Now, it’s time to see which films you can get angry at because they’re ranking above Everything Everywhere All At Once on this list…
10 – THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
Mark Rylance makes his second appearance on this list (after his scene-stealing turn in Bones and All) in a much lighter role that saw the Oscar-winning actor fill the shoes of the world’s worst golfer, to hilarious and undeniably moving effect.
There’s more than a whiff of the goodwill found within the Paddington movies in director Craig Roberts’s stylish biopic, not least because Simon Farnaby also wrote this film (and even has a minor role within the movie). While it’s a typical underdog story about the eccentric life and times of Maurice Flitcroft, who became famous for scoring the worst round in the history of the Open Championship, it’s told with such warmth and sincerity by the filmmakers that you instantly fall for Flitcroft’s ambition and dedication in the same way you do for the likes of Ed Wood and Tommy Wiseau in their respective biopics. Rylance himself lends plenty of charm and good-natured comedy to his lead performance, which makes it all the more endearing when you see his unique (in)ability win the hearts of everyone around him, often to hilarious but never cynical effect.
This is such a sweet, kind-hearted, and rather lovable gem of a British sports movie, that even if you’re not a golfer in the slightest you can appreciate just how valiantly it scores a hole in one…
Few films this year have challenged the traditional structure of filmic storytelling more compellingly than director Sebastián Lelio’s unusual adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s historical novel, which seeks to shatter the illusion that most stories abide by in order to tell one that requires such a breakdown of traditional norms.
Florence Pugh, who leads the film as an 1800s nurse sent to monitor a young girl who hasn’t eaten for four months, is guided along an atmospheric journey of discovery where she encounters religious fanaticism, fierce family values, and some disturbing truths which are best left unsaid in this recap. All the while, Lelio cleverly invites the viewer themselves to ponder what stories like this mean to them, and more importantly how their unwavering belief in said tales can lead to distorted truth, which in an age of misinformation feels as timely as it does sinister. It’s all done through the style of a slow-burn thriller where you’re not sure if a demon is or isn’t going to show up at some point, and leaves you utterly engaged as you think about its boundary-pushing and utterly unique approach to the simple craft of storytelling.
It’s a film that’ll leave you disturbed, uncomfortable, and most of all questioning almost everything you may believe in – but all for the purpose of graciously making you think outside the box…
One of Roald Dahl’s greatest stories, with one of his greatest lead characters, was readapted for the screen via the earworm catchiness of Tim Minchin’s acclaimed stage musical, to thunderous success that has translated into a new family classic for children and adults alike.
Approaching the material far differently than director Danny DeVito’s classic 1996 version, but still capturing the chaotic and child-empowering spirit of the legendary author, this musical adaptation from director Matthew Warchus (who also helmed the stage production) kept in tact many of the familiar songs that have become instant hits with theatre-goers young and old, but also added a real cinematic quality to something that could have easily shown its theatrical roots at every junction. Along with a bright lead turn by Alisha Weir, and fantastic support by Lashana Lynch and especially Emma Thompson as the feared villain Miss Trunchbull, you manage to feel the undeniable energy that has gone into all the singing and dancing, which creates a musical that you’re constantly tapping your feet along to, while also feeling like you’re getting enough of what made Dahl’s devilishly cruel nature so appealing in the first place.
It is a triumphant new musical for revolting children of all ages, and gives hope for what Netflix (who recently purchased the rights to most of Roald Dahl’s back catalogue, and are handling distribution outside of the UK and Ireland, where it got a full cinema release via Sony) can potentially do with other classic stories by the famed author…
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.
7 – NOPE
There’s just no stopping Jordan Peele at this point, who with his third – and most ambitious to date – feature film as writer and director officially solidifies his status as one of the most exciting auteur filmmakers in the business right now, with a film that tackles head-on some of the exploitative sides of his own industry that others wouldn’t dare to approach.
Invoking classic Spielberg – specifically that of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Peele dives head-first into a chilling story of invisible spacecraft, spooked horses, and killer chimpanzees that brings to the surface his impeccable ability to create a creepy and unrelenting horror atmosphere, with characters who are well-developed and likeable enough to get behind as they attempt feats that more often than not are likely to get themselves killed. However, the real genius of Peele’s unrelenting tale is how it all ties into the abnormalities of spectatorship, tapping into a corner of industry-wide exploitation that can have lasting psychological consequences on the likes of Steven Yeun’s former child star, which as we see through some truly terrifying set-pieces can be just as scary as whatever may be hidden in the clouds above us.
It’s a powerful, intelligent, and above all entertaining blockbuster that comments on the negative effects of spectatorship, while still being one hell of a spectacle in its own right…
Nope is now available to rent/buy on most digital platforms.
6 – THE BATMAN
While the fate of many established on-screen DC heroes remains uncertain in the midst of the new reshuffling by new head honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran, a certain Caped Crusader feels like a safe bet to continue doing what he does best, if director Matt Reeves’s truly epic new vision of Gotham City’s masked protector is any indication.
Robert Pattinson gracefully donned the Batsuit as a much younger Bruce Wayne/Batman than we’ve seen before, in a dark and gritty reboot that earns its lengthy three-hour runtime with a compelling central mystery that, for the first time in one of his own movies, makes plentiful use of his detective skills from the original comics. This was a Gotham that felt truly seedy and crime-ridden, with foes such as Colin Farrell’s scene-stealing Penguin and Paul Dano as a sinister take on the Riddler all fitting well within this universe without feeling too out of place, all while Greig Fraser’s imposing cinematography and Michael Giacchino’s instantly iconic musical score created an atmosphere that you can get fully lost in.
It was everything a Batman movie should be in this day and age, and even if “Battinson” falls victim to Gunn and Safran’s restructuring, at least we got one kick-ass movie in this newly revitalised series…
