By Anna Husted EBS FILM CRITIC
While 2019 was not as good a year for film as 2007—which brought us “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood,” “The Assassination of Jesse James,” “Knocked Up,” and many more acclaimed movies—it still appears as though 2019 will be stronger than 2020.
That being said, 2020 will be a year of strong directors, particularly female directors and directors of color. Check out this sneak peek of what to look for this year:
“Onward” – Pixar – In theaters now
Let’s all agree to go see the latest Pixar movie this week. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and love Ian and Barley Lightfoot, the two elf brothers in search of their father.
“First Cow” – Kelly Reichardt – March 6
Director Kelly Reichardt is known for creating beautiful, still cinematic masterpieces based in the Pacific Northwest. “First Cow” promises to be no different, creating conflict out of almost nothing.
“Mulan” – Niki Caro – March 27
The animated version of Disney’s “Mulan” was released after I stopped watching animated movies because, as a middle-schooler at the time, I was “too old” and “too cool.” Eventually I got around to seeing the original “Mulan” and I cannot wait for this live-action remake, especially with director Niki Caro at its helm. Caro’s “Whale Rider” is one of my favorite films of all time. The feminist coming-of-age stories inspire without the sappiness.
“F9” – Justin Lin – May 22
Charlize Theron is back and John Cena has joined the “Fast & Furious” family. ‘Nuff said.
“Candyman” – Nia DaCosta – June 12
Greta Gerwig showed us the brilliance of a good remake with last year’s “Little Women”—let’s see if another strong female director can do the same. At the very least, it’s unlikely Philip Glass’s original score can be beat.
“Soul” – Pixar – June 19
“Soul” is about a man who loses his love for music and is transported out of his body in this story of redemption.
“In the Heights” – Jon M. Chu – June 26
Let’s see what else Lin-Manuel Miranda has up his sleeve. Jimmy Smits co-stars.
“Tenet” – Christopher Nolan – July 17
After Robert Pattinson’s preceding decade, I’ll see him in anything, especially if it’s in the next Christopher Nolan film. The plot for “Tenet” is vague but hints at themes of time travel and evolution.
“The French Dispatch” – Wes Anderson – July 26
Writer and director Wes Anderson returns after his uninspiring “Isle of Dogs” to reestablish himself as the best director for great actors. “The French Dispatch” is about American journalists in a French town delivering news to Francophiles abroad. Starring Tilda Swinton, Elizabeth Moss, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Christoph Waltz and of course, Bill Murray.
“No Time to Die” – Cary Joji Fukunaga – November 25
If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen every James Bond film and dislike half of them, but that doesn’t stop you from hitching our wagons to Bond after Bond. I’m looking forward to what’s rumored to be Daniel Craig’s final Bond film. Hate the title, not the game.
“The Eternals” – Chloe Zhao – November 6
Yes, the Marvel Universe is still being put to screen and, yes, a lot of us are sick of it. That said, director Chloe Zhao’s approach is unique—she gave us a fresh perspective of life on the Pine Ridge Reservation in “The Rider.” I’m excited for her future work even if it is in the form of another Marvel movie.
“Annette” – Leos Carax – TBD
Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard star in director Leos Carax’s latest film about a comedian and his opera-singer wife and their especially gifted child. Carax directed my favorite film of 2012, “Holy Motors,” and has not released a feature film since. I can’t wait.
Anna Husted has a master’s in film studies from New York University. In Big Sky she can be found skiing down a mountain or at the movies at Lone Peak Cinema. When not gazing at the silver screen or watching her new favorite TV show, she’s reading, fishing or roughhousing with her cat, Indiana Jones.
