Award-worthy movies to watch at home

Remember when idiots on the internet were screaming about subtitled films and not 5G towers? February might as well have been a different century, so it’s hard to believe the Oscars were only a few months ago. This year, as usual, there was a sizable divide between the most popular films and the ones that score Academy Award nominations. Avengers: Endgame, arguably the most popular film of 2019, wasn’t exactly an award frontrunner and we saw heated debate about what was or was not considered cinema. Chances are you saw Endgame, but there are likely a few award-worthy films you might have missed back when life was normal. Now that everyone is staying home and consuming media like never before, this is a great chance to watch some of these great films you probably didn’t see in 2019. 

Jojo Rabbit
This film garnered surprisingly mixed reactions from fans and critics with some not liking the idea of tackling such a heavy subject with comedy—as if Mel Brooks never existed! I’m just going to go ahead and say it: those people are wrong. Jojo Rabbit is absolutely one of the best films of the past few years with incredible performances from its young cast and the mastery of Taika Waititi driving both the comedy and the heart of the story. If you skipped this one because the idea of an imaginary Hitler seemed too absurd for you, I’d urge you to give it a chance. 

Parasite
It’s so disheartening how many people missed out on this brilliant film because they couldn’t get past the idea of watching something with subtitles. I get it, Americans hate reading, but limiting yourself to only movies in English means you don’t get to see amazing stories like this. When Bong Joon-ho and company were the big winners on Oscar night, many people on social media questioned how a foreign film ended up winning Best Picture and the answer was simple: because it’s fantastic. From a story that is both funny and tragic to cinematography and set design that elevate the narrative, this movie is the one that will have even the most subtitle-averse people changing their minds.

Dolemite Is My Name
This movie is criminally underrated! Sure, mainstream audiences might not be familiar with Rudy Ray Moore and the Dolemite movies, but you don’t need extensive background knowledge to enjoy Eddie Murphy in what is probably his best role ever. This story of a ragtag group of friends coming together to make a movie is so relatable for anyone who has ever worked really hard for a seemingly impossible dream. The cast is basically packed with actors having an amazing time and bringing that joy to the audience. Dolemite Is My Name is hilarious and also surprisingly uplifting, which everyone could use right about now. And I can’t even award enough bonus points for how much I love whatever it is Wesley Snipes is doing here.

The Lighthouse
If you’re a casual movie watcher or someone who isn’t into weird shit, this might not be the film for you, but any aspiring film geeks will dig this movie. It’s bizarre, it’s black and white, it’s got the claustrophobic feel of an old movie from the early dawn of silent films, and it’s not like anything else you’ve seen recently. I thought Willem Dafoe was practically guaranteed a whole host of nominations for his performance, but I think this one was just too “artsy” for a lot of people. Plus, just like it’s hard to motivate Americans to see a subtitled film, it’s tough to convince people that good movies can be made in black in white when audiences are so accustomed to giant, bright, colorful, CGI-filled, IMAX extravaganzas.

Us
Award shows never give much love to horror movies, and that goes double for black-centric horror movies, so it’s no surprise that a lot of people slept on Us. While it might not be as good as Jordan Peele’s stellar debut with Get Out, it’s thoroughly entertaining with an outstanding performance from Lupita Nyong’o, who really deserved more recognition. The imagery of a jumpsuit-wearing family in silhouette in the driveway and the low whisper of Nyong’o’s lines in the trailer is genuinely unsettling and the movie keeps that vibe up even in more far-fetched moments. 

So there you have it. If you’re staying home and streaming this weekend, give these great movies a shot. If you have any other award-worthy films you’ve enjoyed during quarantine, let me know on Twitter.