Well Schmoes, as 2020 fnally draws to a close we reflect on a year unlike any other in our lifetimes. Thanks to COVID-19, a limited number of movies made it to the big screen. With films debuting everywhere from drive-ins to streaming services, cinema still found a way to entertain us from the comfort of our homes. It remains to be seen what 2021 will bring but, if there is one thing for certain, there are always movies that are highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike. As the UnPopular Opinion Guy, I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt that the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you and some may just piss you off, but these are my honest to goodness perspective of the movies of 2019. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your own opinion in the talkback below (Ed note: be nice!). After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, I am just here to share mine.
Film delays became the norm in 2020, but Josh Boone's Marvel movie was delayed numerous times before COVID-19 was even a thing. After finally hitting theaters, many proclaimed the last film in 20th Century Fox's X-Men universe to be a debacle of massive proportions. While there is certainly something lacking from this horror take on mutant comic book characters, it is far from the disaster it was made out to be. A teen-centric movie that brings an all-new cast of characters to screen for the first time in years, Boone's film manages to be the most distinct X-Men film since Deadpool. It is definitely not great but it is also not that bad either.
Americans love guns and in the wake of a far too frequent mass shooting, this Blumhouse flick was delayed. One of the last films released theatrically before the pandemic shut everything down, The Hunt is a fun action flick with a satirical voice that simultaneously mocks modern American sensibilities towards firearms while celebrating them. Writer Damon Lindelof skewers liberals and conservatives in equal measure with this movie that gives Betty Gilpin a showcase she deserves while allowing Hilary Swank to play a scene-chewing villain. A throwaway movie but an enjoyably pulpy one.
Armando Iannucci's biting satirical voice helped make films like In The Loop and The Death of Stalin as well as HBO's Veep into some of the funniest and raunchiest comedies in recent years. For his latest, he takes a much different approach with a modernized and condensed retelling of Charles Dickens' semi-autobiographical novel. Led by a cast of familiar faces like Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, and the excellent Dev Patel in the title role, this new version of David Copperfield glosses over a lot of the 900-page book while retaining the heart and soul that makes it a masterpiece. Critically acclaimed, not very many of you likely saw this movie and you really should. This is a smile-inducing masterpiece.
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was the breakout star of David Ayer's Suicide Squad and thus was the logical choice to get her own spin-off. While I would have loved to see Gotham City Sirens, we got this unique girl power blend of Deadpool-esque shenanigans. Many didn't like the movie despite featuring great turns by Jurnee Smollett and Mary Elizabeth Winstead along with the always great Rosie Perez. But, while Robbie steals every scene she is in, the winner of this movie is Ewan McGregor who is one of the best comic book villains in recent memory. Birds of Prey may be a trifle but it is an enjoyable one that also cements that the DC Extended Universe does not have to emulate Marvel. They are better off delivering unique takes on these characters and Birds of Prey is definitely unique.
This is certainly the year of H.P. Lovecraft. With The Color Out of Space and HBO's Lovecraft Country revitalizing an interest in the horror writer's unearthly monsters, this under the radar flick came out of nowhere to elevate itself from Alien clone to nail-biting horror entertainment. Led by Kristen Stewart, this movie from William Eubank (The Signal) takes what starts out as a generic claustrophobic science fiction thriller and turns it into so much more. Atmospheric and legitimately scary, Underwater earns the top spot on this ranking thanks to the final half-hour. Gory, pulse-pounding and well-acted, Underwater could have used some stronger character development but still remains an absolutely fun flick.