5 Cool Movies of 2020 You've Already Missed

We tell you about a batch of interesting films of 2020 that you probably haven't seen yet.

2020 will go down in film history as a very specific time when cinemas were closed for almost 4 months, and many projects were released directly online. But this fact does not affect the emergence of new, ambitious, original, and simply interesting films.

Today we invite you to consider 5 cool movies of 2020 that you've already missed due to modest advertising, genre specificity, and so on.

The Wave

Having toured various festivals at the end of last year, the film "The Wave" (also known as "The Wave" or sometimes called "Total Blowout") reached digital platforms in 2020.

The directorial debut of Gille Klabin tells the story of a guy who decides to unwind after a workday in a very engaging and unconventional way. As a result, he encounters a peculiar mix of adventures in the spirit of Martin Scorsese's film "After Hours," a drug trip, and philosophical reflections in the vein of Carlos Castaneda.

The stylish visuals, the brilliantly acting Justin Long ("Tusk," "Comet"), and the boldness of directorial techniques both in terms of narrative and the ideas expressed easily outweigh the shortcomings of most debut films, such as uneven editing and various minor mistakes.

My Dog Stupid (Mon chien Stupide)

Yvan Attal is better known as an actor, but occasionally he directs some heartfelt film about everyday matters. This year, Attal directed the film "My Dog Stupid" based on John Fante's novella "West of Rome."

At the center of the plot is writer Henri (played by Yvan Attal himself), who is in a difficult relationship with his wife and children, and is also experiencing both a creative and personal crisis. A dog accidentally appears in his life, given the name Stupid, and this circumstance significantly affects the events happening in Henri's home.

From the description, it might seem like another "Hachi" or "Marley & Me," but in reality, the dog in the film does not play a key role and does not steal the viewer's attention; it merely serves as a catalyst for changes in the characters' relationships. This is almost an ordinary and realistic family story that allows you to laugh and reflect on your own existence.

The Vast of Night

It is not uncommon for a debut director to profess love for their idols, their work, or the era in which they created their main masterpieces in their first major film. Andrew Patterson is clearly a fan of Steven Spielberg from the 70s and 80s, as his film "The Vast of Night" contains echoes of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "The Twilight Zone."

In the plot, in the late 50s in the small town of Cayuga, almost the entire town gathers for a basketball game of the local team, while radio host Everett and telephone operator Fay encounter strange sounds on the radio frequencies. Later, a mysterious call comes into the radio from a former military man who admits he has heard something similar before.

Patterson is not lacking in courage, as his debut work can be described as one long conversation lasting almost 90 minutes. No action, minimal sets, a tiny budget—none of this prevented the director from making a solid, engaging, and most importantly atmospheric film.

Through inventive camera movements, recognizable attributes of the past, and interesting dialogues, Patterson gives the viewer a sense of the inevitable approach of something unknown. Together with the characters, we try to understand what is really happening and distinguish reality from the games of imagination.

The Way Back

After the release of "The Way Back," director Gavin O'Connor can safely be called one of the leading specialists in creating strong sports dramas that can bring even tough men to tears. If in "Warrior" the director used MMA fights to tell a story about complicated family relationships, then in his new work, basketball serves as the backdrop for overcoming a personal crisis.

Ben Affleck's character Jack is a former basketball star, but a family tragedy and problems with alcohol have turned his life into a living hell. Due to his past achievements, he is invited to become the coach of the team he once led. A second chance doesn't come often, but taking advantage of it is not as easy as it seems.

O'Connor gave Affleck one of the best roles of his career and the opportunity to show the audience the pain that the famous actor actually experienced not so long ago. Even though there is nothing fundamentally new in the film, it is capable of evoking genuine emotions, and that is worth a lot.

The Lodge

Horror, as the most progressive modern film genre, continues to delight viewers with the emergence of new names and great works on a variety of topics. In the film "The Lodge," the directorial duo Severin Fiala - Veronika Franz tells about the consequences of being in a sect and that childhood cruelty is a frightening thing in a far from childish way.

According to the plot, journalist Richard (Richard Armitage) meets a new love (Riley Keough), which his two children (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) are not too happy about. To strengthen family ties, the man decides to send his beloved and his offspring on a vacation to a country house, not even suspecting what this might lead to.

"The Lodge" has all the attributes of a great horror film—a palpable atmosphere, creepy episodes (without unjustified jump scares), an unpredictable plot. At the same time, it is more than just a horror, as it raises truly important and not overly clichéd themes, and the inspired performance of the versatile Riley Keough sets this film apart from many representatives of the genre.