It feels like more and more movies are getting released than ever before. Thanks to streaming services becoming so prevalent since the late 2010s—and the fact that cinemas haven't been totally replaced and prove beneficial for movies that beg for a big screen - there are an almost overwhelming number of new releases to keep up with.
In a way, these films are a testament to that. All received some publicity when they came out and a decently notable release either in theaters or on a prominent streaming service. However, despite this—and despite all of them being released since the start of the 2020s—they've all generally faded from the public consciousness. Viewers seemed to move on to other things pretty quickly, all things considered.
'The Hunt' (2020)
The Hunt has a solid cast and a premise that sounds entertaining on paper. It's a darkly comedic action/thriller/survival movie about a group of strangers who find themselves stranded in a forest before they start being hunted for sport and their attempts to work out who's behind the violent activity, all the while trying to stay alive.
Unfortunately, it ends up being tonally messy, and the attempts at political/cultural satire fall flat. It also doesn't help that the film wanted to push itself as super confronting and controversial through its marketing, but it ended up feeling fairly run-of-the-mill upon release. It might offer some mindless entertainment and a few violent death scenes, but other than that, The Hunt lacked staying power.
'On the Rocks' (2020)
On the Rocks was not a terrible movie, but it could have been better. Filmmaker Sofia Coppola reunited with Bill Murray to make a comedy-drama about the strained relationship between a father and his daughter, and considering their 2003 film Lost In Translation is a high point in each of their careers, On the Rocks, looked promising.
In the end, though, it was just sort of okay. It's decently watchable, and Bill Murray and Rashida Jones are both pretty good, but there's no aspect of the film that truly goes above and beyond being just alright. It's not bad; just disappointing, and even though it's only two years old, it already feels lost to time.
'Prisoners of the Ghostland' (2021)
There was a lot to be excited about regarding Prisoners of the Ghostland. It looked like another Nicolas Cage hit along the lines of Mandy and promised an ambitious blend of genres with a western feel, fantasy elements, samurai sword fight scenes, and plenty of hilarious Cage outbursts and line deliveries.
The end product somehow didn't deliver on any of that, though. Forgiving viewers may be okay with some of the film, as there are perhaps a handful of scenes (or even just moments) that are satisfying. But as a whole, it doesn't live up to the hype the premise promises and is shockingly quite boring to watch for long stretches of its runtime.
'Spree' (2020)
One thing has to be said about Spree before any criticism gets thrown its way: Joe Keery is excellent in the starring role. In the film, he proves he's capable of being more than just Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, as he's remarkable at playing the constantly live-streaming and desperate-for-attention serial killer at the center of Spree.
At least the film has Keery's performance going for it, but otherwise, it's not great. It criticizes social media and the phoniness of many of its most prominent users in a way that's repetitive and far too blunt. It all gets a bit too silly, and with many scenes that are neither particularly scary nor clever, it ends up being an unfortunately flat satirical horror-comedy.
'The Lovebirds' (2020)
Filmmaker Michael Showalter directed 2017's The Big Sick, which was a surprisingly great comedy-drama that tackled lofty themes like love and illness with humor and genuine heart. He re-teamed with Kumail Nanjiani three years later for The Lovebirds, another romantic comedy (of sorts) that fails to be anything more than okay.
It's not fair to go too hard on this movie, as it's not awful, and watching it likely won't cause offense to any viewers. It puts some effort into blending a romantic comedy with a mystery-thriller plotline, but there are too many jokes that don't really land, and it's the kind of movie that starts to leave your memory during the end credits.
'Uncle Frank' (2020)
Uncle Frank feels personal and purposeful, but it's hard to shake the feeling that something's missing. Alan Ball's film manages to be both a coming-of-age and a road trip film while exploring the difficulties of being gay in the American south during the 1970s.
And it's overall pretty good for a streaming movie. It does what it needs to do and remains watchable throughout, with a good screenplay and generally decent performances from its cast. But there's something about it that prevents it from sticking, and the fact that it didn't really seem to find an audience or garner anything beyond solid—if a little lukewarm—reviews may speak to that feeling.
'Black Widow' (2021)
Black Widow might not be the worst movie of the MCU's fourth phase, but it might be the most forgotten. It's also one of the series' biggest missed opportunities, as a solo film for Natasha Romanoff seemed like a Marvel no-brainer for years, given the popularity of the character and the actor who portrayed her, Scarlett Johansson.
But why it took so long (even before the COVID-19 delays) is a mystery and may have doomed the film. Its status as a prequel leaves it feeling a little empty and purposeless, given it has no real impact on what chronologically comes before or after, and if it had been released in Phase 3, there's every chance it would have fared better. But for being too little and too late, the (still not bad) film has already been entirely overshadowed by bigger and better Phase 4 movies.
'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' (2020)
Now, it should be noted that Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is still pretty good. It's a much better follow-up than many Borat fans were likely fearing. And as a film that aims to capture 2020—namely, through exploring the lead-up to a heated election and the USA's response to COVID-19—it succeeded and still managed to be released the very same year.
But as a time capsule of a frightening, particularly uncertain time, maybe some viewers haven't wanted to remember it entirely. And there's also the fact that it's just not quite as funny or amazingly memorable as the first Borat, which was always going to be a hard act to follow.
'The Babysitter: Killer Queen' (2020)
Not that 2018's The Babysitter was a masterpiece or anything, but as far as horror-comedies go, it was a pleasant surprise and decent fun for fans of that kind of genre hybrid. It may not be remembered as a classic, but despite being older, it remains a good deal more memorable than its sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen.
The sequel tried to recapture the gory, messy, sloppy, guilty-pleasure elements that made the first enjoyable, but it felt cynical and empty. Maybe it works for viewers who choose to shut their brains off, but it deservedly came and went remarkably quickly.
'Malcolm & Marie' (2021)
Zendaya is among the most popular actors working today. John David Washington's star has been shining pretty brightly, too. And Sam Levinson—creator of the incredibly popular Euphoria—is among the most widely-discussed/hotly-contested filmmakers working at the moment due to his work often being of the "love it or hate it" variety.
It's strange then that all three were involved in Malcolm & Marie, which was discussed extensively for maybe a week or two before everyone seemed to forget about it. Maybe that's how pop culture often is nowadays, but this divisive relationship drama is a noteworthy example of a hyped-up film dying off quickly. It has certainly become shockingly forgotten in the year or so since its release.