My Top 10 Films of the Year 2019

      Here we go - my Top 10 Films of 2019!

      To check out my preview of this article (which lists all the films I watched during the year) click HERE.

      Though I loathe having to put a disclaimer on my own opinion article, please note the following: This is my own personal favourite top 10 list. Not a definitive list that I expect everyone to agree with. Feel free to comment and offer your own alternatives. It’s all good. Just don’t be that person. Okay? OKAY?

      So let us commence!

10. Ready Or Not

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

Starring: Samara Weaving, Mark O’Brien, Adam Brody

     A taught horror/thriller with a ridiculous conceit that is gamely played for both scares and laughs. Samara Weaving, previously seen in the underrated The Babysitter and Picnic at Hanging Rock miniseries is great as the lead in this game of cat and mouse. She needs to be starring in more things.

     A fun ride, with plenty of violence, gore, dark humour and a great pay-off.

Favourite Bit: The pretty definitive conclusion as to whether or not the Le Domas family curse is real or not.

9. Alita: Battle Angel

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly

     Robert Rodriguez is a director that continues to work on projects he is passionate about and it definitely comes through in this film. Great world-building, production design and a groundbreaking CG performance from the lead character Alita. Much has been said about the unnaturally big eyes: apart from paying homage to the film’s manga origins at first it appears to be a pointless design? However with animated characters so much of the emotion is communicated via the eyes. Whilst other films sometimes fall into the uncanny valley with their glassy-eyed stares, Alita’s performance is so lifelike you you'll easily accept she isa real person – that alone makes it a triumph of CG. Rosa Salazar’s (literally) wide-eyed enthusiasm in her physical motion capture and vocal performance is both adorable and endearing rather than irritating which it so easily could have fallen foul to.

      Alita is undoubtedly a live-action cartoon and can still be quite dark in places, however never attempts to hide its roots and wears its manga influence with pride. Granted, the film does have a sequel baiting ending, however it remains unknown if the film did well enough for one to be greenlit.

Favourite Bit: The kinetic Motorball sequences.

8. Joker

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz

     Known mostly for his comedy output, who would have thought that Todd Phillips would have been the one to make this grimy, dark and disturbing movie focussing largely on mental illness? Of course the main draw is Joaquin Phoenix’s terrific performance where he commits 110% to the role – but then again that’s what Phoenix is known for these days.

      The production design here is also excellent. Early 80’s New York (sorry, I mean Gotham…) has never looked so good and is pretty much also a character in its own right. Littered, dirty, grubby, gloomy – one of the best production designs of the year. The film is fantastically shot as well.

      The overarching story, whilst it does have one or two great revelations, isn’t all that robust, instead the film serves more as a moody character piece and almost feels like it didn’t even need to be about the origins of the most famous Batman villain. The ‘comic book’ elements such as plot points involving the Wayne family seem like they may have been added in afterwards in order to ground the film more in the world of Batman, however this film could just as well have served as a standalone piece about a man raging against the machine (who just so happens to work as a clown) and still be just as effective narratively. It will be interesting to see if this version of the Crown Prince of Crime will be integrated into other DC properties or if it will continue to stand alone, especially since a sequel is now purportedly in the works.

      Included on this list mainly for the terrific lead performance, production design and cinematography alone. The original score is great too!

Favourite Bit: Any of the ‘dance’ scenes. Everyone will remember the dance on the stairs, but my favourite is the posing he does just before he goes on stage. A subtle indication of the confidence and poise he’s always held in his mind that’s now manifesting itself physically as he takes on the ‘Joker’ persona.

7. Parasite

Directed by: Bong Joon Ho

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Yeo-jeong Jo, Woo-sik Choi

     Satire of social hierarchy, deft con artistry, means of gradual infiltration and buried secrets are the order of the day in Bong Joon Ho’s latest film; and despite the occasionally dark tone, the absurd humour also comes thick throughout. Parasite manages to be: curious, tense, funny, scary, wholly unexpected in its story developments and sometimes even sad – however it all manages to gel together seamlessly. The most unexpected film of the year.

      I would recommend going in to this film blind, as the story has so many surprising and bizarre shifts in direction that it keeps you in awe at what possible revelations there could be next.

Favourite Bit: The discovery halfway through the story that there is a secret to the house that the owners are entirely oblivious to.

6. Knives Out

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis

     Paying homage to many an old-fashioned murder mystery story, Knives Out probably features the greatest ensemble cast of the year. Saying too much about the plot will undoubtedly spoil the surprises along the way but needless to say it’s a tightly written affair, with the story shifting gear every few sequences, often in pleasingly unexpected directions.

      The actors are clearly having fun in their roles, with the various members of the Thrombey family constantly bickering with each other depending on how much they have to lose or gain at any specific time.

      It’s great to see Ana de Armas get a leading role and Daniel Craig is clearly having a hoot and stealing the show as the sleuth with the southern drawl: the wonderfully named Benoit Blanc. He needs his own spin off series!

Favourite Bit: Any scene with Benoit Blanc hypothesising in a grossly roundabout manner, such as excitedly pointing out that the case is like a donut hole ‘whose hole is filled with another donut’.

5. Booksmart

Directed by: Olivia Wilde

Starring: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Skyler Gisondo

     A refreshing teen comedy that feels both classic but also entirely contemporary and relevant at the same time, not to mention a terrific directorial debut from Olivia Wilde.

Probably the most heart-warming comedy of the year, with the dynamic of the two leads as best friends feeling utterly real and charming. Beanie Feldstein (also seen in this year’s What We Do in the Shadows TV Series) puts in an unbelievably confident performance as outspoken academic Molly whilst her counterpart Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) is more restrained but equally excellent. They bounce off each other wonderfully with sharp dialogue, realistic in-jokes and warm camaraderie.

      The two are also supported by a large and diverse cast of characters that feels less token and more representative of what an actual High School in LA today would be like today. Every character is portrayed as more than just one note. Whilst the whole thrust of the film is about nerds wanting to prove to everyone that they aren’t just nerds, along the way it is illustrated time and time again that everyone else has also been equally mischaracterised. The bullies aren’t really bullies, neither are the jocks, the rich kids, the teachers – it swerves away from cliché at every turn, the characters all made more realistic (albeit slightly exaggerated for comic effect) – but ultimately more human.

      Some have dubbed it the female Superbad, but for me Booksmart is more charming, witty, keenly observed and feel-good. There are even surprising bursts of additional creativity thrown in at unexpected moments, such as the stop-motion sequence with dolls or the musical-esque dance sequence taking part in Molly’s imagination.

Favourite Bit: The running gag where oddball Gigi (Billie Lourd) manages to mysteriously already be wherever the two friends arrive.

4. Marriage Story

Directed by: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Azhy Robertson

     Whilst we have often seen Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in their share of big budget blockbusters they are also no stranger to smaller indie fare. Here is one such example where they share the screen in this observation of a young couple’s divorce, which deals with both the emotional and practical aspects of the tangled process.

      Yes, there are emotional gut punch scenes but the film is never too melodramatic, it’s more of a nuanced dissection into how things proceed following the breakdown a marriage, whether it’s career circumstances, lack of communication, different needs and wants in life. Soon accusations start flying and the facts get coldly cut and dried when the lawyers get involved, things get blown out of proportion. Writer/Director Noah Baumbach involved much of his own experiences of divorce in the making of this film and Scarlett Johansson had also just gone through her second divorce at the time.

     Warning: this film may just put you off the idea of marriage, or if you are a married couple make you take a long hard look at your own relationship. However it’s not all doom and gloom. The film is surprisingly light-hearted in places though this only serves to kick you in the feels even more as things break down as you genuinely feel for both parties.

      Terrific performances from both leads and a strong supporting cast too.

Favourite Bit: The introductory sequence warms you to the characters immediately. It’s not only informative but also humourous, endearing in its realistic detail and sets you up for an emotional rug-pull straight away.

3. Midsommer

Directed by: Ari Aster

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren

     Ari Aster’s follow up to last year’s nightmare-inducing Hereditary, certainly does not disappoint. Midsommar is more tonally even but with that same sense of creeping dread throughout, made all the more beguiling by the much-flaunted talking point of this being ‘a horror movie that takes place entirely in the daylight’.

      But it’s much more than just that conceit. Drawing from the otherworldliness of old religions, strange foreign customs and cultish rituals, the unease not only comes from a simplistic ‘other equals bad', but also blurs the lines by making you rethink your own cultural constructs and beliefs of societal norms and how an outsider may view them.

      The pace can be languid at times but it suits the hazy idyllic scenery of the majority of the runtime, just enough for you to let your guard down until you are suddenly confronted with something awful. As the film gradually escalates to the cathartic climax the experience is oddly hypnotic.

      Florence Pugh’s central performance as Dani is key here: uneasy, vulnerable and raw (along with her other standout performance in this year’s Fighting With My Family), she is definitely a talent to watch in the future.

Favourite Bit: The ‘crying’ scene where the women share the burden of the Dani’s emotion by mimicking her. It’s utterly strange at first but makes more and more sense as the scene goes on.

2. Avengers: Endgame

Directed by: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth

     Following up last year’s Avengers: Infinity War seems a nigh on impossible task. Whilst not quite reaching such giddy heights, this concluding act manages to deliver and serves as a perfect line drawn under the end of the current phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

      Phrases such as ‘epic conclusion to the series’ often whiff of hyperbole, but in this case it is certainly justifiable. The original Avengers movie did what no other film has ever managed to before, with further crossovers such as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War gradually raising the stakes and scope each time, with a myriad of stories and characters coming together.

      And it’s not easy. Others have tried and failed. DC have only managed to find success in their later individual efforts whilst their attempt at emulating their own Avengers-style entry into the series fell flat. And who even remembers the non-starter that was Universal’s Dark Universe?

      Marvel films often get criticised for being too formulaic. Whilst this is a fair assessment for some of the indiviual Marvel films, Endgame is different - a culmination of a series spanning almost two decades and over 20 films. It has recently become the highest grossing film of all time.

      All of this would be meaningless however if the film itself wasn’t all that great. But the thing is, it absolutely is. Good writing, satisfying character moments, strong action scenes, many nostalgic throwbacks to previous films and plenty of tugs at heartstrings as this is the end of the line for more than one of these beloved characters. This is undoubtedly much more of a rewarding experience for Marvel fans tahn newcomers, but Endgame is undeniably well made.

      The Russo brothers know exactly what buttons to press, but also succeed in a continually sustained balancing act to bring together all these different films and characters together once again. 'Epic' is overused, but the word here is absolutely warranted.

Favourite Bit: The whole film is chock full of fan-pleasing moments, tearful send offs and fist pumping huzzahs. “I love you 3000” become instantly quotable and the ‘Portals’ scene will have you jumping with joy. But for me it’s a certain scene involving a flying hammer finding one who is worthy. Goosebumps.

1. Us

Directed by: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss

     Us proves that 2017’s Get Out was not just a fluke and that Jordan Peele is one of the most exciting storytellers working today. Whilst arguably not out-and-out scary, Us is an undeniably creepy experience, with some mind-bending developments to the story that is best viewed going in blind.

      A solely logical approach is not recommended as the film’s central conceit likely wont hold up to heavy scrutiny, but if you are doing so you are kind of missing the point. It’s mostly enjoyed as a rich allegory, akin to a terrifying ‘what if’ Twilight Zone-like sci-fi scenario (which would perhaps explain why Jordan Peele was tapped to be the new face of this year’s Twilight Zone series reboot). It’s loaded with political satire, is darkly comic, and it’s mysteries and greater meaning of its symbolism will leave you pondering long after the credits roll.

      As expected of Peele, Us is stuffed with detail. Full of smart references, foreshadowing and call backs, dual meanings, dripping with subtext and subversions of mainstream movie tropes. Definitely warrants repeat viewings to order to catch everything.

      Whilst it may not be quite as perfectly formed and successful at unexpectedly collaring you in the way that Get Out did, Us is undeniably masterful filmmaking. Whatever Jordan Peele comes up with next, I’ll definitely be looking forward to it.

Favourite Bit: So many memorable moments: from the gag of using an NWA song to the glorious final soaring shot showing the true extent of the film’s madness to the sounds of Minnie Riperton’s Les Fleur. However my favourite moment is probably when the family is all seated together in the living room, coming face-to-face with their ‘Tethers’. Edge of your seat stuff.

Honourable mentions

Here are 5 films that just got edged out of the Top 10 but also deserve a shout out. In alphabetic order these are:

Ad Astra – Brad Pitt’s space odyssey! Whilst trouble hilariously occurs at almost every juncture of his journey there are some great visuals and tense set pieces.

Dolemite Is My Name – Entertaining biopic of Rudy Ray Moore. A hilarious but also surprisingly heartfelt performance from Eddie Murphy. Amazing costumes too.

The Lighthouse – Drunkenness, hallucinations, madness and stormy weather. Great performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

Missing Link – Fifth feature from Laika studios. Whilst not as great as their previous output, the stopmotion is still a technical marvel and Hugh Jackman provides stellar voicework.

Shazam! – Surprisingly effective superhero film. Great characters, witty dialogue and surprisingly heartfelt.

Well, that’s it for my Top 10 this year. Agree, disagree, let me know your opinions.

Up next is The Alternative Awards 2019 – coming soon!

You can also check out Top 10 film lists for all previous years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Just click on the relevant date.

27th Dec 2019