Disney+, Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform, was only a few months old when the coronavirus threw the entire world into disarray. As the landscape changed on an almost daily basis, Disney+ became the most important element of the vast company’s portfolio. Disney+ became a place where new offerings, originally intended for theatrical exhibition, could be shown to a potentially wider audience without losing any of its inherent specialness. Just think about the size and scope of what movies premiered on Disney+ this year – a new Pixar animated marvel, a massively hyped Broadway performance, two musical documentaries by pop music’s reigning queens, and one of the bigger live-action adaptations of the company’s animated classics all made their debut alongside a robust line-up of movies that were already intended for the platform. It was truly an embarrassment of riches. And for everyone who was feeling alone and scared, it gave a welcome reprieve from the horrors of the outside world. Disney+ did the impossible: it brought magic to quarantine.
Below are the very best movies that made their debut on Disney+ this year, with a single note: Godmothered, premiering later this week on the platform, is totally awesome and narrowly missed the list. So consider that an honorable mention, alongside the charmingly bizarre family comedy Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. 2020 was good (for Disney+ at least).
10. Mulan
Mulan was meant to be one of Disney’s biggest theatrical offerings in 2020 – a handsomely made, muscularly told live-action remake of an animated classic that was tailored specifically to play well overseas in markets like China. And after much hemming and hawing, Disney finally decided to unleash the new Mulan on Disney+ as part of a $30 upcharge known as “premier access.” And maybe Mulan would have had more dramatic oomph if viewed on the biggest screen imaginable (and if it hadn’t run afoul of several controversies following its release). As it stands, Mulan is an intermittently thrilling and undeniably gorgeous martial arts epic that makes some truly baffling decisions in adapting the underrated 1998 animated original, many in deference to a Chinese audience that never actually materialized (it was released theatrically in China and subsequently bombed). Directed by the great Niki Caro, Mulan (now played by the luminous Yifei Liu) volunteers for the royal army to save her father’s life; many of the familiar beats are repeated, with more visual splendor and some breathless action sequences that are only occasionally doomed by their choppy editing. This time around there are no songs, no wisecracking dragon sidekicks (Mushu was replaced by a voiceless phoenix) and, perhaps most cripplingly of all, Mulan’s journey from a farm girl to a fierce warrior has been lessened due to the insistence that she be a super-powerful fighter before she even joins the fight. It is meant to empower the character, but instead robs her of the rewarding journey. Still, it gets points for boldly straying from the original, has a handful of wonderful performances, and will still probably tug at your heart strings.
9. Safety
Disney used to release what they referred to as “brand deposit” films; films that speak to the legacy of Disney, were usually made in the midbudget range, and weren’t explicitly tied to preexisting franchises or widespread corporate initiatives. Many were based on true stories and tied to either a larger-than-life sports triumph or extraordinary event (think The Finest Hours or Queen of Katwe). With the introduction of Disney+, these movies found a new place to flourish. And Safety is a great example of one of these movies that could have been potentially overlooked in theaters but should be rightly celebrated on the streaming platform. Based on a true story, it follows a Clemson football player (Jay Reeves), who sneaks his younger brother onto campus after their mother checks into rehab. Energetically directed by Reginald Hudlin, with a soundtrack full of era-appropriate bangers, Safety is mercifully free of the “white savior” narrative that has hobbled similar stories (hello, The Blind Side!) and instead focuses on the brothers’ struggle and the camaraderie and charity that allows for them to succeed. While somewhat overlong, which leads to some pacing issues, Safety still packs the singular punch of an inspirational, based-on-a-true-story sports movie, a genre that Disney has perfected with things like Miracle and McFarland, USA but too rarely engages with these days. Thankfully Disney+ is here with the save.
8. Clouds
Originally produced by Warner Bros (who partnered with Disney+ on their terrific series adaptation of The Right Stuff), Clouds was picked up in turnaround and, at least superficially, seems like an easily skippable, faith-based sick kid teen drama. But that is not it at all. Clouds is considerably more sophisticated, both storytelling-wise and visually, incorporating elements of a true-life musical with young adult drama and, yes, the wrenching story of a very sick young man. It centers around a unique true story of Zach Sobiech (Fin Argus), a teenage boy diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, who decides to make the most of his final days by chasing his dream of becoming a recognized singer/songwriter. (Spoiler alert: he finds success and his viral hit is called, what else, “Clouds.”) Former teen idols Neve Campbell and Tom Everett Scott play Zach’s caring parents (and, yes, Scott gets to even participate in a scene that explicitly references a similar moment in his own That Thing You Do) and together they add depth and nuance to an already complicated situation and give a perspective that, in lesser hands, would have probably be sidelined or simplified. Plus the supporting cast, which includes Disney regular Sabrina Carpenter, Madison Iseman and Lil Rel Howery, are all aces. Never slipping into saccharine sentimentality, Clouds is an old fashioned, well-constructed tearjerker.
7. Stargirl
Based on a widely acclaimed YA novel by Jerry Spinelli, Stargirl is one of this year’s biggest surprises. Leo (Graham Verchere) is an awkward, emotionally repressed teen in a dusty New Mexico town who has his world rocked by the arrival of Stargirl (teenage phenom Stargirl (Grace VanderWaal), an adorable oddball who enchants Leo with her left-of-center charm and inspires him to be himself. The bedrock of Stargirl is fairly straightforward, but co-writer/director Julia Hart handily avoids turning Stargirl into a manic pixie dream girl (high school edition) and embroiders the visuals with warm colors and fuzzy textures. And that is to say nothing of the elaborate musical sequences that are utter showstoppers that somehow also remain earthly and relatable (VanderWaal does a killer version of underrated Beach Boys gem “Be True to Your School”). There are also moments of real tenderness and heartache, with some fine performances not only from the leads but from folks like Giancarlo Esposito, putting his usual villainy aside to play a philosophical paleontologist who understands the complexities of teenage life. This is not your average high school movie but something far more enchanting.
6. Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Taylor Swift really embraced the limitations of the pandemic, recording and releasing one of the year’s very best albums – and one of the best albums of her career. That album (Folklore) also inspired this hybrid concert film and making-of documentary that bristles with the same raw energy and emotional vulnerability that made the record so special. Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is built around a simple premise: Swift, joined by her two key collaborators on the album, The National’s Aaron Dressner and genius goofball Jack Antonoff, meet at a recording studio in upstate New York. It was the first time the three of them had seen each other in person, even though they all worked on one of the most successful albums of the year. Together, the three musicians play versions of Folklore’s 17 tracks, free of the electronic and orchestral flourishes that weave their way through the original versions of the songs. In between performances, Swift talks with Antonoff and Dressner about the inspiration for the songs, revealing more about her emotional state during the process (she was obsessed with Michael Jordan doc The Last Dance, just like the rest of us!) If you weren’t already in love with Folklore, this revealing, warmly photographed documentary (directed by Swift herself, who captures the action with the help of a slightly malevolent robotic camera) will make you appreciate it fully.
5. The One and Only Ivan
Another title originally intended for theatrical release, The One and Only Ivan actually benefits from the intimacy afforded by Disney+. Based on the award-winning children’s novel by K.A. Applegate, The One and Only Ivan is set in a crummy Florida strip mall in the 90s. Behind the strip mall lies a rinky-dink circus, led by a charismatic ringleader (Bryan Cranston) and populated by a bunch of empathetic animals, including the title character Ivan (Sam Rockwell), a gorilla who learns to paint; Stella (Angelina Jolie), a wise old elephant; and Ruby (Brooklynn Prince), a baby elephant meant to lure in new attendees. Danny DeVito also voices a dog but he’s more of an interloper. Of course, with the arrival of Ruby, Ivan and the other animals realize just how sad and lonely their lives are and plot an escape. (In a weird way, The One and Only Ivan is a perfect quarantine movie about the emotional toll of isolation.) With the animals lovingly animated by MPC, the same wizards that gave life to Disney’s recent Jungle Book and Lion King remakes, the movie impressively portrays their inner struggle and the decision by the filmmakers not to use real animals in a movie that very much questions the necessity for circuses, feels subtly profound but not at all preachy. While the coda might be slightly too sunny for all tastes, The One and Only Ivan is a very special movie that didn’t get nearly enough attention, anchored by yet another peerless Cranston performance and some of the year’s very best animation.
4. Howard
Back in 2009 Don Hahn made Waking Sleeping Beauty, a documentary that charted the historic (and somewhat chaotic) atmosphere at Disney Animation that led to the Disney Renaissance. More than 10 years later, he returned to document the life of Howard Ashman, a man who had a pivotal role in the Disney Renaissance and whose life was cut tragically short by AIDS. Howard adopts the same format as Walking Sleeping Beauty, eschewing talking head interviews for audio (both new and archival), along with vintage footage and film clips, and it vividly puts you into the time when Ashman was creating these amazing songs (with frequent collaborator Alan Menken, who also provides the score for the doc) and contributing to these unforgettable features. What you really take away from the documentary is what a profound impact Ashman had, not only on the music but the stories and characters in the films that he worked on (for instance Sebastian was a stuffy English butler before Ashman suggested he be a high strung Jamaican character). He changed Disney Animation forever, and in the years that followed you can feel the films attempting to replicate the magic that Ashman and Menken conjured (sometimes the subsequent films were successful, other times not-so-much). Hahn’s beautiful film makes it very clear that Ashman was occasionally disagreeable, but by exposing the secret pain that he was going through while crafting these masterpieces, it gives the movies he was able to make even more emotional heft.
3. Black Is King
Who run the world? Beyoncé, clearly. Only she could turn a “visual album,” based on a record that came out a full year beforehand, into one of the true pop culture events of 2020. Black Is King uses tracks from The Gift, Beyoncé’s tie-in album to last summer’s Lion King remake (where she voiced lioness Nala), and roughly appropriates the narrative of The Lion King, but does so in wonderfully new and unexpected ways. Quite frankly this is the remake of the animated classic we really deserved. Each track is given a lavish musical number, moments that celebrate, with incredible choreography and jaw-dropping visuals, the singular power of Blackness. And while this sentiment is truly astounding, especially given the much-needed protests that broke out this summer following a number of horrible incidents of violence, Black Is King never feels leaden or overly serious. It does, however, feel timely and very, very powerful. There’s a sleekness to everything, as it knowingly incorporates elements of popular culture and high fashion (and, of course, bits from one of your favorite animated features). The resulting film is an intoxicating, uniquely heady brew, one that you will still be thinking about (and dancing along to) long after you’ve finished watching.
2. Hamilton
It was an Independence Day miracle when Disney announced that Hamilton, a filmed version of the Broadway sensation, would premiere on Disney+ in time for the holiday instead of its original fall 2021 theatrical release. It was a shrewd marketing move that felt like an act of charity, especially for those who didn’t manage to see its blockbusting run on Broadway (or the equally sought-after touring version), myself included. The Hamilton on Disney+ is essentially a filmed version of the stage show (complete with an intermission), directed Thomas Kail and featuring original performers like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs and a scene-stealing Jonathan Groff. (It is composed of three filmed performances from back in 2016.) And, beyond simply being able to see the groundbreaking play, which presents an ethnically complex, hip hop version of the founding fathers, the movie version affords you perspective and nuance, as the camera is able to get up close to the performers, to read every subtle emotional shift (you practically need a towel while watching Groff’s infamous spit-filled recitation), and back wide to let you feel the excitement and power that the audience provides. It is an absolute thrill, one that resonates even louder after the election of 2020 (one that is still threatening the stability of democracy), and wound up being the most-streamed movie in 2020.
1. Soul
In a way Disney+ rescued both of Pixar’s 2020 original films, since Onward was released just a few days before the nationwide shutdown and premiered on Disney+ a few weeks later, and Soul will debut exclusively on the platform on Christmas Day (it was originally slated for a summer release, then a Thanksgiving bow). And what a huge get. Soul, directed by Up and Inside Out filmmaker Pete Docter, is an imaginative masterpiece that chronicles the life (and near-death) of Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a middle school band teacher and aspiring jazz pianist, who on the eve of his big break falls down a manhole and wakes up in the Great Beyond. That’s where he runs into 22 (Tina Fey), a soul hanging out in the Great Before, who can’t stomach the idea of actual life on earth. Together they work to give Joe his life back so he can follow his dreams. Saying anymore would be punishable by death, but the movie takes some very interesting detours on its way to its typically heart-tugging message about the meaning of life and the beauty of all that surrounds us. (Something we all need to hear in this cursed year.) Featuring typically eye-popping animation and delicate character work, Soul is notable for being Pixar’s first feature with a predominantly Black cast and was co-directed by a Black filmmaker (Kemp Powers). Adding these new voices to the mix leads to one of the most unique feeling Pixar movies yet, one that is unafraid to engage with the little narrative detours that would have been completely off-limits in earlier, more story-focused features. But it’s these tangents that make it so special. It’s a movie about the limitless beauty of human life and never, for a single second, does Soul feel anything less than electrically alive.