By James Owen| Columbia Daily Tribune

The year ends today mercifully.

On most other trips around the sun, I seeover 100 flicks in theaters. This year, I hit about a third of that.

Which means Ive rethought what to includeon my inventory of the best cinematic experiences of 2020. I usually reserve this list for films with some theatrical run but, with theaters closed more often than not, Iexpanded consideration to movies only available on cable or streaming services.

I still cannot pull the trigger on including limited series; they either don't tell one coherent story or don't have the same behind-the-scenes talent guiding every segment. In a single case, I treat one segment as its own experience, meriting high praise.

Enough talking, lets get to the 10best flicks of this miserable, lousy year.

10. "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"Sacha Baron Cohen pulls off a feat: creating a sequel that not only captures the strength of the first film but makes a second outing feel relevant. Our titular character comes to Trumps America with a nastier, darker sense of humor that matches the nations mood. Imagine Tocqueville with gratuitous jokes about bodily functions. Plus, Maria Bakalova as Borats long-lost daughter turns in a performance that demands Academy attention. Really!

9. "The Invisible Man"H.G. Wells horror classic has been redone so often there should be no life left in the tale of a scientist who develops a God complex with translucence. But this new version offers jaw-dropping twists; relegating the title character to a supporting villain is just the start of its innovation. Elizabeth Moss plays the abused beau of the madman in an update that captures the dynamics of the #metoo movement. Proof horror can capture our real-life fear and loathing.

8. "The Personal History of David Copperfield"Another classic with modern blood flowing through its veins. Armando Iannucci strips away the dark cynicism of his usual style, exploringhow Charles Dickens developed his mythology and partially deconstructingthe concept of autobiographical fiction. Iannucci mines a similar vein aslast years Little Woman adaptation, and pulls off a gorgeous re-telling with a phenomenal cast that includes Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, and Hugh Laurie.

7. "Tenet"I hoped Christopher Nolans brain-bending thriller would usher people back to theaters, but the timing didn't work. A shamesince this sci-fi take on the spy thriller contains vibrant ideas and epic stylings that demanda big presentation. Nolan relies on themes of obsession and regret to continue a streak of deeply personal blockbusters. Perhaps the most nakedly ambitious project of a daring directors catalogue.

6. "Let Him Go"In 1960s Montana, a couple lose their adult son, then see their grandchild fall into the clutches of a dangerous family when their sons widow remarries. The husband-and-wife team (Diane Lane, Kevin Costner) go toe-to-toe with a nasty matriarch (Lesley Manville, chewing up scenery like Barbara Stanwyck) in a battle that will remind you of the melodramatic Westerns of Howard Hawks and Sam Fuller. But the intimacy brought by our leads keeps the audience enthralled. Let Him Go is about the tension of loss and Lane, whose shift from tender to merciless is urgently dignified, is incredible.

5. "Bad Education"To understand the challenges to the education system is to understand the publics expectations of what a school is supposed to accomplish. In short, everything. Thus the subtext of Cory Finleys retelling of an early '00s scandal involving a charismatic superintendent (Hugh Jackman) and his lieutenant (Allison Janney). Theres money and sex, but all means to an end for a school district that keep property values in the community high. Skillfully unspooled, Bad Education isas smart as it is entertaining and entertaining.

4. "Mangrove"Just one segment of Steve McQueens Small Axe series on Amazon, this story centersa restaurant owner who battles the police who target his business. This part of the story is urgently relevant, but the later trial has all the drama of a great courtroom yarn. McQueens style cuts to the heart of a story thattackles plenty of historical and contemporaneous issues. Each episode is worth watching, but Mangrove"is worth celebrating.

3. "City So Real"/"Feels Good Man" (tie)To understand 2020 is to understand the unbelievable politics afoot. Both of these True/False Film Festhighlights tackle modern mechanisms in their own way. City So Real is an epic document of aChicago mayoral race that dealt with race, violence andgentrification. Covering multiple candidates, filmmaker Steve James never loses sight of the city, its issues and its people.

While City looks at the big picture, Feels Good Man focuses on a seemingly harmless cartoon frognamed Pepe and how he became a symbol of white supremacy and, ultimately, a mascot for President Trumps supporters. If you want to figure out how politics became so dark and weird, theres no better shortcut than Arthur Jones deep dive into the online rabbit hole.

2. "Soul"I often lament giving Pixar films short shrift; expectations for their work is so high. But the studio's newest entry transcends even its high standards by tapping into themes of spirituality and philosophy. I am reluctant to even get into the plot involving a jazz musician (Jaime Foxx) and a lost soul (Tiny Fey), except to say the film tackles the very meaning of life. Plus, its gorgeous. Its as though Terrence Malick hijacked a Disney cartoon. Will kids like it? I am unsure if I even care.

1. "The Assistant"The best film of the year should also be a film of the moment, and Kitty Green has crafted a precise piece of horror about sexual harassment in the workplace. Jane (Julia Garner) works for an unseen movie executive and confronts indignity in every corner, while many simply turn away or feed the hostility. What makes The Assistant so horrific is the sheer banality of Janes situation. The dull breakroom, the snickering co-workers, the trash in her boss' office. With every detail lurks complicity and, within Garner'seyes, we see her own calculations of acceptance. Not a pretty sight, but a necessary one.

Many of these films might not have made my Top Ten list during a normal year. I should also note I cut The Way Back, with Ben Afflecks haunting performance as an alcoholic basketball coach, and First Cow, with its gentle portrayal of the unforgiving frontier. 2020 stunk, but it did allow us to explore some interesting work from some very daring artists.

In real life,JamesOwen is a lawyer and executive director of energy policy group Renew Missouri. He created/wrote for Filmsnobs.com from 2001-2007 before an extended stint as an on-air film critic for KY3, the NBC affiliate in Springfield. He was named a Top 20 Artist under the Age of 30 by The Kansas City Star when he was much younger than he is now.

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Celebrating the best movies from an otherwise lousy year - Columbia Daily Tribune