Watch or Pass's Top 10 Movies of 2020: Weathering With You, Onward, All About Who You Know, The High Note, Host, Emma, Fishbowl, Sword of God, Gutterbug, Soul

2020 has been a unique year and one that has brought lots of hardship and challenges, but also some titanic changes in the movie industry.  With theaters essentially closed this year, the risse of digital distribution and indie films filled the void that theaters used to fill.  Here are my top 10 movies I saw this year. 

Weathering With You
My absolute favorite movie of this year!  It came out right at the start of 2020 but was such an amazingly beautiful, heartfelt animated film that it stuck with me all year.  It is absolutely the film I watched the most in 2020 and its lessons about burdening future generations is an important one.  For more information, check out the review!

Onward
One of the first casualties of theaters closing, Onward opened at the absolute worst time and led to an early Disney+ release.  It ushered in a more digital focus for releases and led to hours and hours of entertainment for kids and adults stuck at home.  And as a nerd, the fantasy modern setting and wonderfully heartfelt and heart wrenching story cast a spell over me from the first time I saw it.  For more information, check out the review!

Emma

What a wonderful burst of color right before the pandemic started.  Emma was a wonderful retelling of the Jane Austin classic with some amazing performances and a confident costume design that brought the story to life.  It was an enjoyable film even if you have no experience with the story and had an absolute charm that brought a smile to my face throughout.  For more information, check out the review!

All About Who You Know

This wonderful film was the first indie I saw this year to knock my socks off.  In a year that saw a huge uptick in indie films, this movie was such a refreshingly different love story that I had to take notice.  The characters, the writing, the acting, and the overall anit-Hollywood take on romantic films was so much fun to see and has held up on repeated viewings.  For more information, check out the review!

The High Note

This film had the combination of wonderful characters, performances, and some truly amazing music.  A chance for Tracie Ellis Ross to show that she is both an amazingly funny actor and wonderful singer, this film had so much heart and a soundtrack that I listened to for months after the film was over.  For more information, check out the review!

Host

No film captured the pandemic quite like Host.  A film that was filmed completely during the early months of lockdown, Host showed what could be done even without the ability for people to gather on a set.  Filmed completely remotely, the movie had an amazingly modern take on life because it was filmed during that time.  The references were timely and the effects were still exciting and scary.  For more information, check out the review!

Fishbowl

Few movies this year spoke to me like this one did.  From the wonderful shot choice and fantastic characters, to the focus on small town and religious angst, this movie touched on some weighty topics with a dramatic and sometimes darkly comedic style.  The film is a special one and so smartly done.  It is a master of telling you about the story without overtly saying it, and the iconography and cinematography are truly amazing.  For more information, check out the review!

Sword of God

I called this a devoutly atmospheric masterpiece and I stick by it.  The movie has a horror aesthetic that is more primal than supernatural, but it just does everything so well.  It has a smart use of colors to really make the intense scene pop, and a story that evolves slowly as you learn more and more about this situation.  And the sets and costumes are perfectly done, completely transporting you to this unsettling medieval village.  For more information, check out the review!

Gutterbug

What a high energy film about mental illness and youthful rebellion, Gutterbug is fueled by an amazing performance by Andrew Yackel and a confident filmmaking that belies the indie nature of this film.  And underneath this all, it tells a very human story about many of societies vices and issues, and the trouble with coming to terms with your choices and changing your life.  For more information, check out the review!

Soul

What a way to close out the year.  In a year filled with so much uncertainty, we were given a hopeful, beautiful film about finding your purpose in life.  And it also marked a milestone being Pixar's first film with a black lead character and a wonderful animated portrayal of black culture.  But it also showed the beauty in the world, for a year with so much ugliness just stopping to appreciate what is around you and our short time on Earth is a gift in itself.  For more information, check out the review!

What to Watch This Weekend: Remembering RBG, Shortcut, All Roads to Pearla, Gutterbug, Judy, Addams Family, Just Mercy

For the Barrier Breakers - RBG (Hulu)

Remember RBG's legacy by watching this phenomenal documentary about her life and everything she did for this country.  The world is a sadder place today, but it was made all that much better by the strength, intelligence, and grit of this phenomenal, larger than life jurist.

For the Barrier Breakers Part 2 - On the Basis of Sex (Showtime)

If documentaries aren't your thing, check out this dramatization of how RGB broke some of her first barriers to entry, and argued one of the most important cases of her career.  Felicity Jones and Arnie Hammer make a great pair in this dramatization of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's early life.  

For the Horror and Stranger Things Fan - Shortcut (Theaters)

Shortcut is a thoroughly enjoyable creature feature that gets its claws into you early with its wonderful cinematography, young talented cast, perfectly toned style, and Stranger Things vibes.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Horror and Stranger Things Fan - Shortcut (Theaters)

Shortcut is a thoroughly enjoyable creature feature that gets its claws into you early with its wonderful cinematography, young talented cast, perfectly toned style, and Stranger Things vibes.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Drama Fan - All Roads to Pearla (Digital)

All Roads to Pearla is a beautiful noir film fueled by Timlin's powerful, dramatic performance, beautiful cinematography and music, and a complicated story.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Rebel - Gutterbug (Digital)

Gutterbug tells a very human story, with complicated characters, plenty of youthful rebellion, and a satisfying conclusion.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Drama Fans - Judy (Amazon)

Renee Zellweger takes on the difficult role of portraying the iconic Judy Garland.  Zellweger captures the beloved performer's personality with poise and emotional care.

For the Kids - The Addams Family (Amazon)

The Addams Family is a nostalgic animated feature that captures the style and characters of the main show.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Justice Seekers - Just Mercy (HBO)

Just Mercy is an inspiring, timely, and sadly appropriate movie for our times.  It has Oscar-worthy acting, amazing cinematography, and tells an important story that that doesn't leave a heart untouched or an eye dry at its conclusion.  For more information, check out our review!

Gutterbug Review: An Emotional Human Journey of Homelessness, Self Medication, and Rebellion

 

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Release date: September 9, 2020 (VOD)
Running time: 101 minutes
Starring: Andrew Yackel, Justin Pietropaolo, Hannah Mosqueda

A crust punk named Bug (Yackel) grapples with the realities of homelessness, mental health, drug use, and toxic friendships.  Bug and his friend Slim (Pietropaolo) spend most of their time scrounging for money, doing drugs, and going to rock shows.  However, on his 21st birthday he resolves to find his way home, a decision that leads him and his misfit crew down a dangerous path.  But getting to his home will be tough for Bug, Slim (Pietropaolo), and Jenny (Mosqueda) as it seems like every attempt to get there is met with societal issues, their own poor decisions, or wear that living on the streets has done to them.  

Gutterbug starts with a bang, filling you with some really amazing music that will get your blood flowing and set the stage for this film.  The music matches the style of the movie perfectly, with a rebellious nature that permeates the entire film.  And that energy and rebellion fuel a lot of the early part of Gutterbug.  Bug and Slim live on the streets, scrounge and do drugs, and try to live life as they can.  They are honest, tired, hungry, and downtrodden but also free.  And Bug is a good main character / narrator.  He narrates aspects of the film and provides insight into the overall happenings.  And it helps that his character is an interesting one.  Yackel puts on a great performance and really shows the conflicted parts of homelessness.  He highlights the camaraderie and the freedom, but also the constant worry for food and shelter, as well as the need to medicate through less than legal means.  And when Bug is joined by Slim and Jenny, then the film really starts to open up.  All these characters are wonderfully acted and their interactions are funny and heartfelt.  The three really do become a family, with the ups and downs associated with that.

And these characters don't just come alive due to the acting.  The costumes and make up transform these actors into their homeless counterparts perfectly.  Their hair looks greasy; their clothes are a mishmash, dirty, and scream youth in rebellion; and when they are under the effects of various substances, it shows through.  The story of Gutterbug definitely highlights a path that can lead to homelessness and the effects of poor decision making.  Bug left home years ago and has chosen to live on the streets, and the film does a good job of highlighting aspects of his youth and of the effect that his decision has had on his family.  And after the initial intense and high energy parts, the story builds slowly, with a solid introduction to the characters before progressing into the overall journey of the film.  The film is also told out of order so you get hints of different time periods that eventually coalesce.  And although the film does devolve into craziness towards the end, the ending really pulls you back in and focuses on the characters.  It is a satisfying end to an interesting, thoughtful, and very human story about mental illness, love, and survival.

Gutterbug tells a very human story, with complicated characters, plenty of youthful rebellion, and a satisfying conclusion. 

Watch it.

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