2019 in Movies: The Last Six Months
THE TOP 5
1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (review)
“From the film's supremely of-the-time soundtrack (including real clips of radio jingles and ads from the now-defunct KHJ-radio Los Angeles) to the phenomenal camera work of cinematographer extraordinaire Robert Richardson to its plentiful, fun-bonus films-within-a-film, Once Upon a Time is an artistic time capsule, a love letter (to 1969, Tate, and to old Hollywood, all at once) and a masterclass of acting and screenwriting wrapped up into one damn-fine package.”
2. Parasite (review)
“Writer-director Bong Joon-ho, best-known (if at all) for 2013’s Snowpiercer, has created a marvel that not only entertains at the highest level but also doubles as a violent, penetrating psychological experiment with a side order of scathing socio-economic commentary.”
3. The Farewell (review)
“This is a film that delivers on every front. And though it’s predominantly set in China (with occasional subtitles) and steeped in Chinese culture and traditions, it’s as accessible and relatable as they come—a surprisingly touching and often-hilarious story of one family’s love for each other.”
4. Jojo Rabbit (review)
“Not that it would be advisable at first glance, but if you could somehow cobble together a mash-up of Wes Anderson, Monty Python, and The Diary of Anne Frank, you might find yourself in the neighborhood of Taika Waititi’s simultaneously whack-a-doo and gut-wrenching Jojo Rabbit.”
5. Knives Out (review)
“In a manner befitting the stick-’em-with-the-pointy-end weapons in its title, Knives Out slices and dices the whodunnit genre, arriving in theaters as one of the more entertaining films of the year.”
THE REST
6. Ford v. Ferrari
7. Zombieland 2: Double Tap
8. Joker
9. The Two Popes
10. Bombshell
11. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
12. Marriage Story
13. Frozen II
14. Ad Astra
15. Light of My Life
16. Dolemite is My Name
17. Hustlers
18. Richard Jewell
19. Love Antosha
20. The Aeronauts
21. The Report
22. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
23. Ready or Not
24. The Irishman
25. Jumanji: The Next Level
26. Downton Abbey
27. Blinded by the Light
28. Klaus
29. Crawl
30. Stuber
31. Hobbes & Shaw
32. 6 Underground
33. Terminator: Dark Fate
34. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
35. Between Two Ferns: The Movie
36. Good Boys
37. Spider-Man: Far From Home
38. Spies in Disguise
39. The Good Liar
40. Little Women
41. Countdown
42. Abominable
43. Point Blank
44. Falling Inn Love
45. Gemini Man
46. The Goldfinch
47. Angel Has Fallen
48. The Lion King (2019)
49. Last Christmas
50. Noelle
51. The Addams Family
52. In the Tall Grass
53. It: Chapter Two
54. Driven
55. Fractured
THE BOTTOM 5
56. The Red Sea Diving Resort (review)
“Diving Resort starts to go off the deep end (so to speak), playing out like a hybrid mish-mosh of genres, clumsily switching from lighthearted comedy of errors to horrific war story without batting an eye.”
57. Earthquake Bird (review)
“Westmoreland is unable to coax any amount of chemistry between any of the actors, fails to demonstrate any sense of how to drive a plot forward, and seems content to wrap things up with a whimper of a final reveal. Earthquake Bird may be one heck of a book, but the transition to the screen will leave you wanting to fly far, far away.”
58. Where'd You Go Bernadette (review)
“Fans of the book should, frankly, not even bother. So much of Semple’s fun tome is rewritten, tweaked, glossed over, or flat out dropped altogether that you will no doubt exit the theater wondering what in heaven’s name you just witnessed.”
59. The Kitchen (review)
“The Kitchen is a slogging mess of empty characters, gaping plot holes, and second-rate performances (from above-average actors)—so much so that it legitimately makes you question the wisdom of New Line studio honchos.”
60. Cats (review)
“From start to finish, Cats is an unadulterated mess but even more than that, it’s just plain bad... and not even “worth-a-look-just-to-laugh” bad.”
