Top 10 Best Movies of 2019

When the credits rolled on “Return of the Jedi,” audiences assumed that they had seen the last of a galaxy far, far away. Little did we realize that the original “Star Wars” trilogy would become the center of a sandwich with the prequel and sequel trilogies serving as the bread. The “Star Wars” franchise has certainly had its highs and lows ever since “The Phantom Menace” picked up the Skywalker Saga twenty years ago. Did it all accumulate to an emotional, thrilling, and highly satisfying finale with “The Rise of Skywalker,” though? The answer is…

Of all the cinematic locales 2019 took us to, none were as menacing or mystifying than this film’s titular lighthouse. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe make for one of the year’s most enthralling duos as two wickies who’ve been confined to a secluded island. Pattinson and Dafoe deliver such larger-than-life performances that the 1.19:1 aspect ratio can barely contain them. This makes the experience all the more claustrophobic as tension and insanity begin to bear down like a trash compactor. With the film draped in black-and-white cinematography, the lighthouse serves as a guiding light. What remains unclear is if the lighthouse is guiding the characters towards salvation or a brutal downfall. Either way, the final image is one that’ll be analyzed for years to come.

In “Get Out,” Jordan Peele made audiences everywhere think twice about the people they break bread with. Even when they appear friendly, something much darker may be lurking behind closed doors. Peele explores a similar theme in “Us,” although this time he emphasizes the darkness within ourselves. What sounds more horrifying? Being tormented by a stranger or being tormented by your own shadow? For the Wilsons, strangers and shadows become one and the same as they’re visited by a family of hostile doppelgangers. Thus ensues a heart-pounding work of horror that plays out like a home invasion movie meets “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” With ingenious payoffs, dark humor, and a mesmerizing dual performance from Lupita Nyong'o, “Us” is still crawling under our skin.

On the heels of “The Last Jedi,” director Rian Johnson decided to tackle a project that couldn’t be more different - “Knives Out.” Actually, the divisive fan response to “Last Jedi” had a significant impact on Johnson while making this film, seeing how one suspect is an internet troll. Aside from drawing on his own life experiences, this murder mystery is a clear homage to “Clue,” “Gosford Park,” and Agatha Christie. While the seeds of inspiration are apparent throughout, “Knives Out” grows into something completely unique. This whodunit solidifies Johnson as one of the boldest and most innovative voices working in Hollywood today. It doesn’t hurt that Johnson has a phenomenal cast in his corner with a standout lead performance from Daniel Craig.

Given the controversial subject matter, it makes sense that the reception to this Nazi satire has ranged from “inventive and daring” to “offensive and irresponsible.” Both Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” and Ernst Lubitsch’s “To Be or Not to Be” were met with similar reactions when they came out. Just as those films became comedy classics, though, we have every confidence that “Jojo Rabbit” will be remembered as one of the greats. You may go in ready to laugh at director Taika Waititi’s uproarious portrayal of Adolf Hitler, but you’ll also be surprised to find just how warm and bittersweet the story is. Waititi’s film is immature yet insightful, mischievous yet innocent, and imaginative yet honest, speaking to the child in us all.

De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, Scorsese… need we say more? “The Irishman” chronicles the fascinating relationship between hitman Frank Sheeran, union leader Jimmy Hoffa, and mob boss Russell Bufalino. Sheeran comes to view both men as brothers, which accumulates in one of the most tense, heartbreaking, and haunting third acts in cinematic history. “The Irishman” not only earns comparison to Martin Scorsese’s best works, but the finest movies ever made about organized crime. Much like “The Godfather” or “Once Upon a Time in America,” this is an epic that makes the audience feel as if they’ve lived out another person’s life by the time it’s over. Just as life can fly by in the blink of an eye, the 209-minute runtime here miraculously seems too short.

Speaking of Scorsese, his influence can be found in every crevice of “Joker,” channeling “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy.” Director Todd Phillips rolled the dice with this psychological thriller, touching upon gun violence, lower class struggles, and mental health through the eyes of an iconic villain. The result, however, was a captivating character study, as well as a harrowing reflection of our world. While Phillips’ direction, Lawrence Sher’s eerie cinematography, and Hildur Guðnadóttir’s unnerving score are all commendable, there wouldn’t be a movie without Joaquin Phoenix. In what’s arguably the performance of the year, Phoenix molds Arthur Fleck into a chilling menace with the theatricality of Alex DeLarge, the tragic nature of Norman Bates, and the lasting appeal of his comic book counterpart.

“Joker” may’ve been a major risk, but when it began the MCU was a gamble unlike anything the industry had ever seen. Yet, Marvel is still reaping the benefits with “Captain Marvel,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and of course “Avengers: Endgame.” The Infinity Saga’s climactic showdown is everything we could’ve hoped for and then some. The film is a rousing celebration of the past decade, revisiting past chapters, tying up loose ends, and bringing back virtually every major hero. At the same time, “Endgame” boldly looks to the future with fun new ideas, unexpected twists, and sacrifices that truly feel earned. It all accumulates in what might be the most ambitious finale ever put to film. As far as we’re concerned, this is cinema at its most triumphant.

Throughout the past decade, society has been fixated on nostalgia. We guess you could say Quentin Tarantino was ahead of the curve, as he’s always been obsessed with the past. In “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Tarantino delivers a love letter to a bygone era of filmmaking. It was a seemingly more innocent time, but something sinister loomed on the horizon. One tragedy in particular would change Hollywood, as well as the rest of America, forever. In this spellbinding film, Tarantino turns back the clock to the eleventh hour and then pulls the rug out from under us. What we’re left with is an unlikely fairytale, a thought-provoking exploration of alternative history, and a hilarious buddy picture carried by a pair of stellar performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.

Before we get to our topic pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” (2019)

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019)

“Ad Astra” (2019)

“Marriage Story” (2019)

“Midsommar” (2019)

“Uncut Gems” (2019)

Every once in a while, a film comes along where you want to go in completely blind. “Parasite” is such a movie, dropping bombshells around every corner and growing more unpredictable with every passing second. With that in mind, we’ll try to give as little away as possible here. Let’s just say that the whole movie is like a snowball. It starts off small, but once it begins rolling downhill, it just keeps getting larger, faster, and more destructive. “Snowpiercer” director Bong Joon-ho has made a film with the thrills of a heist caper and the shock value of a dark comedy. Joon-ho also offers capitating commentary on social class, leaving us to wonder who really deserves our sympathy in the grand scheme of things.