50 Best Films Watched on Netflix in 2020
29 Tuesday Dec 2020
Posted in movies
29 Tuesday Dec 2020
Posted in movies
28 Monday Dec 2020
Posted in movies
27 Sunday Dec 2020
Here’s the 40 best films I’ve watched on HBO Go in 2020. You can find reviews for some of them on here. If you’d like me to review any of the others, please comment below. This is a list I’ve created on my letterboxd, and thought I’d also paste it in here, just like last year.
Check out my 2019 list: https://joanneholly.com/2019/12/07/45-best-films-watched-on-hbo-go-in-2019/
26 Saturday Dec 2020
Posted in movies
Tags
cinema, film, film reviews, films, horror, letterboxd, movie, movies, odeon, odeon cinemas, review, reviews
I watched 91 films at the pictures in 2019, but because of the pandemic, I’ve only seen 23 films at the cinemas this year. These are the 10 best. I’ve copied this list from my Letterboxd and thought I’d post it in here. Some of these have been reviewed on here throughout the year. If you’d like me to review any of them or any other film, please leave the title in the comments.
Check out my 2019 list: https://joanneholly.com/2019/12/10/30-best-films-watched-in-cinemas-in-2019/
25 Friday Dec 2020
Posted in tv series
Tags
13 reasons why, 911, 911 Lone Star, absentia, away, carol's second act, chilling adventures of sabrina, dead to me, f is for family, full house, fuller house, good girls, grace and frankie, greys, greys anatomy, hilary swank, how to get away with murder, htgawm, killing eve, law and order special victims unit, law and order: svu, liar, little fires everywhere, locke and key, modern family, mrs america, one day at a time, ozark, ratched, reese witherspoon, riverdale, sarah paulson, schooled, shameless, station 19, svu, the goldbergs, the good fight, the good place, the politician, the resident, the simpsons, the undoing, thirteen reasons why, this is us, tv, tv review, tv reviews, tv series, tv series review, tv show reviews, tv shows, tv shows of 2020, tv shows reviews, when calls the heart, zoey's extraordinary playlist
Last year I followed 50 shows, but this year, I followed just 38. Next year I’ll probably have around 30, as many of my shows have ended. Pandemic affected every aspect of our lives including our TV shows. Netflix cancelled all of their shows that I found interesting. Ozark, Dead To Me and Grace and Frankie will end next year. Whereas, Fuller House, 13 Reasons Why and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have ended. And The Society was all ready to start shooting season two when it was cancelled abruptly. I think this officially means I will have no Netflix shows in 2022.
Shows I watched that ended in 2020: Fuller House, How To Get Away with Murder, 13 Reasons Why, The Society, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Carol’s Second Act, Little Fires Everywhere and Schooled.
Shows that were on the list this year, but aren’t this year: Orange is The New Black, The Handmaid’s Tale (no new episodes until 2021), Younger (no new episodes until 2021), The Morning Show (no new episodes until 2021), Big Little Lies, The Unbelievable, The Act, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, Veronica Mars, Divorce, For The People, When They See Us, Chernobyl, Looking for Alaska, The Loudest Voice, The Insatiable, Light as a Feather and Soundtrack.
Crikey it’s the Irwins didn’t return, but will next year. No new episodes of American Horror Story either.
News shows that joined this year: Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs America, The Undoing, Locke and Key and Ratched, Away.
I also rewatched all of Desperate Housewives with my family. I watched the new seasons of Grey’s Anatomy Season, Fuller House, Dead to Me and Good Girls twice. I also watched Ratched, Little Fires Everywhere and Mrs America twice.
To see my review of 2018, please click: https://joanneholly.com/2018/12/30/tv-shows-of-2018/
To see my 2019 reviews: https://joanneholly.com/2019/12/31/tv-shows-of-2019/
1. Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith has Covid and they may or may not try to kill Koracick off. We learn that Teddy is bisexual and the girl she was seeing and was in love with, died in one of the Twin Towers. We learn that Teddy named her daughter after her. It’s a good finale, but it’s not Greys good, simply because the final four episodes were cut short by coronavirus. Teddy cheats on Owen for the last time, and Owen overhears it over the phone. De Luca figures out what’s wrong with Richard. He recently had a hip replacement and the cobalt from the new knee has caused an infection. Sex trafficking victim comes back in the new season’s premiere.
2. SVU
Renewed for three more season. Only on of the episodes from the new season was good. Mariska pretends she’s on Grey’s Anatomy and goes undercover as a doctor. Amanda gets temporary custody of her sister’s kid. That doesn’t go according to plan, as the father overdoses. Amanda’s mother moved to New York to help her out, yet we haven’t seen her since?
3. Shameless
Ian and Mickey got married and sadly this is the show’s last season.
4. Fuller House
I still cannot believe we were blessed with such fantastic dose of nostalgia. I remember how happy I was when Fuller House was announced 5 years ago. I loved how they managed to re-enact some of the most famous scenes from Full House including Stephanie driving Joey’s car into the kitchen, Steph and DJ’s telethon performances and so many more. I’m just so happy and sad at the same time. Full House and Fuller House will always be a part of me. Thank you for coming back, Full House. Thank you, Fuller House. See you in 20 years, Fullest House!
5. Carol’s Second Act
A very average sitcom starring Patricia Heaton.
6. Ratched
My favourite show this year. A beautiful love story starring Sarah Paulson and Cynthia Nixon.
7. Mrs America
A very good show on the women of the 60s and 70s struggle to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified. It stars Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem and Cate Blanchet as Phylis Schlafley. Gloria Steinem said she declined to participate in it because it put two women against each other instead of focusing on showing the fight for women’s rights.
8. When Calls the Heart
I enjoyed Rosemary’s struggle to have a baby. Henry is still a mess after Abigail’s departure. In this season finale Elizabeth lands a book deal and struggles with picking between the two men that have been in love with her all season. Elizabeth hugs Nathan at the end of the episode and now I ship them, possibly because the other match is too full of himself. Clara gets everyone excited about her wedding and asks Bill to walk her down the isle. While we’re dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic, Hope Valley is infested with chicken pox.
9. Station 19
My absolute favourite scene of the year is the one where Captain Herrera sacrifices his life for Andy and the Station 19 team. We learn Andy’s mom is still alive, which is the opposite of what her father let her believe. Maya’s father visits and abuses her by pulling her hair. Maya then decides to chop her ponytail off. She then runs to Karina, apologises to her and they get back together. Teddy Altman witnesses it and tries to help Maya convince Karina to take her back.
10. One Day At a Time
The show was cancelled yet again. Ray Romano guest stared in one episode and they should have done everything in their power to keep him. After getting cancelled by Netflix last year and being picked up by Pop, the writers throw a diss at Netflix in the very first minute of the season. Penelope and abuelita argue over female masturbation, after Penelope’s son walks in on her and her toy. Rita Moreno has a wonderful monologue by the end of the episode about how where she grew up is no longer her home.
11. The Goldbergs
Adam is now a senior. Will they continue the show next year? Didn’t the real Adam Goldberg go to NYU film school away from his family? We learn that the real Adam Goldberg got into NYU by submitting a great play he wrote.
12. Schooled
Lanie breaks up with Barry, she goes to see Clueless, dresses like Cher and has a Cluless realisation about CB. The finale was cute, but the show got cancelled right after. Does this mean AJ will be going back to The Goldbergs?
13. How to Get Away with Murder
One of the best shows ended. Annalise realises she’s gay, not bi and comes out to her mom. Laurel’s the witness and Michaela testifies that Annalise and Wes were having an affair. Tegan and Bonnie gush over Annalise. Hannah is found dead. Goodbye, How To Get Away With Murder, you were so good! Thanks for being a wonderful addition to my life for the last 6 years! Now I’m forever stuck crying over Frank and Bonnie. Bonnie doesn’t make it and that’s the one thing that leaves me heartbroken. No one deserved a happy ending more than Bonnie. Wes’s son riding his bike just like Wes did in the opening scene of the show and then taking over Annalise’s How To Get Away With Murder class? Brilliant. And he went to Middleton and Annalise was his mentor? Tegan finally professes her love to Annalise, who turns her down, or does she? They’re seen dancing in flash-forwards.
14. Killing Eve
I haven’t caught up yet.
15. Ozark
Laura Linney’s character has her bipolar brother killed. Julia Garner finds love with said brother before that happens.
16. Good Girls
This season could have been so much better.
17. Thirteen Reasons Why
I hated this season, but lets remember the show for what the first season is.
18. This is Us
Kevin now has twins with Kate’s anorexic friend.
19. 911
This season involved, Buck pulling himself down on a rope and breaking a window. Then the rope caught fire and they jump on the inflatable safety mattress, a pervert using a drone to stalk his future victims. Henrietta does a tracheotomy on a patient. Boy gets stuck in a well just like in The Descent. Eddie goes down to get the boy out, but the team lifts him too early and he decides to cut the rope that holds him. He’s close to drowning when he decides to swim and finds his way out. A kid gets stuck in an air balloon, after her mother doesn’t even think to hold onto the rope, after disembarking the balloon first. Kid is saved after Buck jumps into the balloon. A lady gets electrocuted after car-jacking a truck, later a male gets stuck in a freezer. There is a train derailment and Abby’s big comeback! Good for Hen for wanting to go back to school, I just hope there’s a way we can keep her on working weekends. I’ll miss her too much.
20. 911 Lone Star
Katherine’s daughter Dylan from Desperate Housewives plays Liv Tyler’s little sister. She also suffers from schizophrenia, and to everyone’s surprise, is actually alive. I didn’t know Liv Tyler sings? Obviously she’s Stephen Tyler’s daughter, but never expected her to sing? Rob Lowe’s son is shot by a kid. Everything electric dies in a solar storm. Michelle is attacked and her long lost sister finds her. A plane lands on electric wires and Owen climbs an electric tower and then slides across to the plane. Meanwhile his son tries to save a drowning bus driver. Astronauts are burned by radiation, one of them makes a phone call home, and dies while on the phone with his little daughter. Another The Descent reference! Why on Earth would you go exploring random caves. A kid stuck a little racing car up his nose and the father does the same to see how the kid got it up there so far.
21. The Resident
The Resident has a pandemic while we’re going through real life pandemic. It took them 3 episode to realise the respirator hasn’t been cleaned.
22. Modern Family
I usually cry uncontrollably during series finales, and yet I didn’t get emotional once. All kids have moved out with Alex moving to Switzerland, Luke to Oregon for college and Mitch, Cam, Lily and the baby move to Missouri.
23. Riverdale
I cannot believe they’re doing the 7 year time jump. Everything that happened since Jason’s killer being revealed and Blackhood turning out to be related to one of the 4 leads, the show has been a mess.
24. The Simpsons
I still love it, but I haven’t caught up since last season. he Simpsons adopt Santa’s Little Helper’s mom.
25. The Good Fight
Again, I haven’t caught up yet.
26. The Good Place
The final three or four episodes aired in 2020 and the ending was sad, and yet I didn’t share a single tear. I don’t think I’ll miss this show that much.
27. Absentia
I still haven’t caught up.
28. F For Family
This show is awesome.
29. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
I’m in the middle of watching the final season that came out today and it’s pretty entertaining. I will miss this show.
30. Dead to Me
Another wonderful season full of twists. I know a lot of people ship Jen and Judy, and I do too, I wasn’t at first because this show was a perfect example of queerbating, but thanks to tumblr I now am. In season two we learn that one of the girls is bisexual and is seeing a girl for three episodes. We learn that Jen didn’t shoot Steve, she killed him with a wooden bird that belongs to her younger son. Noisy neighbour is still noisy and almost exposes Jen by accident. Steve has a twin brother and at first I was very disappointed with the twin twist, but it grew on me. I loved the scenes in the bar where the girls pretend to be related to the bride to get free drinks, get hit on, just so Jen can throw in the fantastic line about getting one more jig in before throwing themselves off the bridge and another one liner about singing Hallelujah! Jen’s older son Charlie finds Steve’s car and thinks it’s his birthday gift. Jen finds out her son found the car and to dispose of evidence she decides to set it on fire. Judy gives Charlie the sex talk. Charlie attends the vigil and sees pictures of Steve in his car with his baseball cap on, the very same one his girlfriend wore in the pictures they took. Katey Segal aka Peggy Bundy, as in Christina Applegate’s mom from Married With Children plays Judy’s mom! In this episode Jen tells Judy the truth about Steve’s death and she doesn’t take it well. Judy wants to confess to the crime, but Jen ends up confessing herself. She leaves an ‘In Case of Emergency’ binder and writes three letters, to Judy and each of her sons. Jen turns herself in and leaves the kids to Judy.
31. The Politician
Only watched it for Judith Light and Bette Midler.
32. Grace and Frankie
Frankie getting Grace off the toilet is ultimate friendship goals.
33. Little Fires Everywhere
I loved this show and I have now purchased the book.
34. Locke and Key
This was surprisingly good.
35. The Undoing
Good mini series. How would Nicole’s character ever get any clients after she failed to notice who her family member really was.
36. Liar
I haven’t caught up. That 3 year break was two long.
37. Away
I loved this Hilary Swank space mini series.
38. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
A new musical starring Jane Levy and Lauren Graham.
18 Friday Dec 2020
Posted in candace cameron bure, movies
Tags
annasophia robb, candace cameron bure, decalogue, decalogue 7, dekalog, freaky, if i only had christmas, inferno, krzysztof kieslowski, ron howard, rush, taylor swift, taylor swift folklore the long pond studio sessions, the sea of trees, the undoing, words on bathroom walls
Freaky
This was a lot of fun and I wish I could have watched it on Halloween. A teacher has it out for the main character and actually gives some kid a bad grade, because they have a ‘stupid’ sounding name. When the trailer came out, Stephen King tweeted that Vince Vaughn should get an Oscar for his performance, which we know is never going to happen. However, both Vaughn and Newton give great performances here. Oh yeah, and there’s an SVU reference.
‘Did he? You know? I’ve seen SVU, I know the signs.’
7.5/10
The Undoing
I just cannot believe they never used the CCTV footage of the girl kissing Nicole. This is a very good series from the creator of Big Little Lies starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. I cannot stop thinking about Nicole’s character embarrassing herself speaking on behalf of her husband. All of her patients will leave her, if she failed to see what kind of person he was, how can she fix them?
7/10
Inferno
The worldwide pandemic is both the best and worst time to watch this film. Thanks to the gory portrayal of hell at the beginning of the film, I liked it so much more than The DaVinci Code. I haven’t seen Angels and Demons, but I’m planning to.
6/10
Decalogue 7
I rewatch Dekalog every Christmas because It’s my favourite series. Also, I love how Artur Barcis doesn’t appear in this one, but is still credited. (He appears in 8 out of the 10 films). He was supposed to play a man at the train station, but Kieslowski experienced some technical difficulties and chose not to include him in the end. Dekalog 7 (Thou shalt not steal) is about a young woman who had her teacher’s baby at sixteen, and her headmaster mother volunteered to claim the kid as her own. Six years later the daughter kidnaps her kid and plans to take her to Canada.
8/10
Rush
And to think even despite his injuries sustained from the crash, Lauda outlived Hunt by 25 years. It just proves, we don’t know what life has in store for us. I can’t lie, the final narration did make me tear up.
7/10
Taylor Swift: Folklore – The Long Pond Studio Sessions
I’ve been putting off watching this documentary, but a day before Taylor surprised us with her 9th album, I dropped everything to say goodbye to folklore. I still cannot believe we were blessed with two documentaries and two albums in a single year. I also love every single one of these songs.
‘And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?
Cursing my name, wishing I stayed,
Look at how my tears ricochet.’
9/10
Words on Bathroom Walls
wasn’t expecting to cry at this, and then the stepdad scene happened. That’s also when I realised I didn’t have any tissues in my living room. The high rating is mostly for the stepson/stepdad relationship arc.
7/10
The Sea of Trees
Only here for Naomi Watts who delivered. Sadly, Gus Van Sant did not.
4/10
If I Only Had Christmas
Candace Cameron Bure’s Christmas films get worse with each year.
3/10
05 Saturday Dec 2020
Posted in movies, sarah paulson
Tags
a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, altitude, backdraft, being john malkovich, bob dylan, don't look back, film, film analysis, film review, film reviews, films, jack malkovich, ken kesey, milos forman, movie, movie review, movie reviews, movies, offside, one flew over the cuckoo's nest, rabbit, review, reviews, ron howard, sarah paulson, the notorious betty page, tom hanks
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
I love Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys and yet this still managed to disappoint me. I watched ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ earlier this year and it was one of the best documentaries I’ve seen all year. I wish it was still available on Netflix, so I could rewatch it now.
7/10
Offside
I cannot believe that apart from the ‘temporary jail’ scenes, the film was shot on the day of the football match! I loved every minute of it.
10/10
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
I finished reading book last month, after meaning to do so for the last 15+ years. Sadly one of the things I learned is that my favourite character from the film dies tragically in the book. My favourite quote from the book:
‘I can’t wipe the razorblade scars off your wrists, or the cigarette burns off the back of your hands.’
‘Jesus, I mean, you guys do nothing but complain about how you can’t stand it in this place here and you don’t have the guts just to walk out? What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin’? Well you’re not! You’re not! You’re no crazier than the average asshole out walkin’ around on the streets and that’s it.’
‘Is that crazy enough for ya’? Want me to take a shit on the floor?’
10/10
The Notorious Betty Page
This would have been so much better if they continued the story past the 50s. There’s nothing here about her nervous breakdown and assaulting her landlord that ended with a decade long stay at a psychiatric hospital. The film suggests that all the sado-maso modelling was a result of Betty’s PTSD after years of sexual abuse and another unrelated attack. In one of the scenes Sarah Paulson tells Gretchen Mol ‘I believe the female form can stand on its own’ when Betty takes out a racy corset, then proceeds to take topless photos of her.
6/10
Altitude
Greer Grammer struggled to find the toilet at the Hecks’ house on The Middle, but managed to carry a shitty Lifetime film. This aired on Filmbox Action at 2am.
3/10
Backdraft
I’ve read some really bad reviews for Ron Howard’s new film Hillbilly Eledgy, so I thought I’d give this Oscar Nominated film of his a shot instead, especially since it’s disappearing from Netflix tonight. Hans Zimmer successfully brought tears to my eyes as always, but the script failed to do the same.
6/10
Being John Malkovich
Let’s be honest, none of us expected it to suddenly turn gay. A wonderfully twisted mind game and insight into a character’s head. So original, it hurts. Last time I was this nicely surprised with a story was when I watched The Platform on Netflix.
9.5/10
Don’t Look Back
I’m a huge fan of Parenthood, the NBC TV series and Bob Dylan’s Forever Young played in the opening credits of every episode. I feel like I haven’t learned anything new about Dylan after watching this documentary. If you like Bob Dylan, you’ll love this. This is the first musical documentary of the film crew following an artist as they travel from city to city on a tour.
6/10
Rabbit
I watched this in my Intro to Animation class this morning, and It’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen. An extremely graphic short story of greedy children brutally killing animals to get extra points from a magical genie. The kids get just what they deserve as nature gets its revenge in this BBC animation.
6/10




22 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Jessica Lange, movies, sarah paulson
Tags
all that jazz, an american tail, can you ever forgive me, film, film analysis, film review, film reviews, films, grey gardens, jack lemmon, Jessica Lange, mercury rising, miko hughes, movie, movie review, movie reviews, movies, review, reviews, run, sarah paulson, sorry we missed you, the long way home, the prestige
Run
The minute you’re done watching the trailer, you know exactly how the storyline will unfold, but you can look past it’s predictability. The very last minute of the film has a lovely twist. Both Sarah Paulson and newcomer Kiera Allen give stellar performances. It’s disappointing however, that some of the best shots from the trailer didn’t make the final cut. And they really should have made the film more bloody. This is the 800th film I’ve seen this year.
8/10
Sorry We Missed You
Ken Loach has done it again. Realest portrayal of life in England since his 2016 masterpiece, I, Daniel Blake. I am planning on watching every single film from Loach I can find.
9/10
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Julianne Moore was originally cast as Lee Israel, but left because of creative differences. Apparently Julie wanted to wear a fat suit and a prosthetic nose. I can’t stop wondering how she would have approached this character. My local cinema only showed two screenings of this film at their Silver Screen two years ago, sadly I had to miss it because of work and regretted not seeing it on the big screen since. I really enjoyed watching the two queer characters’ friendship. McCarthy’s portrayal of a lonely and miserable lesbian writer is her best yet. Richard E. Grant gives a wonderful performance as well.
8/10
The Long Way Home
Sarah Paulson got to act with Hollywood legend Jack Lemmon in this lovely TV drama. In one of the scenes Jack’s character references a scene from It Happened One Night and Sarah’s character doesn’t get it.
7/10
The Prestige
Every time I see Michael Caine, my mind automatically goes to this interview with Rachel Weisz where she explains to the talk show host how Caine pronounces his name, and the talk show host couldn’t contain himself because it sounds as if he’s saying ‘my cocaine’. It’s nothing new to us British folks, yet it’s still stuck in my memory. That’s it, that’s my review. Also, the minute David Bowie showed up, I realised I’ve seen this film before. And this film makes me want to thank whoever invented CPR.
8/10
All That Jazz
How on Earth has Erzsebet Foldi not been in anything since this film?! She’s fantastic in it! Also, it’s a crime how little screen time Jessica Lange has in this.
7/10
Grey Gardens
I watched this for Jessica Lange. I haven’t seen the original documentary, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I was scared the script would be boring, seeing how most of it was them sitting in the house, but I was nicely surprised.
7/10
Mercury Rising
I mainly watched this because I recognised Miko Hughes from Pet Sematary, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Jack the Bear, Kindergarten Cop and of course, Full House. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s sad what happened to his career after the 90s. Here Miko plays an autistic kid and stars opposite Bruce Willis. I can’t say I enjoyed this film much, but hell, it’s expiring from Netflix this week, so I thought I may as well check it out.
5/10
An American Tail
I don’t know what surprised me more, a vegetarian cat or the fact that somehow I never came across this film when I was a kid.
6/10












