20 Best Movies Of 2020

18. Black Bear

I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Momentum Pictures

Lawrence Michael Levine's blackly comic drama Black Bear may be nowhere near as accessible as The Invisible Man, but it is another electrifying acting showcase for another fine actress - in this case the comparatively underappreciated Aubrey Plaza.

This is absolutely a film best watched knowing as little as humanly possible going in, though it's not a spoiler to say that Plaza plays Allison, a filmmaker who heads to a remote lake house seeking inspiration for her next project.

A deliciously devious, genre-hopping film which continually keeps the audience on their toes, Black Bear's true triumph lies in finally giving Plaza the platform she deserves to deliver a completely free-wheeling, ferociously unrestrained performance.

It's surely too bonkers to get much in the way of serious awards attention, but that manic, anything-goes style is ultimately what powers this ambitious, heady trip of a movie.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.