Top 10 Favorite Films of 2019

I usually do this as a dual post with my favorite books I read in 2019, but I had a not so great reading year last year, chalking up roughly half the amount of books I usually do, so this year it’s film only! Also, bear in mind, this is a list of my favorite films of 2019. The films that I personally enjoyed the most – not the ones that I believe were the best. That list would be different. I’ll get more into that around Oscar time, per usual.

If you’d like to see the full list of movies I saw this year, it’s here. I also won’t be including the first few movies on this list since I saw them so early into the year, and discussed a lot of them during Oscar season last year.

Honorable mentions:  Shazam!, Aladdin, Dumbo, Late Night, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Us, The Mustang, Wild Rose, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Ad Astra. 

So, in order…

10.) Ford V Ferrari
I know diddly squat about cars – I don’t understand the fascination with them, nor do I know the ins and outs of all the different brands. But I do love Christian Bale – if he’s in a movie, I’ll see it, and I’m glad I did. Ford V Ferrari adapts the true story of automobile visionary Carroll Shelby and race car driver Ken Miles and their journey to emerge victorious over Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. This film is an exciting, edge-of-your seat ride that kept me engaged from start to finish, and even made me emotional at times, which is unusual for me with a film like this. Plus, it was super nice to see folks filling the theater who I don’t typically see out at the cinema on a Friday night – lots of grumpy old dudes in Nascar jackets, intently watching the racing scenes.

9.) Detective Pikachu
As a child of the 90’s, I’ve loved Pokemon almost my entire life. That remains true, even though I’m in my late 20’s now. I was skeptical when a live-action Pokemon movie was announced, but the story of a young lad teaming up with his missing father’s wisecracking Pikachu (perfectly voiced by Ryan Reynolds) is charming, funny, and will entertain fans of all Pokemon generations. It’s fun just to watch and try to pinpoint all the different Pokemon walking around in the background of various scenes.

8.) Knives Out
I went into Rian Johnson’s murder mystery film expecting a Clue-style whodunit – but the trailer is kind of a misdirect. In the best way, of course – because this film still delivers thrills and a twisty-turny plot that sets a unique, more modern tone for a mystery film. Daniel Craig is a Pierrot-esque Southern-drawling sleuth of great renown who must uncover the truth behind the death of famed mystery-writer Harlan Thrombey… and hijinks ensue, of course. The story is far from predictable, the cast are all entertaining, and the film balances laughs with suspense in a way that kept me fully engaged from start to finish. 

7.) Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
First of all, Tom Hanks.
Second, the perfect way to tell the story of iconic children’s entertainer and overall excellent human being Mr. Rogers is through the eyes of someone else, showing the impact he has on others, which is why this film works so well. Adapted from Tom Junod’s article “Can You Say… Hero?”, this movie features incredible transition sequences that evoke the style of Mr. Rogers’ television program, and tells an important message about anger, understanding, acceptance, and the complicated relationships between family, and it does so in a beautiful, inspiring way. Even if you didn’t watch Mr. Rogers on television as a child, this movie is worth seeing simply for the themes, and for another brilliant Tom Hanks performance.

6.) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
For all its faults (and I admit there are many), and despite all the rumors swirling around about the existence of a “J.J. cut” and lots of Disney interference, I still found the final installment in the Skywalker saga to be a wild and exciting ride. Maybe I’m not as difficult to please as other Star Wars fans, but honestly… I just really love Star Wars. The saga has always been about exploration – not only into new worlds in the farthest reaches of a galaxy far, far away, but of the characters and their personalities, of their struggles and their triumphs. I’ve been invested in Rey’s journey since TFA back in 2015, and seeing her complete her journey – which was interwoven with so many other beloved characters both old and new – was one of my favorite cinematic moments of 2019. And I now have a new favorite droid in D-0.

5.) Booksmart
This is the first movie that I saw as part of a free screening offered at my local theater, which made my lofty movie critic dreams feel not so out of reach. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is a hilarious, but honest look at the difficulties teenagers encounter as they prepare to face the post-graduation world, following two “booksmart” friends on a quest for one wild night to close out their study-focused high school experience. The duo of Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever is incredible, and the film does an excellent job of balancing comedic moments with the vulnerability and uncertainty of a young person facing the unknown. If this movie flew under your radar, then you need to GET ON IT.

4.) Joker
This film was incredibly divisive when it was released, with some claiming that it promotes violence and glorifies mental health struggles, but it hit quite differently for me. Of all the superhero/comic book movies coming out over the last two decades, this one might be the most realistic – and that’s terrifying. Joaqin Phoenix’s portrayal of a failed stand-up-comedian whose life and mental state deteriorate to the point where he rebels against what he perceives as a corrupt society, becoming an almost deified symbol for anarchy, is not one that should inspire anyone – rather, it serves as a warning, as a cautionary tale. I was enthralled by a powerful performance from the leading man, who manages to evoke both sympathy and fear, the unsettling music, and the spellbinding cinematography.

3.) Little Women
Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel isn’t one of my favorites, but Greta Gerwig’s film is a beautiful adaptation that translates seamlessly into modern times because it so perfectly encapsulates the messages of the original novel in a way that will resonate with current audiences – even those who did not read the book. Watching the March sisters navigate the trials of love, ambition, sisterhood, and friendship on the paths to their respective futures is enthralling from start to finish – you root for Jo and her writing and her strong stance on being an individual, you hope for Beth to heal and create more beautiful music, you want Meg to find happiness in marriage, and for Amy to paint her way into a successful future and grow out of her childishness. Plus, this movie is just straight up gorgeous to look at.

2.) Jojo Rabbit
I was sold from the first moment I saw Taika Waititi as Hitler in the trailer. Jojo Rabbit tells the story of a Hitler youth who wrestles with his beliefs (in the form of a fictionalized/imaginary version of Hitler) after he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic during WWII. This movie, however absurdly hilarious it is, also features the most emotionally devastating cinematic scene (for me) in all of 2019, but I won’t share what it is because I don’t want to spoil anything. The humor won’t land with everyone, but I felt that this movie achieved the perfect balance in tone between the sentimental and the comedic. It makes you feel even as it makes you chuckle, and the incredible cast of characters will stick in your mind long after viewing.

1.) Avengers: Endgame
After ten years of world-building, the MCU dished out the end to a 20+ film saga in the dramatic and climactic Endgame. As a loyal follower of the films ever since Iron Man came out over a decade ago, the payoff from this epic film was totally satisfying, and even though parts of it broke my heart, the adrenaline-pulsing moments, the humor, the action sequences, and the conclusion to several dangling plot threads more than make up for it. Hype for this movie was off-the-charts before it came out, and it still managed to impress, with iconic moments that have been built-up over the span of multiple movies. As a Captain America fangirl, I found the end of his arc perfectly fitting for his character, and even though this movie felt like the end in so many ways, I can’t wait to see what Marvel has in store for the future.