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Top Ten Films of 2019

Unlike last year, 2019 was dominated by American cinema much more so than the international films as also evidenced by my list which only hosts one foreign movie. But my American picks are different than most others, including the Academy itself, as I found many of the most famous films of the year highly overrated. For my top ten, the films are quite diverse once again, especially in terms of the genres that are quite varied. And the indies got some great placements as well. So without further ado, here are my ten best films of the year with some honorable mentions.

10. Doctor Sleep

The last spot belongs to the only blockbuster on the list and that is this undervalued gem. Yes, I am a big Stephen King fan, but even I did not expect the level of greatness that is Doctor Sleep as it ended up being a much better King flick this year than the much more hyped ‘It Chapter Two’. I found the editing here masterful, the visuals mesmerizing and quite authentic, and the action spectacular. Rebecca Ferguson is absolutely delightful as the villain, and the movie serves as such a satisfactory bridge between being a ‘Shining’ sequel and an entirely original flick in and of itself.

9. Knives Out

Knives Out became way too politically oriented in its third act, but still there is no denying the power in its impressively well crafted, absolutely stupendous original screenplay. The character development is excellent and the ensemble is terrific as everybody did a great job and all personalities are highly memorable. I found the reconstructing of the mystery genre very interesting here, and Rian Johnson’s direction is per usual superb. It is by far one of the most purely entertaining films of 2019.

8. Booksmart

Not only is Booksmart incredibly entertaining, funny and emotional throughout, but it’s also a genuinely refreshing, different and new teen movie for this day and age. Though a bit forced in some of the musical edits, this teen comedy (released very early in the year) is still a winner across the board thanks to very well realized, superb characters, a lot of heart as well as realism, strong dialogue, a couple of powerful moments and a particularly strong friendship at the core of it all. It gives new life to this tiresome genre very successful.

7. Little Women

I did not expect this Best Picture nominee to end up on my top ten list, but I had to admire what Greta Gerwig did with this source material, which is give it newfound energy and relatability. The film runs smoothly, it is engaging through and through, and most importantly immensely moving. It looks stunning in its costumes, it has a great eye for detail, and it’s a charming, old-fashioned, yet also modern and involving period piece. The performances from Florence Pugh and Saoirse Ronan are truly amazing as both killed it in these two great roles.

6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

This indie drama deals with the issues of gentrification, repossession and nostalgic longing for the past. This is one immensely wistful movie that is so pensive and deep in many of its scenes that exemplify just how powerful nostalgia and wishful thinking can be. It’s a film that is very real and thus highly moving as it takes the more respected rote in its third act instead of the regular inspirational one. The central friendship is quite powerful, and this indie is dazzling to behold with stunning cinematography, a beautiful score and tremendous interiors.

5. Ad Astra

The best science fiction film of the year is also one of the best of the decade, and one of the most sorely underappreciated. Brad Pitt should have gotten his Oscar for this role as this is his career-best performance. Ad Astra is also beautifully made technically speaking. But above all else, this is a refreshingly restrained genre film which deals with the quest for extraterrestrial life in a brutally realistic fashion. The sentiment that we should appreciate our mother Earth more is universally applicable, and the whole film is bold and very sophisticated.

4. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

While the villain is inferior to the previous movie’s main bad guy, the tone is much more relaxed and happier this time around, and that ultimately worked for me as it signaled maturation and closure. This very underrated final chapter of this masterful trilogy closed the story on such a beautiful, poignant note. That final sequence almost made me cry how touching it really is. Hiccup’s growth is unprecedented for the medium of animation, the score is superb, the animation is stellar and the humor itself has never been better. I adored it to pieces.

3. 1917

1917 is the one movie on this list that took me by surprise the most. Never had I expected to be this moved by a World War I flick, but it’s so amazing that I had to sit down and take notice no matter what. Yes, the now-famous, constantly talked about one shot approach is simply breathtaking and one for the history books, but the movie also has a lot of powerful, truly artistic imagery at display, a great score and excellent action scenes. It needs to be appreciated more for its immense emotional resonance as I was almost moved to tears during its ending, while the dark adventure/video game elements worked wonders in making the film classical and gripping from start to finish. It sadly lost its Oscar, but it deservedly gets the third spot on my list.

2. The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse easily could have been overly artsy and just the case of style over substance. However, that thankfully did not happen because the script and dialogue are both super stellar, and the acting is mesmerizing. Robert Pattinson has never been better, especially in his emotive eyes. As for Willem Dafoe, here he gave again the best performance of the year as this unforgettable stinky, over-the-top sailor. Their banter is consistently engaging and the various thematic interpretations are all fascinating. But naturally, The Lighthouse’s finest asset is its black-and-white cinematography – so atmospheric, so artistic, so striking in imagery and perfect in every single frame. It’s an undeniable artistic masterpiece.

1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

I am not the biggest fan of French cinema, and yet here I am claiming a French film as the best of 2019. But Portrait of a Lady on Fire is simply that great as it effortlessly beats the previous famous French lesbian romance, and becomes the new norm for all of LGBT cinema to follow. This period piece is true to the time period that it depicts, and yet it’s consistently engaging owing to an impressive chemistry between the two leads. Noemie Merlant killed it, but Adele Haenel is the one who made the film as heartfelt as it is. Her performance is the year’s best with so much emotion flawlessly conveyed. The cinematography is also stunning, the costumes are exquisite and a lot of the imagery here is instantly memorable and very artistic. Nuanced in dialogue and themes while also being wonderfully detailed in execution, Portrait of a Lady on Fire genuinely feels like a moving work of art. It’s a timeless classic that is not only the best film of this year, but also one of the greatest films of the entire decade.

Honorable Mentions:

Queen & Slim – This unfortunately underappreciated indie gem features stellar debuts from both its main actress and its director. Both of these ladies killed it, and they hold great promise for the future. The film is never didactic, but more emphasizing on the romance and the emotion, and that ending truly is heartbreaking.

One Child Nation – The best documentary of the year is this picture that focuses on China’s one-child policy that has scarred many and has left a terrible impact upon most of the population. It’s one of the most heartbreaking watches of the year, and essential cinema for sure. It was shamelessly snubbed by the Academy.

I Am Mother – Australian cinema had a great year in 2019 as evidenced by two inclusions in this section. The first one goes to this underrated SF gem that deals with some excellent themes and is genuinely thrilling throughout. It’s heady and sophisticated, but as a thriller, that great first act build-up is riveting.

Missing Link – Yes, Missing Link is very slow paced, but I liked that about it. It’s more concerned with classic adventure elements than the regular kiddie action that plagues so many other American animations. This flick has a lot of heart, it is very well plotted and its approach is beautifully old-fashioned. It’s a true return to form for the great Laika.

The Nightingale – The second Australian film on my list has to be The Nightingale. This brutal period piece is not an easy watch for sure, but there is no denying the power in its difficult to watch, but important depictions of colonialism during the 19^th century. It’s so well acted and directed, but above all else highly realistic in all of its proceedings.

Honeyland – This dual Oscar nominee looks great, it’s very charming through and through, and genuinely authentic in its main person and subject matter. It’s rare for Macedonia to enter the world cinema stage this boldly, but they deserved all of the accolades as the flick is meticulous, intimate and quite heartwarming.