2019 in Film

2019 was a mixed bag of a film year for me. And that was a surprise because I usually find the last year of a decade to be strong. (1939, 79, 89, and 99 are all strong years in my book.). There were a handful of great films, but a lot of stinkers and disappointments. (This year, one of my favorites even made the disappointment list for me.). The theme this year was clearly income disparity and the failure of hyper-capitalism, particularly in the era of nationalism, populaism, and Trump. It was unavoidable in the cultural dialogue. Many of the best films of the year tackled the topic quite well.

My 13 Best/Favorite Films of 2019:

13. The Lego Movie 2

Another meta-examination of topics more far-reaching than child’s play. Getting along with others, the Other, and trust. Personally I like this one better than the first Lego film, but not as much as Lego Batman.

12. 1917

Another big, talented director gives us another high-concept war film. The story here is slightly more compelling to me than Dunkirk was, but that films three timelines was more interesting than the single-take gimmick here. This is a good anti-war war film.

11. Captain Marvel

Not the best Marvel, but one of the more entertaining of the bunch. I want more of this story.

10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

This is an example of a trilogy pulling off the harder-than-it-looks dismount.

9. It Chapter 2

This story is enough of a guilty pleasure that I know I will revisit it. And it is better than the second half of the 1990 miniseries. That said, see below…

8. A Hidden Life

A slow, meditative important story that won’t get enough of an audience. It is SLOW, but good if you can focus.

7. Avengers Endgame

Again, not the best Marvel movie. But the stunning achievement here is the was it successfully caps off a decade of storytelling. I predict Marvel will have good films to come, but never replicate the across-the-board cohesiveness managed thus far.

6. Us

A wonderfully original (if not entirely polished) parable for the age in which we live. An indictment to be sure.

5. Toy Story 4

Did this need to be made? No. But since they did, I am glad they did this good a job. It is chocked full of ideas and messages. As all the Toy Story films have done, this one tells us more about purpose, creatureliness, and being human than a lot of stories about humans.

4. Little Women

I have always enjoyed the story, and this is a fresh retelling that is an improvement on the other versions, as good as they were.

3. Parasite

I don’t think this is as good as many others who claim it is the best film of the decade. But it is great. Third-place great for the year anyway.

2. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This is a film that should be seen by everybody at least once. Mr. Rogers is the role-model the Trump Era needs to rediscover.

1. Knives Out

You can’t beat this film for an entertainment that has something important to say without ever preaching. I recommend it multiple times.

My 5 Most Disappointing Films of 2019

5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

This was never going to be my most disappointing film of the year. I never had the kind of hopes that could be let down. Having revisited it recently, however, I can say with great confidence that this is a terrible Star Wars. Upon my first viewing in theaters I thought it was middle of the pack. It has dropped. Not sure how far yet, but at least the prequels wanted to tell a cohesive story.

4. Hellboy

Why didn’t they continue the films that Del Toro was making?!?

3. Godzilla King of Monsters

I don’t look to the kaiju genre for deep thoughts (even though the first one back in 1954 did just that). I want to be entertained and astounded. I fell asleep in this one.

2. Serenity

This film was a cheat and a scam. Had I not watched it on a plane, I would have demanded my money back.

1. It Chapter 2

I should have known better. The source material has an amazing first half and a disappointing second. Still, there was something to be had here that didn’t make it into the theater.

My Still Need to See Films of 2019:

Jojo Rabbit (seen)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (seen)

The Dead Don’t Die (seen)

Dumbo

Glass

The Kid Who Would Be King

Zombieland 2 (seen)