My Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2020

With Venice Film Festival and TIFF behind us, we finally have a clearer idea of what films will make waves during this upcoming Oscars season. While things are still up in the air thanks to COVID-19 and some film releases are yet to be determined, I definitely have my eye on several films that promise to wow audiences this fall/winter! What films am I most looking for in the last few months of the year?

Director Series #1: Paul Thomas Anderson

Welcome to a new series here on Scriptophile, where I look back at the filmography of an acclaimed director and analyze each of their films! Today we kick things off with one of the biggest auteur names to come out of the 90’s: PTA himself, Paul Thomas Anderson! PTA has gone from whiz kid extraordinaire to cinephile- and Academy-darling over the past two and a half decades. How has his style and storytelling evolved over time? What kind of themes does he like to explore through his characters?

TIFF & Venice Film Festival Review Round-Up

This month gave us our first taste of 2020-2021 awards season in the form of Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, both featuring some high-profile Oscar hopefuls making their long-awaited debuts. Normally I would give each their own treatment and breakdown, but given the limited offerings this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m tackling them both in one fell swoop. What were the big winners of the festivals? Which films had a big breakout, and which stumbled out of the gates?

‘The Devil All the Time’ Film Review: Only God Can Judge Us

The Devil All the Time (2020) is a psychological-thriller period film written and directed by Antonio Campos, based on the novel of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough and others. It tells the story of multiple generations of families living in a small community in post-WWII America. Will this be a star-making turn for young Tom Holland, or is he still yet to break out from the Spidey mold?

‘Tenet’ Film Review & Analysis: Back to the Future

Tenet (2020) is the new blockbuster sci-fi action spectacle from writer-director Christopher Nolan. It stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki among others in a wild time-twisting story that would take too long to explain in full. Originally slated for prime summer release, it is finally rolling out in the States after an international debut. Will this be worth all the time and effort dedicated to it?

**Spoilers ahead!**

Foreign Film Fridays: “The Handmaiden” (South Korea, 2016)

Welcome to another installment in my ongoing Foreign Films series, in which I take a closer look at some of the best foreign films of the recent past! Today, in my ongoing quest to see all the worthwhile foreign films of the past decade, I’m exploring The Handmaiden (2016), a lesbian romance-thriller from Korean film legend Park Chan-wook. It tells the tale of a young maid tasked with helping a conman seduce a rich heiress – only to fall in love with her herself. With all the recent attention on South Korean cinema thanks to Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, it seems fitting to dive deeper into the nation’s rich cinematic history and see what else it has to offer. Let’s dive right in!

**Major spoilers ahead.**

‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ Film Review: Mainstream Esotericism

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020) is a psychological drama film from writer-director Charlie Kaufman based on the book of the same name. It stars Jessie Buckley as a young woman who travels with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) for the first time. Despite strong critical reception, it has been described as heady, cryptic, and puzzling by many – so basically par for the course for a Kaufman film. Will this be an awards season hit, or will it prove too weird for mainstream audiences?

**Spoilers ahead.**

‘Mulan’ Film Review: I’ll Make a Billion Out of You

Mulan (2020) is the latest Disney live-action adaptation of one of their classic properties. It stars Liu Yifei as the titular heroine as she fakes her identity and hides her gender to join the Chinese Imperial Army in the fight against Han invaders. After its initial release date was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Disney eventually gave up on a traditional theatrical release and dropped the film on its streaming service Disney Plus this past Friday. Is this another in a long string of disappointing adaptations, or is this something special?

2021 Oscar Predictions: September Edition

With film festivals just around the corner, awards season is officially about to begin! What films and performances will be recognized at next year’s 93rd Academy Awards? It’s still early, but never too early to start making predictions, so here goes nothing!