Our Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2019
Every couple of decades, there is one year for movies that just blows every other year out of the water. Don’t get us wrong, every year has a great release or two, but seldom do we see a year of releases that surpasses the last ten years combined. 2019 was that year according to us.
10) Long Shot (May 2nd, 2019)
Long Shot is one of those movies that you take a chance on one day, totally winning you over. At first glance, it just seems like another Seth Rogen movie with him playing himself, it is anything but that. While still hilarious, Long Shot has a surprising amount of heart to it, winning its place at spot #10 in our list!
9) The Lighthouse (October 18th, 2019)
If you’ve seen our review of A24’s The Lighthouse, you’ll know it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. However, this movie will grow on you like a fungus. As much as you think you hated how uncomfortable it was, you can end up talking about it for hours, recommending it to anyone in earshot who hasn’t experienced it. The Lighthouse was such an uncomfortable, anxiety inducing, slow burn of film. It’s not easy to get through and you definitely won’t feel good for a few hours after seeing it, but it will be tattooed onto your brain, which is why it’s deserving of spot #9 on our list.
8) Honey Boy (November 8th, 2019)
Honey Boy is one of those movies that’s been talked about for years, and will continue to be talked about for years to come, if not for anything else than the meta factor of Shia Labeouf writing his own biopic, while playing his own father. Now we obviously don’t know his father so there’s no one we can accurately compare the performance against, but we think it’s safe to assume Shia perfectly represented his father. Although the plot comes across as a slice of life film more so than anything else, it fit perfectly with the performances. The waters don’t seem to be muddied by a complex plot, instead Honey Boy gives the cast an empty canvas to perform on. Providing nothing but unbridled talent in both his roles on and off screen, Shia LaBeouf has reminded the world what he’s capable of in Honey Boy.
7) The Peanut Butter Falcon (March 9th, 2019)
Surprised by another Shia LaBeouf movie? You shouldn’t be. Shia has been absolutely killing the game in terms of film this year. For those of you who haven’t heard of this one, The Peanut Butter Falcon is about Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a wrestling fanatic with Down Syndrome who’s staying in an assisted living community. After escaping the community to track down his favorite wrestler, Saltwater Redneck, he runs into Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who also happens to be running away. Together, they hit the road as Tyler takes Zak under his wing and they track down Saltwater Redneck. At times reminiscent of stories like Tom Sawyer, The Peanut Butter Falcon works it way into your heart and stays there, which is why it’s #7 on our list!
6) Midsommar (July 3rd, 2019)
After 2018’s Hereditary scarred audiences across the nation, the Horror Master Ari Aster went back to back with this year’s Midsommar. While Hereditary pushed us far over the line, Midsommar seemed to take us to that line, yet not cross it. At a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, it continued to playfully toe the line between manageable and unmanageable, without ever letting up. Only taking place in the daylight, Midsommar is able to take the typical horror movie tropes and flips it on its head. With a surprising lack of any significant jump scares (which we greatly appreciate), the film is a beautiful showcase of how frightening a film can be without relying on the expected tools of a horror movie. Midsommar is just different in every way imaginable and will have you trying to comprehend what you just saw, hours after viewing.
5) The Last Black Man in San Francisco (June 7th, 2019)
Probably the most visually stunning and emotionally moving on this list is A24’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco. There is just something about this film that is special. It captures the city of SF in a way we’ve never seen before, resulting in an unexplainable gut feeling that can move you to tears. At times, the cinematography and lighting of the film shows San Francisco in a way that can only be described as heavenly. The Last Black Man in San Francisco follows Jimmie and Montgomery, two best friends as they try to acquire squatter’s rights in Jimmie’s childhood home, all set against the rapidly expanding and gentrified city of San Francisco. This is not your run-of-the-mill “give us our culture back” film however. Instead, it almost feels like a period piece. From the beautifully static cinematography to the timeless string-based score, this film is unlike any other and we cannot recommend it enough.
4) Joker (October 4th, 2019)
As most of you probably know, Todd Phillips’ Joker was being talked about years before its release. Two of the main concerns/topics being the curiosity of how Phoenix would play the manic clown, and more importantly how Todd Phillips, the man who created movies like Old School and The Hangover, would interpret and execute a blockbuster movie like this. The results were so much better than we could’ve ever expected. What do you get when you mix Gotham City without a Batman and a mentally-ill man who’s tired of being stepped on by society? You get one of the darkest and most disturbing films of the year. Phoenix’s performance is jaw-dropping, to put it simply. In the past decade or so, Phoenix’s ability to throw himself into complex roles and providing Oscar worthy performances has become general knowledge. Every tick, every mannerism Phoenix embodies acts as a gradual representation of his failing mental state. Joker is definitely not an easy film to digest, but it’s certainly worth watching at least once.
3) Jojo Rabbit (October 18th, 2019)
At first glance, Jojo Rabbit can come across as a bit inconsiderate given the subject matter. Jojo Rabbit is anything but inconsiderate. The film focuses on Jojo, a young Nazi fanatic in Nazi Germany, and his relationship with imaginary best friend, Adolf Hitler. After finding a young jewish stowaway in his home, Jojo finds himself in a moral dilemma that may change his outlook on the war. With such sensitive material, director Taika Waititi handles the film with a level of love and care we rarely ever see. Jojo Rabbit carefully rides the line between coming across as satire and taking itself seriously enough to be considered a beautiful film.
2) Uncut Gems (December 25th, 2019)
As avid Safdie Brothers’ fans, we are SO glad Uncut Gems was able to make our list. We were unsure of how the dynamic Safdie duo would follow up their 2017 panic attack of a film, Good Time. After ten years of trying to get this movie made though, they couldn’t have done any better. Adam Sandler’s performance as gambling addict/New York jeweler Howard Ratner is one for the books. Much like any other film from Josh and Benny Safdie, the tension is palpable from the first frame. Claustrophobic, stressful, and genuinely anxiety inducing, Uncut Gems never takes its foot off the gas. By shooting in tight locations, largely through medium to close up shots, Cinematographer Darius Khondji captures the Diamond District of New York in such a way that showcases the true grime and general energy of the city. We could go on and on about how great Uncut Gems is, but the bottom line is that you need to see it, if not for anything else, than to see Adam Sandler in one of the most prolific roles he’s ever played.
1) Parasite (October 11th, 2019)
Bong Joon Ho’s newest film is Parasite. This is, without a doubt, an instant classic. What can we say that hasn’t already been said? Parasite is hilarious, sweet, tense, and at times terrifying. Not like horror movie terror, but the type of terror that creeps under your skin and manifests itself into your imagination before you go to sleep. This movie is a parasite in itself. With an unsuspecting entrance, Parasite begins as a somewhat lighthearted and easygoing film. The film then quickly mutates into a completely different film, exploring a rabbit hole never before discovered. Parasite masterfully comments on society and the class system, while not beating us over the head with ideals. Parasite will burrow its way into your head and set up camp. This is one of the many reasons why it deserves the #1 spot on our top ten films of 2019 and of all time.