The Little Things

Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who's terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke's past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.

This is a tough one to review.  It was a pretty good watch with the three actors all doing great jobs but it felt more like an episode of good tv than a feature movie.  Quite honestly - I am super confused as to why Denzel Washington and Jared Leto are even in this.  Like its really more of a "just there" or run of the mill January release that is kind of below both of these actors I would think.  Again - not that the movie is bad. It's definitely a better than average watch.  It's just not great and feels overall underwhelming based on the cast of the movie I guess.

I would still recommend people checking this out - especially in the comfort of your own home with the WB/HBO Max thing that they have going on for this year.   Just don't have super high expectations based on the cast or you will be let down.

The Marksman

Jim is a former Marine who lives a solitary life as a rancher along the Arizona-Mexican border. But his peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when he tries to protect a boy on the run from members of a vicious cartel.

I feel like at this point, Liam Nesson has a movie come out every January or September where he continues to showcase some of his special skills in the battle for good.   This movie is no different.  The special skill is his long distance shooting and he is protecting a child that crossed the border.   Just from reading that you pretty much have watched the movie and there is nothing unsurprising that happens whatsoever.

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering with this one.   It's just there and you can get Covid by going to see it so like why in the blue hell would you do that?

Nomadland

A woman embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.

I honestly don't know if there is a better movie that could hit home more than this during 2020.  Like you can't help but watch this movie during this past year and identify in some way with what the main character is going through and trying to deal with.  Frances McDormand is a lock for another acting nomination for this movie and the movie itself will definitely be an oscars frontrunner across the board.   It told a great story with great acting and the direction completely hooks the viewer into this awesome character and very relevant drama.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.   It was great and is sure to be winning lots of 2020 awards.

The Father

A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

This movie has to be a lock for acting nominations.   The daughter and the father were both absolutely amazing and this might be one of - if not - the best performances of Anthony Hopkins excellent career.  I would have to think he will win Best Actor for this.   This movie is not an easy watch at all.  It pulls at your heart massively from many different aspects of aging.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   This movie could be shown in classes about acting.

News Of The World

Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas. However, the long journey soon turns into a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn -- both human and natural.

Westerns have never really been my thing so I tend to have no expectations for them.  There is just something about them that has made it really hard for them to hook me.  This one kind of did though.  It did a great job of kind of taking you there and feeling like you were in those times.  Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks and the story progression was good.  The only real knock that I'll make towards this movie was that I feel like it definitely didn't need to be as long as it was and that made it drag at points.   

I would recommend anyone that was interested in it.  It is definitely a decent watch.  Not a must see by any means but a decent watch.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2020

Well . . . . . . . . this is going to be pretty different than in years past.  A change that I made is that I'm including movies that were done for streaming services because there really wasn't too much that made it to theaters in this wonderful train wreck of a year we just went through.  And I'll be completely honest and say that once you get outside of the top 5 there is no chance these movies would be on a Top Ten list in any other year.  But regardless - the show much go on!

10 - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

This was a movie that came out on Amazon Prime.  I can't believe how much the Borat character was able to hold up after all these years.  And the fact that they worked in his popularity to the storyline honestly made it even funnier.  

9 - Antebellum

Jordan Peele is starting to be like Pixar and Marvel in that he doesn't make bad movies.  This movie was done in such a way that kept you very confused and on the edge of your seat at the same time.  When you do figure out what is going on it is such a gut punch and a really eye opening view on society and what not.  

8 - The King Of Staten Island

A movie starring Pete Davidson has made the top 10 in 2020.  That speaks volumes.  But this movie was a really great watch about growing up with awesome performances by all involved.  

7 - The Invisible Man

Again - this movie has no business being on a top 10 list but it was filmed in a way that had you on the edge of your seat the entire time with certain scenes (like the restaurant) to not leave. your brain any time soon.

6 - Bad Boys For Life

Easily the best blockbuster movie of the year by far (and by default).  This has always been one of my favorite movie franchises and even after the long layoff it very clearly still has legs and was an awesome popcorn movie.

5 - Da 5 Bloods

This was a movie that came out on Netflix.  It was a great job of direction by Spike Lee and awesome performances by the actors involved.  It was a great second to last performance by Chadwick Boseman and Delroy Lindo reminded everyone just how good of an actor he is.

4 - Tenet

Christopher Nolan is the man.  He is very much this generation's Steven Spielberg.  This movie was tough the first time to watch because it was a bootleg and there were already very specific things that Nolan did sound wise that you need to see it in the regular form.  I actually saw it a second time when theaters open and the movie was so much better even though I already loved it the first time.  In all honesty - it is just better watching it the second time regardless because there is ALOT of info for you to process the first time.   Genius filmmaking regardless.

3 - Uncle Frank

This was a movie that came out on Amazon Prime.  One of the most under the radar movies to come out this year - even on streaming where there was a lot of hype for some of them - yet it had the most heartfelt and genuine performances of the year.  It was about someone coming out as gay to their family and his struggles with it as well as their reactions to it.  Everything about it just seemed so real and gets you very emotional.

2 - Soul

Pixar does not know how to do bad movies.   When I first saw this movie I liked it a lot.  When I watched it a second time - I loved it even more.  Only Pixar could make a movie about jazz music and spiritualism and have you completely hooked by it even if you couldn't care less about those things.  

1 - The Trial Of The Chicago 7

This was a movie that came out on Netflix.  Aaron Sorkin is so fucking good at writing a sarcastic script.  This movie and the acting with said script was the most enjoyable thing that I watched this year.  The fact that it all completely fell in line with the events of this past year as well even though it was based back in the 70s was even more remarkable.  

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2020

 Well . . . . . . . . this is going to be pretty different than in years past.  A change that I made is that I'm including movies that were done for streaming services because there really wasn't too much that made it to theaters in this wonderful train wreck of a year we just went through.  But regardless - the show much go on!

10 - Underwater

I really don't understand why they continue to cast Kristen Stewart as a leading actress.  She is honestly the most blah thing in Hollywood.  Giving her a buzzcut and having her in an alien suspense movie - that's just all worse.

9 - The Grudge

Why bother remaking a movie if you are actually going to do it lamer and with a smaller budget making your current effects so much cheesier than the original effects from years ago?

8 - Scoob!

This was massively insulting to people who just wanted to watch a Scooby Doo movie and even more so to parents that were looking for something so desperately to watch with their kids.  This movie was such a throw away animated feature its not even funny.

7 - Monster Hunter

Do you think that Milla Jovovich (aka - Multipass) will ever do anything other than fighting monsters of some kind?   Like any movie that is more than just effects and her gritting her teeth?

6 - Wonder Woman 1984

What a truly massive disappointment.  I loved the first Wonder Woman and was of course geeked out as hell to finally see a big budget superhero movie after the blank slate that was 2020.  Unfortunately - this movie was pretty much a joke that was just made fun of the entire time I was watching it.

5 - Gretel & Hansel

Not going to lie.  This movie was from back in January.  I don't even remotely remember it but I know that I had it noted for 1 star so it lands on the list.  I feel as if the fact that it was a horror movie based on a popular folk tale and can't be remembered at all pretty much sums it up.

4 - The Photograph

I have never seen a date or romance movie that put me to sleep faster than this one.  It was a Valentine's Day release that pretty much closed the box office for the year.  I mean you could blame Covid for it too but still - this movie didn't help the fight to stay open.  Just saying.

3 - Honest Thief

I HATE when they advertise a movie as a suspense movie and there is not a single ounce of suspense in it. This is exactly that.  You had the Taken type trailer with Liam Nesson and then it was pretty much just him having conversations for the entire movie.

2 - Dolittle

Few things will ever baffle me more from the casting choice of following up Iron Man's death than doing this for Robert Downey Jr.  There was a reaching up an animal's ass scene I believe.  I didn't see that part because I pulled the plug on it loooooooooooong before that point.

1 - Brahms: The Boy II

What is The Boy I you ask?  EXACTLY!  How the hell was there a sequel?  How the hell was it a wide release?   And even though there were some very slight interesting creepy parts to the first - they seemed to forget that with this one because it was beyond the realm of not creepy.