So, What Were My Favorite Documentaries and Animated Movies of 2020?

I have watched an unfathomable amount of film in 2020, the longest year of our lives. Though I can't be exactly sure, the number is well over 200 movies, about 70 of which were released theatrically/online in 2020 itself. I'd like to think I have a pretty good grasp of this year's cinematic landscape; and, while this blog radiates with the energy of objectivity, it's here at the end of the year that I'm actually going to be entirely subjective. There will be two end-of-year lists about films, this being the first. These are my favorite documentaries and animated movies (the two film categories I do not give out KRRs to). The second list, coming soon, will be my 10 favorite narrative feature films (a.k.a. regular movies) of the year. Neither list - but especially this one - are proclamations of objectivity. These are simply the year's films I enjoyed watching the most. So, without further ado, let's start with my top 5 favorite animated movies of 2020.

My Favorite Animated Movies of 2020

I'm a pretty big fan of animated movies. When Inside Out came out, I was the lone guy in a theater row of teenage girls, and I was crying harder than any of them. Animated movies are so often overlooked as simply children's movies, and while that is clearly not the case, it's been tough to convince audiences that that's not true. This year didn't see a great deal of animated films, but there were still some knockout releases from established powerhouses and rising studios in animation alike. Just to reiterate, these are by no means all of the best animated films of the year. These are simply my favorite, and if you haven't seen them, I highly recommend doing so! Even if you don't have children.

5. If Anything Happens I Love You

So, yeah, I'm cheating right from the jump. This isn't really an animated movie. It's 12-minute Netflix short released in November. But that isn't gonna stop me from including it on the list, because it's so damn powerful! A poignant little drama about a couple that loses their child to a school shooting, it'll have you crying faster than anything else released this year. There have been a lot of animated shorts this year (I also recommend Canvas), but this was my favorite, so it feels like a rightful #5 on this list. Please go watch it!

4. Over the Moon

Originating from Pearl Studios in China, Over the Moon is a whimsical musical about a girl who goes to the moon to meet a Moon Goddess and prove to her family that love is eternal. Or something like that. I'm not actually sure of the plot. It's a little convoluted and also doesn't entirely resolve itself. For the adult movie watcher, this isn't a great film, but I would imagine that this movie slaps for kids. It has cute animals (the bunny is the best part of any movie this year), crazy visuals, and a battle rap scene that almost made me cringe to death. It's a fucking bonkers movie with some very good music. Would be number one if I were six years old. 

3. Onward

One of two Pixar releases this year, Onward is the Dungeons & Dragons of Pixar films. It follows two elvish brothers who trek through fantasy land in a broke-ass van trying to restore their long dead father through magic. It's silly, fun, and all-in-all a very good time. It isn't the high art that is sometimes unjustly expected from Pixar, but it did make me tear up just a little bit. (Look, I'm an older brother, and this movie is about brothers. You can't blame me for crying when a movie valorizes the burn-out older brother!) And unlike Over the Moon, this is a movie that adults can happily watch with their children and still enjoy for entirely different reasons. I'd highly recommend it if you have children and don't want to rewatch Cars for the 50th time. This is like the next Cars. In 15 years, we'll get the next Onward.

2. WolfWalkers

This is by far the most beautiful movie of 2020. It's absolutely stunning in vision and visuals, and it upsets me to have it at #2 on this list. It falls to second through no fault of its own though. Probably the best animated movie for both children and adults of the year, WolfWalkers is an Irish cartoon that tells the story of two girls who turn into wolves when they fall asleep, and the colonial town that's trying to capture them. Its story is a breath of fresh air in an industry that recycles the same tropes and storylines so often, and for that alone, I could not recommend this movie more highly. A part of me wishes Pixar would fuck off from releasing films this year, so WolfWalkers could sweep the Oscars and everyone would see it. But alas, you'll just have to take my word for it. Go watch this movie on as large a screen as possible. It's a visual masterpiece, and you will not be sorry.

Honorable Mentions

Two honorable mentions here: The first is Trolls World Tour. The Trolls sequel broke the Internet by being the first major movie release to ditch theaters and stream at home. If you have a child, you probably watched this movie this year. So, it deserves a nod. I also want to shout out The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, recommended by Steven Garza (we'll get to him in a bit).

1. Soul

Surprise, surprise, Pixar released the best animated movie of the year. How shocking. I hate to be such a square, and I'd love to make the case that I enjoyed WolfWalkers more than Soul, but it'd be a lie. Soul blew me away. Upon its Christmas Day release, it vaulted itself into the upper echelon of modern Pixar films, alongside Inside Out, Coco, and Toy Story 3. Left up to me, I'd say it even surpasses all of those films. It honestly might be the best Pixar film since WALL-E. And yet, I don't think it's for children, like whatsoever. Soul is through-and-through a film for adults. The animation is top notch, the story is fantastic, and the messaging hit me like a ton of bricks. I mean, I was just sitting on the couch with my family Christmas evening, bawling my eyes out. I don't think it will have that effect on children. (At least I hope not.) Like the #2 film, I can't wait to rewatch this over and over again. WolfWalkers is masterful, but Soul is a masterpiece, and I can say with zero guilt, it's my favorite animated movie of the year. 

My Favorite Documentaries of 2020

Let's get one thing out of the way: I don't watch enough documentaries. Every year, dozens upon dozens of worthwhile documentaries are released and I watch only a handful. While I've watched more than a handful this year, I obviously haven't seen all of them. I've yet to see Welcome to Chechnya, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, White Noise, or The Cordillera of Dreams, among many, many others. If there's a documentary that you're expecting to see on this list that didn't make it, it may because I didn't enjoy it or it may be because I didn't see it. The other qualifier I'll throw at the top here is that I don't count filmed theatre productions as "movies"; thus, Hamilton and American Utopia don't make the cut on these lists (though, I'd highly recommend checking out both of them). Okay, I think that's all I needed to get off my chest. I've sifted through a lot of documentary footage this year - including some absolutely astounding documentary television (*cough* The Last Dance *cough*) - and these are my five favorite documentaries of 2020.

5. City Hall

There are a lot of documentaries that could've taken this fifth spot - a few of which we'll get to at honorable mentions - but I'm giving it to Frederick Wiseman's City Hall. Never has a movie held my attention for as long as City Hall. Over an astounding four and a half hours, Wiseman takes us through every nook and cranny of the Boston City Hall and its many faculties, from garbage collection to crime reform. It is a behemoth of a documentary, meant both to lull you with its banality and entrance you with it. "No wonder nothing gets done on a government level," you'll find yourself thinking, "It's so fucking boring." And yes, what City Hall depicts is often monotonous, but it's always captivating. It is a momentous achievement from the 90-year-old filmmaker and the most immersive documentary of the year. 

4. Mayor

Odds are you haven't heard of this film. This humorous and poignant look at the mayor of Ramallah, Palestine is one of the most underrated movies of the year. It was a tough decision where exactly this belonged on the list - it was a toss up for me between third and fourth, but I knew it was making the cut from the moment it started playing. Mayor shows the most realistic depiction of Palestine I've ever seen in Western media. The occupation by Israeli forces, the struggle to govern in a land that is rarely acknowledged as sovereign, and the fight to find hope in the face of those hardships pour with heartfelt emotion from this film. Now, is it a perfect movie? I don't think so, but that's because it's too short. When the credits starting rolling, my jaw dropped. I was ready for another hour, it's that damn good. Also, it's Blair's favorite movie of the year, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that. "I fucking love Mayor," Blair just yelled. "I'm ready to rewatch it!" Bonus points for that.

3. Boys State

I'm getting the evil eye from Blair for putting this above Mayor, but these are my favorite documentaries of the year, so I'll do what I damn well please. And also, it should be mentioned, that this movie is really, really, really fucking good. Following four teenage boys in Texas as they undergo the toxic sociopolitical summer experiment known as Boys State, this documentary is a thorough examination of masculinity in all its forms. The film's takeaways differ depending on your political leanings - whether it leaves you with hope, despair, awe, etc. - but regardless of how it makes you feel, there is no doubt that it's a Rosetta Stone for the current political climate in the United States. The best and worst of American "democracy" comes out in Boys State, and for that, it should be required viewing for all Americans. Also, just some killer performances from the heroes of the movie: René Otoro and Steven Garza. Give them Oscars.

2. Time

There's no sugarcoating this, so I'll just say it outright: This is the best documentary of 2020. Hell, it might be the best movie period. Time is a black and white portrait of one family's struggle to survive over twenty years, as they fight to get their beloved father/husband out of a Louisiana prison. It is also every superlative in the book. Amazing? Absolutely. Spectacular? Without a doubt. A masterpiece? Unquestionably. The most important film of the last twelve months? Yes. Yes, it is. It isn't my favorite of the year simply because of my attachment to #1, but it is easily the most important documentary of the year. As awards season approaches, you'll be hearing about Time more and more, so if you haven't seen it, I recommend doing so immediately. Then you'll understand why it's adorned with so many superlatives.

Honorable Mentions

There are sooooooooooo many documentaries that almost made the cut. This has been an outstanding year on that front, so I wanna take a moment to acknowledge a few of my favorite runners-up. In sixth place, by a razor-thin margin, is the Romanian documentary Collective. If you think the American healthcare system is fucked, go watch this. Then, in no particular order, is Crip Camp, Disclosure, and Feels Good Man. All of these are great watches, the first two being incredibly informative, and the latter serving as a cultural touchstone. As I've said previously, there are tons of documentaries I didn't watch, so do not take this as a definitive ranking. There are also tons of documentaries I did watch but didn't enjoy, so sorry if you were looking out for those (i.e. The Social Dilemma).

1. Dick Johnson Is Dead

Boy, oh boy, do I fucking love this movie. No movie has made me laugh, cry, smile, cry, clap, or cry this year like Dick Johnson Is Dead. Kirsten Johnson's documentary about her dying father is as heartfelt as it is comical. In order to cope with his declining health, Dick decided to make a movie with his documentarian daughter, Kirsten, in which he dies over and over in increasingly cinematic ways. And while the fake deaths are silly, and the scenes of "Heaven" are outrageous, what happens in between is a special kind of touching and human. This film is above all else a love letter from a daughter to her father, and while I struggle with the failing health of my own family members, Dick Johnson Is Dead is an affecting reminder to savor the little moments. There isn't a documentary from 2020 I can recommend more highly. This hits all the beats and plucks at every one of my heart strings. Long live Dick Johnson.