In our last awards, we looked at the films that hit us in the feels with emotions. Well, now it is time to hard pivot to the other side of the spectrum with a look at the films that were a riot of fun. God knows we needed it in 2020. So today, I take a moment to champion those films that brought the joy, whether through upbeat action, one laugh after another, or that silliness that brings a smile to your face.

So without further ado, these are films that brought the fun in 2020. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question. Also, you can click on the banners for the full review.

A Sunburnt Christmas

When (not) Santa roles into town a family gets more than what they bargained for.      

Directed by – Christiaan Van Vuuren
Written by – Elliot Vella, Gretel Vella & Timothy Walker

Baby Done

A pair who are entirely not ready to have a baby in fact as fate would have it fall pregnant and hijinks ensue.           

Directed by – Curtis Vowell
Written by – Sophie Henderson

Emma

A charming look at the Regency era with balls, and picnics, and betrothal attempts, oh my.      

Directed by – Autumn de Wilde
Screenplay by – Eleanor Catton
Based on – Emma by Jane Austen

Enola Holmes

A twist on the Sherlock Holmes story that actually feels fresh and the perfect film to let Millie Bobby Brown’s comedic timing show.   

Directed by – Harry Bradbeer
Screenplay by – Jack Thorne
Based on – The Enola Holmes Mysteries Book ‘The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery’ by Nancy Springer and Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Freaky

What much be a ridiculous premise of a film I have seen all year, but it leans into the ridiculousness of it all and makes it a fun movie to watch as teens get killed one after another.           

Directed by – Christopher Landon
Written by – Christopher Landon & Michael Kennedy

Onward

While there is a heartfelt film in here, Onward nails the setting of what if the fantasy world made it to the modern era with all the silliness that goes along with it.  

Directed by – Dan Scanlon
Story by – Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley & Keith Bunin
Screenplay by – Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley & Keith Bunin

The Croods: A New Age

This is a very modern film smashed into a pre-history setting. It is a juxtaposition that can only work because the film commits to the juxtaposition up to and including subtitling the punch monkeys.   

Directed by – Joel Crawford
Story by – Kirk DeMicco & Chris Sanders
Screenplay by – Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Paul Fisher & Bob Logan

And the Winner is!!!!! – The Croods: A New Age

I was not sure what to expect when I sat down to watch Croods 2. What I did not expect was to laugh my metaphorical arse off for almost the whole runtime. This film is a delight, at every level, for example, the creature creation which is taking two animals and smashing them together and it just works.

It also took the time to find ways of humour outside of just the dialogue. It has physical comedy, it has referential humour, and it even has non-diegetic comedy that only the audience is privy to. There are multiple jokes using subtitles in a manner I have not seen since one of the Austin Powers films, making the whole audience burst out in laughter. I hope we get some more movies like this in 2021.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2020?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images used were created by the respective studio and artists of each film