)

The second 2020 K-thriller available on Netflix that starred Park Shin-hye made it to this list. One word that can accurately describe this time travel-related movie is ambitious. There are 2 schools of thought when writing a time travel movie: changing things in the past will cause unpredictable changes to the future and changing things in the past will not affect the future because parallel universes theory. The Call attempted to do both.

Parallel universe theory: when a person has a choice between A option and B option, a new universe will be borned so that person could have made both choices. Changing the past would hence create another parallel universe instead of fixing the existing universe.

Two girls who live in the same house, but at different years, were somehow being able to communicate with each other through the mystery phone in their bedroom. The Call did a great job at squeezed out all the potential plot lines of having a future protagonist vs a past antagonist. Their unique battle through the timeline will slightly hurt your brain on the logistic, but will entertain you nevertheless.

5/ The Platform (2020)

Ghost, mass murderer, terrorist are some of the most common fear factor that Hollywood has incorporated successfully in the horror movies. Among these almost copy-pasted format, The Platform rises up with 2 unique fear factors: hunger and systematic discrimination.

Everyone is a gangster until they starved for 2 months straight.

Once a day, food will be elevated down to people who live in the platform. Two people at the same floor will have 3 minutes to eat however and whatever they want before the platform continues to move downward. Every month, people in the platform will be randomly shuffled to a new floor. Visual metaphors are used perfectly in the movie. Vertically, the platform represents class, social differences, control, unwilling dependence, hopelessness and so on. Horizontally, having an assigned cellmate right beside you is the same as living in a fake-friendly society where everyone is ready to stab you in the back whenever a profitable opportunity arises.

4/ Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler means a person who is active at night. Through the movie, the word gains a second meaning: a person who is willing to do anything (crawler) to success, disregarding others people opinion and safety (night). The best thing about Nightcrawler lies on its ability to make 2 complete opposites co-exist harmoniously.

Jake Gyllenhall brought his A-game and delivered an astonishing performance to bring Lou to life.

Nightcrawler somehow tells a story of a slowly-going insane man using a zero to hero story structure. The filmmakers create a perfect evil character that you can't help but root for. The scariest aspect of this movie is how close it is to real life, from how the media manipulated the public to a dangerously-ambitious guy. Ultimately, Nightcrawler delivers a positive message of "You can do anything" in the most negative way possible. Coincidentally, Lou's philosophy is very close to mine: If you do something, do it to the best of your possibility and regret nothing. Nothing!

3/ Circle (2015)

Circle is a shape that are most associated with joy. You can draw friendly characters like Doraemon or Mickey Mouse with circles. There are tons of guilty pleasure circle food like hamburger, pizza and donut. And then there is circle of friends, both a saying and an action that friends do when gathering. What if you have to kill people in a circle though?

I guess a cup of coffee can kill you with a heart attack.

A low budget movie that took place in one room, Circle forced its unwilling players to participate in a deadly voting game that would reveal society's flaws and individual's true colors. Every death in the Circle reflects a point of view in life that I either agree to or empathy with. You can read more about my review of Circle here.

2/ Run (2020)

Everyone has a mom and their mom is the best. Mom's loves is infinite and the holier than thou. What if your mom is your biggest enemy though?

Run dwelled into the topic that no one dared to talk about, real life or on the big screen: what if your mom is dead wrong? If you want to witness a classic case of David vs Goliath, Run will got you cover. A girl who can't walk, can't breath and don't have any friends have to fight her way out of her mom's tight grasp. A stunning performance from Sarah Paulson eliminates the need for cheap jump scare and Kiera Allen just sell every hit her character took. At the first viewing, the wacky ending kinda kills my love for this movie. I later learned that Vietnam has cut out its true ending to suit the country's culture. The true ending is both anti-humane and hauntingly poetic that still gives me chills at this very moment.

Whoever decided to release Run in Mother's day is a mad genius.

1/ Searching (2018)

Hands down the best movie I've watched in 2020. The only movie that needs no consideration or re-consideration. The reason why I've always said the execution of the idea is way more important than the creative idea itself. Searching tells a simple story of a panicking dad who try to find his missing daughter. And tell it they did.

A simple three act structure movie with easy to understand conflict was told entirely through a computer screen. Throughout the movies, you can see character's personalities on their desktops, see their progressing inner thoughts through chat boxes and witness genius-level of intellect father investigate with nothing but social media accounts. The big brain moment comes when you realize the filmmakers use social media - a tool for people to connect - to reflect on how disconnected we are.

With both movies on my top 1 & 2 spot, it is safe to say that Aneesh Chaganty is my favorite director in 2020.

Quanny Nguyen