Top 15 Films of 2019

Cinema has been hit pretty hard this year, but despite what many critics would have you think, the quality of films being released is still going strong. With cinemas now starting to reopen again, and many of last year’s hits being used to fill the screens, now is the ideal time to countdown my top films of last year. I hope this gives you an insight into the kind of movies I love!

Do bear in mind that I haven’t seen every movie ever released, and as I’m not a professional critic, this list may not be as full of indie movies that didn’t get wide releases as many other lists like this. Also, I won’t be including films that were released in the UK in 2019 but that were included in the 2019 awards ceremonies such as ‘Vice’ or ‘Green Book’ as I think of them as 2018 films. Similarly, I wasn’t able to see films from this year’s awards shows such as ‘Parasite’ or ‘1917’ in 2019, so I won’t be including them either.

<There will be spoilers!!!>

15. Fighting with My Family

I never thought that I would enjoy a film about wrestling, but then again, this isn’t really about wrestling at all. Maybe I should have guessed by the title, but this is a film about family, about sibling rivalry and about being yourself, even if that doesn’t fit in with what people want you to be. I love Stephen Merchant and the script and direction has his stamp of humour and charm all over it. The performances are great across the board (including a rare decent outing by Vince Vaughn), but Florence Pugh steals the show. Her scenes alongside Jack Lowden as her brother make the heart of the film and ensure that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill cliché sports movie.

14. Rocketman

The Elton John biopic drew a lot of comparisons to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ released the previous year, but I’d say Rocketman has the edge here. Although Taron Egerton may not have the glam rock icon as nailed down as Rami Malek had Freddie Mercury, there aren’t too many other performers out there who could pull it off. You can feel the joy oozing off the screen and there’s so much energy pumped into every scene that the 2 hour runtime flies by. There are big similarities to director Dexter Fletcher’s other musical film ‘Sunshine on Leith’, especially during the big numbers like ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.’ You can tell why Elton himself said he was very pleased with the film as very few biopics have managed to capture an artist’s career like this.

13. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Is it one of the best films of 2019? Probably not. Do I care? Absolutely not! My love of Star Wars runs so deep that it would have taken a lot for this one to disappoint me. Even though this is the weakest of the sequel trilogy, ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ still manages to bring about plenty of emotional moments and gripping battle sequences. The problems with the film lie in its change of direction from ‘The Last Jedi’, which wouldn’t have been an issue if JJ Abrams had directed all three films. However, on its own merit, this is a decent enough finish for the biggest saga in movie history. Adam Driver continues to be one of the best actors in the world and his Kylo Ren is certainly one of the best performances of a villain in recent years. It may not have been to every fans taste, but I still loved it and lines like ‘I am all the Jedi’ and ‘Rey... Skywalker’ still send shivers down my spine.

12. Wild Rose

This is all about lead actress Jessie Buckley who completely commands this film and manages to take the viewer with her on Rose’s tumultuous story of musical success. Director Tom Harper (best known for his work on ‘Peaky Blinders’) gives the film a well needed shot of authenticity; Glasgow feels like Glasgow, and every shot of the capital mirrors the grungy, turmoil-filled life that Rose leads. It’s always great to see Julie Walters, but this is 100% Jessie Buckley’s film. She is an incredible presence and provides charm and wit in abundance. She is without a doubt a star in the making.

11. Queen & Slim

This is one of the most beautifully directed films of 2019 from debut director Melina Matsoukas. Before this, she was best known for music videos like Beyonce’s ‘Formation’, which is probably why the score that combines classical sounds with modern pop plays such a pivotal part of the film. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith are both brilliant as the titular characters who live through a horrific set of events that sends the viewer on a whole spectrum of emotions. Although the film focuses on incredibly poignant themes (especially now in the times of BLM), it is at its core a love story, meaning that this is not just thought-provoking but also heartbreaking.

10. Knives Out

Daniel Craig really surprised me in ‘Knives Out’. I love him as James Bond, but I would argue that this is his best ever performance. He is hilarious in the lead role of Benoit Blanc, so I am very excited to hear that he will reprise his role in a sequel coming soon. He’s part of one of the best ensemble casts of the year, in a film that really exceeded expectations in creating not only a funny, but also a dramatic and thrilling murder mystery. Rian Johnson gets every bit of humour out of this script, solidifying himself as one of the top directors currently in Hollywood.

9. Toy Story 4

My overriding emotion coming out of ‘Toy Story 4’ was that of relief. Knowing that they didn’t mess up one of the best film trilogies in history is a big part of why this film makes it into the top 10. It may not have the same impact as the other three, but this still has plenty of laughs (especially provided by new character Forky) and the emotional moments that we come to expect from a Pixar movie. I can’t imagine there’ll be too many people that would have been disappointed by this sequel, however there is a finality to the ending of ‘Toy Story 4’ suggesting that this really is the last we’ll see of Woody, Buzz and all those fantastic characters that people of my generation have grown up with. Pixar, you’ve done us proud!

8. Ad Astra

I was very disappointed to see that this film was a box office bomb (potentially losing the studio more than $100million) because it certainly deserved more people to go see it. ‘Ad Astra’ had me engaged right from the off, partly because of the incredible cinematography and visual effects, but mainly because of the incredible performance of Brad Pitt. There’s a reason why he’s the star he is, and he shows how he can carry a film as big as this with such ease, full of subtlety and delicacy. The obvious comparisons to films like ‘Gravity’ were of course aplenty in the press, but the relationship between Pitt and his father makes this something very different. It’s always great to see Liv Tyler as well who I always thought was very underrated. I can’t say I’ve see any of director James Gray’s previous films, but after the quality of ‘Ad Astra’, I’ll definitely be checking out his back catalogue.

7. Joker

I can’t remember the last time I saw a film that I liked so much and yet never want to see again. It would feel wrong for me to even say that I enjoyed it, because at no point during the 2 hour run time did I ever feel enjoyment. I spent the whole time cringing, crying and reeling away from the mentally (and at times physically) brutal beating that is endured by pretty much everyone featured in this movie. I was never a fan of ‘The Hangover’ movies, so this is the best made film that Todd Phillips has directed so far, although I did enjoy the underrated ‘War Dogs’. Joaquin Phoenix is, of course, brilliant, which is probably why this film makes the cutting blow that it does due to his scaringly realistic performance. I think that what makes me the most uncomfortable about ‘Joker’ is that, despite being a movie based on a comic-book, how easy it was to believe that this could happen in the society we currently live in. Part of me wants to recommend it as it is a great movie, but I also don’t want anyone to have to go through the experience of watching it.

6. Booksmart

How pleasing is it to see a comedy about teenage girls leaving school feel so original and free of any stereotypes or cliché? Not only that, but for it to also be the funniest movie of the year. Olivia Wilde may be more known for being the star of ‘House’ and many huge blockbuster movies, but she has completely pulled it out of the bag with her directorial debut. The key to this movie is that you fully believe in the closeness of the friendship between the two main characters, so not only do we laugh out loud when they go through some whacky experiences in their final big night out before heading to college, but we also feel the emotional hit when they argue and fall out. In the hands of poorer performers it may not have worked as well, but Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever have us in the palm of their hands. Rotten Tomatoes named ‘Booksmart’ their number one comedy of the decade, and it’s very easy to see why.

5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

It’s Tarantino’s best film since ‘Pulp Fiction’. Despite being 160 minutes long, the film flows beautifully and not once did I feel obliged to look at my watch. I think you can tell that Tarantino is starting to grow up. The film jumps through different story-lines seamlessly in a fitting tribute to Hollywood’s golden age, concluding with a thrilling, fire-breathing ending (literally) that you come to expect from Tarantino. The difference between this and a lot of his other films is here it feels earned and not overdone. DiCaprio and Pitt are in usual fine form, and despite controversy over the size of her part, Margot Robbie makes the most of her scenes. My highlight of the film is the scene of her watching her own film in the theatre. She completely sells it and the scene is a beautiful demonstration of the film-makers love for cinema.

4. Yesterday

I love ‘The Beatles’ (who doesn’t) so the idea of a world where only one man can remember them and their songs is my favourite concept for a film in a long long time. The collaboration of director Danny Boyle and writer Richard Curtis fits perfectly to produce a film full of charm and joy. Himesh Patel is going to go a long way after his starring role as Jack Malik, backed-up by a fantastic supporting cast. Being a Richard Curtis movie, ‘Yesterday’ isn’t short of laughs, most notably Jack’s parent’s inability to concentrate on the ‘first ever’ performance of ‘Let It Be’ and the suggestions of different Beatles album covers. However, also like other Curtis movies, it’s the heart of this film that keeps it going. Jack’s encounter with two other people who can remember the band does brilliantly to subvert expectations and his meeting with an alternate John Lennon is deeply moving. Perhaps most surprising is that Ed Sheeran isn’t terrible! Although I would’ve liked to see Chris Martin (who was originally approached for that role) give it a go, as we have seen from his brief cameo in ‘Extras’ that he can do comedy.

3. Blinded by the Light

What a beautiful and fitting tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen. ‘Blinded by the light’ is one of the most joyful and uplifting movies you will ever see, despite covering some serious topics like clashes of family tradition and the growth of the National Front in 80’s England. It was so hard to watch scenes of the main characters run down the street to ‘Born to run’ or dance in the rain to ‘Badlands’ and not want to get out of my seat and join. Whereas ‘Yesterday’ is at its heart a fun rom-com, this has much more depth and never runs into the cliché of feeling cheesy or preachy. The boss’ music helps to lead the way for this heartfelt and earnest movie, but really it’s a film about the effect of all music in a person’s life and how it can shape us, elate us and guide us through tough times.

2. Eighth Grade

It is so hard to appropriately articulate my feelings about this modern masterpiece, especially as I wasn’t even able to do so to my friends and family through the tears that continued to poor down my face days after viewing it. I beg of you to see this. Not enough people did and it needs to receive the recognition it deserves. I was never too fussed about Bo Burnham when he was just an internet comedian doing funny songs from his bedroom. In ‘Eighth Grade’ though, he has managed to create something special; a film with such biting comment on growing up in the social media generation and a full heart that never for once feels unnatural or untruthful. The score is magical, the direction is brave and impactful and Elsie Fisher’s lead performance feels so unique and authentic that I don’t think I’ll ever see anything like it again. Kayla’s story is at times hard to watch, but I couldn’t imagine turning my eyes away once from the screen. It’s one of the best films I’ve ever seen. It really affected me and I’m so desperate for everyone to have the same special experience of watching it that I did.

1. Avengers: Endgame

I will concede that this may not be the best film of 2019, but this is the one that meant the most to me. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has taken a deserved control over cinemas for more than a decade, and there could have been no more fitting conclusion than ‘Avengers: Endgame’. ‘Infinity War’s ending was enough to match the great cliff-hangers of cinema, and at no point does this feel like it will let that down. There won’t be a moment that will stay with me like the portals scene before the final battle for a long time. I still feel the hairs on my neck stand on end when I think about, and the score is used to perfection here as well. The Russo brothers have done an incredible job to bring the Infinity saga to a close and conclude this stage of the biggest cinematic project in history. I have no idea how Robert Downey Jr hasn’t picked up any major awards for his role as Iron Man, and I felt he especially deserved a nod for this particularly intense and emotional performance. Whilst you’re watching it, you feel that you’ve witnessed a moment in cinema. In many ways, I hope that we don’t have too many more MCU movies, as I don’t think anything can carry on from this landmark film. What I maybe love even more though than all the dramatic set pieces and huge battles, is that in the end, there’s nothing more powerful or impacting, than a couple in love dancing to music. The perfect ending.