With the beginning of the pandemic taking place in the Sinophone world, the already tumultuous circumstances of the area reached a level pretty close to eruption. However, as it usual the case with sociopolitical instability, the creative forces of the artists emerged once more triumphant, ending up in a number of films that could easily be described as great. Taiwan cemented its place as one of the countries with the most intriguing cinema, China continued with its festival-appealing, European style movies along with a number of blockbusters, while Hong Kong took a definite step back, with the political situation in combination with the pandemic leaving an already declining industry in a rather bad situation, with very few, but occasionally notable, productions overall.
Without further ado, here are the best Sinophone films of 2020, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2020, we decided to include them.
*By clicking on the title, you can read the full review of the film
20. Hong Kong Moments (Zhou Bing)
Each person states his or her vision of democracy, of a peaceful life within the city, but at the same time the unwillingness to make a compromise or the scars left behind after an attack will likely drive people even further away. In the end, “Hong Kong Moments” is an informative and provocative documentary based on the protests against the Extradition Bill, but emphasizing how the roots of the escalation point at a much deeper problem, one which will likely define society and that will need to be addressed. (Rouven Linnarz)
19. Love you Forever (Tingting Yao)
Mainstream cinema is probably the one that most frequently is shunned, particularly among film festival circuits, for its lack of quality and the misappropriation of the huge budgets these movies usually have. Occasionally, however, titles that prove that even the a-thousand-times-used recipes can result in something magnificent do come out. “Love You Forever”, which earned a humongous $39.39 million, is one of those movies. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
18. Tigertail (Alan Yang)
Overall, “Tigertail” is a good film, especially judged as a debut feature. Alan Yang certainly had a clear vision and the discipline to follow it through. The film could benefit from a bit longer runtime and a better development of the supporting characters (who are usually relegated to a couple of traits), while it is also expected for a film about immigration to be more generous on social context. Then again, it would be a different film. This way, focused on a toll that dreams of a better life take on the inner living of a person, “Tigertail” is both brutally honest and universal, which is a merit on its own. (Marko Stojiljković)
17. Suk Suk (Ray Yeung)
While being subdued rather than flamboyant, “Suk Suk” could be mistaken for a drab film because it exists in a bit of a drab world. But in that way, it still does its characters and their stories justice, offering another aspect of life of the community that is rarely accepted by the society. (Marko Stojiljković)
16. Love Poem (Wang Xiaozhen)
“Love Poem” is an aesthetically minimalist but quite powerful drama about the end of a relationship and the reasons it has come this far. Wang Xiaozhen uses few means and relies heavily on his actors in order to uncover the emotional cruelty in a relationship, the level of violence and exploitation we endure and exercise. (Rouven Linnarz)
15. Beyond the Dream (Kiwi Chow)
“Beyond the Dream” is a truly wonderful production with raw emotional power, backed by two extremely strong performances at its core and rich camerawork. Easily among my favourite films from last year and one that, had I seen it earlier, would have certainly featured prominently in our recent list on Asian Films about Mental Illness. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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14. My Prince Edward (Norris Wong)
In many ways, “My Prince Edward” reminds me of the 2012 independent film – Frances Ha, since it has a similar identity if not the same level of exuberance as the American one. It is driven by a similar personality as the prior. With a refusal to grow-up, the lead characters in both the cases live in a state of denial – without completely acknowledging their immaturity. Still, both of them struggle to get out of the mundane routines of their lives. It is a skill to keep one interested in their flawed personalities that get shadowed by an undeniable gloominess. Norris achieves it just as well as Noah, despite a different approach. (Akash Deshpande)
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13. Sheep Without a Shepherd (Sam Quah)
With a gripping story carried across well, two eye-catching performances and strong technical aspects, “Sheep Without a Shepherd” is a thriller worthy of the success it had at the box-office. Even if the ultimate conclusion disappoints massively, the journey the characters and the entire narrative as a whole takes is fully engrossing and well worth the price of admission. (Rhythm Zaveri)
12. Finding Yingying (Jiayan “Jenny” Shi)
“Finding Yingying” is quite an impactful documentary about the abduction and murder of Yingying Chang. Emotional gripping and quite disturbing at times, Jiayan “Jenny” Shi has managed to make a film about the repercussions of the case on Yingying's family as well as the effect it had on the image of the USA for many students coming from Asia to start an academic career abroad. (Rouven Linnarz)
11. Wisdom Tooth (Liang Ming)
Powered by strong acting, as well as technical components, with He Shan's camerawork being the standout, “Wisdom Tooth” is one of the most gripping festival titles of winter season, albeit being at times confusing and frustratingly uneven. Its blend of randomness and cause and effect seems pretty much life-like. (Marko Stojiljković)
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