New movies from some of my favorite directors and works of supreme ambition. Plus, Cats gets a sequel. I’m just kidding but that really is a fascinating thought.
What are moviegoers most looking forward to in 2020? According to Fandango users, the list looks something like this:
- Wonder Woman 1984
- Black Widow
- The Eternals
- Mulan
- No Time to Die
Two things stand out as I survey that list: 1) The top three are all superhero flicks, which isn’t surprising; and 2) There’s no huge, franchise blockbuster on the level of Star Wars or Avengers on the slate. That second point is what makes 2020 so interesting to me, as major studios like Lucasfilm and Marvel consider, “Where do we go from here?”
Which of the above movies am I most looking forward to? While all five have their appeal, I’ll choose the one with the least-obvious ending. Think about it. I liked Wonder Woman and Black Widow is my favorite Avenger, but both of those movies take place in the past. We already know whether the eponymous heroines will be alive or dead by the end of the movie. Mulan looks stunning—and I like Disney trying something slightly different with a non-musical live-action film—but the end is also a foregone conclusion. No Time to Die? I guess Bond’s not dying in that one ’cause it’s not on his calendar?
That leaves one. I know very little about The Eternals, except that the cast looks incredible. (And an Asian-American woman directing a Marvel movie is awesome.) But really, I have no idea who these characters are, much less who will live and die by the end. To be sure, the element of surprise is just one thing among many that I appreciate in a good story. And enjoying a film is often about the journey more than the destination. But still, it’s cool not knowing what’ll go down until it happens.
On to my list of the most anticipated movies of 2020, presented in reverse order.
5. On the Rocks (TBA)
There are reunions to dread and reunions to look forward to. Here’s one of the latter, as director Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray reconnect 17 years after Lost in Translation—plus Marlon Wayans and Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation, The Office). Even the plot revolves around a reunion, as a young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life father on an adventure through New York. I expect chuckles, sniffles, heartbreak, Bill Murray with deadpan delivery, Bill Murray with existential musings that crush your soul, etc. I welcome it all.
On the Rocks looks like a joint A24/Apple production. On a related note, it seems Apple TV+ hasn’t had content trend the way Disney+’s has over the past few months. (Let’s face it, not everyone can have a Baby Yoda. If everyone did have a Baby Yoda, this world would be a better place.) But if this movie is an Apple TV+ exclusive, then I’ll get my credit card info at the drop of a hat. Some reunions are worth the fuss.
4. 1917 (Jan 10)
I like creativity and ambition in art. Give me a time-bending thriller where characters enter a dream within a dream within a dream. (The director of that movie shows up on this list.) Give me a non-musical about a music-loving getaway driver where the soundtrack is perfectly synced with the action, or a sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made 35 years later. (The directors of both movies show up on this list.) Forget just “what sells.” Is the money the endgame? Or is it making great art that delights, challenges, and inspires?
Anyway, end rant. If you understand my passions, then you know why a two hour World War I film that looks like it was shot in one continuous take is right in my wheelhouse. 1917 comes to us from Sam Mendes, who won Best Director for American Beauty back in 1999 (his first movie!) and directed a couple of 007 flicks (the gorgeous Skyfall and Spectre) among others. He’s one of those filmmakers I will never not respect, even when I find some of his movies slightly overrated (the aforementioned Beauty, Road to Perdition). My respect stems from Mendes’ painstaking approach to producing the best possible shot, scene, and movie. As he himself says, “You’ve got to work. You’ve got to want an audience to sit forward in their chairs sometimes, rather than sit back and be bombarded with images.”
1917 was on my radar even before the Golden Globes. But last night, the film netted Mendes two of the most coveted awards in the ceremony—Best Director and Best Motion Picture (Drama). A little ambition can go a long way.
3. Last Night in Soho (Sep 25)
Man that girl looks spooky. Here are my questions:
- Is this a horror movie?
- What’s she looking at?
- Eyeshadow much?
The answer to #1 – It would seem it is. More specifically, a psychological-horror film from Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy), which is just about all I know. Why would I be interested despite this lack of knowledge? The answer to that question is Edgar Wright. After imbibing his filmography, his name seems a good answer to a lot of questions.
The answer to #2 – Your guess is as good as mine, and I’m not hunting down more info to find out. For now, I’m going to say she’s watching the movie Cats, which would indicate that Lady Eyeshadow brought this horror upon herself. Unless she lives in a world where Cats is now the supreme instrument of torture foisted on others to break minds and souls. If that is indeed the plot of Last Night in Soho, let’s move this to the #1 most anticipated movie of the decade. If it is sadly not the plot, I’m down to make this movie—who’s with me?
The answer to #3 – It’s certainly more than eye would wear. Okay, delete that.
2. Dune (Dec 18)
Why I’m looking forward to a ride on the Dune buggy in 2020:
- The source material. Frank Herbert’s 1965 opus is among the best selling sci-fi novels of all time, garnering myriad awards and spawning an entire Duniverse of sequels and offshoots. These include Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, Heretics of Dune, etc. I want to write one and name it Dune’s Got Talent.
- Film adaptations of the novel have famously imploded mid-project or at the box office. Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013) is a Certified Fresh documentary focused on one such collapse. Director David Lynch’s Dune (1984) saw the light of day, but it proved commercially and critically unsuccessful.
- Director Denis Villanueve is poised to provide the cinematic gold standard that fans and film lovers have been waiting for. His last three movies? Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Sicario. Pretty solid win streak if you ask me.
- The cast. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and many more.
- The Star Wars connection. Many works influenced George Lucas’ work on A New Hope in the 70’s, but Herbert’s Dune was one of them.
- Giant sandworms. Isn’t this the biggest reason why I welcome impending Dune? Tremors with Kevin Bacon is one of my all-time faves. I could enter the sparsely-populated Tremorverse and watch the five sequels if I wanted my sandworm fix now. But I think I’ll just wait 11 months.
1. Tenet (Jul 17)
Since the inception of his directorial career, Christopher Nolan’s track record has been too impressive to ignore. (Shameless pun intended.) Sure, critical acclaim isn’t everything. But when all nine of your movies from Memento (2000) to Dunkirk (2017) are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (including the entire Dark Knight trilogy and the mildly divisive Interstellar), it’s gotta count for something.
Tenet has a lot going for it, even besides Nolan at the helm. The cast includes John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Elizabeth Debicki (Widows), and Robert Pattinson (more than Twilight). The premise involves international espionage and time travel. And the movie’s sense of style looks totally on point. (I’m no fashionista, but have you seen those suits in the early trailers and photos? Impeccable.)
Will Nolan continue his hot streak of critic-tested, audience-approved box office smashes? First consider how the previous sentence puts him in rarefied air, especially since most of his movies aren’t franchise tentpoles or sequels (Batman excluded). Then consider the 18-year streak itself, and what a safe bet it is for Nolan to continue crafting films with daring vision, confident direction, and stellar quality. That said, scatter the Tomatometer to the four winds. I’ll see Tenet no matter what.
What movies are you looking forward to this year? I’d love to know!
All names, trademarks and images are copyright their respective owners.
