Focus Features Turns 20 – GVN Celebrates 20 Of Their Best Films

The film distribution company, Focus Features, was formed twenty years ago today and has had an incredible output of films since then. To kick-off the two decades of powerful storytelling and remarkable filmmaking, the studio is commemorating the milestone with a brand-new logo and a new reel looking back at some of their most iconic onscreen moments. 

As part of the studio’s plans to celebrate the occasion, AMC Theatres will highlight the Focus Features’ anniversary beginning April 29 with “Focus 20” week at select theatres nationwide. AMC will showcase seven titles from the Focus Features library, each of them receiving an afternoon and primetime screening over the seven-day period. The titles to be featured are DOWNTON ABBEY (directed by Michael Engler), BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (directed by Ang Lee), BURN AFTER READING (directed by Ethan Cohen, Joel Coen), DARKEST HOUR (directed by Joe Wright), ATONEMENT (directed by Joe Wright), ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (directed by Michel Gondry), and HARRIET (directed by Kasi Lemmons). Learn more about “Focus 20” week HERE: https://www.amctheatres.com/events/focus-20

Additionally, Focus Features is also the first film brand with a dedicated hub on Peacock. The streaming platform will collect the studio’s and historically acquired specialty films in one place to direct specialty film fans. In the coming weeks, Peacock will also be a home for Focus Features’ digital series including REEL DESTINATIONS and YOU KNOW THAT SCENE. A highlighted collection of Focus Features films will be available to rent or own on Amazon Prime Video, Apple, and other major digital retailers. Films are also available to rent or own at FocusFeatures20.com.

In a world of never-ending reboots, superheroes, and IP films, Focus Features is a welcome breath of fresh air. Since their beginning, they’ve consistently produced and distributed award winning films that have touched our souls, lifted our spirits, and challenged our way of thinking. We’ve laughed and cried while watching their films over the years, and to celebrate their twentieth anniversary, here is a list of twenty of the best Focus Features films in no particular order.

1. Dazed and Confused

One of the great Richard Linklater films about being young and being alive. It’s the last day of high school in 1976, and this group of teens is going to make the most of the night and their formative years. This film is equal parts laid back and funny with a stacked cast. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should rectify that as soon as possible. It’d be a lot cooler if you did.

For more in-depth thoughts, please check out our episode of Homedance Film Festival.

2. The High Note

This film is criminally underrated. Both the chemistry between Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross and their separate performances are divine. It’s an uplifting story about mentorship and the benefits of being vulnerable and willing to take chances. The music is lovely, and the film will leave your heart sufficiently warmed.

3. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

This film is a painful but necessary watch that will leave you reeling. The writing and directing from Eliza Hittman are spectacular, and the performances from both Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder are authentic and powerful. The story depicts the very real and horrifying hoops women must jump through to recover just a tiny sliver of bodily autonomy to get an abortion while most of the world around them keeps repeatedly stripping away any piece of them it can in the process. The film shows us a situation that is unnecessarily scary and tragically extremely relatable to many women of all ages today.

4. Beginners

Beginners is a beautiful and sweet film from writer and director Mike Mills. Ewan McGregor gives a vulnerable performance as Oliver who has just learned his father, played by Christopher Plummer, has both terminal cancer and a male lover. The film shows us the beauty of being open to new beginnings and possibilities in life. It’s never too late, and you never know who or what is waiting for you if you just stop and look. 

5. Kajillionaire

One of Miranda July’s best films to date with a stellar cast. On the surface it may seem like your typical quirky, comedy movie about con artists, but it is so much more than that. Evan Rachel Wood is perfectly cast as a young woman who is just discovering that she has missed out on touch, affection, and human connection from her parents for her entire life. Her parents can plan the perfect con down to the smallest detail, but they’ve never realized their own daughter isn’t just a cog in their scheme machine.

For more in-depth thoughts, please check out our episode of Homedance Film Festival.

6. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Is an incredible documentary about a man who was one in a million. Even Mr. Rogers grew up with pain and trauma, but he spent the rest of his life making sure children didn’t have to go through the hard parts of life alone. Whether you know anything about Fred Rogers or not, the film is fascinating and breathtaking.

For more in-depth thoughts, please check out our episode of Homedance Film Festival.

7. BlacKkKlansman

This is a standout Spike Lee joint that is sadly still very relevant today. The cast is spectacular with an electric chemistry. John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth, an undercover police officer who infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan with the help of his partner, played by Adam Driver, acting as a surrogate. Even though this all seems like a screwball comedy, it is unsurprisingly based on actual events. Despite the length, the film never drags and ends with a gut wrenching credits sequence that will send you crashing back into our own reality.  

8. Tully

It isn’t often we get films about the experience of postpartum depression, so Tully is a refreshing change. It tackles the subject with care but also a little bit of whimsy and a biting wit–that is Diablo Cody’s style of writing after all. Charlize Theron is perfect in this role as a mother who has just had her third child and is struggling with taking care of her amidst the harsh wave of postpartum depression that never really left after having her second child. Her brother suggests getting a night nanny to help out, and the two women soon form a much needed friendship and connection over the course of several nights.

For more in-depth thoughts, please check out our episode of Homedance Film Festival.

9. Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell burst onto the scene with this debut feature film that explores our society’s mistreatment of women who have been sexually assaulted or raped. It is sharp and moves along at a quick pace. One can’t say enough good things about Carey Mulligan; she can do no wrong. The film is heavy but worth the watch.

For more in-depth thoughts, please check out our episode of Homedance Film Festival.

10. The Zookeeper’s Wife

Another overlooked and beautiful film that takes place at The Warsaw Zoo during WWII and the Holocaust. It is based on the real couple, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who saved hundreds of Jewish people by hiding them in their zoo. Jessica Chastain gives a glorious performance as Antonina that should have gotten more attention when the film was released. 

11. Boy Erased

Boy Erased is a frustrating and depressing watch about a preacher’s son who is sent to participate in a gay conversion program run by a church. It is based on Garrard Conley’s memoir and really shows just how damaging and useless gay conversion programs are. The cast is great together, and Lucas Hedges’s performance in the lead role will leave you holding your breath.

12. Wish I Was Here

Zach Braff brings us another touching coming of age story that has shades of Garden State. Only this time, he is older. Braff plays Aidan, a father who is examining his life again after coming to a crossroads. Braff and Kate Hudson’s on screen chemistry is enjoyable to watch. This one did not get much fanfare when it premiered, unfortunately, but it is a great watch for when you may be feeling down. As with any Zach Braff film, the soundtrack is on point. 

13. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

There aren’t enough good things that can be said about this film. It was largely misunderstood when it was released. It is so beautiful and moving; there aren’t many romantic dramedies that center around an asteroid crashing into Earth to end life as we know it. Both Steve Carell and Keira Knightley give standout performances; they are a joy to watch on screen together. Even with the heavy moments, there are plenty of laughs to balance out the pain. Settle in for a bittersweet film about appreciating every second of this fleeting life. 

14. Away We Go

Away We Go found its footing in a new kind of mumblecore that seemed to appear in the early aughts with predecessors like Garden State. The soundtrack and look and feel of the film are warm and beautiful. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are charming together as a couple on screen. They’re about to become first time parents and take a journey around the country to figure out where to start their family. Along the way, they meet up with various friends and family and observe different relationships and styles of parenting. They end up learning more about themselves than they thought possible. It is a sweet and heartwarming story.

15. Lost In Translation

The brief connection that Bill Murray’s character, Bob, and Scarlett Johansson’s character, Charlotte, made together in Tokyo was lovely. They each found something in each other that they were missing at that moment in their lives. The film is quiet and soothing and is great for anyone who is lonely in a crowded room.

16. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Jim Carrey’s forays into the world of drama never disappoint. He displays the perfect amount of vulnerability, and Kate Winslet is always locked in step with him. Charlie Kaufman’s superb writing reminds us that life is full of gray areas and if we erase every memory associated with someone or something, we lose not only the painful moments but all of the good ones too.

17. The Big Lebowski

Who wouldn’t want to watch a strange and almost fantastical journey of a man trying to get restitution for his ruined rug? It really ties the room together. The Coen brothers always know how to create a weird world with odd characters and direct a large cast to mesh together in perfect harmony. Jeff Bridges is a master in his role as The Dude. This one is a good time and full of laughs.

18. Moonrise Kingdom

Speaking of large casts, Wes Anderson can often be found at the helm of one. Moonrise Kingdom is a charming and humorous film about two kids in love who run away together. Mishaps and kooky happenings ensue when the adults left behind form a search party to tirelessly search for them. As with all of his films, it’s easy to get lost in the beautiful set design and strange reality that Anderson creates.

19. The Place Beyond the Pines

Even though this film has a lot of moving parts, it all comes together to form a nice gut punch. The timelines never get too difficult to follow and the dark drama and action keeps your palms sweaty. This is one that will only get better with repeat viewings. Ryan Gosling playing a dirt bike stunt rider is enough to pique anyone’s interest, honestly.

20. Phantom Thread

If you’d like a window into a very strange and toxic relationship, look no further than this film. The performances are very subtle and precise. The tense moments are often offset by truly absurd moments and dialogue. The film is also an endless parade of fashion and can serve as a masterclass in fashion design. It never drags and surprisingly never feels its two hours and ten minutes, and all of the eeriness culminates in an ending that would be hard for anyone to see coming. Drama, fashion, Paul Thomas Anderson: what’s not to like?

There are so many more amazing films from Focus Features to catch up on. Here’s to many more years of film from them. We can’t wait. Share your favorite film from the company with us over on Twitter.

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