More Digital 2020 Releases I've Seen Ranked

Since ranking all digital releases I'd seen in 2020 before theatrical releases returned, I've continued to see more and more as they've been released. As we come to the end of this hectic year, I thought it'd be a good time to go through them. This list will cover all digital 2020 releases I've seen since the start of September, a considerably stronger batch compared to the last one, but still not great on the whole. Nevertheless, let's go!

11. Hubie Halloween

Even though I regard 2020 as a weak year for movies, this is really the only bad film I've seen. But, even at that, it's not that bad. Hubie Halloween is perfectly passable and extremely harmless, but it's soooooooooo boring. I literally got out some school work and started doing that while the film was on, I was that uninterested in it. It's kind of a shame as well because, even though I'm not the biggest fan of Adam Sandler, I tend to enjoy his simple, silly comedies like this, even if they aren't that good. I think a big part of why this didn't click with me is because I'm not really that invested in Halloween. It happens every year, but it's not as big a deal here in the UK compared to the USA. The only legitimately funny thing in this film was the running gag involving the thermos, that made me laugh on a couple of occassions. But, aside from that, I was bored out of my mind - 4.0/10

10. The Devil All the Time

Netflix throw a lot at the wall when putting out original content, so more often than not, they put out a couple of films that are genuinely interesting, a few of which are on this list. Unfortunately, while this is one of them, it didn't hit the mark for me. The Devil All the Time has a very impressive cast who all deliver strong and commited performances, an appropriate aesthetic and direction, and some intriguing themes, but that couldn't really salvage the movie when I found it to be so long and convoluted as well as so excessively dark to the point where I don't really want to revisit or think about it again. I appreciate this movie for what it was going for, but I don't think such is to my liking - 6.0/10

9. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

I didn't think too much of the original Christmas Chronicles film, it was a fairly surface-level Christmas romp but made quite fun because of Kurt Russell as Father Christmas. Going into this one, I naturally wasn't expecting much, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, more so than its predecessor. The interpretation of Christmas here is so inventive, making it quite a fun watch. Additionally, Kurt Russell continues to charm and the story is also a lot more exciting. So, even though there still wasn't much to latch onto, as a slice of festive cheer in the year 2020, this did the job just fine for me - 7.0/10

8. Enola Holmes

There's not much to be said about this one, I just really enjoyed it. A lot of what makes Enola Holmes work is the charm, charisma, and general likability of Milly Bobby Brown in the central role - I thought she did an excellent job, and the way she kept breaking the 4th wall was consistently entertaining. This was originally much higher, but the more I think about it, the less I want to go back, which isn't too good a sign. But, still had fun while it was on - 7.5/10

7. Mank

During COVID, I've become a fan of David Fincher's work. He's made quite a few great films, so I was pleased to see that a new outing from him was soon to come. However, I felt a little disappointed with what I got. Mank has much to like, particularly in its performances from Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, the well-crafted 1930s aesthetic, and the solid direction as usual. But, it's quite a dull watch. With most films based on true stories, there's always something about their narrative that communicates to the audience why this story needed to be dramatised, but this just didn't have that. Nothing about this story seemed especially interesting or engaging, and I felt I could probably get the same experience from just reading the behind the scenes of Citizen Kane. Speaking of which, it didn't help that the film was designed to appeal to those in love with the afore mentioned film as well as those familiar with this era and the politics surrounding it, so I was unable to get as much out of this as a different audience member could have. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as the last two films, but I've placed it higher because I am keen to come back once I've seen Citizen Kane and also because, there's much more worth admiring even if the issues are more prominent - 6.0/10

6. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

The last digital release I watched, and not the highest of notes to go out on. It's undeniably great to see one last amazing performance from Chadwick Boseman, a terrific talent whose passing will leave a considerable hole in the film industry in the coming years, and Viola Davis is also as fabulous as she usually is. But this was just kind of an uneventful movie. It's occassionally interesting and compelling, but most of the time it was just obvious that this was desgined for the stage, a format I believe is better suited for this story because of how little variation there is in location and how little of the lives of these people is covered outside of monologues and such. As a result of this, the filmmaking was kind of unremarkable too. However, I can't complain too much because I thought this was a perfectly fine watch, and I see more worth admiring in this too compared to other films lower on this list that I enjoyed more - 6.5/10

5. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

This is another interesting movie but one that actually frustrates me. I enjoyed I'm Thinking of Ending Things; the performances, particularly from Jessie Buckley, were terrific, the cinematography and aspect ratio were very effective, and the overall atmosphere was really engaging, meaning the film always had my attention and I was always interested. But, I just can't bring myself to say I loved it. It felt a lot as if it was just constantly throwing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle at me but not giving any time to piece them together. I like it when a piece of art leaves you thinking about what you just watched and what it means, but here it hindered my enjoyment, as I struggled to embrace what I was watching due to being so bogged down in all the different aspects of it. Similar to Mank, I'm not familiar with the work of Charlie Kaufman, so maybe after a bit of experience with his films I'll be more prepared to get the most out of this. To reiterate, I did really enjoy and admire a lot of what this movie offered, and I am keen to revisit it, but I just took some issue with everything else - 7.5/10

4. On the Rocks

While this did have a brief theatrical run, I watched it for the first time at home thanks to my year free trial of Apple TV+ (very generous considering that there are some streaming services that don't offer a free trial at all *cough* Disney+ *cough*). I'm not too familiar with Sofia Coppola's films aside from the great Lost in Translation, but I was keen to see this. Having watched it, it was mostly a vehicle for Bill Murray to just be himself from 90 minutes, and I'm perfectly fine with that. The plot was fine, the filmmaking fairly standard, but I really enjoyed it overall, not too much else to say here, it was just entertaining and I'd happily check it out again - 7.5/10

3. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

For some inexplicable reason, I had not seen Borat until roughly two months ago, which is shocking considering that I love Sacha Baron Cohen. After watching it, I was delighted that there was a sequel on its way, and even more delighted upon having had plenty of fun watching it. Cohen's antics as the goofy Kazakhstani reporter are just so damn funny, and it's hard to resist. But it doesn't stop there, as putting him in the climate of the year 2020 was especially genius, and it is impressive that this film was written and produced in the midst of the pandemic. As far as issues go, I feel the edge of the original with its mockumentary style was slightly abandoned in favour of a more emotional story, and there are times where some of the jokes get a bit old, but I still had a great time with this everything considered - 7.5/10

2. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

This one also had a brief time in the cinema, but I was able to watch it on Netflix. I thought this was just a brilliant film. David Attenborough is a true inspiration, and his witness statement about the state of our planet was so eye-opening and honest. But, as much as the tragedies of today's natural environment were highlighted, there was a ton of optimism about what can be done to redeem it as a counter-balance. After watching, I felt like I'd learned much, making this essential viewing for anyone who cares about the world we live in, or really just anyone who lives on this planet. While not a film in the traditional sense, leaving it out of this list would be doing a disservice - 8.0/10

1. The Trial of the Chicago 7

The only great Netflix movie from 2020, and I couldn't be happier to say that there was at least one! I was sold on this film before having seen it - Aaron Sorkin has proven himself to be the best in the business when it comes to screenwriting, dialogue in particular. If you look at a film like The Social Network, you can pick up just how talented he is from how satisfying and even musical the dialogue is. So, upon combining such a skillset with a courtroom drama, a sub-genre I have started to take a liking to, you essentially have a match made in heaven. The writing here is pitch-perfect and thoroughly engrossing, I loved almost every bit of it. It executed this really fascinating story in such a terrific way. In addition to this, Sorkin presents himself as a solid directing talent too. Aside from that, the acting was very strong from Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to name a few. Despite an occasionally messy structure, this film just hits the right notes in almost every aspect, so it's the best digital release I've seen in 2020 - 8.0/10

So, that just about rounds up my thoughts on every digital 2020 release I've seen, as well as every 2020 release I've managed to see in general. I'm grateful I've been able to find some new content in this time, some of which has been well worth the watch, but it all boils down to just a shell of the 2020 movie season I was hoping for. Let's hope that 2021 will have more to offer, and hopefully more on the big screen.

If you want to see my full 2020 movie ranking including both digital and theatrical releases as well as brief reviews I post after watching films both old and new, be sure to follow me on Letterboxd: Jack W. If you don't have it, I'd highly recommend if you're a big movie person like myself.

Another Top 10 Films I watched for the first time during COVID

Since publishing my list of the top 10 films I watched for the first time during COVID, I have seen much more excellent pre-existing content, and I thought I might as well talk about it as the end of the year draws closer. So, here's another top 10 films I watched for the first time during COVID.

To reiterate, no new releases that came out in this time are included here, as this is all about pre-existing films I wanted to watch as well as ones that I had no intention to watch. Also, this will not include anything I had watched at the time of my last list being published, as this will focus on the films I watched between then and now. To see the full list of everything I watched for the first time during COVID (which contains over 80 films!), be sure to follow me on Letterboxd: Jack W. You'll also find mini reviews of mostly everything I don't mention here.

I'd also like to give a quick warning, but some of the films on this list are in a very unpopular order, so if you are very passionate about your opinion and / or unable to accept differences in opinions, you may not like what you see. With all that being said, let's get going!

10. Apollo 13 (1995)

I love space movies, particularly ones based on real life, and I love Tom Hanks, so there was every way this would be a fine watch at the very least. While Apollo 13 is very long and occassionally plods, it's a thoroughly engaging and tense watch. Like The Martian, which is one of my favourite films, it's essentially built around a problem and all the solutions that are gradually worked out to overcome it, which is a really engrossing way to tell a story. So, I found much to enjoy here.

9. Fight Club (1999)

One of the notable trends throughout all the films I watched for the first time during COVID is that I've started to enter the world of David Fincher films. Pre-COVID, I'd only seen The Social Network, and while I love that film, I was very keen to watch the other works of this fan-favourite filmmaker. So far, I've watched three, and Fight Club is the only one to make this list, with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just barely missing out and Zodiac not coming close (unpopular opinions I know). This was quite a full-on and generally mental watch, but I really enjoyed it. The fast pace, strong performances, snappy dialogue, and interesting story made it a great experience. I am very keen to go back and take a closer look into it for sure, as there's so much worth coming back for, and hopefully it'll just get better. I should probably shut up about this now because I've broken the first rule enough.

8. The Green Mile (1999)

I didn't really know what to expect from this movie, but it had Tom Hanks in it so it had to be at least passable. What I got was something far better than I could've expected. Usually I struggle with movies over three hours (with exceptions such as Lord of the Rings and Endgame) but I didn't have a problem with that here as it was extremely enthralling. Hanks is effortlessly fabulous, the late Michael Clarke-Duncan gives a phenomenally powerful performance, and the story as a whole is really thoughtful and emotional. While hard to watch at times and slow at others, I have to praise this movie for managing to keep my attention when it so easily could've sent me to sleep.

7. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

I'm all for films being wonderful works of art with great meaning, but I'm also never one to reject something frothy and just plain fun. Four Weddings and a Funeral was a delight, and for the simple reason that it was just really funny and really charming. Hugh Grant, despite looking about twelve, was as likeable as ever, Rowan Atkinson continues to show he can make the very best of a seemingly minor role, and the plot as a whole was just very entertaining.

6. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

If you saw my ranking of more digital 2020 releases I've seen, you'll know that I had never seen Borat before 2020. I love Sacha Baron Cohen and think he is one of the funniest actors around, so I'm surprised it took me so long to catch one of his most acclaimed films, and just in time for its sequel. Borat takes an idea that appears quite one-note on the surface but manages to make the very best of it in almost every aspect. This film is absolutely hysterical and consistently kept me entertained even when it somewhat ran out of momentum. I'll certainly be coming back to this because if something makes me laugh, it gets many points from me.

5. Brother Bear (2003)

I think it's really sad that Disney, despite being the pioneers of animated films and producing tons of great content with the 2D medium, have abandoned such for 3D just because of its greater profitability and convenience. So, I'm always happy to watch any 2D films of theirs that I haven't seen, and Brother Bear is one of them. This is no Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, but it is still a really beautiful and very endearing movie. The humour kind of stumbles in places, which is somewhat of a given for many animated movies, but it pleased my eyes and occasionally my ears for ninety minutes as well as gently tugging at the heartstrings, so I really like it. It's also really funny to hear Joaquin Phoenix's voice in this movie, for someone who is extremely picky about what roles they choose nowadays, it is interesting that he was convinced to star in something of this calibre.

4. Memento (2000)

Continuing my way through the Nolan library, Memento is yet another great movie. Of all his works, this one thrives the most off of its non-linear storytelling, as the story would quite literally have not made sense or have been as effective if it were told chronologically, which is an indicator that it wasn't done for the sake of it, unlike some other films. Additionally, it was a far more captivating experience because of its structure, and it continued (or, I suppose started) the Nolan tradition of demanding you to actively watch and pay attention. Beyond that, there isn't an awful lot to latch onto, but the truly unique nature is what boosts this in my mind.

3. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Yep, we're going way back with some of these. If you were to tell me that a film consisting of twelve men sat bickering in one room for ninety minutes would be good, I wouldn't know what to say. This was terrific. It's a film that almost entirely hinges on one line, a line that makes you rethink almost everything it had established up to that point. Because of that, at the end of the film, you start to think about how the smallest of things can be extremely important, and that they are worth discussing. Additionally, the way this film witholds information is equally genius, keeping you engaged for its whole runtime. Beyond that, the acting and dialogue is expectedly brilliant, I mean, I find a weird funniness in fast-spoken dialogue from older films like this, so it was just a great time. I was anything but angry while watching.

2. Song of the Sea (2014)

If you saw my review of Wolfwalkers, you'll know that I've recently fallen in love with the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. After liking that film and one of their others, The Breadwinner, I just had to get round to seeing the rest as soon as possible. Song of the Sea, in my mind, is tied with Wolfwalkers for being their best film. Films like this just don't come around much anymore; films with actual stories to tell and ideas to share, as well as being conveyed in such a beautiful and utterly distinct way in terms of both the gorgeous animation and the sweeping music. I adored this film so much and it reminds me why I love animation, 2D animation, films, and just storytelling in general. It's magnificent.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This is simply one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. I have no idea what 2001: A Space Odyssey means, but that doesn't matter. Everything in this film just screams cinema. This is an unbelievable work of art that feels so ahead of its time. Whether we're talking about the visuals, the set design, the colours, the atmosphere, the music, the cinematography, it's all just on another level. Even the smallest of things like a floating pen that is seamlessly picked up by an actor left me astonished and in awe, I mean, how did they do that in 1968? Some literal movie magicians must have worked on this. Honestly, I cannot stress enough how blown away I was by this, I would have happily sat down and watched it again right after it finished, and would have no problem sitting around analysing it for hours. AMAZING STUFF.

Well, that's that all wrapped up. 2020 hasn't been as rough for me as it has been for others, but it has still been pretty rubbish. However, if there is one good thing that has come out of it, it's all the brilliant films like these that I was able to watch. As things look like they'll mostly be the same for the coming months, I only hope I can discover more and more.