After nominating eight of ten possible Best Picture contenders in 2019, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences returned this year to a nine-film Best Picture lineup, the same total as 2018. The 2020 nominees span auteur-driven dramas, taut thrillers, comic-book adaptations and sharp satires, producing a strong, diverse field that even includes an … Read more
In the Absence (2018/2020) Director: Yi Seung-Jun In the Absence (2018/2020), directed by South Korean filmmaker Yi Seung-Jun and nominated for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, is a compact yet powerful exploration of one of the most heartbreaking civilian tragedies of recent years. The film examines the 2014 sinking of the MV … Read more
Back in October 2020, Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh told Entertainment Weekly that she “went straight from the Midsommar set to do my hair and make-up tests for Little Women,” a remark that illustrates the relentless pace of a breakthrough year. Pugh’s rise in 2019 was driven by striking performances across a variety of films — … Read more
After receiving widespread awards attention, a big opening weekend, and significant Oscar consideration, 1917 emerged as one of the most talked-about films of its year. That acclaim did not shield it from criticism. Some commentators argued the film fails to interrogate the political and ideological roots of World War I and therefore risks promoting a … Read more
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020) Director: Armando Ianucci Screenwriters: Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci Starring: Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Ranveer Jaiswal, Daisy May Cooper, Darren Boyd, Gwendoline Christie There is a familiar, almost comic idea of the dead peering down at the living with bafflement — and if … Read more
The Turning (2020) Director: Floria Sigismondi Screenwriter: Carey W. Hayes, Chad Hayes Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince The Turning, directed by Floria Sigismondi and released in 2020, is a gothic-leaning horror film that aims to blend period atmosphere, psychological unease, and conventional haunted-house scares. The film is visually striking: production design, costume choices, … Read more
Bad Boys for Life (2020) Directors: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah Screenwriters: Chris Bremner, Peter Craig, Joe Carnahan Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jacob Scipio, Kate del Castillo, Joe Pantoliano, Paola Nuñez, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig Bad Boys for Life returns after a seventeen-year gap, bringing Will Smith and Martin Lawrence back as Miami detectives … Read more
First impressions matter — you rarely get a second chance. A character’s introduction must pull us into their world, offering enough detail to spark curiosity without revealing everything. Sometimes an opening scene welcomes us in; other times it warns of what’s to come. Below are five memorable character introductions from film history, each crafted to … Read more
Just Mercy (2020) Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Screenwriters: Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rafe Spall, Tim Blake Nelson Just Mercy, adapted from the memoir of attorney Bryan Stevenson, follows Stevenson’s early legal work on behalf of people on death row, focusing closely on the case of … Read more
Spring Breakers (2012) Director: Harmony Korine Screenwriter: Harmony Korine Starring: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane Spring Breakers follows four college women who head to Florida seeking escape from their ordinary lives. What starts as a party-driven getaway quickly turns into something darker and stranger under the direction of … Read more
