Yah-My’s Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2020

Yah-My’s Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2020

Here are my top ten picks for movies in 2020 that failed to live up expectations and promotional hype.

Yah-My’s Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2020

10. Peninsula – Standing firmly in the shadow of its prequel, Train to Busan Peninsula is less about human relations and humanity and more about an apocalyptic mission to kill zombies. Whereas there was tension and anticipation in Train to Busan–will the characters reach Busan before the zombies get to them–Peninsula lacks a compelling premise to hold the movie together.

9. The Grudge – This 2020 remake added nothing noteworthy to its original counterparts. It was full of jump scares which were already given away in the trailer.

8. To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You – A rom-com Netflix movie, this film is stocked full of cookie-cutter characters in a formulaic storyline. An insecure, introverted girl is caught in a love triangle with two guys. Cue the hanky-panky or no hanky-panky angst.

7. The Way Back – A has-been, underdog and alcoholic basketball coach suffering a life crisis receives an opportunity to hit “restart” on life by coaching an underdog scrappy basketball team. Although there are real moments of drama, the plot about redemption is detectable from the opening scene which makes the film predictable in its rise and fall.

6. The Turning – An unassuming nanny of two children comes to understand the truth about their house. The story line was formulaic with cheap jump scares which fail to carry one scene through to the next scene. Consequently, the plot drags on and on to an uneventful climax.

5. The One and Only Ivan – This Disney family-friendly film explores the themes of personal freedom and self-discovery. Although beautifully animated, the film misses the mark in exploring these themes. The personality and dialogue of the overall characters fail to establish an emotional connection with the audience–which is necessary for these kinds of touchy-feely films.

4. Come to Daddy – An adult man visits his estranged father. Tension, grievances, anger, confusion and hope for reconciliation give way to a slow moving plot with absurd, dark and twisted humor. This movie fails to deliver a coherent premise, other than perhaps ignorance is bliss?

3. The Call (2020 American film directed by Timothy Woodward Jr.) -The trailer oversold the actual movie. After receiving a phone call, stock teenage characters are forced to confront a series of existential threats which may only be extinguished through some personal psychological or spiritual growth of the character. The movie was a diluted hybrid of the Saw series and It 2.

2. Soul – What is the meaning of life? What happens after we die? What are we meant to learn while we are here on earth? Soul is Pixar’s venture into the philosophical realms of spirituality and mortality. The movie’s premise explores the worth and purpose of human life if it is measured by material or existential accomplishments. Although the film’s animation is a feast for the eyes, more care and attention should have been given to tightening up the second half of the film. A series of scenes cause the film to drag on and on because they neither reveal nor build on the premise. Nothing new was conveyed about the protagonist or supporting characters. Consequently, the plot stalled and the audience was left staring at the screen merely waiting for the ending credits to roll.

1. Mulan (2020) – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney shelved plans for a theoretical release in favor of online streaming of its highly anticipated live-action Mulan. This film failed to live up to its animated counterpart as a family-friendly drama comedy. With the character of Mushu missing, there were no elements of humor and spontaneity to carry the movie along. Consequently, this remake went down like a spoonful of medicine without the sugar. There was a noticeable lack of tension and escalation which created a non-climatic reveal of Mulan’s secret. For its $200 million price tag, this film failed to deliver an original or entertaining take about a heroine on a clandestine mission of service and sacrifice.

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