Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2019
/2019 has been such a great year for movies. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed with a lot of the movies we got in 2018. And when I saw that a lot of the big titles slated for this year were more superhero movies, remakes, and sequels, I started to get discouraged with what the year would have to offer. But this year ended up giving us so many interesting and new types of stories, that by the end of the year, I was having trouble keeping up with them all. Between Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, and regular theater releases, there were so many movies I ended up having on my list to see. I was able to see quite a number of them, and while there were many I enjoyed, of course, some stood out above the rest. So here it is, the ten movies I loved the best from the past year:
10. Chasing Happiness
This may be one you are surprised to see on a top 10 list, so let me just start off by explaining that I have been a Jonas Brothers fan since I was 10 years old. Back then to me, they were the squeaky clean Christian guys who sang songs about the ‘Year 3000’ and ‘Lovebugs’. But after learning more about them in recent years, like how they barely spoke after their break up and how growing up on the Disney Channel was such a struggle for them, I was very interested to see what this documentary would cover. And boy did it surpass my expectations.
Even if you have never heard one of their songs before, I highly recommend this documentary, not only for its beautiful craft but also for the story in general. It follows the three brothers through many points in their lives, from singing at school assemblies, to getting asked to leave their church community because of their career choices, to getting married, and truly shows what it is like growing up as a child star. I rarely watch documentaries twice, but I have watched this one a couple of times already, and each time I feel like I take something new away from it. Overall it is just a great story about three brothers overcoming whatever they have thrown at them, and in today’s society, it is very refreshing to see that.
9. US
This is one of those movies that stays with you for days after you watch it. When it was over I found myself thinking over everything I had just seen, and what it all meant, and then just wanted to start it over and watch it again to try and catch everything I missed the first time around. It is full of metaphors about quite a number of topics, and no matter which one resonates with you most, I guarantee you will walk away from this movie with new perspectives and thoughts. I loved the way this movie was able to balance both the horror and comedy so well, and Lupita Nyong'o was incredible as both Red and Adelaide. Honestly, I have so much more to say, but if you have not seen it yet, I don’t want to give anything away! Jordan Peele is quickly becoming one of my favorite new filmmakers, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
8. Marriage Story
Despite this movie being such a quiet and thoughtful story, it sure has made a loud splash on the film world. I have seen many movies that try to take on the topic of divorce, but I have never seen one like this. Based on his real-life struggle with the topic, director Noah Bombach manages to take both sides of this extremely sad story of two people who truly love each other but just don’t want the same things in life anymore, and tell them both fairly and with such grace. Adam Driver is at his absolute best in this movie, and Scarlet Johanson gives one of the best performances I’ve seen this year. If you have not checked out this movie on Netflix yet, make sure you do, I guarantee you will not be able to walk away from it untouched.
7. JoJo Rabbit
I enjoyed this movie so much more than I anticipated. What may come across as a silly movie about World War II, is actually an extremely interesting look at the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child. Waititi did an amazing job of tackling this subject matter with such a unique point of view, and I really enjoyed the subtle impactful moments he weaved throughout the film. From the way Hitler appears to JoJo as the movie progresses, first as a friendly confidant and eventually as the terrifying figure he truly was, to how his friendship blossomed with Elsa, these subtle developments made the idea that we are viewing this story through a child’s eyes all the more clever. Not to mention the child actors in this film are incredible. A truly original and must-see movie of this year.
6. Parasite
I don’t feel like I can say much about this movie for fear of ruining it for those of you who have not been able to see it yet. But it is one of the most original and beautiful movies I have ever seen. Bong Joon Ho brings such a unique vision to the idea of class separation in this movie, and the way he uses the cinematography and score is absolutely chilling and brilliant. Since it is a foreign film it may be a little harder to check out, but if you have the chance I highly encourage you to do so!
5. Hustlers
From the description alone of a group of strippers taking advantage of their rich clients to help their families, this movie could have easily been written off. And had it not been handled the way that it was, I could totally see that. But between the awesome cast, great direction, and the fact that it has an excellent script based on a real-life story, this movie knocked it out of the park. Of course, the phenomenal performance by J-Lo was the highlight of the movie, and I truly hope all the talk of her getting an Oscar nom becomes a reality. But what I think I liked most about this movie was how it took a stereotypically male storyline we have seen many times before and turned it on its head. From movies like The Wolf of Wallstreet to The Social Network, we have seen so many stories of smart and savvy men taking advantage of people to gain fame and fortune. And in this case, we see a group of women do the same but instead use the money to take care of themselves and their families. This is not to say that it is ever okay to do so, but it was such an interesting take on a story we have seen done quite a few times before.
4. Knives Out
This movie had no right to be as good as it ended up being. The mystery genre could be considered a tired one at this point, especially with some of the duds we have received recently such as the reboot of The Murder on the Orient Express or Netflix takes such as Murder Mystery. But my god did this movie truly help to revive the genre. From the truly incredible and creative script to the fantastic direction and score, and round it all out with one of the best ensemble casts I have seen in a long time and you get a nearly perfect movie. This movie is the definition of having a good time at the theater, and I can’t wait to watch it multiple times just to catch all the little clues and tidbits I may have missed the first time around.
3. Booksmart
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein had amazing chemistry together as the leads and were both hilarious. People keep comparing this to Superbad, and while I totally get why, Booksmart definitely has so many of its own things going for it and felt like such a unique take on the high school night before graduation plot. It was able to be raunchy without overdoing it and had just as many heartfelt moments as laughs. One of the main things I loved most about it was how well it portrayed a female friendship. One where the two leads literally got to competitions where they tried to out compliment each other instead of envying each other or fighting over a guy. Also the more I see of Billie Lourd the more I love her, and her comedic timing in this movie was on point. Overall a refreshing, smart, and heartfelt first directorial debut from Oliva Wilde, and definitely one I will be revisiting.
This movie is now on Hulu, so if you missed it in theaters make sure to check it out!
2. Avengers: Endgame
I mean if you have followed me at all you know I love the MCU movies, so this one was bound to make my list. It was an amazing way to end the first phase of this beloved universe. While I may not have loved every choice made, this movie still had to so much that it brought to the table that I can’t help but love it regardless. Let’s just hope that Marvel can keep up this magic and amazing storytelling going forward, because we may never get a group like this in one movie again.
1. Little Women
I read the novel Little Women so long ago that I will admit I barely remember it. I also never saw any version of the film until about a year ago when I finally checked out the version with Winona Rider from the 90s. I really enjoyed that version, but it never connected with me the way I feel like it did with so many women my age. But when I saw this new vision of the story from Greta Gerwig, I instantly understood and connected with it. Not only was the direction, script, and acting just absolutely phenomenal, but Gerwig was able to take a classic story set during the Civil War and make it completely relevant to today. The story of a woman trying to be taken seriously in male-dominated industries is one we have seen quite a bit in recent years, but this story was one of the originators of that narrative, and it is demonstrated so well in this update. But what I love most about this movie is just the love and warmth you feel between the sisters, and just the fact we get to see such a heartwarming story about a group of women loving and encouraging each other is the best selling point of this movie for me. I have already seen this film multiple times, and I can’t wait to watch it again and again.
Honorable Mentions:
Honey Boy
Toy Story 4
The Farewell
Spiderman: Far From Home
Ready or Not
And if you would like to see a ranking of every movie I saw this year, you can check that out by clicking here to see my Letterboxd 2019 list.
So there you have it, my favorite films from 2019. I hope that you got some good recommendations from this list, along with seeing some of your favorites represented as well. And let me know in the comments if you agree with my picks, or what your favorite films of the year were!
