Three of the best films of 2020: (top left) “Da 5 Bloods”, (right) “1917”, (bottom left) “Little Women”.

This has been a rough year. In every sense. Especially for those of us who love attending the cinema.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic came hurtling towards us at warp speed in March, movies have been pushed back, by weeks, months or even years, or sent straight to VOD.

But whilst there haven’t been as many new movies available to us in the manner to which we’re accustomed, there have still been some very good ones. Here, in my view, are some of the best of 2020 so far, and how and where you can watch them.

LITTLE WOMEN
(Directed by Greta Gerwig. Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern and Timothée Chalamet.)
If you’ve stumbled across my earlier piece about the joys of going to the cinema, you’ll know this is the last film I was fortunate enough to see at a theatre and not just from my living room couch. I went into this film with wildly high expectations, having worn out the 1994 adaptation on VHS many years earlier, and having read the book. Happily, it delivered on every front. Gerwig reframes the classic story by both imbuing the film with aspects of Louisa May Alcott’s character that aren’t necessarily present in the novel, and by employing non-linear storytelling, contrasting similar events with one another. I think it says a lot that Gerwig was able to make such a famous and well-loved narrative feel fresh in this newest iteration. It also contains exemplary performances from the entire cast, notably Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh, who received best actress and Best Actress in a Supporting Role nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, approximately (so it feels) 100 quarantine years ago. And there’s a lot to be said for an adaptation that makes the ending of “Little Women” not suck.
Little Women is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV or at all good retailers.

TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG
(Directed by Justin Kurzel. Starring: George MacKay, Essie Davis, Orlando Schwerdt, Charlie Hunnam, Nicholas Hoult and Russell Crowe.)
I went into this adaptation somewhat apprehensive, as I had tried, and failed, to listen to the audiobook of Peter Carey’s 2000 Booker Prize-winning novel last year. It was very heavy on the detail and on the use of “adjectival” to censor swearing, which annoyed me to no end, and I gave up on it halfway through. So colour me surprised when I ended up really enjoying it. Kurzel has an eye for style and this is one very stylish, somewhat anachronistic adaptation of Ned Kelly’s story. Kind of like Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette”, but with men. It’s like a punk rock version of Ned Kelly, with Ari Wegner’s cinematography, Jed Kurzel’s score, Alice Babidge’s costume design and Justin Kurzel’s direction all being members of the band, the cast as a kind of frontman, throwing themselves into the mosh pit in the middle of a song. George MacKay has a convincing Australian accent (always a relief) and plays Ned with great dedication. Russell Crowe has a small, but key role, as bushranger Harry Power. Which seems to indicate his career transition to character actor, for which I am 100 per cent here. But the standout performance is that of Essie Davis as Ellen Kelly. With an Irish accent, she wears the roughness of the Victorian outback on her skin and in her demeanour. She’s rough as guts and gives as hard as she gets. It’s a tour de force from a woman primarily known for playing an upper-class detective in the 1920s. It’s an interesting character study into what made the man Ned Kelly, not what made the bushranger Ned Kelly.
True History of the Kelly Gang is available to stream on Stan.

SWALLOW
(Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis. Starring: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Denis O’Hare, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche and Laith Nakli.)
Swallow tells the story of Hunter, a young woman married into a wealthy family who develops pica, a psychological disorder that compels individuals to eat inedible objects, as she discovers she is pregnant. “Swallow” is a completely unsettling movie for almost it’s entire 92 minutes. However, it is also completely captivating. I couldn’t look away, even when I wanted to. It is a suffocating, haunting thriller, both in the way it is shot and filmed, but also in terms of story. The protagonist is suffocated by her surroundings, expectations, her in-laws, her partner and her own demons. It is an aesthetically pleasing tale of female rage, told in the most infuriatingly beautiful way. None of that could be achieved without the talents of Katelin Arizmendi (cinemaphotographer), Erin Magill (production designer) and Liene Dobraja (costume designer). “Swallow” could almost be compared to Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” But it prioritises the female protagonist and experience in a way “mother!” did not. At the core of all this is Haley Bennett’s performance as Hunter. A stunning success in which she switches gears so quickly and deftly it’s truly astounding. “Swallow” would not work as well as it does if not for Bennett’s performance as the quietly simmering, righteously angry Hunter. However, this is not a popcorn movie. Best seen on an empty stomach, in my experience.
Swallow is available to stream on Stan and Foxtel Go.

1917
(Directed by Sam Mendes. Starring: George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman.)
I must confess, I put off seeing “1917” for the longest time because I was furious it might beat “Parasite” at the Oscars and because it was “just another war film” – as if I haven’t loved the vast majority of war films I’ve seen. By the time that was resolved, I missed my chance to see it on the big screen as COVID-19 rushed through and ruined everything. Make no mistake, this is a movie that deserves to be seen on a big screen, the biggest, best quality screen you can access. “1917” is in part so good because it relies on the concept of the one shot. The entire movie is stitched together by cinematographer Roger Deakins, editor Lee Smith and director Sam Mendes, as if it were one continuous shot. It obviously isn’t, that would be nigh on impossible for such a large, complicated film. But because it has been filmed, directed and edited so seamlessly, one can barely tell where different takes are stitched together. The result was a deserved second Oscar for Deakins, which I can very much live with. I was enthralled from the get-go. The film is taut with tension for its entire runtime. There was not one moment where I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, my adrenaline fuelled by the nightmarish journey the characters are forced to undertake. Thomas Newman’s score ups the ante dramatically. George MacKay gives another great performance, and the film would not work nearly as well without his capacity to sink into the role. Did the end feel slightly derivative of “Gallipoli”? Sure. Did I care? Not really. A brilliant feat of modern filmmaking.
1917 is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV or at all good retailers.

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THE INVISIBLE MAN
(Directed by Leigh Whannell. Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid and Michael Dorman.)
I should’ve known after “Upgrade” that “The Invisible Man” would exceed my expectations in every way, but I was still surprised it was as good as it ended up being. I’m not really a horror movie fan. I’ll watch them if someone recommends one to me and probably regret it for several weeks afterwards because I think the girl from “The Ring” is going to come out of my TV. But, I loved this. Yes, there are still jump scares and some aspects that are traditionally horror, but it was phenomenal. It would not work or be as convincing without Elisabeth Moss and her outstanding performance in the lead role. Moss never turns in a bad performance, but this is truly some of her best work, which is saying something considering her resume includes “Mad Men”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Her Smell”, among others. The movie is incredibly tense the entire way through, and the things which happen to Cecilia (Moss) are all the more terrifying because of just how grounded in reality is her fear. If you’re not big on jump scares, give it a miss. If you love exceptional acting, building tension and a well-told story, jump right in.
The Invisible Man is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV or at all good retailers.

DA 5 BLOODS
(Directed by Spike Lee. Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Chadwick Boseman.)
This is a Spike Lee movie through and through. I must admit, I liked it well enough after a first viewing but a second viewing is what it took for me to really love it. Like a spiritual successor to both The Treasure of Sierra Madre and Apocalypse Now but with Spike Lee’s usual flair. Make no mistake, this is a long movie. The first time I saw it, I thought it was too long. The second time, it felt the perfect length. The absolute best part of the entire movie is Delroy Lindo as Paul. You will not kill Paul, that’s for sure. You’ll also give Delroy Lindo the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role by the time the 93rd Academy Awards roll around. “Da 5 Bloods” also has one of Chadwick Boseman’s last performances, and it also happens to be one of his best in his short but storied career. Lee’s film would not work nearly so well, without the charisma Boseman brought to the table as Stormin’ Norman. He builds Norman into a leader of mythical proportions, surely no one man could be that good? That enlightened? That good of a friend? But Boseman makes Norman believably so. It is indicative of Boseman’s enormous talent that he grounds all the flashbacks in reality despite their very deliberate unreality and ties together storylines, past and present. Lee has a lot to say about the state of America now, America then and America’s legacy at home and in Vietnam, and “Da 5 Bloods” is the perfect way to examine that.
Da 5 Bloods is available to stream on Netflix.

THE WAY BACK
(Directed by Gavin O’Connor. Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar and Michaela Watkins.)
This is a sports movie. But also not a sports movie. Sport is not the most important thing about this movie, unlike other films in a similar vein like “Friday Night Lights” or “Remember the Titans” that balance the importance of sports with the other issues they address. Basketball is merely a framing device in this movie, but an important one nonetheless. “The Way Back” is a character-driven drama, the kind that Hollywood seldom makes anymore because they don’t make money. Unfortunately, “The Way Back” was released in cinemas here on the 5th of March, just as the pandemic started to hurtle cinemas to imminent closure. Fortunately, it was sent to VOD where it may actually get seen by more people willing to spend a smaller amount of money to rent or buy it digitally than to fork out $20 at the local cinema. Ben Affleck gives his best performance in years as a barely functioning alcoholic. He is a man haunted by his past, by lost opportunities and his own decisions after suffering from deeply traumatic events. He then begins to coach his old high school basketball team. It gives him meaning and purpose. “The Way Back” is not necessarily about the healing nature of sports, but it is about what it’s like to hit rock bottom and what the journey back can be like. It’s worth watching to remind you that Affleck can actually act, something people seem to forget despite his fairly respectable resume as an actor and director. More of these and less of “Live By Night” thanks, Ben.
The Way Back is available to rent or buy on Google Play, Telstra TV, Apple TV or at all good retailers.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
(Directed by David Dobkin. Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens and Pierce Brosnan.)
OK, hear me out. I know this may be a controversial choice, but I really, really loved this movie. Full disclosure: I am a lifelong Eurovision fan. I’ve been watching the contest since 2003, watching it live since 2015, and I get very, very into it. Every year, Eurovision is an absolute highlight for me. Unless it’s 2016 and you get robbed by Ukraine singing a political song in a non-political contest. But whatever, it’s not like I’m bitter or anything. This is the best movie Will Ferrell’s made since “The Other Guys” in 2010. I know he can be an acquired taste, love him or loathe him. But I generally tend to like him when the movie’s decent, and this definitely is beyond decent. I haven’t felt this much joy in months. This isn’t exactly a gut-bustingly funny comedy, but if you’re a Eurovision fan or even remotely aware of the contest and the kind of camp that thrives in that environment, you’re going to have fun. Rachel McAdams again proves to be one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood with impeccable comedic timing, much like she’s done several times before yet without the recognition she deserves. But that’s a conversation for another time. Eurovision would not work nearly as well if not for McAdams, who is the heart and soul of this movie. Ferrell definitely delivers one of his better performances, and Dan Stevens is hilarious as a Russian singer moulded very closely on Philipp Kirkorov. But the primary attraction is the songs. They meld seamlessly into the movie and sound like they could be right off any Eurovision album from the last 10 years. If you love Eurovision, you’ve probably seen this already. If you’re only vaguely aware of the contest, I would encourage you to watch it. It may not win any awards, although I will be campaigning hard for McAdams to be a nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical at the next Golden Globes, and for Husavik to win Best Original Song, but it’s a lot of fun. My main criticism would be that this needs more cowbell.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is available to stream on Netflix.