Leo's top 11 most anticipated movies that he recommends you to watch in 2020

2020 is right on your face. And we're just scratching a few inches on the surface of good movie year so far. Before I present you my 11 most anticipated movies in 2020, here are some honorable mentions that you should watch too, but don't make it on my list:

• Ghostbusters: Afterlife (dir. Jason Reitman)
• The Invisible Man (dir. Leigh Whannell)
• Soul (dir. Pete Docter)
• Malignant (dir. James Wan)
• The King's Man (dir. Matthew Vaughn)
• West Side Story (dir. Steven Spielberg)
• The New Mutants (dir. Josh Boone)
• Bill & Ted Face the Music (dir. Dean Parisot)
• Death on the Nile (dir. Kenneth Branagh)

And without further ado, the main course of this article:

1. Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan)

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Easily my number one most anticipated movie of 2020. As a hardcore Chris Nolan fan (not the radical ones of course), I expect plot twist and unconventional storytelling behind his sleeves. Many describe Tenet as a cross between Inception (2010) and Memento (2000); but who cares? That backward car flipping's alone surely mindfuck us already. And also, who can't resist on Nolan's newest flick? I wait. You wait. The whole world waits for the magic of Nolan.

2. Dune (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

(source: slashfilm.com)

If there's one movie that could match Tenet, is this one. Denis Villeneuve can't get any wrong, and I love all his works (Blade Runner 2049 (2017), especially). So, reattempting an old epic science fiction drama with Villeneuve in command is a nice bet for a good movie. Villeneuve and scifi, it's like peanut butter to my bread. Perfect match.

3. The French Dispatch (dir. Wes Anderson)

(source: imdb.com)

It's been around six years since Wes Anderson did The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), his last live-action film. And I'm cautiously optimistic with this. The film's described as "a love letter to journalists set at an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city". It's good to see an idiosyncratic director like Anderson finally embraces his Francophilia at the fullest. And this time I feel it'd be huge.

4. Last Night in Soho (dir. Edgar Wright)

(Focus Features)

Ah, what a pleasant thing to hear from this movie. A director who's known for his fast-editing and visual comedy, now works in a psychological horror movie inspired by Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965)? Well, count me in. Edgar Wright's track record in leaping across genre: Cornetto trilogy (zomromcom-action-scifi), Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) (comic book movie) and recently Baby Driver (2017) (action heist musical) is definitely stellar. But horror? Hmm, my money's on this movie instantly. 

5. Wonder Woman 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins)

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

2020 will be the most celebrated year for female driven movies from DCEU. With Birds of Prey (2020) and this movie, DC's moving forward with female driven characters; something that Marvel is trying to catch-up. Expect the fully formed optimism in DCEU, fun and that rewatchable chemistry between Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. With director Patty Jenkins' full control (directing, writing and producing the movie), I'm crossing my fingers that this movie would have a significant cultural impact just like the first one did.

6. No Time to Die (dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga)

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Eon Productions)

Troubled productions, lack of budget and creative differences; sounds like a never ending plagues surrounding the production of No Time to Die. But with promising talents like Rami Malek and Ana de Armas, this last Daniel Craig Bond movie should be celebrated as a win for everyone involved. On the side note, my problem with current Bond franchise is that they're leaning toward intertextuality so much since Skyfall (2012). Don't get me wrong, I love intertextuality. But not so much if it's exploited and thus sacrificing a good story and character arc. Hope they do not overdo it in this one!

7. Mank (dir. David Fincher)

(source: hnentertainment.co)

Fincher's back to big screen since his last movie, Gone Girl (2014). And this time, he's bringing another "based-on-a-true-story" a la Zodiac (2007): a story about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (will be played by Gary Oldman) and his battles with director Orson Welles over screenplay credit for Citizen Kane (1941). Well, I didn't see this coming. Fincher's imagery on me is always about psychological thriller and general fuckedupness. And seeing him tackle on another drama genre is surely an interesting thing to watch. I'm hoping it's more like The Social Network (2010) rather than that dull The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).

8. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (dir. Aaron Sorkin)

(source: latimes.com)

This is Aaron Sorkin's second directorial movie after the underrated Molly's Game (2017). It centered on true story of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War and countercultural protests in Chicago. Looking back at Sorkin's fantastic scripts for A Few Good Men (1992), The Social Network (2010) and Steve Jobs (2015); as well as his solid directorial debut for Molly's Game, I believe this movie is in good hands. I love to see acclaimed writer trying their luck on directing movies. And I think only two people made it triumphantly: Aaron Sorkin, and the next one on my list...

9. I'm Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)

(source: slashfilm.com)

If there's one writer-director that I worshiped beside Sorkin, it is Charlie Kaufman. He surprisingly wrote and directed very mellow and saddest movies I've seen: Anomalisa (2015) and Synecdoche, New York (2008) (besides Aronofsky's Requiem for A Dream (2000) and The Fountain (2006)). Charlie Kaufman's track record alone in his great scripts and often juggling with human emotions (not to mention his unique style over substance topic), got me on board instantly for this based-on-a-novel movie.

10. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (dir. Cathy Yan)

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

The other half of DCEU's emancipation movement this year. With Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Birds of Prey hopefully becomes the beacon of feminism on comic book pop culture. The casts are solid, written by one of the most talented female writer working in the industry right now (Christina Hodson) and of course, directed by none other than Cathy Yan whose Dead Pigs (2018) I loved, loved very much.

11. Godzilla vs. Kong (dir. Adam Wingard)

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Ah, my only guilty pleasure movie for this year. I love each movie (2014's Godzilla and 2017's Kong Skull Island) and I love the fact that they're under the same roof (ahem, studio) this time, punching each other. It's like rewatching Pacific Rim (2013), but minus the Jaegers. Can't wait. And the tagline alone is flashy enough: GOD VS KING. The Best.

So that's it. That's my top 11 most anticipated movies in 2020. Use it accordingly to plan your quality date, family time or anything that you think this list will do something good for you. Oh, you're welcome.