So I saw 27 movies this year which is pretty high for me as I'm more of a TV person. Here are my rankings of all the films I saw from favourite to least favourite and I decided to put some ratings and reviews for each. I really think 2019 was a fantastic year for film! (You can tell based on how many I gave an 8 or higher lol)
1) PARASITE 10/10 - One of the most original and unique films I have ever seen and one that I cannot get out of my head. Exquisitely shot and perfectly paced, a true modern masterpiece.
2) MARRIAGE STORY 9.5/10 - One of the most realistic portrayals I have ever seen of how and why a strong relationship can fall apart. A surprising amount of humour keep the film digestible and two career best performances from Driver and Johansson. The way the film feels like it is showing real life and real people is its greatest strength. Great cinematography and strong editing stand out as well.
3) UNCUT GEMS 9/10 - What an incredible ride! The Safdie's are proving to be absolute masters when it comes to presenting compelling stories that gradually increase in chaos and anxiety. Adam Sandler gives a career best performance and Kevin Garnett gives the greatest acting debut for an athlete that I can think of. I enjoyed this even more than Good Time partly due to a specific scene at a passover seder which I found incredibly relatable and also due to the fact that it has a stronger final act. What an ending and overall unique film experience!
4) The IRISHMAN 9/10 - I genuinely feel incredibly lucky that we were able to get another film collaboration between these 4 legends (I know Pacino has never been in a Scorsese film but he's still a legend). Scorsese did it again, making yet another fantastic film that somehow feels way shorter than its 3 hour and 20 minute runtime. You'd think a Scorsese crime film would be familiar or overdone but this fantastic script gives it an entirely fresh and unique perspective on the genre. The way it looks back on a life of crime in a much more somber way is very powerful and the dialogue is absolutely top notch throughout. A very depressing yet effective final act make the film much more emotionally resonant and the de-aging visuals aren't too distracting. Fingers crossed that Scorsese has a few more films for us cause he hasn't lost his touch at all.
5) WAVES 8.5/10 - Dynamic visuals complimented by gorgeous cinematography and an incredible soundtrack/score. Waves is probably the most visually stunning film I've seen this year. Unfortunately when it comes to story, its first half is miles stronger than its much different second half (this isn't to say the second half is bad, it still works but it isn't nearly as dynamic). Although the fact that the film is able to completely change gears midway through and it somehow works, is an impressive feat. Shoutout to Kelvin Harrison Jr who gives an incredible performance (SPOILERS: his absence is definitely felt in the 2nd half of the film)
6) HONEY BOY 8/10 - Shia Lebouf and Noah Jupe are the true standouts here as the entire film rests on the portrayal of their relationship. A truly heavy film with some gorgeous visuals and a surprisingly powerful and uplifting ending. This was a pleasant surprise for me as I didn't expect much going in and it affected me a in a much more impactful way than I expected. Really solid and unique film.
7) JOJO RABBIT 8/10 - Taika Waititi pulled off a very tricky and unique film here and I enjoyed every bit of it. Although the story is somewhat predictable at points, the script is a lot more emotionally impactful than I was expecting. Roman Griffin Davis does a fantastic job as Jojo and for the most part the humour delivers. Being a massive GoT fan, I thought Alfie Allen was very underused but the rest of the cast did a great job!
8) KNIVES OUT 8/10 - The definition of a fun movie! Just sit back relax and enjoy the ride that Rian Johnson and this all star cast take you on. A great homage to the who-dun it genre and you can just tell that everyone involved in the film is having tons of fun. Ana De Armas gives the standout performance and although the film starts out slow, the third act ties everything together perfectly. I did find many of the all star cast members to be underused and a few plot points slightly predictable but I still enjoyed the ride.
9) PAIN AND GLORY 8/10 - A fantastic performance from Antonio Banderas and a truly 'real' and poignant film. One of my favourite final shots in any movie this year and a fantastic examination of what it means to lose and love.
10) AVENGERS ENDGAME 8/10 - Not quite as tight and unpredictable as Infinity War but still a very satisfying conclusion to the Marvel saga. There is a surprising amount of strong character work here that I was not expecting and the action absolutely delivers with an adrenaline filled final act. A very impressive feat overall although Thanos's absence for the majority of the film does make the film much less tense and dynamic than its predecessor.
11) EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE 8/10 - Rewatching the masterpiece that is Season 5 of Breaking Bad may have taken away from my enjoyment of this film cause holy shit is that season practically perfect. It may have raised my expectations a little too high as I found myself somewhat underwhelmed by the end of this film. Ultimately, the film serves as more of a coda for the character of Jesse Pinkman rather than a continuation of the story that I was expecting. This is not Vince Gilligan's fault and should not take away from what he achieved here which was a visually stunning and incredibly satisying ending to the journey of one of television's greatest characters. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and any time I get to visit Gilligan's New Mexico world, I will never take it for granted. Which reminds me, if you are a massive Breaking Bad fan and haven't watched Better Call Saul, what are you doing!?! It is without a doubt one of the greatest shows on TV right now and its slow pace and rich characters are mesmerizing. It shocks me that this show doesn't get enough attention, it is slowly creeping into Breaking Bad level quality and more people need to watch it!
12) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD 8/10 - A very enjoyable experience with great performances and a very memorable final act. I feel like I may be missing something here as I don't see why people are calling it a masterpiece, it's just a really solid alternate history type film and is entertaining throughout. Brad Pitt steals the whole damn thing and I really appreciate that Tarantino has the balls to just do whatever he wants cause having long extended scenes of Brad Pitt driving was one of my favourite parts of the film. I feel like the majority of filmmakers probably wouldn't take their time with something so simple but you can tell Tarantino actually cares about filmmaking by crafting an atmosphere and taking his time with things.
13) PROXIMA 8/10 - One of the most natural and realistic portrayals of a mother-daughter relationship that I have ever seen. About 20-30 minutes into the film, I forgot I was watching actors and I just accepted that this child was Eva Green's daughter. It was also really refreshing to see a movie about an astronaut that is solely focused on the training aspect rather than the going into space aspect. It really makes you realize how an astronaut's life isn't very glamorous at all and takes an extreme amount of hard work. Not a lot happens in this movie but watching this realistic relationship was very emotionally satisfying. Eva Green and Zelie Boulant give fantastic performances and have great chemistry.
14) THE LIGHTHOUSE 8/10 - An absolute masterpiece on a technical level and phenomenal performances from Pattinson and Dafoe. I enjoyed the film a lot for what it was and its incredibly unique style however I've never been a huge fan of this type of story where people gradually go insane and you start to have trouble realizing what the hell is going on. If you enjoy the type of story where things are up to your interpretation and the audience is meant to think deeply about what they just watched, then this is the film for you. For me, the story just isn't really my cup of tea but I was able to appreciate the high quality of film making and acting here.
15) DOLEMITE IS MY NAME 7.5/10 - The underdog story structure here is very familiar and predictable but goddamn this movie is just so much fun to watch! The cast has great chemistry and you can just feel that everyone is having fun with the material. Eddie Murphy is fantastic and the story of Rudy Ray Moore is something I wasn't very familiar with so even though this biopic structure felt familiar, I still really enjoyed learning about this era and these people. Just a really fun and digestible film overall!
16) FORD V FERRARI 7/10 - I really enjoyed this film for what it was. With that said, the plot was incredibly predictable and the many conflicts between the characters felt extremely forced, unoriginal and cartoonish. The racing sequences were very engaging and quite impressive while Matt Damon and Christian Bale give solid performances. The chemistry and relationship between the two main characters works and I was invested in what has happening even though the structure was very familiar. Overall, a solid film but definitely nothing special.
17) BOOKSMART 7/10 - A really enjoyable teen comedy with lots of heart. In some ways it felt very different, unique and original but in other ways it felt familiar and predictable but ultimately I was invested in the relationship between the two lead characters and enjoyed this examination of their high school experience.
18) SHAZAM 7/10 - Just a solidly entertaining movie that felt refreshing after all the superhero films with high stakes. It was nice to see one where the story is much smaller and doesn't take itself so seriously. An entertaining film with lots of heart and humour that put a smile on my face. However, there's nothing particularly memorable about it and I can't remember too much about it at all.
19) JOKER 7/10 - The first act is incredibly slow and repetitive and although the second half is stronger the film has less of an impact than it should. I did enjoy it by the end however I can't help but feel like the script should have been tighter and there really feels like something is missing. The performance from Joaquin Phoenix is much better than the film itself.
20) STAR WARS THE RISE OF SKYWALKER 6/10 - It's an entertaining and fun movie if you choose to turn your brain off which I decided to do about halfway through the movie. I'm glad I did because wow is this a rushed and messy film. The third act is so ridiculous and there is soooo much going on that I found it to be both a hilarious and entertaining experience. The relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren is easily the best part of the film and the only thing that remains interesting throughout (Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley are great as well). The best way I can think of to sum up this movie is just pure dumb fun.
21) A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 6/10 - Tom Hanks is great as Mr. Rogers here. It's a bit jarring at first but after a couple scenes, you forget its him and really do see a believable version of Mr.Rogers. The film takes its time which is a bit frustrating in the first half but by the end it feels necessary. Matthew Rhys does a great job as I found myself really disliking his character in the first half but came to appreciate his arc by the end. It's a very heart warming film that is sure to please general audiences but I was very underwhelmed in terms of its ability to bring anything unique or memorable.
22) HUSTLERS 6/10 - I enjoyed the film but don't really understand the massive hype surrounding it. J-Lo is good but Oscar worthy, what? Not even close. Although it's refreshing to see a crime film that's all about women, I can't help but feel like a lot of the characters were pretty underwritten and uninteresting. I just felt like the script could have gone much deeper but ultimately it is still an entertaining watch with solid performances.
23) LONG SHOT 6/10 - I'm not a rom com person at all but I'm a massive fan of both the lead actors here so I decided to check this one out. I actually found it a lot funnier than I expected and the humour really works for the most part. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron had great comedic chemistry and the film was entertaining throughout but I ultimately couldn't get invested due to the formulaic script and some very over the top story choices.
24) SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME 6/10 - I'm just getting tired of Spider-Man at this point. Am I the only one? He's a fun character but to get another movie about him that was very mediocre just opened my eyes to the fact that I'm getting tired of him. There's just too much Spider-Man. Jake Gyllenhaal was my favourite part of this movie but everything else just felt so average and forgettable. I like Tom Holland's portrayal of the character but I'm just kind've sick of it at this point. I loved "Into the Spider-Verse" cause it actually brought new ideas to the table but this one felt way too familiar and repetitive.
25) BETWEEN TWO FERNS THE MOVIE 5/10 - The interviews are hilarious and the bloopers at the end are hysterical. It's a shame that the rest of the movie is incredibly forced, pointless and unfunny. With that said as a massive Zach Galifianakis fan, I was entertained and don't regret watching it.
26) CAPTAIN MARVEL 4/10 - A very boring, bland and formulaic Marvel film with very little personality. Sam Jackson is fun to watch and there are a couple visually interesting action sequences but on the whole, this is a very forgettable film.
27) LUCY IN THE SKY 2/10 - The only film I saw that I genuinely didn't like and wanted to leave throughout. This film actually made me angry. It's boring, pointless and has an incredibly unlikeable protagonist. It only deserves a 2 because Natalie Portman at least seems like she's trying.
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/ehikry/my_2019_movie_rankings/
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