So here we are.
First time writing under this name in a good long while. I'd be surprised if there are many people left since, you know, people have lives.
Regardless, I stepped away to recharge my movie-fan batteries, but I also felt that the last couple of years were not particularly inspiring when it came to excellence in films.
... and then 2019 happened.
This year was a fantastic time to be a fan of cinema; sure, there were far too many reboots, sequels, cash-ins and so many unoriginal flops but for some reason the world of filmmaking decided to give us a plethora of excellent releases to choose from this year. As a movie fanatic myself, I felt I had to give a list of my favourites.
That being said, this is easily still the hardest top ten I've done ever, with more than one 10/10 this year. I loved so many films equally this year... but where's the fun in that?
*Disclaimer* Firstly I have not seen every movie that came out this year.
Secondly, I live in the UK so some movies that were released in the US this year will not be seen here until 2020 so those films will make my list next year.
Thirdly, these are my picks and my favourites from this year, not anyone else's.
With that said, there must be a winner so here we go!
First time writing under this name in a good long while. I'd be surprised if there are many people left since, you know, people have lives.
Regardless, I stepped away to recharge my movie-fan batteries, but I also felt that the last couple of years were not particularly inspiring when it came to excellence in films.
... and then 2019 happened.
This year was a fantastic time to be a fan of cinema; sure, there were far too many reboots, sequels, cash-ins and so many unoriginal flops but for some reason the world of filmmaking decided to give us a plethora of excellent releases to choose from this year. As a movie fanatic myself, I felt I had to give a list of my favourites.
That being said, this is easily still the hardest top ten I've done ever, with more than one 10/10 this year. I loved so many films equally this year... but where's the fun in that?
*Disclaimer* Firstly I have not seen every movie that came out this year.
Secondly, I live in the UK so some movies that were released in the US this year will not be seen here until 2020 so those films will make my list next year.
Thirdly, these are my picks and my favourites from this year, not anyone else's.
With that said, there must be a winner so here we go!
IMOCRITIC'S TOP 10 FILMS OF
2019
10. Toy Story 4Did this film need to exist? Not remotely. Does it add anything of major value? Not really. Is it absolutely fantastic in spite of these issues? Undeniably. Pixar's Toy Story 4 delivered heart, stunning animation and side-splitting humour in spades. It doesn't take anything away from the trilogy that came before it, whilst adding fresh faces that only add to the fun. The animation is among Pixar's finest ever and the central cast we know and love are joined by new faces including Keanu Reeves and comedy duo Key and Peele. It's not perfect; as I said before, the story already felt complete before this film and the supporting cast are given very little to do in place of the shiny new characters (ironically enough). However this is excellent fun with genuine laugh-out-loud moments and heart-string pulling emotion like only Pixar can. (8.5/10) |
9. Dolemite is my NameIf there's one actor I did not expect to see on this list possibly ever, it's Eddie Murphy. Remaining fairly quiet in the film world proved to be the best thing for him as he, director Craig Brewer and an excellent supporting cast come out swinging, moving and grooving in this biopic of the life of Rudy Ray Moore. As a unhealthily big fan of Black Dynamite, I was very keen to see the story of the man and the movies that inspired it. This film surprised me in almost every area. Murphy is on top form here. He carries the film with his charisma, his focus and his undeniable star power. He has an excellent script to work from, a fantastic supporting cast and a highly interesting person to assume the role of. It can be a little slow and the direction isn't anything too original, but as it goes on it grows into an absurd and heartfelt character study. Any fans of The Disaster Artist will get a kick out of this. The journey of one man's desperation for fame and the making of a movie so silly I can't believe it really happened provides top notch entertainment. This was a lot of fun and should hopefully get Murphy an Oscar nod as well. (8.5/10) |
8. Avengers: Endgame10 years of build. 10 years of hard work. It all came down to this. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been consistently entertaining us for the entire decade with strong releases, great casting and interesting stories interweaved through so many separate movies. A gamble that ultimately paid off big time in Endgame. It's not as good as it's predecessor Infinity War, and there are sendoffs I disagreed with along with changes I wouldn't have done, but... gosh darn THAT FINALE! Easily the best ending to any superhero film yet made. Epic in scale, fun, heartfelt, suspenseful and so much more. The middle of the film drags but a strong start and an untouchable ending amidst an ocean of hype make this worthy of the list. (8/10) |
7. The Art of Self DefenseThis is the one most people may not expect. It flew under the public's radar and yet it's a film of excellent style and substance. A funny and startling look into masculinity in modern America; this film is loaded with quotable dialogue. Jessie Eisenberg (who I'm admittedly not a huge fan of) is given a lot of time to develop his character using maximum Eisenberg awkwardness. I'm still amazed a movie with him and Michael Cera as brothers hasn't been made, but then again the universe might implode. In spite of that, it's Alessandro Nivola who is the star here as the Sensei. Hilarious, overly manly, given all the best lines with total deadpan delivery, he steals the show in a fantastic and memorable performance. The story is very predictable and easy to follow with little surprises, but the cast are clearly having a blast here and it's definitely deserving of a bigger audience. (8.5/10) |
6. The IrishmanScorsese, De Niro, Pesci, Pacino; need I say more? Martin Scorsese returns to bloody, beautiful and full gangster form with another mob-epic to add to his collection. Lovers of Casino or Goodfellas will find so much to love here. The style is classic Scorsese with long tracking shots, fourth wall breaking narration, violence, humour and cursing aplenty. De Niro, Pesci and Pacino are all oscar worthy here in a story of how life can pass you by and your decisions can have long term consequences. The de-aging technology does distract somewhat throughout and the 3.5 hour runtime is undeniably tough on viewers but fans of filmmaking should find that the pros far outweigh the cons in this excellent mob-drama. (9/10) |
5. Knives OutLet's just admit that after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a lot of us were less than thrilled with Rian Johnson's creative decisions. Well this phenomenally fun whodunnit mystery reminded us all why we were excited about Rian Johnson in the first place. The dialogue is super fast, crisp and frequently hilarious. The mystery is genuinely intriguing with clues being dropped left and right to keep you guessing (though some are a tad heavy handed). The star studded cast are all excellent here with particular nods to Chris Evans (who steals the movie) and Daniel Craig. The music is a classic detective style soundtrack and Nathan Johnson brings an old-school flare and style, really adding a great atmosphere. Rian Johnson's script and direction is clear, focused and demonstrates a clear love for the genre. An excellent film with smooth delivery and a true return to form for the director. (9.5/10) |
4. Ready or NotThe biggest surprise to me on this list. I saw a trailer; looked ok. I went to see it on a whim; it was absolutely awesome. A horror, slasher, thriller AND comedy with a near perfect balance of them all. The concept is ridiculous; young woman marries into family, plays hide and seek with them, realises if they find her they'll kill her. It's dumb dumb dumb... but this film completely embraces that and addresses its complete absurdity frequently. It's quotable, silly fun. On top of that, it's gruesome, creepy and dark. Biggest shoutout has to go to totally-not-Margot-Robbie leading lady Samara Weaving who absolutely crushes it here. Best newcomer performance all year and I can't wait to see her career flourish. Not as smooth or polished as Knives Out but it was just so much fun and with an ending so brilliant I choked on my popcorn it's an easy contender among the best this year. An rollicking good time! (9/10) |
3. John Wick Chapter 3: ParabellumSpeaking of rollicking good times, you will not find a better action movie this year than John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum. Director Chad Stahelski has maintained an excellent standard in this series of films and, while Chapter 2 is still the strongest thus-far in my opinion, the sheer level of hard hitting, gun-toting action alongside deeper world-building, further character studying and the best action in the series thus-far makes this an easy pick for my list. Keanu Reeves is one of hollywood's hardest working actors; doing his own stunts, putting his all into fight scenes and always acting his butt off in every entry in this series. Stylish, sleek and in your face, this film can overwhelm people with the volume of action throughout but every scene is bursting with creativity through excellent choreography and highly original kills. With JW4 coming in the next couple of years, I can not wait to see where it goes! Full throttle action awesomeness! (9.5/10) |
2. Marriage StoryThis was the most recent addition to my list as I only first saw it a couple of weeks ago but it floored me from early on. Noah Baumbach's study into a marriage falling apart at the seams and the process of divorce is truly breathtaking throughout. Baumbach's direction is precise with a beautiful diverse mixture of shots and editing. From fade ins/outs, through crossfades, quick edits, intense close ups, long tracking shots of dialogue, the pace of the film is constantly shifting to match the story and it's expertly delivered here. The highlight for me comes in the faultless lead performances from Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson, and should deservedly get them both oscar nods come February. Their chemistry (ironically in depicting a torn apart couple) is intense and believable. This film also has my easy pick for the best music score of the year; Randy Newman is amazing here, giving us very heartfelt and moving strings and piano that really do add to the emotional weight of the performances. With several scenes that brought me close to tears, a close-to-the-bone look at how couples can act throughout a divorce and all the aforementioned highlights, this is a real and complete example of cinema at it's finest. (10/10) Just a shame there was another film this year to top it. |
Honourable mentions
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - | Quentin Tarantino is on great form here with DiCaprio and Pitt carrying a fantastic journey into classic Hollywood. Great cinematography, great acting, brilliant dialogue, just not his strongest work recently. |
Fighting With My Family - | No one expected this to be more than mediocre. Stephen Merchant crafted a lovely, heartfelt dive in to the world of Pro-Wrestling and, as a fan myself, I was highly surprised by how great it was. |
How to Train Your Dragon 3 - | A solid trilogy of fantastic family films. Beautiful animation, an amazing-as-always score for John Powell, and a heartfelt story; a truly fitting sendoff for Toothless and Hiccup. |
Us - | Jordan Peele's excellent follow up to 2017's Get Out delivers everything I hoped for and more. Brilliant music, phenomenal acting from the leads, especially Lupita Nyongo. A scary, thrilling ride with trademark Peele humour. |
Rocketman - | Taron Egerton delivers an oscar-worthy performance as Elton John here in a fantastic musical drama that's begging for a stage show to be made. Excellent fun with classic EJ songs being mixed in to perfection. |
El Camino - | Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan YET AGAIN delivers an excellent instalment into his BB universe. Aaron Paul returns to peak form as Jesse here with a beautifully shot, brilliantly acted closer to the main storyline. Unpredictable and tense; well worth a watch, but only for fans of Breaking Bad. |
And IMOCritic's Number 1 film of 2019 is...
1. Joker
So the choice between this and Marriage Story was the hardest pick for number one so I decided to match them up in certain areas.
Where Noel Baumbach brought us an excellent story showing the collapse of a marriage, Todd Phillips brought us a dark, disturbing and downright frightening study of the collapse of a mind.
Where Scarlet Johanssen and Adam Driver gave us two phenomenally emotional lead performances, Joaquin Phoenix delivered a physical and mental transformation unlike anything I've seen in recent years. Featured in every single scene in the film, his portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker has set an impossible standard for future performers to match. His delivery of simple, effective dialogue is flawless with a dedication to subtlety and underlying tension. It's easily the best lead performance of the year and worthy of all the awards come 2020.
As a non-canon delivery into DC comic-book adaptations, Todd Phillips had free reign to create something fresh and original and he excels in every area; with expert precision and a keen visual eye, he brings this dark, grungey 1980's Gotham to life with brutal effect. Taking inspiration from Scorsese films like Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Phillips crafts something wholly unique in the comic movie universe. He dives right into our central character with scenes that are never specifically fact or fiction. This allows us to get sucked in without assuming the ending is realistic or predictable... but still being surprised if it is. It's a clever cinematic device and is maximised throughout the entire runtime.
Underlying the whole thing is an impeccable soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir. After an excellent soundtrack in year-topping tv series Chernobyl, Guðnadóttir provides her excellent touch here with a haunting string-lead score that pulls the world together with loose, rhythm-less movement and unpredictable harmonies. She brings the psychosis of our unhinged lead to the forefront without overpowering Phoenixes performance. Like the rest of this film, subtlety and substance always comes first.
No other mainstream movie stirred up as much controversy, conversation or intense debate as this one either. Its lack of restraint in dealing with issues such as mental health and classism really struck a nerve in the movie-watching world. It's a testament to the team, both in front and behind the camera, who were willing to test the emotional limits of an admittedly more sensitive audience who likely expected a more Marvel-esque product.
In a decade heavily saturated by comic book movies, this could somehow manage to reshape the genre in the coming decade for the better, and no other movie has been nearly that powerful this year so while the competition was close, I felt it only appropriate to name Joker my top film of 2019. (10/10)
Where Noel Baumbach brought us an excellent story showing the collapse of a marriage, Todd Phillips brought us a dark, disturbing and downright frightening study of the collapse of a mind.
Where Scarlet Johanssen and Adam Driver gave us two phenomenally emotional lead performances, Joaquin Phoenix delivered a physical and mental transformation unlike anything I've seen in recent years. Featured in every single scene in the film, his portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker has set an impossible standard for future performers to match. His delivery of simple, effective dialogue is flawless with a dedication to subtlety and underlying tension. It's easily the best lead performance of the year and worthy of all the awards come 2020.
As a non-canon delivery into DC comic-book adaptations, Todd Phillips had free reign to create something fresh and original and he excels in every area; with expert precision and a keen visual eye, he brings this dark, grungey 1980's Gotham to life with brutal effect. Taking inspiration from Scorsese films like Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Phillips crafts something wholly unique in the comic movie universe. He dives right into our central character with scenes that are never specifically fact or fiction. This allows us to get sucked in without assuming the ending is realistic or predictable... but still being surprised if it is. It's a clever cinematic device and is maximised throughout the entire runtime.
Underlying the whole thing is an impeccable soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir. After an excellent soundtrack in year-topping tv series Chernobyl, Guðnadóttir provides her excellent touch here with a haunting string-lead score that pulls the world together with loose, rhythm-less movement and unpredictable harmonies. She brings the psychosis of our unhinged lead to the forefront without overpowering Phoenixes performance. Like the rest of this film, subtlety and substance always comes first.
No other mainstream movie stirred up as much controversy, conversation or intense debate as this one either. Its lack of restraint in dealing with issues such as mental health and classism really struck a nerve in the movie-watching world. It's a testament to the team, both in front and behind the camera, who were willing to test the emotional limits of an admittedly more sensitive audience who likely expected a more Marvel-esque product.
In a decade heavily saturated by comic book movies, this could somehow manage to reshape the genre in the coming decade for the better, and no other movie has been nearly that powerful this year so while the competition was close, I felt it only appropriate to name Joker my top film of 2019. (10/10)