10 must see 2020 releases we've had the privilege of already seeing.
A new year always brings excitement for cinema-goers regarding how the movies they're interested in seeing might turn out. Thanks to a combination of early press screenings and film festivals, we've already gotten to check out quite a few of the movies set for UK/ROI releases in 2020. Here are the 10 best of them.
1917
We said: "Like any single take movie, there are a few moments where we suspect a switch of POV might have been utilised to create further suspense, but for the most part 1917 justifies its adoption of this often gimmicky format. What it does best is embed us in the mind of its young protagonists, allowing us to share the horrors they witness and experience."
In cinemas January 10th.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
We said: "Whether you know a little or a lot about Mister Rogers, there's nothing that will prepare you for the emotional experience in this neighbourhood, as the director makes it feel like catharsis made just for you, getting you to consider your own relationships with the people in your life and the strength of your kindness."
In cinemas January 31st.
A Hidden Life
We said: "20 years after The Thin Red Line, Terrence Malick returns from the present day back to the Second World War to recalibrate his focus on nature and grace, this time with a much more intimate, focused perspective than the scattered ensemble storytelling of his most recent works. A Hidden Life is the mesmerising rumination on life and the Lord that we’ve been waiting for since The Tree of Life."
In cinemas January 17th.
Amanda
We said: "In many ways, Amanda plays like a gentler, more hopeful, and arguably superior French cousin of Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea. It all climaxes in a scene at Wimbledon's centre court that will have you simultaneously reaching for a hanky while punching the air."
In cinemas January 3rd.
Bacurau
We said: "The absolute cinematic delight that Bacurau delivers is to be savoured. The romantic sweep of orchestral Western score segues to the sort of electro pulse that Nicolas Winding Refn favours, but unlike the work of that chancer, the genre manipulation of Bacurau is seamless and so much fun, not knowing and aloof. A weird wonder, indeed."
In cinemas March 13th.
Lullaby
We said: "Plenty of thrillers in the past have explored the idea of an evil nanny. Lullaby roughly follows the same narrative template as most of its predecessors, but there's a nuance to the storytelling and a psychological depth that makes Lullaby stand out from the crowd."
In cinemas January 10th.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
We said: "The underlying eroticism that can be found in much gothic storytelling comes to the fore in writer/director Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It's a gothic romance that holds to its tradition for much of its running time, keeping its passions suppressed before ripping away its bodice for a celebration of forbidden sensual pleasures."
In cinemas February 28th.
Richard Jewell
We said: "With Richard Jewell, Clint Eastwood makes an argument that perhaps America's law enforcement exists not to protect and serve the public, but rather its own interests. If you possess a healthy mistrust of authority, there's an almost pornographic thrill in watching this film."
In cinemas January 31st.
Saint Maud
We said: "Saint Maud succeeds both as horror and as a moving psychological study of a sensitive, lonely, troubled mind. It's a truly impressive, confident debut feature - a daring yet compassionate examination of psychology and religion, offering several layers of complexity dressed in horror’s clothes."
In cinemas May 1st.
Waves
We said: "Waves is about a lot of things - toxic masculinity, parenthood, young love - and yet it's simply about family, the one thing that holds up an umbrella to all these things, congregating them to build a coherent theme. It's the sort of ambitious, great American family study that, recently, I've only seen in non-fiction filmmaking."
In cinemas January 17th.
TMW's 10 Best Directorial Debuts Of 2019https://t.co/IMHmxnOp8w pic.twitter.com/TkXsX3qCyR— 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕎𝕒𝕗𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕣.𝕔𝕠𝕞 🎬 (@themoviewaffler) December 20, 2019