Best of 2020: Music, Movies, and TV

2020 was indeed an odd year. Everyone was stuck inside for a portion of the year, many people were sick, and nothing seemed to be certain about our immediate future.

And while this affected the world of music, movies and television with lots of productions being delayed, there were still some wonderful pieces of media released to help keep us company during these difficult times and when we truly needed it most. Here is just a small sample of the best 2020 had to offer in music, movies and TV.

Music

Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez – Gorillaz

Right before the pandemic hit, Gorillaz began releasing singles under a project titled “Song Machine.” Thankfully, quarantine only helped the project get completed faster, and in late 2020 we got “Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez.” Featuring artists from every genre imaginable, such as Beck, St. Vincent, Elton John, Schoolboy Q, Slowthai, and JPEGMafia, Song Machine is not only ambitious, but it’s an incredibly uplifting album for a very tumultuous year.

Rough and Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan

Believe it or not, at the age of 79 Bob Dylan still has it in him to make something great. “Rough and Rowdy Ways” is the 39th studio album from Dylan, and boy is it impressive to see he hasn’t lost his touch. If you love Bob Dylan, chances are you’ll love this record.

1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues – 100 Gecs:

This choice is certainly not for everyone. Since the group’s breakthrough into the mainstream, the quality of 100 Gecs’ music has been hotly debated. Some claim that they are the next step in the evolution of pop music, while others have just written them off as nothing more than abrasive and annoying noise. I, however, am a huge fan, and “1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues” proves that. Like it or not, they’re here to stay. Although this album is mostly comprised of remixes of songs from their previous record featuring other artists, the slick sound, catchy beats, and erratic vocals make this an incredibly unique experience.

From My Perspective – Rearview Mirror

COVID-19 has not been incredibly kind to many of us this past year, and local pop-punk band Rearview Mirror was no exception. Thankfully, before the band broke up due to the virus cancelling all of its upcoming shows, and causing a lack of motivation to continue, the band released one truly fantastic album. “From My Perspective” is a wonderful album for any fan of punk rock. Dealing in subjects such as heartbreak, depression, abuse, and loss, this album hits you hard with emotion and doesn’t let go. Rest in Peace Rearview Mirror; you will be missed.

Euphoria // Falling – bAYse_

Where some bands have fallen due to the pandemic, there has also been a rise of new musicians this last year. bAYse_ is a resident of Bluefield who has dabbled in music for a few years now, but never before has he put out something as ambitious as his new EP: “Euphoria // Falling.” Thanks to his overabundance of free time this year, he was able to put out this brief, but beautiful collection of music that provides easy listening, and wonderful heights.

Honorable Mentions:
Fetch the Bolt Cutters – Fiona Apple
Punisher – Phoebe Bridgers
Run the Jewels – RTJ4
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
How I’m Feeling Now – Charli XCX

Movies

Another Round (Director Thomas Vinterberg)

Another Round (AKA Druk) is a Dutch film directed by Thomas Vinterberg that stars Mads Mikkelsen. This film centers around four high school teachers in the Netherlands trying an experiment of keeping a consistent intoxication level of .05. This film starts light and slowly turns more serious, in a way that is both warm and inviting, and cold and depressing. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll smile. This is a truly amazing film and one that should be seen by everyone.

Minari (Director Lee Isaac Chung)

Minari is a sweet little story about a Korean family in the 1980s moving to Arkansas to start a farm. As the family adapts to the new surroundings, you begin to learn more about them. You watch as the kids grow, the parents fight, and the farm slowly comes together. This is an incredibly sweet film with an incredible amount of heart.

Soul (Director Pete Docter)

Soul is a masterpiece. This film is incredibly moving, beautiful in it’s design, and stunning in its performance. The themes here are much darker and mature than your typical Disney affair, which is something I am more than welcome to after years of mind-numbingly happy films with no real message from Disney. I truly love and appreciate everything this film does, from it’s score, to the wonderful art design. This film is emotional and moving in a way I didn’t quite expect, and I’m so happy to have given it a chance.

Bill and Ted Face the Music (Director Dean Parisot)

Here was a nice welcome piece of nostalgia. Bill and Ted Face the Music is a perfect to a trilogy 31 years in the making. This film is a great return to these characters. Every character stays true to their original form, and each call back is brilliant and charming. As always Bill and Ted are an incredibly heartwarming duo, and the viewer is once again reminded to “be excellent to each other.”

Promising Young Woman (Director Emerald Fennell)

Promising Young Woman is a brilliant revenge thriller that goes far with its concept, but makes sure to not go too far. This is a story of a woman taking revenge on men who try (or succeed in) taking advantage of women. She doesn’t kill, but she certainly makes them wish they never did what they’ve done. This film is suspenseful, harrowing, and clever in its execution, and Carey Mulligan steals the show as the film’s lead.

Honorable Mentions:
Capone
Sound of Metal
The Invisible Man
Palm Springs
One Night in Miami

TV Shows

I’m going to start this section off with a disclaimer: I do not watch much TV at all. I spend much more time each year watching films and listening to music, so instead of writing praise I’ve decided to ask my family and friends for some recommendations, and here they are.

The Queen’s Gambit

“The Queen’s Gambit is a great underdog/rise to fame story about something that’s not commonly used in those stories. It’s usually rock stars or actors, but in this case it’s just simply a chess champion, and it tells a story you know about and have seen a million times before, but is cleverly written enough to stand out from the others.” – Joel Bedworth

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

“Watching the events of Tiger King unfold was like watching a train wreck. It was stressful, and at times very hard to watch, but you just can’t look away.” – Trenton Burnette

Cobra Kai Season 2

“Cobra Kai, Season 2, on Netflix is a show based on the ’80s film, The Karate Kid. This show is full of entertaining cheese with a simple plot line, but is perfect for a Netflix binge session.” – Alecia Lester

The Mandalorian Season 2

“The Mandalorian, Season 2, is so great! It makes the new Star Wars trilogy worse in comparison.” – David Lester

Anamaniacs

Call me a child, but the only show I watched out of the many released last year was a reboot of a ’90s children’s cartoon. Frankly, I’m more drawn to animation than live action shows, generally, and since the original Anamaniacs is a favorite of mine, I watched this and was frankly impressed. Anamaniacs continues to be as hilarious as ever, including the same silly lampooning of modern culture they were known for in the 90s. Instead of TV, they make fun of social media. They’ve traded making fun of Bill Clinton for Donald Trump, and modernized in many other ways. At its core, however, it is almost identical to the original show, which will be welcome to any longtime fan, like myself.

Honorable Mentions:
Upload
Wayne
I May Destroy You
Lovecraft Country
High Score