A third of the way through the year, it’s safe to say that 2020 is unlike any we’ve ever faced. Cinemas are shut, large scale wide releases are on pause, and the only things being put out are independent titles, through Video On Demand services. Still, there are a great deal of quality films have that come out, along with several award worthy performances. Today, much like we did last month, we’re going to focus on these movies and acting turns, as a way of keeping a positive frame of mind. To be fair, a lot of these flicks and acting jobs will be repeats, but we’re just in a sort of holding pattern right now. Still, superior cinema is superior cinema… Let’s get right down to it. Below you’ll find my top ten of the year so far, along with my awards for the first third of 2020. Here you go folks, and enjoy: 10. Come As You Are 9. Endings, Beginnings 8. All the Bright Places 7. Onward 6. Hooking Up 5. Banana Split 4. The Invisible Man 3. Buffaloed 2. The Way Back 1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always Honorable Mentions: The Assistant, Bacurau, Big Time Adolescence, Birds of Prey, The Hunt, Impractical Jokers: The Movie, Miss Americana, Premature, Vivarium, and The Whistlers Special Citation: Bad Education (Technically a TV Movie since HBO picked up and released it on the small screen, but would have made my top ten, otherwise) Here also are my top ten performances of the year so far: 10. Sam Richardson in Hooking Up 9. Hannah Marks in Banana Split 8. Brittany Snow in Hooking Up 7. Julia Garner in The Assistant 6. Jesse Eisenberg in Resistance 5. Zoey Deutch in Buffaloed 4. Shailene Woodley in Endings, Beginnings 3. Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man 2. Sidney Flanigan in Never Rarely Sometimes Always 1. Ben Affleck in The Way Back Honorable Mention: Billy Crystal (Standing Up, Falling Down), Pete Davidson (Big Time Adolescence), Elle Fanning (All The Bright Places), Judy Greer (Buffaloed), Aldis Hodge (The Invisible Man), Zora Howard (Premature), Samuel L. Jackson (The Banker), Liana Liberato (Banana Split), Zoe Kazan (The Kindness of Strangers), Anthony Mackie (The Banker), Al Madrigal (The Way Back), Imogen Poots (Vivarium), Talia Ryder (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), and Sebastian Stan (Endings, Beginnings) Most Underrated: Buffaloed, Hooking Up, and Endings, Beginnings Most Overrated: Sorry We Missed You and Swallow […]