My Top 2020 Pop Culture

…in movies, episodic TV shows, and music.

In 2018 I watched 81 movies, in 2019 I watched 83. But in 2020, the tally comes to a mere 64. What could explain such a severe drop in productivity? Yup, you guessed it — I got married! Pretty good trade off I’d say and I’m due for a rebound next year!

Well, I know you came here for lists, so let’s get to it!

Top 5 Movies

1. 1917 — The “single shot” effect cannot be understated in a movie that is so gritty and intense, but also contains stunning cinematography against a backdrop of war.
2. Tigertail — Shocked by how easy it was for this movie to tap so deeply into my Asian-American culture, from the emotional distant father and the sense of family responsibility. Worst is my ability to understand the trade off of happiness and love for said responsibility. I still don’t know what is the proper balance, if there is such a thing or maybe that’s the exact problem.
3. Hamilton — When a movie/musical can tackle so many subplots, make it relevant, and also make me question my motivations, you know that’s a winner.
4. The Queen — Been watching more Indian/Bollywood movies, and this is a gem. Besides pulling back the curtain on Indian culture, it’s a great coming-of-age story.
5. 3 Idiots — Another Indian movie, this one follows 3 friends during university and where they end up in life. Cutting between the past and present in this story-telling, I found it heartwarming and funny.

Other Movie Categories

Most Pleasantly Surprised

1. Two Popes (Netflix) — I like how the makers of this movie took artistic license in extrapolating the types of conversations these two popes would have.
2. Little Women — Everything about this movie has “chick flick” written all over it, but I found it really funny, not at all girly, and characters that I can finally understand despite the victorian language!
3. Crawl — Tense, fun, ridiculous character origin story that lends itself to this plot. Well done, well done.
4. Extraction (Netflix) — Chris Hemsworth, fantastic action sequences, ‘nuff said.
5. The Half of It (Netflix) — Fantastic, feel good, with adorable characters.
6. Palm Springs (Hulu) — Finally, a movie starring Adam Samberg that I like.

Movies You Need to Watch and Will Actually Like

1. I Am Not Your Negro
2. Monster and Men
3. Hubie Halloween

Movies I’d Have Been Better Off Not Seeing

1. Mulan — Yikes, that was a disappointment. Simply put, the movie doubles-down on targeting kids, but removed the songs and attempted to be more action/adventure. Plus it doesn’t help that the main star, Yifei Liu, wrote in a tweet, “I support Hong Kong’s police, you can beat me up now.”
2. The Last Thing He Wanted (Netflix) — Anne Hathaway, Willen Dafoe, and Ben Affleck should’ve been enough… but they definitely were not.
3. The Farewell
4. Bloodshot — Yeah, yeah, I should’ve known.

Best Actor

• Jessica James
• John David Washington

Episodic (TV) Shows

1. Witcher (Netflix)
2. Last Kingdom (Netflix, Season 4)
3. Raised By Wolves (HBO)
4. Picard (CBS)
5. Expanse (Amazon)
6. Mandalorian (Disney, Season 1, 2)
7. The Great (Hulu)
8. Ozark (Netflix, Season 1, 2, 3)

Music

1. Wait for It — Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
2. Stuck with U — Ariana Grande with Justin Bieber
3. Up Down — Jalio, Young Prince
4. ROCKSTAR — DaBaby, Roddy Ricch
5. RIP — Olivia O’Brien, G-Eazy
6. Past Life — Trevor Daniel, Selena Gomez
7. Slow Grenade — Ellie Goulding, Lauv
8. Love Me Less — MAX, Kim Petras
9. I Love You’s — Hailey Steinfeld
10. Crowded Room — Selena Gomez, 6LACKBackup Data

Backup Data

Movies

• Aeronauts (Amazon)
• 1917
• Timetrap (Netflix)
• The Report (Amazon)
• Two Popes (Netflix)
• Underwater
• Jojo Rabbit
• Parasite
• Little Women
• The Last Thing He Wanted (Netflix)
• Spenser Confidential (Netflix)
• Birds of Prey
• Yesterday
• Blow the Man Down (Amazon)
• Charlie’s Angels
• The Kitchen
• Frozen II
• Angel Has Fallen
• Tigertail (Netflix)
• Crawl
• Code 8 (Netflix) — Horrible title, but a fun little sci-fi story of mutants powers in social classes.
• The Hustle
• Stuber
• Francis Ha
• Barely Lethal
• Extraction (Netflix)
• The Half of It (Netflix)
• Bad Education
• Onward (Disney)
• The Farewell
• Rocketman — There was a moment I actually giggled with joy. And where was the song, “Candle in the Wind?”
• The Incredible Jessica James (Netflix)
• The Wrong Missy (Netflix)
• Bloodshot
• Lovebirds (Netflix)
• I Am Not Your Negro — James Baldwin
• Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Monsters and Men — John David Washington does a great job
• 7500
• Togo
• Project Powers (Netflix)
• In a Valley of Violence (2016) — Western with Ethan Hawke
• Hamilton
• Palm Springs (Hulu)
• Blindspotting
• Old Guard (Netflix)
• Ip Man 4
• Black is King
• Peanut Butter Falcon
• GreyHound
• Richard Jewel
• Aladdin
• Hemingway & Gellhorn
• The Shining
• Hubie Halloween
• The Way Back
• Tolkien
• Enola Holmes (Netflix)
• The Devil All The Time (Netflix)
• Gab We Met (Indian)
• LLDJ (Indian)
• Doctor Sleep
• The Queen (Indian)
• Bombshell
• Tesla
• The Witches (HBO)
• Mulan
• New Mutants
• 3 Idiots (Indian)
• Midnight Sky (Netflix)
• Wonder Woman 1984

Shows

• Expanse (Amazon)
• Witcher (Netflix)
• Messiah (Netflix)
• Picard (CBS)
• Altered Carbon Season 2 (Not finished)
• Living with Yourself (Netflix)
• Last Kingdom (Netflix, Season 4)
• Devs (Hulu)
• Dating Around (Netflix, Season 2)
• Ozark (Netflix, Season 1, 2, 3)
• Mandalorian (Disney, Season 1, 2)
• Yellowstone (Season 3)
• The Great
• Lovecraft
• Raised By Wolves
• Korean Odyssey
• Last Dance
• Star Trek Discovery (Season 3)
• The Gambit (Netflix)