Megan Benovich — Features — Cinema As We Know It

Megan's Top Ten Films of 2021

2021 offered a smorgasbord of unique films. So unique, in fact, it’s hard to draw any conclusions about trends or new themes in my own taste. In years past, it was the coming-of-age story that was in fashion, or tales of American hardship and triumph that hit home. It would be a tall task to find a box that comfortably fit a sports documentary, an art-rock marionette baby, an Arthurian legend, and whatever descriptors you’d use for Titane. Perhaps common denominators are overrated. Eclectic in the best way. My top picks of the year each seemed to be plucked from disparate corners of the medium to form a delightful lineup with something for any mood.

Best of the Rest - 2020

Each year, the Cinema As We Know It writing team publishes features for our personal top ten films in tandem with our favorite scenes and performances. However, no matter how much write for those features, there are always a handful of achievements that fall outside their purview. While we don’t have dedicated lists for each and every category under the sun, we still want to recognize a few items from last year that we think deserve notice. Loosely, this feature is a forum for us to write about the categorical ‘other’ in the media landscape, so for one reason or another, these are the best of rest for 2020.

Best Scenes of 2020

Every year we watch hundreds of films that contain thousands of scenes within them, and through it all, we come away with a handful of moments that stick with us. They contain the one liners, the gut punches, the tear-inducing, pull on your heartstrings, make you want to cry and you don’t know why moments that leave lasting impressions on us for days or even weeks at a time. Whether it be a climatic revelation, a subtle moment of directorial brilliance, or a poignant punctuation to conclude a film, these scenes scenes display a creative, technical, and thematic mastery that we simply can’t stop thinking about. As selected by our writing team, these are our favorite scenes of 2020.

Best Performances of 2020

Taking what’s on the page and performing at the behest of the director, actors serve as the conduits for with which a film’s message is channeled. This year saw no shortage of performances that do just that. While it’s difficult to string a unifying theme between actors and their performances in a single year, what remains consistent, year over year, is that we get to see life on the screen in ways that help us better understand ourselves and others. It’s one way we become sympathetic to the world around us, and it’s the actors we have to thank for it. From rising talents to career bests, these are our favorite performances of 2020.

Megan's Top Ten Films of 2020

I wasn’t breaking any Letterboxd records with my new viewing habits this year. There were times when film felt inappropriate to the moment, or stood as a reminder of unbearable reality, or just didn’t play nice with new schedules. I’m glad others found inspiration, solace, and comfort in film, but admittedly it was a challenge for me to sit through a 90 minute experience. But when the mood struck, it was an interesting exercise to get so exploratory about finding new films. I look forward to a time where film feels right again, and when we’re able to enjoy it together. Until then, here are the ones that were the most important to me this year.

New Around Here : November - December Theme

You only get one chance to make a first impression. For our November - December theme we’re focusing on directorial debuts, films that immediately left an impression and inscribed the director’s name on everyone’s watchlist. These films broke rules and gave us perspectives that only come from a fresh pair of eyes and the desire to prove your worth. Debuts that declared, “My name is ________ ________. And I have something to say.” If there’s only the one first impression, then these nine films showed themselves to be unforgettable, and part of their legacy would be us returning to them and their directors over and over again.

New York Film Festival 58 Review Feature

For fifty-eight years, the New York Film Festival has been a bellwether for cinema. Despite the coronavirus preventing the traditional in-person event, the resilient team at Lincoln Center still managed to put on this year’s iteration with stunning success. A well-executed virtual cinema made this year’s incarnation more accessible than ever before, including for us. From the safety of our homes and on the other side of the country, we were able to watch selections from the 58th New York Film Festival and provide coverage for a handful of films.

Hot Summer Nights : July - August Theme

This month’s theme is dedicated to the films that feel like summer more than anything else. On the surface, they bear the hallmarks of the summer time — endless sunshine, coastal beaches, seasonal vacations — but underneath they distill the essence of the season and capture the memories made therein. These films can take us back to simpler times when all we had to worry about were the plans for the next day and who it would be with, because even though summer comes around every year, it’ll never be the same as those Hot Summer Nights.

Medicine for Melancholy : May - June Theme

Right about now we could all use a little pick me up. Staring down at the problems in front of us and looking out into the future ahead, it’s hard to stay optimistic, but if there’s anything we’ve come to know about cinema is that it has the unique ability to transplant us elsewhere. Our May and June theme is focused on films that can change the mood for the better, films that to their core inspire unrelenting joy, happiness, and elation like no other.

SXSW 2020 Recap

As we close out our SXSW 2020 coverage, the time has come to take stock on what we saw and highlight the best films from this year’s festival. Though the festival was unfortunately canceled and we couldn’t see some of the most anticipated films of the Spring, there were still plenty of great films from talented filmmakers, artists, and visionaries that deserve recognition.

SXSW 2020 Capsule Reviews

South by South West was unfortunately canceled this year. It was bummer not only for us, but more so for the filmmakers who were ready to show their work to audiences, launch their careers, and be discovered. Over the next ten days, we too will be proceeding with coverage and writing about as many films as we can. It’s a small gesture, but the least we can do in light of this situation.

In the City : March - April Theme

For this month’s theme, we’re selecting films that put particular emphasis on concrete jungles, films where the city itself becomes not just a location, but also a character. We may be following the lives of protagonists on screen, but it’s place they inhabit that plays just as much an important role as they do. We hate the traffic, the loud noises, and the lingering pollution, but we’ll be damned if we ever trade the metropolitan madness for suburban life. Because it’s the city, and there’s nothing like it.

Youth in Revolt : January - February Theme

Over the next nine weeks, we’re selecting films that depict younger generation rejecting conformity and igniting rambunctious rebellions at the hands of being misunderstood. Acting on your own accord, disobeying authority, and maybe busting out a hardy cry or two at the alienation felt inside, these films aren’t afraid to reject the authoritative hypocrisy felt by younger generations, because sometimes being seen means being who you are. Acting out never felt so right when you’re a Youth in Revolt.

Best Performances of 2019

The face of films has always been the actors. Through them, we are exposed to a world of different characters, perspectives, and ideas where we can empathize with situations completely unlike our own. They breathe life into the written word, taking an ordinary role and transforming it into something all their own. From masters of the trade and new entrants alike, these actors deliver performances that are truly exceptional. As chosen by our writing team, these are our favorite performances of 2019.

Best Scenes of 2019

Every year we watch hundreds of films that contain thousands of scenes within them, and through it all, we come away with a handful of stand out moments. Whether it be a climatic revelation, a subtle moment of directorial brilliance, or a poignant punctuation to conclude a film, these scenes display a creative, technical, and thematic mastery that we simply can’t stop thinking about. As selected by our writing team, these are our favorite scenes of 2019.

Megan's Top Ten Films of 2019

Martin Scorsese is right, it’s a perilous time for cinema. A single megacorporation dominates the box office with formulaic franchise installments while the space for the individual artist to create unique and subversive pieces of art shrinks. If cinema is to persist, we need uncompromising visionaries to guide us, to keep a mirror to our contemporary society, and to drive us out of our comfort zone. Thankfully in 2019, scores of talented filmmakers did just that…

SIFF 2019 Capsule Reviews

The 2019 Seattle International Film Festival kicks off on May 16th and runs until June 9th and UW Film Club is covering as many films as possible so you know which films to see! Throughout the festival, this article will be regularly updated with capsule reviews for festival films with the newest additions at the top. Check back every couple days to see whats new!

SXSW 2019 Capsule Reviews

Over the last week we saw dozens of films at the South by South West Film Festival in Austin, Texas. There were highs and lows, but each one an experience onto itself. Over the next couple days we’ll be updating this article with capsule reviews and links to full reviews of films from the festival.

Our Favorite Performances of 2018

In a year with a multitude of great performances on display, the Best Acting Categories are especially contentious. Each of us here at Cinema As We Know It feel differently about who should have been nominated for an Oscar, and as such, we have selected some of the strongest and most memorable characters to celebrate for our best performances of 2018.

Megan's Favorite Scenes of 2018

As we previously shone a light on our favorite performances of the year, I decided to also take a moment for my favorite scenes. These three picks are, in my opinion, the most memorable and well- executed sequences of some of the strongest films of 2018.