Edited By Issy Smith

After a very different year for film, we’re all excited to see how the award season for this year will pan out and perhaps even more excited to see what our department have to say. To coincide with the launch of our Alternative Oscars poll, the Reel Talk editorial team have compiled a selection of recommendations in a collaborative ‘For Your Consideration’ two-part article. We hope these posts can act as a starting place for anyone looking to catch up on must-watches of the past year and to give you a taste of what we’ve been enjoying during the chaos and confusion of 2020.

Martin Jandejsek – First Year Film and Literature

Another Round (dir. Thomas Vinterberg)

‘Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.’ (Soren Kierkegaard)

Another Round is a rare type of film. It is about alcohol, but it doesn’t judge. It is about life, but it doesn’t patronize. It is about imperfect people but is boundlessly empathetic. It is about friendship, but it isn’t kitsch. The film follows four friends, teachers who are struggling to be truly invested in their lives. Aging men dreaming of their love-filled youth and dreading the always present, final destination of life. However, falling into despair isn’t what Vinterberg proposes, no, it is the exact opposite. We are flawed creatures, but that shouldn’t stop us from living.

The film didn’t have expansive advertising; its most famous name by far is Mads Mikkelsen (in his best shape). However, it is a masterpiece. Beautiful looking, greatly acted, flawlessly directed (Thomas Vinterberg managed to make a cohesive and complete film that leaves an aftertaste like a good wine.)  A decent, emotional, quiet film swaying from hilariousness to despair, but always returning to the middle. The happy sadness of actual life, which must be lived.

French director Jean Luc-Godard once said, ‘The cinema is truth 24 frames-per-second.’ Well, Another Round is life 24 frames-per-second.

Jahnvi Pala – First Year Film and Literature

Promising Young Woman (dir. Emerald Fennell)

Content warning: Promising Young Women explores issues of sexual assault

While the MeToo movement begins to lose momentum and fades from headlines, Promising Young Woman, a 2020 revenge-thriller, takes us on the journey of Cassie Thomas. The story unfolds as she hunts down every seemingly ‘nice guy’ who attempts to take advantage of her while she pretends to be under the influence of alcohol. As the plot progresses, the audience is exposed to the life-changing event which seeded Cassie’s unyielding motivation to seek revenge, as the film entails Cassie’s final vengeance against the perpetrators of her best friend’s assault. In one of Carry Mulligan’s most captivating and memorable performances, she sustains an emotionally vulnerable and complex persona while maintaining a powerful exterior as her character is forced to transgress the justice system that failed her once before. 

Though its ‘black and white’ approach to sexual assault has been criticised, Emerald Fennel attempts to obliterate the mindset of blaming the victim that still prevails today. The film doesn’t need to fall back upon graphically violent assault scenes, which are otherwise common in this genre, to invoke a strong emotional response from its audience. Rather, it demands a poignant yearning for justice from its viewers through Fennel’s discerning screenplay and dynamically written protagonist. The film embraces a vibrant, glossy aesthetic and a catchy soundtrack consisting mostly of throwback pop songs. 

The female-directed film utilises a misleading plot line to create a certain expectation for its viewers, just to revert to a whole other unexpected conclusion. Without giving away too much of the plot, Promising Young Woman denies its audience a satisfying ending which is reminiscent of how, when recovering from the effects of sexual assault, there is no such thing as a ‘happily ever after’.

Luke Brown – First Year Film and Literature

The Invisible Man (dir. Leigh Whannell)

Content warning: The Invisible Man explores issues of domestic abuse

The Invisible Man is a fascinating modernisation of a classic horror story, courtesy of writer/director Leigh Whannell (who many will recognise as one of the brains behind the Saw and Insidious franchises). The film follows Cecilia who, after enduring the suicide of an abusive partner, finds herself haunted by a series of strange occurrences that lead her to believe that the death was a hoax.

Although the script may have brief moments where it slips into cliché (as is a pattern with Whannell’s writing), Elizabeth Moss’ performance shines through, whether she is interacting with other characters, or simply screaming into a supposedly empty room. The inclusion of Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the titular “invisible man”, Adrian, is another genius casting choice. Similarly to Whannell, Jackson-Cohen is no stranger to the horror genre (if you aren’t familiar with The Haunting of Hill House or The Haunting of Bly Manor, both further show-off Jackson-Cohen’s skills at playing a rather intimidating force and I cannot recommend them highly enough) and has an incredibly menacing presence, even when invisible.

The Invisible Man is a film that plays with the fear of the unknown, pushing the audience to question every empty shot, dark corner, or slight movement. Ultimately, this film shows just how far Leigh Whannell has come from his work with James Wan on Saw and is well worth a watch by any fans of the horror/thriller genre. The film is worthy of much more recognition than it received following its release, for its fantastic performances and outstanding use of cinematography, and it is easily one of the best films to come out of Blumhouse in a long while.

Now that you’ve read some of our editorial team’s recommendations it’s time to have your say! The Warwick Film and Television Studies Department’s staff and students can fill out our Alternative Oscars poll here. The poll is open till 12 April 2021. We look forward to receiving your responses!