Lists are tricky beasts, so think of these as “favourites” or “most memorable” rather than subjectively “the best” of 2020.
20. I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Netflix
Charlie Kaufman was one of my favourite writers in the early-2000s, thanks to his imaginative and psychologically deep scripts for classics like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, but I haven’t enjoyed his post-2005 period as much. Since being able to direct what he writes, we’re getting his undiluted vision, which should be cause for celebration, but I often find it’s less accessible and too downbeat. He’s a better writer than a filmmaker, basically. However, I’m Thinking of Ending Things was smaller in scale and within his grasp as a director, plus it’s an adaptation of someone else’s source material.
This tale of a middle-aged woman (Jessie Buckley) going to visit the eccentric parents of her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) kept getting stranger, and didn’t end in a way that felt too confusing and alienating. It certainly had flaws and could have been paced better at times, but there was a lot here to enjoy if you’re on Kaufman’s wavelength. …
Television Review
As the Emerald Chain tightens its grip and the mystery of the Burn is solved, Burnham and the crew have one last chance to save themselves…
Judged by the standards of Star Trek: Discovery, season 3’s finale offered enough emotional beats to counterbalance the space battles and fist-fights. “That Hope is You: Part 2” was a spiritual sequel to its namesake season premiere, in that sense, and there were certainly areas where it made the Burn’s explanation feel more palatable. One just has to overlook the craziness of dilithium suddenly now interacting with sub-space, and that children born on planets comprised of dilithium can “psychically” disrupt warp-drives on a galactic level when emotionally traumatised. Just accept it, as Star Trek’s new era doesn’t seem as respectful of science fiction and instead wants to make fantasy scenarios easier to swallow with a bit of technobabble. At least it wasn’t as daft as “time crystals” that allow for time-travel last season. …
Ahead of season 2 on 15 Jan, I reviewed the first season of this creepy family drama over at Frame Rated…
Servant is a slow-burn Twilight Zone-y tale that, amazingly, rarely leaves the Turner residence. There are a handful of sequences set on the street outside and less beyond that, but we don’t often leave the handful of rooms in the one townhouse. When characters do go somewhere different, they’re usually reporting back to Sean through FaceTime calls. This all helps to give Servant a doubly claustrophobic feel, which mirror the feeling new mothers have with babies and how the four walls close in on them. — Excerpted from a full review here.
Television Review
A couple is in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force…
Click below to read my review of the inglorious last chapter in Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise..
… The New Mutants is incredibly boring. The characters are established well enough (particularly Blu, Rahne, and Illyana), but so much of this film relies on their interpersonal stories taking place in a single location. There have been many films set inside asylums and hospitals with an intimate cast, but they all contain fascinating characters and staff members. The New Mutants just doesn’t have anything of interest to show us, despite having assembled a talented mix of young actors doing their best with the material they’ve been given. — Excerpt from a full review at FrameRated.co.uk.
Blu-ray Film Review
Five mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility, fight to escape their past sins and themselves...
Things could be a-changing again.
The Mirror isn’t the most reliable source of showbiz news, but this scoop has the ring of truth to it. The tabloid newspaper has reported that Jodie Whittaker will leave Doctor Who at the end of Series 13, which is apt considering she’s playing the thirteenth incarnation of The Doctor.
The BBC have declined to comment on this report, which is perhaps a sign it’s true and they hate being forced into rushing out what was likely another big part of their marketing strategy for Series 13 — alongside the addition of comedian John Bishop as a new companion called Dan. …
