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Brisbane Film Critics Select 'Nomadland' As Best Of 2020
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Those films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017, The Favourite in 2018, and Parasite in 2019.
To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
- 3 points for the top film on each list.
- 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
- 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the greater number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval).
There’s no denying 2020 was a peculiar year in the world of cinema. With theatres closed and the U.S. box-office down 80% due to the impact of COVID-19, streaming services became a necessary refuge for movie lovers. For that reason, this year’s top 10 list includes movies released in Australian cinemas and also those made available on streaming platforms. The expanded options created more divergence amongst critics with no film featuring on more than 50% of the lists submitted.
Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland was released in the final week of 2020 and earned enough votes to be Brisbane critics’ top film of the year. It was closely followed by the direct-to-streaming Sound of Metal and the Oscar-winning World War I drama 1917.
The overall top 10 includes two horror-thrillers (The Invisible Man and Possessor), a Pixar animated feature (Soul), a Polish drama (Corpus Christi), a quirky crime-comedy (Kajillionaire), an American indie with non-professional actors (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), and an Aaron Sorkin legal drama with a huge cast (The Trial of the Chicago 7).
It’s a superb list of films and hopefully you get the chance to see as many as possible.
On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2020 according to Brisbane critics…
Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2020
1. Nomadland
2. Sound of Metal
3. 1917
4. Soul
5. The Trial of the Chicago 7
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. Kajillionaire
8. The Invisible Man
9. Corpus Christi
10. Possessor
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.
A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute. Hopefully we'll do it again next year!
You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2020) below.
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Matthew Toomey | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Never Rarely Sometimes Always |
| 2. | Corpus Christi |
| 3. | The Invisible Man |
| 4. | Little Women |
| 5. | Les Misérables |
| 6. | Ma Rainey's Black Bottom |
| 7. | The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? |
| 8. | Soul |
| 9. | The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
| 10. | A Hidden Life |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Babyteeth | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Elizabeth Moss (The Invisible Man) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| After We Collided | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Happiest Season | |
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Sarah Ward | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Nomadland |
| 2. | Never Rarely Sometimes Always |
| 3. | Small Axe |
| 4. | American Utopia |
| 5. | Kajillionaire |
| 6. | Possessor |
| 7. | Babyteeth |
| 8. | Sound of Metal |
| 9. | The Lighthouse |
| 10. | Corpus Christi |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Babyteeth | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Wolfwalkers | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| American Utopia | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| After We Collided | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Go! | |
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Garry Williams| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | The Current War |
| 2. | Mank |
| 3. | The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
| 4. | The Translators |
| 5. | Where'd You Go, Bernadette |
| 6. | Bombshell |
| 7. | Just Mercy |
| 8. | 1917 |
| 9. | City of Lies |
| 10. | Tenet |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Furnace | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| The Croods 2: A New Age | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Brazen Hussies | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Unhinged | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Becky | |
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Peter Gray| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Nomadland |
| 2. | Possessor |
| 3. | The Peanut Butter Falcon |
| 4. | Sound of Metal |
| 5. | Waves |
| 6. | Soul |
| 7. | Monsoon |
| 8. | Never Rarely Sometimes Always |
| 9. | The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
| 10. | 1917 |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Invisible Man | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Bee Gees; How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Sidney Flanagan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| The War with Grandpa | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Irresistible | |
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Ella Donald| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Kajillionaire |
| 2. | American Utopia |
| 3. | Never Rarely Sometimes Always |
| 4. | Nomadland |
| 5. | Mangrove |
| 6. | Proxima |
| 7. | Moonlit Winter |
| 8. | And Then We Danced |
| 9. | The Assistant |
| 10. | Dark Waters |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| In My Blood It Runs | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Wolfwalkers | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Time | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Where'd You Go, Bernadette | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Shirley | |
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David Edwards| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Corpus Christi |
| 2. | Shirley |
| 3. | The Lighthouse |
| 4. | Kajillionaire |
| 5. | Seberg |
| 6. | La Belle Epoque |
| 7. | Soul |
| 8. | The Translators |
| 9. | 1917 |
| 10. | Da 5 Bloods |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Rams | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Mystery of D.B. Cooper | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Elizabeth Moss (Shirley) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Trolls World Tour | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Bill & Ted Face the Music | |
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Rob Hudson| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Dick Johnson is Dead |
| 2. | First Cow |
| 3. | Nomadland |
| 4. | Da 5 Bloods |
| 5. | The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
| 6. | American Utopia |
| 7. | Sound of Metal |
| 8. | Possessor |
| 9. | Queen & Slim |
| 10. | Babyteeth |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| In My Blood It Runs | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Dick Johnson is Dead | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Frances McDormand (Nomadland) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Antebellum | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | |
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Baz McAlister| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Hamilton |
| 2. | 1917 |
| 3. | Da 5 Bloods |
| 4. | Love and Monsters |
| 5. | The Outpost |
| 6. | The Rental |
| 7. | Palm Springs |
| 8. | The Invisible Man |
| 9. | Greenland |
| 10. | Get Duked! |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Relic | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Wolfwalkers | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Ava | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Freaky | |
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Adam Roboczi| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Dogs Don't Wear Pants |
| 2. | Swallow |
| 3. | Waves |
| 4. | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 5. | 1917 |
| 6. | In Fabric |
| 7. | Sound of Metal |
| 8. | Possessor |
| 9. | Nomadland |
| 10. | Miss Juneteenth |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| True History of the Kelly Gang | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Class Action Park | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Tenet (most disappointing) | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Butt Boy | |
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Nick L'Barrow| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Sound of Metal |
| 2. | Nomadland |
| 3. | The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
| 4. | Soul |
| 5. | The King of Staten Island |
| 6. | The Invisible Man |
| 7. | Bad Boys for Life |
| 8. | Onward |
| 9. | Palm Springs |
| 10. | The Lodge |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| A Sunburnt Christmas | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Speed Cubers | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| My Spy | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| A Sunburnt Christmas | |
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Shayne Grieve| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Uncut Gems |
| 2. | Little Women |
| 3. | 1917 |
| 4. | The Invisible Man |
| 5. | The Lighthouse |
| 6. | Tenet |
| 7. | I'm Thinking of Ending Things |
| 8. | Soul |
| 9. | A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood |
| 10. | Borat Subsequent Moviefilm |
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Jacob Richardson| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Queen & Slim |
| 2. | Tenet |
| 3. | The Last Black Man in San Francisco |
| 4. | Soul |
| 5. | Sound of Metal |
| 6. | Palm Springs |
| 7. | Babyteeth |
| 8. | Let Him Go |
| 9. | Mank |
| 10. | The Devil All the Time |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Babyteeth | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Soul | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| American Street Kid | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Artemis Fowl | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Bad Boys for Life | |
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Matt's Top 10 Movies of 2020
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
2020 has been a year we’ll never forget… but that’s more related to COVID-19 as opposed to what we’ve seen on the big screen. I’ve been reviewing movies for over 25 years and never could I have imagined a scenario where Brisbane cinemas would be closed for over three months and major blockbusters would be debuting on HBO Max and Disney Plus in the United States.
Still, it is what it is and thankfully, we’ve been able to limit the impact of COVID-19 here in Australia. I’ve had the chance to review 151 cinema releases during 2020 (down slightly from my yearly average of approximately 200) and as always, there’s no difficulty in identifying great movies for people to watch.
You can check out all my past top 10 lists here and they go back as far as 1996.
Those worthy of honourable mentions which I couldn’t quite squeeze into my top 10 list this year were Waves, 1917, Nomadland, American Utopia, The Lodge, The Booksellers, La Belle Epoque, Mank, Pinocchio, Babyteeth, Slim & I, Honeyland and Monos.
Those are all worth seeing but if you’re looking for the “cream of the crop”, here are my top 10 movies for 2020…
10. A Hidden Life (out Jan 30) tells the true story of an Austrian farmer who was persecuted for refusing to pledge his allegiance to Adolf Hitler during World War II. As he’s done in the past, director Terrence Malick wants to show us how beautiful and simple the world is… but then contrast that with the complexity of humanity and the issues that we create for ourselves.
9. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (out Oct 1) battles to condense everything inside of two hours but it's still a riveting courtroom drama (with a splash of comedy) that's filled with top-notch performances. Based on actual events, it's the true story of an eclectic group who were charged with inciting riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A must see.
8. Soul (out Dec 25 on Disney+) is an animated feature about a middle-aged music teacher who falls down a pothole, travels to the afterlife and then must find a way home. This is deep, creative and beautiful. The kind of movie you could love as a 10-year-old and then love as a 40-year-old for completely different reasons.
7. The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (out Dec 3) is a fascinating documentary from start to finish. We begin with their upbringing here in Brisbane, we culminate with their final works, and in between we explore the brilliant music that saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There of lots of interesting subplots (e.g. the death of disco) and there really is something for everyone.
6. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (on Netflix from Dec 18) is a brilliant drama that takes place inside a Chicago recording studio on a hot summer afternoon in 1927. Based on the play of August Wilson (Fences), the film explores many topics (race, religion, money, music) but above all else, it’s a riveting tale of power. It’s easy to forget you’re looking at the likes of Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman (in his final role) given the way they embody their respective characters.
5. Les Misérables (out Aug 27) is not a remake of Victor Hugo's famed work. Rather, it's a contemporary story set in 2018 that delves into current day issues including crime, corruption and multiculturalism in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron saw the film himself in late 2019 and was rocked by its power and authenticity. That endorsement says more than any review ever could.
4. Little Women (out Jan 1) is an exquisite drama about art, wealth, family, sisterhood and unrequited love. The performances are flawless and I love the openness and affection shown by these characters towards each other. Saoirse Ronan brings a beautiful spirit to the role of Jo, Florence Pugh is outstanding as the envious Amy and Timothée Chalamet (complete with pitch-perfect hair) is adorable as the love struck Laurie.
3. The Invisible Man (out Feb 27) is an effective, memorable thriller. It's the story of a woman who is terrorised by her invisible husband (who she believed was dead). There's tension from start to finish, Elisabeth Moss is outstandingly credible in the lead role, and the crew make great use of sound and visuals.
2. Corpus Christi (out Oct 22) is an outstanding, thought-provoking drama about a young man, fresh from a stint in a juvenile detention centre, who fraudulently becomes the new priest in a small Polish town. There's plenty to sit back and ponder here. It's easy to see why it was nominated at the Oscars for Best International Feature Film.
1. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (out Oct 29) is the story of a 17-year-old girl who, accompanied by her cousin, travels from Pennsylvania to New York to have an abortion. This is a powerful, complex, emotional drama that takes us inside the world of a scared, anxious individual. One of the year's best. Sensational performances.
Interview - Director Philippa Lowthorpe on 'Misbehaviour'
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- Written by Matthew Toomey
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Misbehaviour finally makes its way into Australian cinemas this week and I recently spoke to director Philippa Lowthorpe (Three Girls, The Crown) about the production…
Matt: How’s it going?
Philippa: It’s going very well except for the fact we’re in lockdown here in the UK.
Matt: So has the film already been released in the UK or has it been delayed because of COVID?
Philippa: We had a really sad happening. The film was released in March on a Friday into 550 cinemas in the UK. It had the most amazing publicity campaign by Pathé only for cinemas to be shut down the following Monday. It really did crash into the pandemic and we were absolutely gutted. It had fantastic reviews and had been so well received at previews and at the premiere. It was heartbreaking to have put in all that work and then for cinemas to close.
Matt: How did this script from Gaby Chiappe and Rebecca Flynn first come across your desk?
Philippa: I was working on The Crown with our producer Suzanne Mackie and she told me she had this fantastic script about the Miss World competition in 1970. I almost stopped her right there and said “I love it”. She sent me the script and I thought it was a brilliant idea for a film. I love stories about women and those based in truth. I used to be a documentary filmmaker and a lot of work I’ve done is about true life stories.
Matt: You tell the story from multiple perspectives – the activists, the organisers, the families and even Bob Hope. What was behind that creative decision as opposed to focusing on one particular viewpoint?
Philippa: I think it was important to have different viewpoints because once we started delving into the research, we realised there was more than just one thing happening. Not only were the white feminists getting together and trying to put women’s liberation on the map, it was also the year the first black woman won the competition. Those two things showed we had to tell this from multiple points of views.
In 1970, there were so few opportunities for women to do anything and so the competition was one of their only ways to try to get more opportunities out of life. But then on the other side, you’ve got the feminists who were desperate to fight for equality, education, child care and equal pay.
Matt: I do like the greyness with a lot of the subplots. We think Keira Knightley’s character is doing the right thing and standing up for women’s rights but then we see a conversation between her and Gugu Mbatha-Raw who offers a different opinion as a black woman. Is this something you were conscious of a director and illustrating the opposing points of view?
Philippa: You’re right. That scene is very important. It’s the emotional climax of the film. Many of the scenes were based in real life but that scene came from a conversation I had with the real Jennifer Hosten. When she met Sally Alexander for the first time many years later as part of a radio program in the UK called The Reunion, they had that same conversation. They explained to each other why they did what they did and it felt so moving. We knew we had to put that in the film.
Matt: In doing some further research about the 1970 Miss World competition, I read there was a lot of controversy around the selection of the winner and the judging. Was there thought of including that as a subplot within the film?
Philippa: We would have loved to. We could have made a whole series of films about this event but unfortunately, we had to leave it somewhere. The aftermath of the competition was very interesting because in some circles, there was a huge backlash against Jennifer winning because she was black with people thinking that Miss Sweden should have won because she was white and blonde. We incorporated some of that into the body of the film by showing the subtle racism that Jennifer encountered.
Matt: From a casting perspective, I can imagine Bob Hope being a tricky one because he’s someone so many people will be familiar with in terms of his look and his voice and his mannerisms. What were you looking for and how did you settle on Greg Kinnear?
Philippa: You’re absolutely right. Playing Bob Hope is a real challenge for an actor partly because he’s still such a beloved comedy icon in America. Many actors wouldn’t be brave enough to take on that role and show Bob Hope how he was. We wanted an actor who could inhabit Bob Hope as opposed to impersonating him. We wanted someone to get the essence of him. Greg is a fine actor who has wonderful comedic timing and we wanted him to bring a kind of pathos to Bob’s character and luckily, he said yes.
Matt: I don’t want to give too much away about the finale but some of the women involved with the actual Miss World competition in 1970 are still alive today. Did you get a chance to show them the film and hear what they had to say?
Philippa: Absolutely. The real women involved gave us so much of their time during the research period of the film. We met them many times. When the film was complete, we had private screenings so they could see it and discuss it. For the feminists, they’re quite shy people and so to see themselves played on screen by Keira Knightley and Jessie Buckley was an overawing experience. They’ve remained friends all these years and they’ve been totally supportive of the film. It’s been one of the loveliest things for me – getting to know these women.
Matt: What are you working on at the moment? Is there much you can do from within a COVID lockdown?
Philippa: It’s very difficult. I just finished directing episodes of The Third Day which is a miniseries which will soon be on HBO in Australia. It’s very different from Misbehaviour in that it’s a creepy thriller and it was very fun to do.
Interview - Writer-Director Miranda July on 'Kajillionaire'
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
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Kajillionaire marks the third full length feature film for writer-director Miranda July. It’s about to be released in Australian cinemas and I was lucky to chat with Miranda about the production…
Matt: The first time I think I heard the name Miranda July was back in 2005 when you made and starred in You and Me and Everyone We Know. It’s hard to believe 15 years have passed. Do you look back on that film fondly?
Miranda: This year, the film became part of the Criterion Collection so I was forced to watch it. It’s sort of torturous because I don’t generally watch my movies after I’m done with them. I think enough time has passed now that I forgive myself for whatever I didn’t know at the time.
Matt: Kajillionaire is such an offbeat story. Where did the idea come from? Was it inspired by something?
Miranda: I watched Mission: Impossible, the TV show, a lot when I was a kid. It was like every single night with my big brother. I feel like I’ve always had that language of reversals and high anxiety and where nobody knows who’s good and who’s bad.
I had all that in my back pocket and so when these characters came to me one morning, this family of con-artists, the great challenge was how to develop them using “my emotional language” like me as a mother and a daughter.
Matt: The characters here are very distinctive. I’m not talking about just the 4 leads but also the supporting players – like the crying office landlord. How do you approach that? Do you have that vision from the very start when writing the screenplay or does it more evolve through the casting process?
Miranda: I’m a fiction writer and so I err on the side of thinking I can put it all on the page. My scripts are always long because I try to explain every part of these people. It’s then kind of a miracle when you meet the right actor and suddenly, there’s the soul of a person who has lived this whole life. I love that. That collaboration is like magic.
Matt: An interesting attribute to these characters is their paranoia around things like earthquakes and flying on planes. How did that weave its way into the screenplay?
Miranda: I’m calling from Los Angeles right now where there could be an earthquake at any moment and I have grown up with that fear living here in California. It’s always an interesting barometer of a person’s broader anxiety levels here. How much are they actively thinking about earthquakes or are they more like Gina Rodriguez’s character and going “YOLO, what are you gonna do?” That was a really helpful metaphor.
Matt: It’s an interesting performance from Evan Rachel Wood who takes on such a deep, monotone voice – different from what we’d normally see from her on screen. Did that take a huge amount of effort on her part? Where did that come from?
Miranda: She revealed that to me during our rehearsal process. She started talking with a deep voice and she said that was her original voice and that she’s trained it higher with a vocal coach because she’s a singer. When she did that, I could see right away that she’d drop into the character of Old Dolio. I felt lucky that she’d never used that voice for anything else.
Matt: Two accomplished Oscar nominated actors – Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger. How did they come on board?
Miranda: I wrote a very heartfelt letter to Richard. I thought he was the best possible person for such a shifty character that we have to believe. There are points where we need to trust him and then points where we’re shocked by him. I have a long history of trusting Richard Jenkins characters. He came in with something that works to his advantage and he’s also quite funny in the movie too.
With Debra Winger, it’s almost cheating to cast her because she adds depth to any role she’s ever done – a deeper layer that probably wasn’t there in the script.
Matt: Without giving too much away, I’ve got to ask about the bubbles in the office. Was that an easy visual to pull off?
Miranda: It was very easy to write which was my job. The greatest thing about filmmaking is that I got to work with these incredibly skilled effects people who figured out how to do that. We did a million tests and I still look at them on my computer. There’s a lot to getting bubbles right. Sometimes they were too heavy and they slid down the walls too fast.
Matt: This film premiered back in January at the Sundance Film Festival and since that time, the entire cinematic world has changed due to the impact of COVID-19. How has it affected the release of this film?
Miranda: Yeah. It was supposed to come out back in June. When COVID-19 took hold, I guess all I had to work with was massive disappointment but then people started seeing the movie and I realised that the most essential thing was still there – the movie was connecting with people. Things that seemed very personal to me, like the anxiety of the “big one”, I’m pretty sure we’re in the “big one” right now. These weird things in the movie weren’t so weird anymore because the world has become so strange that they’re now accessible.
Matt: What are you working on at the moment?
Miranda: I’m writing a novel. I’m glad I’m not trying to shoot anything right now because that would be much harder. I’ve also found myself taking on the role of teacher for my 3rd grade child that takes up a big part of each day.