December 2020 Release Radar | Film Festival Favorites Go to VOD As Blockbusters Turn To Streaming For Christmas
The year is drawing to an end, and although we all are looking forward to being done with this nightmarish year, there’s still four more weeks worth of movie releases to enjoy. And with the current state of the world, many films are resorting to streaming and VOD opportunities to reach the public.
I know I’m personally excited for movie releases this month. Many of the films coming out are ones I had the chance to check out at fall film festivals like Fantasia and AFI and I couldn’t be more thrilled about sharing these movies. Plus, the Christmas holiday will be the next test for experimental blockbuster release strategy with two former summer flicks hitting home theaters.
Lots to cover, so lets dive in.
BLACK BEAR (December 4)
***For an ideal experience, AVOID WATCHING THE TRAILER***
SYNOPSIS: The characters struggle with their various relationships with each other in a remote cabin where contentious scenarios push them all to distressing psychological extremes.
WHAT I THINK: This was a film I had the privilege to experience and cover during the Vancouver International Film Festival, with my review now published and my interview with director Lawrence Michael Levine online as well. It’s possible most people won’t enjoy this one as much as I did, but Black Bear will easily land in my top five favorite films of 2020 for its strenuous tension, unexpected storytelling, and incredible performances from it’s leading trio, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Gadon, and Christopher Abbott.
SOUND OF METAL (December 4)
SYNOPSIS: A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing. (Source: IMDb)
WHAT I THINK: I experienced Sound of Metal during AFI Fest. You can read my review here. This is a remarkable film for many reasons. Riz Ahmed gives a remarkable performance, and the film does a great job depicting the challenges of learning how to live with a disability. It’s easily a must see this season.
SURVIVAL SKILLS (December 4)
SYNOPSIS: In the style of an 80’s VHS police training video, director Quinn Armstrong follows a new police officer (Vayu O’Donnell) through routine training scenarios and instructions. But when this naïve trainee deviates from the script - putting his emotions ahead of protocol - the reality of his work hits him in unexpected ways and with dire consequences.
WHAT I THINK: Survival Skills was a favorite of mine at Fantasia 2020, and was also an official selection at two other festivals I covered: Nightstream and Raindance. You can find my review here and my interview with director Quinn Armstrong and actor Vayu O’Donnell here. The film works with a unique concept and implements that old school VHS style in an authentic and non-distracting way. And the emotional value throughout this character’s experience is much higher than you might think. It’s a quirky film, and certainly one of the most unique movies of 2020.
LOVE, WEDDINGS & OTHER DISASTERS (December 4)
SYNOPSIS: Love, Weddings & Other Disasters is a multi-story romantic comedy about the people who work on weddings to create the perfect day for a loving couple - while their own relationships are outlandish, odd, crazy and far from perfect. (Source: DDA Group)
WHAT I THINK: I have personally not been very impressed with comedies released this year. Love, Weddings, & Other Disasters could change that for me. Working with multiple unique stories, this is a film that has the potential to be funny, charming, and entertaining - all things I’d like out of movies ending the year.
MINOR PREMISE (December 4)
SYNOPSIS: Attempting to surpass his father's legacy and pressured by an old colleague (Dana Ashbrook of Twin Peaks), a reclusive neuroscientist becomes entangled in his own risky experiment. Ethan (Sathya Sridharan) has now locked himself in his home with his ex-girlfriend Allie (Paton Ashbrook) and the two navigate trauma, ambition, and missteps of the past. Diving headfirst into the uncharted equations of the brain, they realize that there is more at stake than just their relationship or Ethan’s reputation. With time quickly running out, he is forced to face off against the darker sides of himself while frantically attempting to solve an enigma that lies within his subconscious. (Source: Utopia Distribution)
WHAT I THINK: Minor Premise screened at Fantasia this year. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to catch it there, but I do love a good sci-fi film. Clocking in at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and boasting a wildly fascinating premise, I’m really excited for this to be one of the best brain teases of the year.
FAREWELL AMOR (December 11)
SYNOPSIS: After 17 years apart, Angolan immigrant Walter is joined in the U.S. by his wife and teen daughter. Now absolute strangers sharing a one bedroom Brooklyn apartment, they struggle to overcome the emotional distance between them. Walter is trying to let go of a previous relationship while his wife Esther struggles with a new country, culture and a husband who seems distant. Their daughter Sylvia is a dancer just like her father, and while she also finds her new life difficult, she bravely starts to explore the city and show herself through dance. The film is both a universal immigrant story and the unique perspective of three characters bound together by history and hope. It is an intimate and deeply personal look at an inter-generational tale that has defined America since its inception. (Source: IFC Films)
WHAT I THINK: Farewell Amor was my favorite film at AFI Fest this year and will be a part of my top 5 films of the year. You can read my review here. The way it tells its three primary stories is delicate and tender, mindful that there are good reasons for everyone’s perspective. But what I appreciated most is how authentic Farewell Amor is at communicating this story about minority immigrants without being preachy or pandering to audiences. It’s a raw kind of storytelling about the complications of family, and mature audiences who don’t mind pacing akin to Moonlight are in for a very special experience with this one.
WANDER DARKLY (December 11)
SYNOPSIS: In Wander Darkly, a traumatic accident leaves a couple, Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna), in a surreal state of being that takes them on a disorienting journey through the duality of their shared moments. By reliving fond recollections from the beginning of their romance while also navigating the overwhelming truths of their present, they must rediscover the love that truly binds them together. Writer/director Tara Miele offers a profound new perspective on the delicate nature of relationships with this emotionally moving story about a couple who must reflect on their past in order to face their uncertain future.
WHAT I THINK: Here is another film I thoroughly enjoyed out of AFI Fest. You can read my review here. In short, those who watched and enjoyed Amazon’s original series Undone will appreciate the similar time and space bending style of storytelling here in Wander Darkly. The film boasts fantastic performances from lead actors Sienna Miller and Diego Luna. And the score keeps the experience mesmerizing. It may not be a perfect movie, but Wander Darkly remains a wonderful journey with more to appreciate about it than not.
WOLFWALKERS (December 11)
SYNOPSIS: In 17th-century Ireland, a magical friendship takes shape. Young Robyn and her wolf-hunter father, Bill, are sent from England tasked with ridding the woodland outside of town of wolves. After being told to stay within the city walls, Robyn sneaks out to explore the magical world of the forest where she meets Mebh, a wild girl raised by wolves. Robyn undergoes a secret transformation, turning into the very thing her father is sent to destroy and creating a final battle between the wolf pack and townsfolk.
WHAT I THINK: Wolfwalkers won the Audience Award at AFI for best Narrative Feature, and deservingly so. The style of animation we’ve come to expect from Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart is as stylish and captivating as ever. The story might be fairly cliche, but it’s the emotional value built into the characters and their relationships with each other that make this fantastic animated film worth watching. Maybe even signing up for Apple TV+ for.
THE FATHER (December 18)
SYNOPSIS: Living alone in London and nearing 80 years old, Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) has refused another nurse that his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) has set up for him. Exuberant and independent, Anthony has struggled with his memory beginning to slip away. Anne announces she is moving to Paris with a new boyfriend, but later in the living room Anthony sees a stranger claiming to be Anne’s husband. Who is this man? Confusion sets in.
Academy Award®-winner Hopkins delivers a brilliant performance of a man with dementia, creating a powerful cinematic experience of memory and loss. Based on his award-winning play, Florian Zeller has crafted a moving and insightful portrait of a cruel disease and the heartbreak it brings. (Source: AFI Festival)
WHAT I THINK: The Father is yet another AFI Fest featured film finally receiving a wide release. You can read my review here. Here’s another time bending type story, but it comes from the perspective of an elderly man dealing with worsening dementia. Anthony Hopkins gives a heart-wrenching performance, and the phenomenal editing in this film gives audiences a much clearer understanding of how confusing and disorienting dementia is for people.
SISTER OF THE GROOM (December 18)
SYNOPSIS: Sister of the Groom follows a woman (Alicia Silverstone) who tries to put a halt to her brother's marriage to a much younger French woman over the course of their wedding weekend in the Hamptons. (DDA Group)
WHAT I THINK: Thanks to the global pandemic, many weddings had to be altered or postponed. Sister of the Groom could be a good opportunity to live the experience of a wedding without dealing with the heath risk or the ensuing drama yourself.
WW84 (December 25)
SYNOPSIS: Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah. (Source: IMDb)
WHAT I THINK: If I’m being honest, WB/DC films don’t hit with me. Much of the storytelling in films like Man of Steel, Justice League, and Aquaman are focused more on the glamor of visual effects and action rather than the construction of compelling stories with emotional sustenance. I felt that this was most certainly the case with the first Wonder Woman which boasts a lot of visual appeal - the voluptuously figure of Gal Gadot not being the least of this - but severely lacks in significant bonds between the foxy heroine and her fallen mentor, her homeland, or even her inevitable love interest. And let’s not get started on the decisions made regarding the villain. But Wonder Woman being praised for its feminist forward messaging despite its many cinema sins is fertile ground for WB/DC to repeat many of their mistakes in this sequel. I could be surprised, but I won’t get my hopes up.
SOUL (December 25)
SYNOPSIS: A musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself. (Source: IMDb)
WHAT I THINK: After milking an unnecessary 4th film out of the Toy Story franchise, I’m very happy that Pixar is back in the business of original stories this year. Onward was a decent and emotional step back in the right direction for the studio this year, which makes me excited for what they will do with Soul. I do feel like the trailers make it look a little too much like Inside Out, but there seems to be a lot of culture built into this film that will appeal to me. It seems like a great film for families to gather around on Christmas weekend.