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The Top 25 Films of 2020

The Best Films of 2020
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From The Assistant to Wolfwalkers, we guide you through the cinema that survived a devastating 2020 and made it to our screens — and hearts.

The Spool Staff Posted on December 15, 2020January 3, 2021

Criterion Corner: “Crash”, “Amores Perros”, “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm”

Criterion Crash Amores Perros
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William Greaves’ avant-garde meta-doc, David Cronenberg’s work of grand theft autoerotica, and Innaritu’s dizzying debut mark this month’s Criterion entries.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 14, 2020December 28, 2020

“Tiny Pretty Things” clears a high barre for teen drama

Tiny Pretty Things
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Netflix blends Pretty Little Liars and Black Swan into a scintillating if overstuffed series about the pressures of performance.

Shannon Campe Posted on December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

P.S.H. I Love You: “Along Came Polly” doesn’t shart the bed

Along Came Polly
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Philip Seymour Hoffman’s riotous Sandy Lyle elevates the schlocky aughts rom-com to a deeply silly delight.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

“The Stand” buckles under the weight of Stephen King’s source material

The Stand CBS All Access
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CBS All Access’ all-star miniseries adaptation of the timely Stephen King novel bogs itself down in a helter-skelter structure and an acute lack of stakes.

The Spool Staff Posted on December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

Descending into the “Se7en”th circle of hell

Se7en (New Line Cinema)
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David Fincher’s 1995 serial killer thriller elevates the police procedural into a grimy fable about mankind’s fall from grace.

Soham Gadre Posted on December 12, 2020December 12, 2020

“Safety” is a feel-good Clemson ad in the guise of a sports flick

Safety Clemson
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The university takes center stage in Disney+’s latest sports biopic, lacquering on sentimentality as much as it does team spirit.

Marshall Estes Posted on December 12, 2020December 13, 2020

“The Mandalorian” Chapter 15 Recap: Ol’ Brown Eyes is back

The Mandalorian Chapter 15
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Bill Burr bursts back onto the series with some cutting wisdom on the moral gray areas of the Star Wars universe.

Megan Sunday Posted on December 11, 2020December 12, 2020

“Gunda” is a wordless symphony of the lives of livestock

Gunda
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Viktor Kossakovsky’s deeply anthropological look at the everyday rhythms of farm life bursts with precision and quietly devastating purpose.

Michael Snydel Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

Stranded teens wild out in Amazon’s survival drama “The Wilds”

The Wilds
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By stubbornly refusing to embrace subtlety or reject clichés, The Wilds ends up unapologetically great.

Tim Stevens Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

New documentary “Assassins” digs into two unlikely political killers

Assassins Documentary
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Ryan White’s documentary examines the two women who killed Kim Jong-un’s brother, and the complex web of lies and deceptions that got them to do it.

Douglas Laman Posted on December 11, 2020December 12, 2020

“The Prom” is a glittery, insubstantial musical fantasia

The Prom
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Ryan Murphy’s bajillionth project for Netflix adapts the Broadway musical to spectacular effect, even if the spectacle wallpapers over its lack of substance.

Oluwatayo Adewole Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

“Alex Wheatle” is the rare stumble in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe”

Small Axe: Alex Wheatle
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Steve McQueen’s anthology about Black life in London has its low point in a truncated biopic about the acclaimed British author.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

The composers of “Ammonite” on putting forbidden romance to music

Ammonite Composers Dustin O'Halloran Volker Bertelmann
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The composer duo talks about their years-long collaboration and the sparse, airy score to Francis Lee’s queer romance.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

“The Expanse” makes its interstellar stakes more personal in season 5

The Expanse Season 5
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Amazon Prime Video’s sci-fi series returns for another season of intergalactic intrigue, with a greater emphasis on its characters.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

A grandparent’s love goes to horrifying lengths in “Anything for Jackson”

Anything for Jackson
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A grieving couple set about a dark and gruesome plan to revive the spirit of their young grandson in this creepily effective horror-comedy.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

Hop aboard and take a bow for “Let Them All Talk”

Let Them All Talk
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Steven Soderbergh goes further back to his indie roots with a boatful of talent, loose style, and delightful improv.

Ashley Lara Posted on December 10, 2020December 9, 2020

“Star Trek Discovery” Season 3 Episode 9 Recap: A Star Trek Carol

Star Trek Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Terra Firma
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Emperor Georgiou goes on a dark night of the soul in the Mirror Universe.

Andrew Bloom Posted on December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

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