Room – 93%

The film that brought Brie Larsen to fame and an Oscar, Room is the story of Joy and Jack, a mother and son. Joy has been held in captivity for seven years by a person known as Old Nick, her five-year-old son only knowing the confined space of the room they are held in. The film explores what happens as Joy tries to explain to Jack that the outside world they see on television is real and that the situation they are in is a very bad one.

Saint Maud – 93%

Seen by many as one of the great horror films of recent years Saint Maud is the story of a very religious nurse hired to care for the cosmopolitan and sophisticated former dancer Amanda. It is not long before Maud’s extreme religious ideas clash with the freer lifestyle enjoyed by Amanda and we realise Maud is not just religious but prepared to do terrible things as part of her beliefs.

First Reformed – 94%

A highly critically acclaimed film, First Reformed stars Ethan Hawke as Reverend Ernest Toller, a minister of a small – but historic – church, Toller is struggling with his own faith and the future of his church while trying to offer support for his congregation. After a woman asks Toller to speak to her husband, whose behaviour increasingly causes for alarm, he agrees to help and becomes more involved in the family.

De Palma – 95%

This is a documentary by Noah Baumbach on Hollywood legend Brian De Palma, director and writer of films like Carrie, Snake Eyes and The Untouchables. This is an extensive conversation with De Palma himself and archive footage from his films, he talks about filmmaking, the difficulties of working with companies to make films and film censorship in America.

Amy – 95%

A heartbreaking documentary about singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse looking at her life both before and after she became famous as well as looking at her addiction issues and how those issues were handled by the media and what impact this had on her. The film captures a lot of the highs and lows of Winehouse’s life but what is perhaps the most striking is reviewing the media speculation on her life and the outright bullying that came with it – Amy Winehouse became a constant punchline to tv hosts, comedians and more, with no consideration given to how this would impact her and those around her.

Everything Everywhere All At Once – 95%

The newest entry on the list is the uncategorisable, undefinable and perhaps un-reviewable Everything Everywhere All At Once. This is a film so brilliant and bizarre that a whole article just reviewing this one film would be insufficient let alone a collection of reviews. The film is a martial-arts blockbuster romantic-comedy avant-garde sci-fi family drama and one of the most enjoyable films of recent years.

Menashe – 96%

Menashe is a comedy-drama about a recent widower, Menashe, trying to raise his son in New York. As Menashe is part of the Orthodox Jewish community the rabbi insists his son lives with his aunt and uncle, as a single-parent family cannot possibly raise a child (in the eyes of the rabbi). Menashe is clearly a devoted and caring father who throughout insists he knows what is best for his family, and for his son. This film is almost entirely in Yiddish, with only a few instances of characters speaking in English.

The Florida Project – 96%

The Florida Project is a comedy-drama about a struggling mother and daughter, living in a motel, a stone’s throw from Disney World. There is a near-constant contrast between the financial difficulties of the family and a titanic symbol of American culture and success, indeed, the motel is called The Magic Castle, to either evoke the theme park or trick unsuspecting tourists that it is the Magic Kingdom of Disney fame. The daughter, six-year-old Moonee, is left to her own devices as her mother works and she spends time with other guests and the area around with motel manager Bobby as a protective figure to the various children.

First Cow – 96%

A film set mainly in 1820s America with a plot revolving around the first cow of a tiny town, two men, chef Cookie and Chinese immigrant Lu, concoct a money-making scheme where they will steal the milk from the cow to make cookies and other treats. Their idea is very successful with the small and isolated town lacking just about everything cookies are a luxury that everyone wants but they both know this is a serious crime and inevitably things become more complicated. The film is a sad but loving tale of the friendship between Cookie and Lu, as well as the impossibility of a poor person to better themselves without breaking the law.

The Farewell – 97%

The Farewell is based on the true life experiences of director and writer Lulu Wang; Billi is an aspiring Chinese-American writer living in New York and finds out that her grandmother, Nai Nai, still living in China, only has a few months to live. The family have made the decision to not tell Nai Nai and let her live her life unaware of the terminal diagnosis, and arrange a large family gathering in China. Billi’s family suspect she will turn her Nai Nai the truth and much is made of the different cultural norms in China and America, Billi feeling like her Nai Nai has a right to know the truth versus her family’s idea that they can spare their beloved relative fear and suffering.

Lady Bird – 99%

Already considered one of the great coming of age movies Lady Bird is an emotional and hilarious film and goes through many of the typical teenage dramas everyone goes through. The film was written and directed by Greta Gerwig in her first major directorial role and with a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes and five Oscar nominations, she probably considers it a successful first outing.

On The Seventh Day – 100%

Despite having a truly spectacular 100% score from Rotten Tomatoes this is not a particularly prominent film. A 100% score means that all of the thirty critics listed on the site reviewing the film gave it a positive review. On Rotten Tomatoes The Godfather has four critics willing to damn that film and no one said anything bad about On The Seventh Day. The film is a story about a young undocumented immigrant, Jose, in America who as well as working as a delivery worker plays on an amateur football team and with the championship coming up, Jose’s boss insists he works that day. The film takes place during the seven days between Jose learning his boss wants him to work and the championship game as he tries to work out what he should do.

Also Read: The Unlikely Success of A24

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Antebellum (21^st August)

With a cast headlined by Janelle Monáe, Antebellum looks at a modern author, Veronica, who becomes trapped in a reality-based around slavery. Will she be able to figure out what has happened to her and escape before it’s too late? Many modern horror films have dealt with issues of race (see Get Out & Us) and Antebellum looks to specifically address issues regarding past and present treatment of people of colour in potentially really interesting ways by having a plot based around a modern woman forced to feel the hardship of slavery. If handled right Antebellum could not only be scary but prove again that horror is fertile ground for thought-provoking examinations of real social issues.

The New Mutants (28^th August)

The New Mutants is a spinoff of the X-men series. Focusing on five teenagers with mutant powers imprisoned in a facility against their will. The new mutants must come to terms with their dark pasts and fight their way out of captivity. Initially set to release in early 2018, New Mutants’ release date has changed many times since then. With reshoots also taking place to make the film scarier. With it finally set to release in August many are curious to see the result of the long-delayed film. And while the film may not justify the wait, the idea of a superhero horror film with a talented cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton; Alice Braga and directed by The Fault in our Stars‘ Josh Boone is just too intriguing to resist. Hopefully, the upcoming film will at least be an entertaining attempt to do something different.

Relic (5^th October)

This Australian film is about a family that begins to have their home haunted in a way that feels like a manifestation of their grandmother’s dementia. Relic has received many good notices since its premiere at Sundance. Many reviews praised the performances of leads Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, and Robyn Nevin and the film’s slow-burning suspenseful nature. Reviews also compared the film to both Hereditary and The Babadook meaning that it could have a very divisive reception. But if the scares are built-up right, with suspense rather than shock in mind, and the characters are written and performed well, we could have another modern Aussie horror hit on our hands.

Cordelia (23^rd October)

Coming to us from TV and film director Adrian Shergold (director of Pierrepoint: The Last Hang Man); written by and starring Antonia Campbell-Hughes. Cordelia is a British horror film about the titular character who lives in a flat with her twin Caroline. Cordelia was once an up and coming actress but suffered a traumatic experience that changed her. She now seems to have recovered but when her sister and her boyfriend leave her, the trauma threatens to resurface. Boasting a cast that includes Michael Gambon and Johnny Flynn and a trailer rife with quietly unsettling imagery. Cordelia bears the hallmarks of being a potential spooky surprise.

Saint Maud (23^rd October)

The feature debut from Rose Glass follows Maud, a very religious nurse who becomes obsessed with saving her patient from damnation. With solid critical reviews, some disturbing trailers, and A24, which has produced some of the most disturbing horror films of the last decade, backing it, Saint Maud looks set to be another creepy home run for A24.

So while we may not be seeing the release of every big horror film we wanted in 2020, horror fans still have plenty of upcoming releases to look forward to. Let me know what horror films you’re looking forward to down below.

Also Read: The Best of Blumhouse

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