COVID wasn't really that great for the world in general, but it proved itself to be an efficient time for me to get round to watching many movies I had never seen before but had always wanted to, as well as discovering many movies I had no initial intention to see but ended up loving.
As lockdown has slowly began to ease, and as many big movies are coming to the big screen for the first time in ages, I decided to take a look back at all the things I first encountered during this troubling time and see which ones were the best - so, here are the 10 best films I watched for the first time while stuck at home. This list does not include any new releases for 2020, as the focus is the pre-existing content I watched in this time. But, even if I did include them, I don't think any would even crack the Top 20...
10. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
This was one of those films that'd been on my watchlist for ages, and as it came to UK Netflix in late July, I was finally able to watch it. Thankfully, it was as good as I'd hoped. The most amazing thing about BlacKkKlansman is the fact that it manages to be really insightful into the lives of Black Americans throughout history and addresses many shocking issues I could not believe, while at the same time being thoroughly enjoyable and extremely funny. I laughed countless times during this film while my jaw dropped multiple times when I was faced with some of the unbelieveable information being given to me. So, being both a great time and a somewhat educational one, BlacKkKlansman is something I'm sure to return to.
9. The Imitation Game (2014)
Another film I'd been meaning to watch for ages, and I'm so glad I finally did at the start of August. This is a very well made film in terms of its clever script as well as its cinematography and score. But, the best aspect was the lead performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. He brought the character of Alan Turing to life in such a way that was both entertaining and believable. Additionally, I'm a fan of wartime films in general, especially those that tell a really interesting story about something or someone I had little to no knowledge of beforehand. So, The Imitation Game is yet another film I'd happily sit down and watch again.
8. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
This was the first Mission: Impossible film I have ever seen, and I'm really keen to see all the others if they're as good as this. There's not an awful lot to say about Fallout, it's just an extremely engaging, efficiently made, and well constructed action movie. The fights and chases are all really exciting, making me wish I'd seen this in a cinema. I also really like how despite being the sixth entry in a series, it works really well as a standalone movie, something rare amongst other big franchises. I really enjoyed this and will certainly be seeing each other mission.
7. Schindler's List (1993)
I'm honestly kind of amazed it took me so long to watch this movie. I visited Auschwitz back in December last year and became fascinated by this period of history, but seven months was what it took to get me to finally watch this. Schindler's List is a brutal but completely honest depiction of the Holocaust, and at the centre of it is a man who did something truly extraordinary. As mentioned before, I love wartime films about people I don't know much about, but especially those that did amazing things. This story captivated me and kept me enthralled for the three whole hours it played. But, beyond all that, what I find most commendable is the fact that this was made in the same year Spielberg made Jurassic Park, my favourite of his movies. You know someone is talented when they can make two excellent movies in the same year, but that is only intensified when those two films are completely different in almost every way. Hats off to Spielberg, he is the human embodiment of a true and love for film.
6. The Breadwinner (2017)
I adore 2D animation, so this movie already gains several points from me. But, I adore films about one of my favourite things on this planet - storytelling. The Breadwinner, despite being all about courage and independence, is a gorgeous tale about the importance stories play in our lives and how they can guide us through even the hardest of times. This all amounted to a film I loved so much about. I will certainly revisit this at some point soon, because it was simply beautiful.
5. Batman Begins (2005)
With a certain movie directed by Christopher Nolan currently in cinemas, I tried to watch the films of his I hadn't seen yet, of which there were quite a few. For some inexplicable reason, I had seen two thirds of The Dark Knight trilogy, but not where it all began. But, I was able to complete the legend in this time and I'm so glad I did. Despite being a bit bumpy to start, Batman Begins is essentially everything I want in a superhero movie. The world being taken seriously, the characters being properly fleshed out, a hero that's likeable, gripping action, pulse-pounding music, a healthy splash of comedy, and quotable lines. It's just a damn good and example of how to do things with the genre, and I will certainly be coming back to it, maybe more than the other parts of the series.
4. Princess Mononoke (1997)
One of the greatest discoveries I made while in lockdown was Studio Ghibli, a company that almost everyone sung the praises of, yet I, a huge fan of not just animation but 2D animation in particular, wasn't all that familiar with. So, with them all on Netflix, I refamiliarised myself with the few that I had seen like My Neighbour Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle, but also watched many I'd only heard of, Mononoke being one of them. This is a remarkable piece of work, taking an age old conflict and offering a refreshing interpretation of it. It doesn't sympathise with or oppose mankind or nature, as both are presented to be just in the wrong as each other, and our hero, the one we connect with, is caught in the crossfire. This made the film a fascinating watch. On top of this, the animation is phenomenal. It's so inventive as well as unique, and the world presented is so immersive. My only issue is that I did find it to be and bit too profound and overwhelming at times, but I'm sure that won't be a problem upon revisiting, hopefully it'll just get better!
3. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
This is by far the most underrated film on this list. Spirit is another beautifully 2D animated film, but it's enhanced by such an exhilerating atmosphere. A large part of this comes from the astonishing score by Hans Zimmer, with some parts coming close to his work on The Lion King. I don't really have much else to say, it wasn't that interesting from a story perspective, but if I want to sit down and watch something exciting and visually stunning, Spirit is sure to be something I'll go for.
2. The Prestige (2006)
Is it just me, or is nobody talking about what an amazing Nolan movie this is? Everyone rambles on about The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar, and for good reason. But, why don't I see anyone discussing what an intricate and thrilling movie this is? The Prestige has a great plot. Magic is always fun to play around with in storytelling, so in the hands of such a great filmmaker, it gives way for a narrative that is engaging through the many puzzling yet satisfying twists and turns that it offers. Additionally, the performances were all terrific and the Victorian aesthetic was very interesting. This is one of my favourite movies from Nolan, simply because it just wowed me on a level that none of his other movies, aside from Inception, did. Fingers crossed I can say the same for Tenet!
1. Spirited Away (2001)
I'm sure that as soon as I mentioned Ghibli, you wondered where Spirited Away would appear on this list. Well, like many others, this is my favourite of theirs. It was also a film I was able to see in the cinema at the start of August, as they were doing a lot of reruns before the new stuff arrived. This is just a magnificent film, and Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus. It expectedly looks and sounds utterly beautiful, but it is probably the most thematically rich of any other Ghibli movie. It is about many things, such as courage, kindness, and independence, and it's all anchored with a great protagonist who is appropriately anxious and vulnerable to begin with, but naturally grows over the course of the narrative in such a satisfying way. The film also manages to balance the many exciting and profound scenes of fear and confusion with many sequences and smaller moments of peace and simplicity, letting it all sink in. Aside from the occassionally peculiar English dubbing and one or two minor things that ticked me off, Spirited Away is one of my favourite animated films of all time and something truly special indeed.
Well, those were the best things I watched for the very first time during lockdown. A few other great films that almost made the list include Gladiator (2000), Arrietty (2010), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Searching (2018), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), and When Marnie Was There (2014). This has been a great time for me and movies, and I'm super excited to hopefully get back into proper movie mode with new theatrical releases for the rest of this year while also continuing to find new things that are already about.
If you want to see my reviews of the many other films I watched during lockdown as well as the ranking of everything I watched for the first time in lockdown, be sure to follow me on Letterboxd @Jack W. I post a review on there for every film I watch, be first viewings and rewatches. Check it out!
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