Another year has come and gone. While there were large productions that failed to meet expectations of studios or audiences, 2019’s best films tended to sneak up from out of the woodwork. Whether they were hidden on a streaming service or became underground hits, the best films of the year were ones that truly surprised us by commenting on our modern world. Films about isolation, depression, unresolved strife, economic anxiety and looming unseen pressure while never forgetting to entertain. So, without further ado, let’s start listing them out!
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical):
- Ad Astra: Heavy handed narration aside, this sci-fi daddy issues drama is gorgeously immersive with spikes of random genres mixed in.
- Always Be My Maybe: Exceptionally cute rom-com that Randall Park and Ali Wong carry beautifully, with an amazing Keanu Reeves assist.
- Doctor Sleep: Of the larger budget Stephen King adaptations that swung for the fences this year, this had far more authentic heart and scares than the second part of that clown movie.
- Happy Death Day 2 U: Jessica Rothe yet again proves her star power as this takes the solid horror comedy of the original and left turns into weird ass sci-fi craziness for a superior sequel.
- Honey Boy: Shia LaBeouf’s emotionally naked autobiographical story that examines what it means to accept the damage past and work to grow beyond it.
- Horror Noire: Thorough examination of the history of the horror genre from the black perspective that’s equal parts insightful and entertaining.
- John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum: The first 30 minutes of this are the best action filmmaking of the last 30 years. Wish the rest of it was just as palpable.
- Klaus: Gorgeously animated tale of holiday joy born from fear driven hate that shows traditional animation still has a place in our modern cinematic landscape.
- Shazam!: The first DC Comics movie with a childlike sense of wonder and beautiful heart since Christopher Reeve wore his Superman suit.
- Steven Universe: The Movie: The highly innovative Cartoon Network show reaches a rousing musical climax about acknowledging the wrongs of the past and working to rectify our elders’ mistakes.
20. Crawl
Sometimes films are commendable for transcending traditional cinema. Other times they’re the best execution of the silliest ideas possible. Crawl is definitely the latter as director Alexandre Aja fully commits to the premise of “gal-stuck-in-house-with-alligator-during-hurricane” and goes full tilt with it. While the seams of the effects work are visible and the dialogue is scrappy, the breakneck pace at which Aja brings this gonzo crazy gator monster flick to life is a non-stop trashy Florida thrill ride. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper bring far more genuine worry and terror than one would expect. Crawl if nothing else deserves credit for being the most impressively efficient film of the year, delivering all of this in a tight 89 minute package.
19. Under The Silver Lake
Buried after multiple mixed reception screenings, this bizarre comedy/mystery/thriller wasn’t seen as commercial viable. Being one of the few who’s seen Under the Silver Lake, I get it. This gonzo little film has such a small appeal, but writer/director David Robert Mitchell commits to building this insane world in a consistently captivating way. Andrew Garfield artfully bumbles through elaborate clue after elaborate clue that makes this mystery all the more dense and potentially impenetrable. Yet, it’s still fascinating to see the dark conspiracies hidden within pop culture artifacts go deeper and deeper underneath the sunny LA setting.
18. Hustlers
Crime narratives aren’t often as empathetic Lorene Scafaria allows Hustlers to be. While these criminals get their fair share of comeuppance, Scafaria gives the situation these women find themselves in enough weight to flesh out their motivations and explain why they’re driven to such ends in a world that tosses them to the side. Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu and a rotating supporting cast of scene stealers breathe an exceptionally amount of charm into Scafaria’s sleek criminal world, both working in tandem to give this story a genuine heart that makes their eventual fall all the more upsetting.
17. Toy Story 4
Pixar’s uneven output over this past decade is capped off with a seemingly useless entry in a beloved franchise earning its right to exist. Toy Story 4 gives Woody a sense of closure we didn’t know we needed, as he comes to realize his life as a toy doesn’t just have to be about pleasing one kid. Brought to life by Pixar’s usual gorgeous animation, this hopefully final entry manages to embrace what made us love these characters while questioning what their purpose may be in an ever evolving world. This type of growth is what makes this studio’s landmark series so iconic, allowing us to see plastic toys ponder major existential questions with a mixture of humor and heart for the whole family.
16. Ready Or Not
Samara Weaving is slowly becoming the new horror heroine we should all aspire to be. Her wide eyed doe demeanor hides a burling tooth & nail fighter that’s just as scrappy as any of the top tier protagonists of the genre. Put her into the darkly hilarious circumstances of Ready or Not and you’ve got a madcap horror ride that constantly keeps you on edge while also relieving tension with pointed character driven humor. Weaving’s lack of ego allows her to be brutally mangled without ever losing her drive that only makes the class commentary and pitch black gags hit all the more consistently.
15. Midsommar
Writer/director Ari Aster burst onto the scene with Hereditary last year and keeps the nightmare scenario of toxic relationships alive & thriving! Midsommar gives us a harrowing journey through the worst vacation of all time, where a holiday becomes a sun soaked tour through human darkness. Aster takes the familiar structure of a horror film involving college kids backpacking through a foreign land and brutally mashes traditional structure like a mallet to the face. All of this is beautifully embodied by this year’s break out star Florence Pugh, who loses her sense of independence, self awareness and concept of reality in a beautifully tragic fashion.
14. Booksmart
Olivia Wilde makes her directorial debut with a refreshingly empathetic take on the “one crazy night of partying” comedy subgenre. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever make for an adorably out of touch best friend duo who carry a naive charm through all the hijinks on screen while keeping an emotionally pure core. Where other raunchy comedies lose all sense of reality in favor of gags, there’s an emotional consistency to Booksmart that makes it never ring false. The stream of consciousness laughs are totally consistent from not just our leads, but also some scene stealing supporting players like Billie Lourd and Jason Sudeikis. Yet, the heartwarming look at friendship & learning to balance out responsibility with social rebellion never falters through the chuckles
13. The Last Black Man In San Francisco
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is one of the more understated yet haunting films of the year. Joe Talbot’s directorial debut is one of many recent films about gentrification. We see how a historic place like San Francisco starts to lose its soul, which only draws the populace even further into the past and limits their possibilities of a greater future. Talbot contrasts the inherent beauty and gradual homogoney of such an unique city, getting us as invested as our characters are. Star/co-writer Jimmie Fails and Jonathan Majors have a brotherly chemistry that’s touching and tragic in all the right ways.
12. Dolemite Is My Name
Seeing Eddie Murphy bring himself back after so many years of disappointment is a true sight for sore eyes. Dolemite Is My Name is easily his best work in years, showing off his comedic and dramatic chops intertwine seamlessly. Murphy’s unbridled charm and boastful confidence fits perfectly for this story of an underground comedy/film figure Rudy Ray Moore. It’s a classic story of outsider artists achieving their dream with little talent or knowledge yet so much gumption. It’s equal parts hilarious, inspiring and heartwarming to see within director Craig Brewer’s stylish package. Hopefully he & Murphy can keep this going with 2020’s Coming 2 America.
11. The Art of Self Defense
The Art of Self Defense takes the spread of vile masculinity and turns it into perfectly pitched black comedy. Jesse Eisenberg constantly juggles pathetic sadness and intense dedication through this very disturbed satire. Where paranoia of inadequacy festers into rage & desperation unleashed upon the world. Through his journey, we come across the bitterly haunted Imogen Poots and unsettlingly confident Alessandro Nivola who help to balance the unsettling thrills and uproarious laughs consistently. An unfairly hidden gem that shouldn’t be punched under the mat with a kick.
10. Uncut Gems
Josh and Benny Safdie craft the most tense thriller about a guy selling jewelry. Adam Sandler uses his everyman charm to distressing levels of unease as he sweet talks his way into money pit after money pit out of a sense of pure adrenaline. The thrill of being just within reach of a better life as his meager one is crumbling underneath his feet. Brimming with heart pounding energy and a diverse cast of unforgettable weirdos, Uncut Gems is the nightmare distillation of the American Dream. The feeble man soaked in unsettling flop sweat moves from hustle to hustle trying to get the large than life jackpot he thinks he deserves. Even if it means getting his ass handed to him at every step.
9. The Lighthouse
On its face, The Lighthouse looks like a high falutin horror film that would be too up its own ass to entertain audiences. Luckily, writer/director Robert Eggers takes the black & white/3:4 aspect ratio presentation and fills it to the brim with slimey weirdness that removes fears of pretension even if it won’t gain that large an audience. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe enclose themselves in a single space, growing more and more mad as their relationship and general concept of time becomes a whirlwind blur. Thus we get the gleefully bleak swirl of harsh rain, bodily functions and angry wildlife that’s incredibly bleakly hilarious and unnervingly delightful!
8. Little Women
Despite having never read Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women or watched any previous adaptations, I was thoroughly entranced by Greta Gerwig’s new version of the material. Much like her work with Ladybird, Gerwig gives us every facet of these maturing young protagonists through their distinctive squabbles, vocabulary and outfits. Gerwig’s lighting contrasts of bright nostalgic orange for the past and bitterly cold blue for the modern day to show off a simple yet profound contrast. Amongst a perfect cast, the previously mentioned breakout star of the year Florence Pugh and the ever reliable Saoirse Ronan stand out. An effortless engrossing tale about growing up that still manages to find life decades after its original publication, even for viewers new to the story like myself!
7. Avengers Endgame
Does a film that became the highest grossing film of all time necessarily need another superlative? No. Does that mean I’m going to remove it from this list? Of course not! Avengers Endgame took a decade of ok-to-great films and wrapped them up in a genuinely enthralling spectacle that never forgot about its characters or actually completing arcs despite their dicey development. Even if it takes a lot of prior knowledge to appreciate, the genuine overwhelming emotional resonance found here is truly unique for filmmaking in general, franchise based or otherwise.
6. Knives Out
Rian Johnson’s twisty comedy mystery has plenty of thrills to entertain a fan of the genre. Red herrings, bizarre clues, great actors populating seemingly minor roles, a colorful lead detective. All beautifully photographed to keep us engaged in every twist of the knife as the proceedings continue. Yet, underneath the Agatha Christie of it all is a full boar heart that gives these energetic twists weight. The quips and turns from this stellar cast could have been enough to make Knives Out a charming piece of fluff, but Johnson decides to make this story of family deception and lies about the power of intention over bloodlines as it balances the hilarious comedy chops of a southern fried Daniel Craig with the subtle duress of Ana de Armas.
5. Us
Jordan Peele’s second film has been accused of being too varied in terms thematically The acclaimed director avoided a sophomore slump by making a film much weirder genre picture than Get Out to stand out from the immaculately constructed predecessor. The real genius of Us is that so much can be on its mind, yet it all ultimately boil down to one simple human desire: avoidance. Our main family is out on vacation to steer clear of their problems and anxieties, only to be faced with a fleshy reflection of all their worst impulses. While all the actors are well equipped to play double duty, Lupita Nyong’o turns in the performance of a lifetime as Adeline and her counterpart Red, bringing to life complex turns on both a horror protagonist and monster. Peele’s Us shows their problems – much like our own- staring them back in the face and milks the genre thrills & social commentary for all they’re worth.
4. The Irishman
Martin Scorsese makes the definitive final stamp on the gangster genre that propelled him to cinema royalty status with The Irishman. A deliberately paced tale of hubris, masculine falsehood and existential dreads that evolves from a typical Scorsese gangster film into a haunting meditation on what it means to drive people away by falsely assuming you can protect them. Robert De Niro crafts a sturdy minimalist performance to hang the larger or quieter than life turns from Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Bobby Cannavale and so many other memorable turns from acting greats returning to their earlier energies. Every choice is a brutally intentional look at the long term side effects of trying to find meaning in the meaningless, from the quiet yet powerful turn in Anna Paquin to depleted lavish style as things turn grave.
3. The Farewell
The Farewell is technically a story of handling grief and terminal disease. However, the focus here is much more about culture as this Chinese/American family faces losing the matriarch of their family. Writer/director Lulu Wang populates said family with specific perspectives that anyone can find familiar no matter their cultural background while still keeping a distinctive lens of Chinese culture at its center. Awkwafina uses her penchant for humor to gradually let her guard down as she’s trapped between the two very different cultures she grew up in and the people who shaped her. The rest of the cast is stellar, but Shuzhen Zhao shines brightest as the most adorably sincere grandmother in recent cinematic history.
2. High Life
Existential dread, depraved sexual experimentation and harrowing child care shouldn’t mix together as well as they do in High Life. Claire Denis’ nonlinear sci-fi drama is chock full of horrific situations as a group of ne’er do wells are stuffed onto a space station for disturbed purposes. Denis turns the plot of a 70s exploitation genre picture and morphs it into a story of perseverance in the face of oblivion. Robert Pattinson delivers a career defining performance as he juggles a quiet desperation with unbridled devotion, particularly when his only acting partner is an infant. Despite the heavier sci-fi atmosphere, there’s a relatable warm core of forgiveness and clinging to hope in bleak modern times that speaks can speak to so many.
1. Parasite
Speaking of a bleak modern times… WOOF. Parasite dives headfirst into a class struggle dynamic and never keeps its eyes off the prize even as twist after twist keeps popping into the story. We get that our heroes are deceptive, but one can’t be mad at them thanks to the world building Bong Joon-ho makes that desperation of disparate classes palpable and genuine in a way that’s universal. The line between horror and comedy is as even keeled as the director’s usual work and watching him unravel all this madness on screen is more suspenseful, hilarious, horrific and disturbed than anything else this year. To say anymore would be a disservice to this wonderful film, so definitely let this parasite infect you. Believe me, that’s a much better prospect than it so
Other Works:
Marianiment 