15. Steven Clay Hunter (Out)
Onward and Soul might be this year’s grand theatrical endeavors from the house of Pixar, but their short work has excelled just as equally. For his directorial debut, Steven Clay Hunter unfurls a deeply passionate tale of a man reluctantly coming out to his parents after his body switches with his doggie pal. In true Pixar fashion, the short film mines rich laughs from the absurd scenario before bashing you in the gut with a ruthlessly heartfelt climax. Out stands apart for featuring the studio’s first openly gay character and a 2D style that bridges the gap between traditional animation and the current mold.
14. Zoé Wittock (Jumbo)
Until you see it, Jumbo is just that weirdo movie about a woman falling in love with an amusement park ride. Once consumed, Jumbo is a delightfully tender and human exploration. Zoé Wittock slowly engages her audience, crafting a deceptively emotional characterization. Noémie Merlant’s Jeanne is an exaggerated concoction, busting into the movie loudly and almost antagonistically. The longer we sit with her, we adjust to her situation and personality and discover more in common than the plot synopsis would have us believe.
13. Tayarisha Poe (Selah and the Spades)
Selah and the Spades began its life as a series of photographs, prose, and short films. Its story spread wildly across multiple social platforms, gaining delirious momentum before culminating in the feature. Frustrated with the lack of mainstream space regarding stories of Black teenage narratives, Tayarisha Poe burned her entire being into her debut film. Yet, she is most definitely not spent. Diving into the various interviews with the filmmaker available, there is a sense that her creative story is barely beginning. Selah and the Spades is merely the first summarization of her voice. The real excitement resides in the films on the horizon.
12. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson (Save Yourselves!)
Well before Save Yourselves! reveals its genre, the film delivers a genuinely kooky, silly, and adorable couple. “Put the big soap in the little soap!” The bathroom song shared between Sunita Mani and John Paul Reynolds shoots right to the center of my heart, and it seemed absolutely obvious that it was born from a true, private moment. Real-life creative couple Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson flood their film with scintillating spots of whimsy and relationship turmoil. Extending the stresses of coupling to the breaking point, while the world hangs in the balance, makes Save Yourselves!’s impact all the more recognizable.
11. Cooper Raiff (Shithouse)
The world did not need another movie about the struggles of childhood transition into adulthood. Then again, Shithouse digs its heels in, exposing a beautifully rendered, sterling example of college loneliness. As a director, editor, performer, producer, and writer, Cooper Raiff tears into his characters. The ordeal is one to be watched through closed fingers. It’s awkward and embarrassing and grossly accurate. It gets in some giggles, but they don’t escape without leaving a searing aftertaste of pain.
Related Topics: 2020 Rewind, directors
