Hamilton’s Hype List for 2020 Movies
Shelby took some of my picks, but not all of them. We’ve got a few gems ahead of us, especially if you’re into Horror or Fantasy.
No Time To Die
Hamilton’s Notes: What the Daniel Craig era has done with this iconic character that I grew up with is nothing short of mind-blowing. Showing Bond’s cracks — a character traditionally associated with hyper-masculinity and stoic lethality — is what art and film are for: sinking an idea into concrete to figure out what blows it up.
Shelby’s Notes: Rami Malek. Part of me wishes they’d kept his reveal out of all trailers and we’d just heard his voice. I almost put this one on my hype list but figured it would wind up on yours.
Saint Maud
H Notes: I cannot tell you how absolutely stoked I am to see women helming wide-release Horror films, especially when they look this good. I watched the initial trailer (I don’t even know if there’s been a second one. I won’t watch it if there is) with my jaw on the floor.
S Notes: …you can see this one on your own.
Antebellum
H Notes: I am extremely interested to see how the filmmakers behind Kill Jay-Z handle this period fantasy/horror/thriller. But besides that, I will see any horror movie whose trailer doesn’t spoon-feed its plot and central conflict to the audience in a petition to please please buy a ticket.
S Notes: Yes yes yes.
In The Heights
H Notes: I suppose I’m supposed to like Lin because of my name, but I actually like Lin because he writes fantastic musicals. If one listen-through to the original cast recording doesn’t hook you, I really don’t know what to tell you. I’m excited for this to wash the taste of Cats out of our mouths. (okay I’m a hypocrite; I didn’t even see Cats)
S Notes: No, *I* saw Cats for the both of us. Still bleaching that one out of my brain. Also, I feel like an idiot for forgetting this was coming out in 2020. I’m sorry, Lin!
Free Guy
H Notes: The trailer made me laugh. I’m nervous that Ryan Reynolds’ hyper-self-aware schtick is going to run its course soon (if it hasn’t already), but this looks like a totally bananas good time, and I’ll be watching it with the same seriousness I would watch a Fast and Furious movie.
S Notes: I wonder if it will be as bonkers as Underground 6? From the trailers, this movie seems to know exactly what it is — and I hope it doesn’t try to be anything more.
Monster Hunter
H Notes: I will never learn my lesson about not watching video game movies. Honestly, this will probably be bad. BUT Paul WS Anderson (Not to be confused with Paul Thomas Anderson. Or Wes Anderson) gave us Event Horizon in the ’90s, as well as a bunch of fun (admit it. They’re fun) Resident Evils in the 2000s. The game (Monster Hunter: World) has an awful title, but an excellent, spooky good time with an awesome soundtrack. Give me Milla Jovovich fighting creatures, dang it!
S Notes: I know nothing about video games or this franchise, but I can sit through something with “monster” in the title and Milla and Ron Pearlman in the cast.
New Conjuring Movie
H Notes: OKAY DISCLAIMER. I know that this franchise has gone to h*ck. But this is not one of the money-grabbing spin-offs about the Nun or Annabelle. This is back to just the Warrens doing their Warren stuff. The Conjuring was incredible and The Conjuring II was better than we deserved from a horror sequel. I hold hope in my heart for the Warren family. Even if I have little hope from the dummy who gave us La Llorona.
S Notes: … again, babe, you’re on your own here. I hope it doesn’t suck, because this franchise has gone off the freaking rails — and not in the fun, campy way. The Nun was terrible, and the new Annabelle was nearly unwatchable because it was so poorly done.
The King’s Man
H Notes: It took me a second to even realize that I wasn’t watching a different cut of a 1917 trailer, and I mean that in a good way. And steering the franchise backwards in time, rather than trying to follow whatever The Golden Circle was, is a great decision.
S Notes: Oooooo yes yes. Hopefully, it can recover the franchise after that abysmal sequel.
Dune
H Notes: Cast? Check. Dennis Villanueve? Check. Solid source material? Check. Yes, I know we’re remaking a lot of 80s films, but I’m choosing to believe that Dennis is taking this back to the source, rather than trying (because honestly who can even try?) to remake Lynch.
S Notes: Okay, I hadn’t looked up the cast until you put it on your list and HOLY COW. These books are iconic, and the cast is STACKED. Also, with so much content, this could be another good sci-fi franchise in the making.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
H Notes: I am a massive, massive Charlie Kaufman fan. I know next to nothing about this movie (or the book, for that matter) other than that it’s being made, but the only thing you have to do is tell me that Kaufman wrote/directed it for me to show up. And it only takes my GIRL Toni Collette being attached for me to be hype (even if it turns out to be terrible. I’m looking squarely at you, Velvet Buzzsaw).
S Notes: Wasn’t Brie Larson connected to this at one point? This might be one that I’ll wait a bit on in the theaters. The last movie that had the words “psychological thriller” attached with Toni Collette didn’t end well for me… **shudders thinking about the last 5 minutes of Hereditary**
A note from the editor (aka Shelby): Hamilton and I both wrote our lists before seeing the trailer for The Green Knight with Dev Patel.
We would like to present that movie on a joint hype list because WOW WOW WOW. If you missed reading “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in an English lit course, you skipped out on one of the most insane pieces of literature ever created. Beheadings, chivalry, giants — what more could you need? And the tone of this trailer is right up mine and Hamilton’s aesthetic preferences.
