We are fresh in a new year and a new decade. So let's take a look back at the films I saw in 2019. I saw a total of 40 films in 2019. Well, actually it's 39 because one I saw on New Years Day... okay, in reality it's 38 because one of these is a short film. But in terms of my movie watching experience from January 1st to January 1st, I saw 40 movies, so... deal with it. Anyways, this article is my ranking of each movie I saw from worst to best. Now, I didn't see every movie that came out in 2019, hence why there's only 40 on this list. So if you're looking for films like The Irishman or Cats, then prepare to be disappointed because I haven't seen them. Also, I will most likely be seeing 1917 very shortly, but it will not be in contention with this list because of how far into the new year I've seen it. Just consider it an honorary honorable mention.
So for this list, I will have very brief descriptions of my thoughts for each film. They are not reviews because I already have reviews for every single film here. If you want my full thoughts, look through my website. You're bound to find some here. Also, please remember this is my opinion. If there's a film on here you liked that I didn't, or vice versa, please remember that opinions are different and no one is wrong for liking or disliking a movie. I'm just trying to have some fun. And if there's a movie on this list you haven't seen that might interest you, go watch it! Make your own opinion! Anyways, enough stalling. Let's begin.
40. The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Genre: Drama/Horror/Thriller
Director: Daniel Farrands
Starring: Hilary Duff
Sometimes, you see a film that makes you feel gross. The Haunting of Sharon Tate is that film. It is one of the most distasteful displays of filmmaking I have ever seen, and it was insufferable to watch from beginning to end. It takes the Sharon Tate murder, and makes it supernatural... and it's worse than it sounds. Avoid this film like the plague.
39. The Fanatic
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Director: Fred Durst
Starring: John Travolta
This is one of the funniest movies of 2019- and it's not even a comedy. Helmed by John Travolta's hilariously over the top performance, The Fanatic stands as one of the best "so bad it's good" films in years. Deliciously cynical and delightfully distasteful, I laughed so hard that I felt a little guilty. If there's any bad movie on this list you should watch, make it this one.
38. Velvet Buzzsaw
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Dan Gilroy
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal & Rene Russo
If there's any film from 2019 I would call obnoxiously pretentious, I would put that label on Velvet Buzzsaw. Acting as a satire of the art community, this film is incredibly ham-fisted and annoying, with unlikable characters and a really stupid story with deaths that made me roll my eyes. I missed this film when it first came out, and it wasn't worth finding after all this time.
37. Serenity
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Steven Knight
Starring: Matthew McConaughey & Anne Hathaway
I'll give Serenity this... it's very ballsy. I admire the risks it took. However, this is easily one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. The plot twist alone blew my mind in all the worst ways. I could not make sense of it logically. Besides that, this is a boring mystery with weak characters and even weaker performances. No thanks.
36. It: Chapter Two
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Horror
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, & Bill Hader
This sequel is lame. The story is lame, the scares are lame, the comedy is lame... everything about this film is lame. Also, why is it almost three hours long? Tedious, boring, and predictable, It: Chapter Two did not live up to Chapter One in the slightest.
35. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasty/Sci-Fi
Director: Michael Dougherty
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, & Millie Bobby Brown
Granted, part of the reason why this film sits so sour with me is because of my awful theater experience. I will never do 4D again. Anyways, this film is still a rather dull experience, with some of the most paper thin characters of the year. I forgot about this film almost immediately after I went home. At least there were some cool monster fights. I think.
34. Guava Island
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Music/
Musical/Thriller
Director: Hiro Murai
Starring: Donald Glover & Rihanna
After all these months, I'm still not entirely sure what this film is supposed to be. With boring characters, sub par performances, and a confused story, Guava Island acts like a self-indulgent piece of Childish Gambino worship instead of a movie. Nothing interesting happens until the very end. It's a shame.
33. Glass
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, & Samuel L. Jackson
Glass is actually pretty decent... until the ending. Then it completely craps its pants. It truly is embarrassing how bad the end of this film is. I admire what Shyamalan was trying to do with this trilogy concluder, but I don't think it fully paid off. The film looks nice, but as a grand finale... yikes.
32. Captain Marvel
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Director: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson & Samuel L. Jackson
With one of the most boring MCU movies ever made, Captain Marvel tries to make an empowering female superhero lead instead of a compelling one. It has a neat spectacle and some decent action, but that's about it. I immediately forgot about a good majority of the film as soon as I walked out of the theater.
31. Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Director: J. J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, & Oscar Isaac
Star Wars writers be like: "uh... I don't know what to do...I'm confused..." With a jumbled mess of a plot and weak character development, The Rise of Skywalker is the weakest of the sequel trilogy, capping off the Skywalker saga with a whimper instead of a roar.
30. Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Family/
Mystery/Sci-Fi
Director: Rob Letterman
Starring: Ryan Reynolds & Justin Long
As a Pokemon fan, I really enjoyed this. It was a lot of fun seeing Pokemon on the big screen in a live action setting. As a movie fan, this was kinda dumb. The film looks great and there's some charm to be had, but the story... no. But then again, the film stars a crime solving Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds, so why am I complaining?
29. Brightburn
Genre: Drama/Horror/Mystery/Sci-Fi
Director: David Yarovesky
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, & Jackson A. Dunn
Brightburn had the potential to be one of the coolest movies of 2019. An evil Superman child? That's genius. Unfortunately, this resorted to a generic slasher flick. A well acted generic slasher flick with some cool moments, but a generic slasher flick nonetheless. Sigh.
28. Anima
Genre: Short/Music
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Thom Yorke
This is really only a collection of music videos for Thom Yorke's latest album. But hey, this is a cool collection of music videos. The cinematography and choreography are both great. This doesn't have much of a lasting impression on me, but it's a cool little musical journey that I certainly enjoyed.
27. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure/
Family/Fantasy
Director: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel & America Ferrera
It doesn't hit the comedic or dramatic highs of the previous two, but The Hidden World is a solid end to the trilogy with fun action, gorgeous, GORGEOUS animation, and plenty of heart. Also dragons. You can't forget about the dragons.
26. The Dead Don't Die
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, & Chloe Sevigny
I know I'm alone on this, but I quite enjoyed The Dead Don't Die. Sure, the story is incredibly sloppy, but the characters are fun, the script is clever, and the atmosphere is great. This is the kind of dry, pitch black, dark humor that I love. This film could've been a lot better, but I had fun with it.
25. Wild Rose
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Music
Director: Tom Harper
Starring: Jessie Buckley & Julie Walters
While nothing groundbreaking or original, Wild Rose is a charming little A Star is Born style story with a stellar performance from Jessie Buckley, some great music, and some genuine heart. It grows very predictable, even after the first few minutes, but nothing about this film is done bad. This is the kind of movie to see with a date. It's nice. I like it.
24. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure/
Comedy/Family/Fantasy/Musical
Director: Mike Mitchell
Starring: Chris Pratt & Elizabeth Banks
This movie is like a sugar overload. It's beautiful, funny, entertaining, and so delightfully lighthearted. After a while, however, the crash hits, and the whole experience becomes exhausting. But still, this film is a solid direct follow up to the first Lego film, even if it is vastly inferior.
23. Toy Story 4
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy/
Family/Fantasy
Director: Josh Cooley
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, & Annie Potts
Toy Story 4 definitely plays it the safest out of the entire Toy Story series. Despite that, this installment is still very enjoyable, mixing some solid comedy and drama. I will say that this is easily the best looking film of the lot. I would watch this film without sound just to look at the visuals. They're pretty amazing.
22. Doctor Sleep
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Horror/Thriller
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, & Kyliegh Curran
The final act is a little ridiculous with its Shining references, but Doctor Sleep is a solid followup. It has great performances, some compelling characters, and an effectively eerie atmosphere. It expands the universe of The Shining without shoving nostalgia down our throats... until the ending, but whatever.
21. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, & Jake Gyllenhaal
Spider-Man: Far From Home is a nice palette cleanser after the events of Endgame. There's nothing risky or emotionally intense about this film. This is a nice, breezy, fun comic book movie with some fun action and cool special effects. And sometimes, that's all you really need in a comic book movie.
20. Dolemite Is My Name
Genre: Biography/Comedy/Drama
Director: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy
Dolemite Is My Name is a fun biopic about the man who popularized the Blaxploitation genre. It's raunchy, over the top, and charming all the way through, helmed by a phenomenal performance by Eddie Murphy. While the movie as a whole may not be paced the best way, as most of the film is montages, it's still uproariously funny and entertaining nonetheless.
19. Shazam!
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy
Director: David F. Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi & Asher Angel
This was a lot of fun. It was very silly and lighthearted while also providing a lot of enjoyable action scenes, likable characters, and a nice story. When it comes to films in the DCEU, Shazam! is definitely the most fun. Even though I personally think Wonder Woman is the better film, I had a blast with Shazam!
18. Uncut Gems
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Josh & Ben Safdie
Starring: Adam Sandler
No other film in 2019 stressed me out like Uncut Gems. It was abrasive, disorienting, relentless, and it tied a knot in my gut. I have to praise the uncompromisingly gritty directing and phenomenal performance by Adam Sandler. I felt so out of my comfort zone with this film, and while I don't think I can ever put myself through this again, I recognize how great Uncut Gems was.
17. Joker
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
While I do think Joker is kind of overrated, I can't deny how chilling and effective of a character study it is. With a stunning performance by Joaquin Phoenix, amazing cinematography, a captivating musical score, and an overall gross and uncomfortable atmosphere, this film manages to be engrossing throughout.
16. I Lost My Body
Genre: Animation/Drama/Fantasy
Director: Jeremy Clapin
Starring: Hakim Faris & Victoire Du Bois
I Lost My Body is easily my favorite animated film of 2019. It has a fantastically unique premise, matched with likable characters and gorgeous animation. I also think it has the most underrated musical score of the entire year. This was my first foray into French animation, and I am very impressed. More please!
15. Little Women
Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, & Emma Watson
I enjoyed this film a lot more than I thought I would. The performances are great, with amazing chemistry between the leads, and the storytelling is delightful throughout. It has a nice balance of lighthearted comedy and really tragic drama. Though this has never been the kind of story I found myself enjoying, I like Little Women a lot.
14. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story
Genre: Action/Drama
Director: Vince Gilligan
Starring: Aaron Paul
If you've never seen Breaking Bad, this film will mean nothing to you. As someone who loves the series, I found El Camino to be a nice epilogue to the acclaimed show. Aaron Paul gives an amazing performance, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the runtime. It's beautifully shot, beautifully directed, and beautifully realized. Vince Gilligan is the man.
13. Us
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o
While I do think Get Out is the better film, I personally had more fun watching Us. This film is creepy, with a great atmosphere, fantastic performances, and phenomenal directing throughout. The story is told in a unique way that had me guessing from beginning to end. While I'm not crazy about the ending, I'm very satisfied with what I saw, and I can't wait to see what Jordan Peele does next.
12. Avengers: Endgame
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi
Director: Joe & Anthony Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, & Josh Brolin
If there's any word to describe Avengers: Endgame, it's epic. This film is so big, and it manages to pull of its scope very well. With great performances, a fun story, some fantastic drama, and a phenomenal third act, the closing chapter of the Avengers saga is one for the history books, and it's a damn fine film as well.
11. The Farewell
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Lulu Wang
Starring: Awkwafina & Shuzhen Zhao
I love this movie. It has such an interesting premise, and it executes both the comedy and the drama of the situation very well. Awkwafina gives an amazing performance, and Shuzhen Zhao is lovable as the grandma. This is one of those indie darlings that sticks with you far after the movie ends, as it is one of the sweetest movies of 2019.
10. Midsommar
Genre: Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Florence Pugh
Midsommar grew on me more than any other film in 2019. It is so weird and over the top, yet it is a beautifully made movie with a fascinating story about toxic relationships and dependency. The performances are all great, the atmosphere is deceptively eerie, and the way the film escalates is chilling, resulting in a bonkers finale that I just can't get enough of.
9. Knives Out
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Mystery/
Thriller
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, & Chris Evans
Knives Out was a really fun subversion of the whodunnit murder mystery. With entertaining characters, great performances, and a story that keeps you guessing, this was a blast to watch from start to finish. It's one of those movies you can't help but smile at.
8. The Peanut Butter Falcon
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Drama/Sport
Director: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Starring: Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, & Shia LaBeouf
This is the most wholesome movie of 2019. Without question. It's a delightful adventure film, with amazing chemistry between the leads. It's a beautifully shot and beautifully told story that never talks down to the main character. It is pure, entertaining, and really sweet in every sense of the word.
7. Jojo Rabbit
Genre: Comedy/Drama/War
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, & Taika Waititi
Jojo Rabbit manages to be incredibly silly and deadly serious all at the same time. The way the comedy contrasts with the drama is amazing, and I was incredibly invested throughout. Not to mention the performances are all stellar, especially from Roman Griffin Davis, and the film was delightful in every possible way.
6. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Director: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves
John Wick: Chapter 3 is the best action film I saw in 2019. The stunts are insane and every single action scene is intense and entertaining. The film looks gorgeous as ever, and Keanu still has it after all these years. After being somewhat underwhelmed with Chapter 2, Chapter 3 might be my favorite of the entire trilogy. It was a load of fun.
5. The Art of Self-Defense
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Mystery/
Sport/Thriller
Director: Riley Stearns
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, & Imogen Poots
I don't care what anybody says. I love this movie. The Art of Self-Defense is darkly hilarious while also giving a smart lesson on toxic masculinity. The writing is great, the characters are entertaining, and the way the story unravels is genius. This is, in my opinion, the most underrated film of 2019.
4. Marriage Story
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Adam Driver & Scarlett Johansson
Marriage Story is heartbreaking. The writing shows the dark side of divorce, and it hits hard. Not to mention the performances are some of the best of the year, with certain scenes sticking out as masterpieces. This is a phenomenal, sad, breathtaking film, executed in such a real, genuine way.
3. Parasite
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Thriller
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Yeo-jeong Jo, & Woo-sik Choi
Parasite is genius in every way. The way the story develops and changes throughout the runtime is truly amazing. It's funny, dark, intense, and emotional, and all those tones are balanced masterfully. Not to mention that the film is directed amazingly, with great performances, gorgeous cinematography, and superb editing. Watch this if you are a hardcore film lover.
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, & Margot Robbie
This film just follows the life of an actor and a stuntman as they go about their day. And I loved every minute of it. The characters, the writing, the setting, the directing... all of it culminates into one of the most entertaining films of the entire year. And the ending was satisfying on every level. Not everyone will like it, but I adore it.
1. The Lighthouse
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Horror/Mystery
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Robert Pattinson & Willem DaFoe
The Lighthouse is the only film I saw in 2019 that I can comfortably call a masterpiece. The directing is phenomenal, the characters are entertaining, and the performances are stellar. The story is so dark and weird, yet it is gripping from start to finish. I saw this film months ago, and I remember certain scenes so vividly, it's as if I saw the film yesterday. I love literally everything about this film, as it is my favorite film of 2019.
Thank you so much for sticking with me in 2019 and reading my reviews. Here's to another year of even more fantastic films!
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