Film: The Best Movies of 2020, New Years Flicks, August Wilson Onscreen

Goodbye and good riddance, 2020! Here's to all you readers out there. May this new year be an improve

Jan 1, 2021 • View in browser

Goodbye and good riddance, 2020! Here’s to all you readers out there. May this new year be an improvement on the last, and may you only have good and interesting cinematic experiences. (Regardless of whenever it may be safe to go to a theater again.) Thank you for your continued support of Hyperallergic! This week we have our top 15 film list for the year, a giant stack of video essay recommendations, and much more. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!– Dan Schindel, Associate Editor for Documentary

Our Favorite Movies of the Year

From Lovers Rock

Hyperallergic has put together extensive year-end coverage, since 2020 obviously gave us a lot to talk about. As part of that, I polled staff and frequent film contributors on their favorite movies that came out in this strange year for moviegoing. The result is our top 15 list, and I couldn’t be prouder of it.

Latest Reviews

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a Portrait of Black Masculinity Among Blues Musicians Despite the title, Netflix’s adaptation of August Wilson’s play is not about the legendary singer, but the men around her. Dan Schindel

A Japanese TV Host Searches for Meaningful Experience in Uzbekistan In To the Ends of the Earth, Kiyoshi Kurosawa uses the techniques of horror movies to depict the alienation of being a tourist. Dan Schindel

Woke, Beyond the Punchlines and Performativity In his role based on the life of cartoonist Keith Knight, Lamorne Morris highlights the uncomfortable and at times exasperating self-awareness that comes with being Black in public. CM Campbell

True Crime From a Family's Point of View Finding Yingying avoids exploiting a young woman’s abduction and murder by handling her case with compassion and delicacy. Dan Schindel

What to Stream

From The Phantom Carriage

The last streaming roundup of 2020 is, appropriately, about movies that prominently feature New Year’s Eve. Would anyone else writing this kind of list feature both a classic screwball comedy and a Swedish silent horror film? I don’t think so!Meanwhile, the Trump administration is nearly on its way out, but you’d do well to peruse the Bronx Documentary Center’s online exhibition The End of Truth to remind yourself of how our government has distorted information over these past four years.This week, in lieu of a single video essay recommendation, how about a hundred of ‘em? Sight & Sound’s annual poll of prominent creators on their favorite videos of the year is out. From academic exercises to mini-documentaries and much more, there’s something new for anyone to discover. Check it out!Until we can see you in the theater again, stay safe!

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