Not even taking into account its successful buyout of 20th Century Fox, 2019 is truly the year that Disney has cemented itself as the king of blockbusters with Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker alone, both movies being the “ending” of pop culture’s two biggest franchises. Despite that development, a lot of beautiful films from smaller studios still managed to come out on top and find an audience.
So as another year comes to a close, let’s take a look at the ten best movies of 2019. Needless to say, this list is heavily influenced by my personal taste. Also take note that I still haven’t seen all the movies I want to see from this year, but I still plan of watching in the next few weeks. Anyway, let’s get to it.
10. THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE
After getting attacked on the street at night by a motorcycle gang, timid accountant Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a karate studio to learn self-defense. The best dark comedy of the year, The Art of Self-Defense is unbelievably funny and chock-full of memorable one-liners. Writer-director Riley Stearns mixes satirical humor with commentary on modern masculinity that it’s hard to expect the thrilling turn of events later on. It’s Fight Club set in a karate dojo. Jesse Eisenberg may seem typecasted again at the start, but his performance lands enough punches to make this his best movie since The Social Network.
9. AD ASTRA
Transfixingly stunning, James Gray’s Ad Astra is so much a realistic look into the potential future of space travel and the changes it brings on the world as it is a ruminative study of a man’s inner struggles with personal relationships and emotions. Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is an astronaut on a top-secret mission to locate his long-missing father, believed to be still alive and causing anti-matter surges that threaten Earth. While it has its own fair share of thrilling, innovative action, what Gray has presented, in its core, is a sentimental father and son story that’s brought to life by Pitt’s masterful portrayal, turning his character’s personal pain of yearning and isolation into an intimate journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in a visually breathtaking space adventure.
Read my full review of Ad Astra here.
8. FORD V FERRARI
Based on a true story, Ford v Ferrari recalls how American car designer Caroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) fought against constant corporate interference to build a legendary race car for Ford and enter the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. It’s a fast-paced competition filled with adrenaline, but what stands out is how director James Mangold and the screenwriting team of Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller put together a high-intensity racing movie with enough substance that reaches beyond its car enthusiast audience. Whether you’re a car nut or just a casual driver, Ford v Ferrari is an enjoyable ride.
7. BOOKSMART
High school comedies can be formulaic and structured most of the time, but it’s incredible how distinctly refreshing Booksmart feels. The movie follows two typical bookish best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) as they finally try to actually party for the first time before their graduation. An easy watch and consistently funny (this got the most laughs out of me this year), director Oliver Wilde adds a fresh new spin to the coming-of-age genre that captures the ever-changing atmosphere of high school. This movie will probably go down as this generation’s Superbad, plot aside. That’s impressive for a directorial debut.
6. MIDSOMMAR
After making a formidable debut with Hereditary, director Ari Aster continues to explore the darkest depths of the human psyche through a deteriorating relationship of a young American couple in Midsommar. After experiencing an insufferable loss, Dani (Florence Pugh) decides to join her boyfriend on a summer festival in a remote Swedish village as a way to cope and escape. What follows is a disturbing examination of pain and heartbreak, offering a new found perspective on love, family, and relationships. In a way, it’s a good date movie, provided your relationship has a strong foundation and share the same taste in morbid horror.
5. THE IRISHMAN
De Niro. Pacino. Pesci. Scorsese. Need I say more? One of my most anticipated movies of the year, Martin Scorsese went all in on The Irishman, a comprehensive biography of the life of Frank Sheeran, the alleged hitman for the Bufalino crime family. Joe Pesci coming out of retirement for this one is all worth it, as seeing all these greats come together in one final mob film feels like a much deserved family reunion. Its long runtime might turn you off (three hours and thirty minutes long), but not one minute of it is wasted. The Irishman is an ambitious gangster drama only Scorsese could pull of that rightfully earns its extensive runtime.
4. ONCE UPON A TIME IN… HOLLYWOOD
The ninth film from Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood easily feels like the director’s love letter to the American film industry’s golden age, and a strong contender to be one of his best ever. It’s a terribly funny revisionist retelling, as Tarantino is fond of doing, of the gruesome Manson Murders as seen from the perspectives of actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt bring out effortlessly charismatic performances, and has cemented themselves as some of the greatest actors of our time. Most importantly, however, Margot Robbie, couple with Tarantino’s script, delivers a bubbly, innocent portrayal of Sharon Tate that serves as a deserving tribute to the late actress.
3. THE FAREWELL
There’s a lot of things to love about this film. Based in part on director Lulu Wang’s experiences, The Farewell follows Billi’s (Awkwafina) family as they set-up a sham wedding in China as a way to say their final goodbyes to their grandmother who is diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer. The kicker is, they decide not to tell her about her diagnosis. What comes after is a poignant look at complicated cultural dynamics and traditions, unpacking questions about the emotional burden of simply knowing the truth. An overall well-crafted piece of cinema with great performances from its cast, The Farewell is a personal, heartfelt dramedy full of relatable themes that just hits too close to home.
2. KNIVES OUT
We don’t see much of this kind of movies these days anymore, so it’s a welcome treat that Rian Johnson has dabbled his hands on an Agatha Christie-style whodunit. At its surface, Knives Out presents itself as an ordinary murder mystery involving a wealthy family, but Johnson adds his own personal flair that will leave guessers charmingly surprised at the unusual revelations along the way. It’s a funny, incredibly entertaining suspense, and even uses its ensemble cast to deliver a social commentary on class structures. Oh, Daniel Craig is definitely a standout in this one, playing an eccentric private investigator with a thick Southern drawl. It’s performance you have to see to believe.
Read my full review of Knives Out here.
1. PARASITE
Director Bong Joon-Ho’s thriller is this year’s biggest surprise hit for me. For a basic background, a poor family pulls an escalating scheme on a rich family in an upscale part of town. I recommend to come see the film blind, without any knowledge of the plot to fully appreciate Bong’s cinematic masterpiece. Parasite is simply perfect, masterfully crafted from beginning to end with original, unsettling twists that audiences won’t see coming. It perfectly conveys desperation of the lower class juxtaposed with the excessive privilege of the wealthy is an uncompromising layered commentary on social themes. There are no heroes or villains, just an uncomfortable look at the reality of our times no matter which side you relate to.
The Talking Screen 