From the second set of near misses, I've seen 7.
The Babadook was on my shortlist, but was an early cut. I was surprised by how much I liked
Won't You be My Neighbour? despite the fact that I didn't watch Mr. Rogers as a kid, but it didn't get a vote from me. I wasn't really a fan of
Skyfall or
Hanagatami, but I liked
Midsommar,
A Ghost Story, and
You Were Never Really Here well enough.
Mandy just barely made my list, but more on that below.
From the third set, I've seen 6.
The Skin I live In and
12 Years a Slave were solid films, but neither were on my shortlist.
The Winter Soldier is generally regarded as being one of the better MCU entries, so it's weird to see it miss out when
Endgame made the Countdown. As I already said though, I'm not a fan of
Endgame so that could just be personal bias speaking. I prefer
Infinity War as well, but it didn't garner a vote from me either. I don't have anything to say about
The Force Awakens.
I, Daniel Blake was one of the few dramas on my ballot.
My List: 12
01. Dredd (2012) - #42
03. The Raid (2011) - #100
04. John Wick (2014) - #48
05. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - #39
06. The Hunt (2012) - #57
08. Predestination (2014) - DNP #110
09. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - #68
10. The Raid 2 (2014) - #75
13. I, Daniel Blake (2016) - DNP #121
14. The Martian (2015) - #82
15. Hereditary (2018) - #96
16. Get Out (2017) - #19
18. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - #56
20. Cabin in the Woods (2011) - #88
25. Mandy (2018) - DNP #112
25. Mandy (2018)
Mandy is a film that I previously thought I really liked. When I saw it in theatres, the only thing I knew was that it starred Nic Cage, and that there were some kind of horror elements involved. I was uncertain by the slow, artsy opening scenes, but there was something mesmerizing about it, and I loved the visual style. When the films goes off in its second half, I was totally on board and loved every second of it.
I thought it would place high on my list, however I rewatched it for the Countdown and wasn't really impressed. I actually turned it off 3/4 of the way through, during a section I had been excited to rewatch. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it on my list, but I decided to place it at #25 in lieu of selecting a traditional one-pointer.
13. I, Daniel Blake (2016)
Camo was the one who convinced me to watch
I, Daniel Blake ahead of awards season that year, and I really enjoyed the film and its heart-wrenching moments. I semi-recently rewatched it when it was nominated for the 22nd Hall of Fame, so I'll just repost what I said here:
Though I, Daniel Blake was one of my favourite films of 2016, before it was nominated I had no intention of ever watching it again. I wasn't sure if it would have the same emotional impact the second time around, and I was worried that the more dramatic elements would feel like a chore. Luckily the film's runtime didn't drag during this viewing, and the scenes that had previously made me tear up still managed to deliver a gut-wrenching punch to my heart. Twice now I've had to pause that scene in the food bank.
The film somehow succeeds at being both a touching story of two people who bond over their shared struggles, as well as a deeply cynical and depressing critique of the welfare system. Those emotional highs and lows make it an exhausting watch, but for all the right reasons. Dave Johns is fantastic as the titular character. His performance appears very genuine, which makes it easy to feel compassion for his plight and to want desperately for him to succeed despite the odds.
Everything from the script to the film's cinematography gives I, Daniel Blake an air of authenticity. Although there's an obvious leaning towards the grim and dreary, the visuals are very much grounded in realism. Not only does it help enhance the atmosphere, but it's a great reflection of the situation Daniel finds himself in. The political commentary is not exactly subtle, but it's quite effective, and highlights how the most vulnerable populations are often given the least amount of consideration. Though I have no desire to watch this for a third time, I'm definitely glad I saw it again.