The Best Movies of 2019

I am so excited to write these awards this year, as it feels like I have been writing way less than I want to recently. It is always incredibly fun to write these, as well as to get other's opinions on my list. I also enjoy making up unique categories every year in addition to my standard categories to award films that were magnificent in their own ways. However, I will also continue to put a TL;DR at the end of my awards with a ranked order of my favorite films of the year, for those who want a more direct comparison of each film.

DISCLAIMER: I did not see every film made in 2019, especially due to a busier schedule. As a result, there were definitely some films that I am sure were great that did not make the list. I was able to watch every Best Picture nominee, however, so I will make Best Picture predictions for each category, including those that I do not include in my list. Let us start with honorable mentions.


Movies That Were Great But Missed the Cut

Captain Marvel
Ford v. Ferrari (JUST barely missed out)
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Knives Out (incredibly fun mystery but did not quite make it)
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
Marriage Story
Midsommar
POKE'MON Detective Pikachu
Rocketman (also a fantastic biopic musical)
Toy Story 4


Movies That Are Probably Great But I Did Not See

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Bombshell
Dark Waters
Doctor Sleep
Frozen II
Harriet
It: Chapter Two
Judy
The Lion King
Missing Link
Pain and Glory
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Two Popes
Uncut Gems


Without further ado, here are the Best Movies of 2019 according to Robert!



Oscar Predictions for Categories Not Included Here

• Animated Feature Film - Missing Link (primarily because I love Laika Studios and I want them to win again. P.S. I was super bummed out that I missed this film)
• Costume Design - Little Women
• Documentary (Feature) - I am so sorry, but I am completely unsure because I saw none of the nominees.
• Documentary (Short Subject) - Refer to the above category.
• Film Editing - Ford v. Ferrari
• Makeup and Hairstyling - Bombshell
• Production Design - 1917
• Short Film (Animated) - Refer to the Documentary categories. I DO, however, want to shout out Kobe Bryant's amazing animated short film from 2017, Dear Basketball. If, like me, you never saw it until very recently, I HIGHLY recommend that you go watch it now. It is absolutely beautiful and moving and worthy of revisiting. The only problem is that it is now extremely hard to find, so you might have to visit some unofficial sites in order to do so.
• Short Film (Live Action) - Yeah, same here.

Best Cinematic Song: I Got 5 On It (Us)

Buh-dun-dun! Dee, do, dee, do.
By taking seven notes from Luniz's hip hop song and making them sound frightening, Jordan Peele has created the most iconic song in cinema from 2019. Combine this with a legendary crescendo of the remix during the final sequence of Us, and you have a masterpiece of an ending to yet another instant classic from Peele, following up his tremendous debut in Get Out. The commentary on class divide and privilege made this immediately my favorite film of the year very early on, until it was eventually dethroned by other excellent films. If you love smart horror films, get out and see Us as soon as you can.

Honorable Mentions: Saturday Night's Alright musical scene (Rocketman); and driving recklessly to Nobody Speak (Booksmart).

OSCAR PREDICTION: (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again (Rocketman)



Best Conclusion of a Cinematic Saga: Avengers: Endgame

I am sure that anyone who has followed the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as I have, was wholly and completely satisfied by this epic finale to the tales of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thanos. The amount of nostalgia hits to reward loyal fans were bittersweet when combined with the end of an era that was filled with memorable moments from Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans. Let us not forget the wonderful performances over the years by Scarlett Johansson and Idris Elba as well. This was easily the best blockbuster made in 2019, and it is not even close.

Honorable Mentions: I have not seen either of these yet, but I would hazard a guess that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and It: Chapter Two would be deserving here as well.



Best Stuntwork Performance: Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum)

I would be remiss to not reward Keanu Reeves for all of the amazing work he has done over the last few years in the John Wick saga. I truly thought that this would be the final entry in a trilogy, and so I am extremely happy to know that more of these creative action films are coming down the pike. Reeves and director Chad Stahelski (former stuntman for Reeves) have done such a great job choreographing and capturing many gun-fu action sequences throughout these films, and with Reeves returning in John Wick: Chapter 4, as well as many other upcoming films (The Matrix 4, Bill & Ted Face the Music, video game Cyberpunk 2077), I look forward to much more excellent performances from the One.

Side note: Halle Berry also has some awesome stuntwork in this film that deserves recognition as well, especially involving some dogs.

Honorable Mentions: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); and George MacKay (1917).



Best Visual Effects: 1917

It is no small feat to make a film seem like a one-shot, and this is even more difficult when you set your film in the middle of World War I. Besides setting up each shot to flow seamlessly into the next, we get an airplane crash, bullet sparks, and a magnificent sequence sprinting across a charging army with mortars landing all around. This film was truly a technical masterpiece and a treat to watch on the big screen, so do so if you can!

Honorable Mentions: Ad Astra; and The Irishman.

OSCAR PREDICTION: 1917



Best International Film: Parasite

You knew it. I knew it. Everyone knows it. Parasite is EASILY the best international film of 2019, and one of the best films of the year in general. It has the classic South Korean cinematic themes of karma, moral ambiguity, and a hint of pulp fiction. However, Bong Joon-Ho has created a film that crosses all cultures with much more universal themes of class divide, envy, and the struggles of the lower class to climb out of that hole that they are born into. This film is exciting, clever, funny, creepy, and downright tragic in all of the best possible ways. Were it not for Roma last year, I would say that this was my favorite international film of the 2010s, but it still deserves to be respected as more than a great Korean film, but a great film regardless of language.

Honorable Mentions: Once again, I have not seen them, but I would assume that Pain and Glory, as well as Les Misérables, were both great and deserving of mention here.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Parasite



Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse)

As a quick reminder to those who did not read my list last year, I have combined all acting awards as Actor and removed gender from the billing, so each acting award is open season for all actors and actresses.

It is a outright travesty that Willem Dafoe did not get nominated for his performance in The Lighthouse! He perfectly plays a crusty veteran sailor with extreme passion and vigor, delivering the best monologue of the year that shakes you with fear before making you bowl over with laughter due to Robert Pattinson's perfect response. For most of the film, you cannot tell if Thomas Wake (Dafoe) is truly a villain or a cantankerous old man, adding to the paranoia and mystery of the entire film. Dafoe was one of many acting snubs this year (including costar Pattinson) and it is a shame that many people did not get to see his wonderful role in The Lighthouse.

Honorable Mentions: Laura Dern (for both Little Women and Marriage Story); Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Florence Pugh (Little Women); and Al Pacino (The Irishman).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Supporting Role - Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) [I desperately want him to win and finally get an Oscar!]
OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Supporting Role - Laura Dern (Marriage Story)



Best Sound Effects: Ad Astra



I guess it would not truly be a Best Movies according to Robert if I did not include some space-related film! Regardless, I loved this take on Heart of Darkness set in a very realistic future where we have colonized the moon and Mars, with both outposts being controlled primarily by profit-focused corporations. Brad Pitt is fantastic as the main character, Roy McBride, travelling across the solar system to find his father and stop a devastating event from occurring. But this award is for sound effects, and there are so many great examples of this, from rockets taking off to nearly silent but terrifying gunfights on the moon. The people who worked on sound design for this film did a fantastic job, as did everyone else in the cast and crew to create a very emotional and resounding movie.

Honorable Mentions: Ford v. Ferrari; and 1917.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound Editing - Ford v. Ferrari
OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound Mixing - 1917



Best Oscar-Bait Biopic: The Irishman

Yes, this category is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the majority of Best Picture winners and nominees are biopics, but it does not detract from the fact that The Irishman was a fantastic film. Surprising nobody, Martin Scorsese has directed yet another masterwork, following Robert DeNiro as a lifelong thug for the Bufalino crime family in Philadelphia. The acting is extremely well done by DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino, as reflected in the Acting categories of the Oscars this year. On top of that, the visual effects team has done a fantastic job of de-aging these actors, especially with DeNiro, and makes an interesting case for more use of this technology. A sequence towards the end of the film between DeNiro and Pacino fills you with both dread and sadness, and was one of my favorite moments of 2019. This film is on Netflix, so you have no reason to not watch it, as long as you are able to handle three and a half hours of nonstop movement.

Honorable Mentions: Ford v. Ferrari; and Rocketman.



Best Ensemble Cast: Little Women



I grew up reading the series of books from Louisa May Alcott that this film is based on, and so to see a new version from Greta Gerwig (writer/director of this film and Lady Bird) was extremely gratifying and a pleasant hit of nostalgia for me. Gerwig has done a tremendous job taking the original feminist themes of the novel written in 1868 and updating it for 2019 while maintaining the period which it is set in. But the cast steals the show for me, especially Florence Pugh as Amy (who was also fantastic in the horror film Midsommar) and Saoirse Ronan as Jo. But I would also like to point out the wonderful acting done by Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence, an old gentleman who lost his piano-aficionado daughter and finds peace in a touching relationship with Beth, played pleasantly by Eliza Scanlen. A lot of their scenes together brought tears to my eyes, and made a small portion of the film much more emotional than I expected. Do not tell yourself that this is just another period piece; go see it as soon as you can, if only to watch Ronan's great dialogue with Laura Dern, playing Marmie, about the expectations of women and loneliness.

Honorable Mentions: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; and Parasite.



Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins (1917)



I guess it should be no surprise that Roger Deakins has turned in another cinematography gem with 1917 when you consider his resume (The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049, just to name a few). However, this was his first foray into the one-shot film style, which has been developed and perfected by Alfonso Cuarón and Emmanuel Lubezki, and Deakins proves yet again that he is a master worth praising. Although you can spot the cuts if you look for them, typically being an object that "wipes" across the screen, the seamless transition between cuts and perfect portraiture of each shot blows you away. Two shots in particular stand out to me, being the aforementioned sprint across a charging front line but also an intense sniper standoff. The work done by Deakins with director Sam Mendes (his partner-in-crime from Skyfall, amongst other films) is gorgeous and worth multiple viewings to truly appreciate.

Honorable Mentions: Jarin Blaschke (The Lighthouse); and Hong Kyung-Pyo (Parasite).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Roger Deakins (1917)



Most Wild and Satisfying Ending: The Manson Family vs. Cliff Booth (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

WOW. I mean, Quentin Tarantino is notorious for bombastic endings (see: Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained), but this one takes the cake! I will try my best to avoid spoilers, but the historical significance of the time, setting, and people that this ending involves makes it one of the most tense and scary sequences in any film this year. But then a twist comes in, perfectly set up over the entire film by many different things (including a well-trained dog and a film prop), and it blows your mind. Brad Pitt (playing Cliff Booth) is both hilarious and terrifying during this brutal sequence that makes the audience cheer despite the hyperviolence. It is a great ending to a great film and easily my favorite moment of 2019 in cinema.

Honorable Mentions: Unveiling the swap (Us); and a betrayal leading to an unlikely alliance (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum).



Best Actor: Song Kang-Ho (Parasite)



I really, really wanted to give this award to either Lupita Nyong'o (Us) or Saoirse Ronan (Little Women), but I had to correct yet another complete and total snub by the Academy in keeping their Acting categories nice and white (the sole exception being Cynthia Erivo for Harriet). Song Kang-Ho is an acting legend from South Korea, starring in such classics as The Host and Memories of Murder, as well as crossing over into American cinema with the underrated film Snowpiercer (which was directed by Parasite's Bong Joon-Ho as well). However, Kang-Ho's performance as a downtrodden patriarch who tries to make a better life for his family is hilarious, disturbing, and touching. My favorite moment from Kang-Ho is, of course, when he makes a very tragic decision at the end of the film, resulting in the perfect intertwining of every theme in Parasite, including its title. In all honesty, both Kang-Ho's performance and the movie as a whole reminded me a lot of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, the first entry in the Korean films known as the Vengeance Trilogy, as they both star Kang-Ho in the leading role as well as themes of revenge, morality, karma, and class struggle. But this film is on an entire other level, as is Kang-ho's performance, and worthy of praise and accolades that the Academy will likely ignore (besides International Feature Film). If you still have not seen this fantastic film, take the time to go and see it, and do not let a language barrier stop you from enjoying a masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions: Lupita Nyong'o (Us); Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse); Saoirse Ronan (Little Women); and George MacKay (1917).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Leading Role - Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Leading Role - Renée Zellweger (Judy) [Although I desperately want Saoirse Ronan to finally win an Oscar for Little Women]



Best Screenplay: Robert and Max Eggers (The Lighthouse)

The Lighthouse is a truly unique film filled with symbolism and dread. Robert Eggers wears two hats as both director and screenwriter for this film, sharing the writing credit with his brother Max. They both show great talent at writing with terrifying monologues, amusing dialogues, and many references to ancient Greek mythology that help build the mystique and apprehension of the film. The ending sequence is at once both gratifying and completely open for interpretation, resulting in a great discussion point for film lovers to deliberate upon for many decades to come. The Eggers brothers knock this script out of the park, and it pains me to see them snubbed once again in the Oscars despite making an incredible film (much like Robert's debut with The VVitch).

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Peele (Us); and Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman (Booksmart).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Adapted Screenplay - Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
OSCAR PREDICTION: Original Screenplay - Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-Won (Parasite)



Best Heartfelt Comedy: Booksmart

This movie came out of nowhere for me and ended up being the most fun that I have had in a film in a very long time. Both lead actresses Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are hilarious and have amazing chemistry together as high school seniors going for a night out in Los Angeles. Billie Lourd is also an absolute showstopper in every scene that she is in as the ultimate wild card Gigi. First time director Olivia Wilde (a great actress in her own right) also shows some incredible skill behind the camera, particularly during a long take involving a very emotional argument that made me think of the close facial style of Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant), which is as high of praise that I could give to any directing newcomer. This film is an uproarious, moving, and incredibly charming look at modern high school and all of its ups and downs, and deserves to be considered a coming-of-age classic for years to come.

Honorable Mentions: Jojo Rabbit; and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.



Best Music: Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)

I remember walking out of the theater and thinking, among other things, about how great the music in this film was. When I got home, I looked up who composed the score and said aloud, "Of course it's him!" Alexandre Desplat has made so many great scores that I guess I should not have been surprised that he created this gorgeous work as well (his repertoire includes Fantastic Mr. Fox, The King's Speech, The Tree of Life, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Isle of Dogs, just to name a few). His music perfectly matches the period that Little Women is set in, as well as eliciting emotions when necessary. Sometimes the score is light and playful, making you smile as you watch the sisters put on a play for the town's children. Other times the score is sad and tragic, making you tear up during THAT sequence involving Beth. Desplat always knows what to bring to each scene, and once again has created a soundtrack that I adore.

Honorable Mentions: Max Richter and Lorne Balfe (Ad Astra); and Michael Abels (Us).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)



Best Portrayal of a Historical Figure: Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)



One of my biggest reservations about going to see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the knowledge that both the Manson Family and Sharon Tate (pregnant at one point) were in it, and that it was set during the late 1960s. If you have any knowledge about historical events or pop culture from that time period, you will understand why I was so hesitant about watching this film. However, Quentin Tarantino handles this scenario with great care and gives us something that we did not expect, which brought me great joy. A huge part of that enjoyment is due to Margot Robbie's fantastic portrayal of Sharon Tate. There has been some controversy over the amount of lines and screen time that Robbie gets in this film, but when she is onscreen, she absolutely steals your heart and makes it ache for the person that was Sharon Tate. We get to see Tate as the gleeful and glowing person that she was rather than a tragic figure in history. Robbie brings her back to life with such youthful vigor that you cannot help but smile at every scene that she is in. For Tarantino and Robbie to decide to go this personal route with Sharon Tate was a gamble, but it pays off with one of the warmest and most affectionate storylines of any of Tarantino's films, as well as any film in 2019.

Honorable Mentions: Robert DeNiro (The Irishman); and Christian Bale (Ford v. Ferrari).



Best Director: Sam Mendes (1917)

Sam Mendes has made some classics in his time, including American Beauty, Road to Perdition (massively underrated), and Skyfall. But I would argue that this is his best film to date, at least on par with American Beauty, and it is the most immersive war film that I have seen in a long time, perhaps as great as my 2017 Best Film, Dunkirk. The amount of skill that Mendes displays in getting his actors to perform so well over very long takes, as well as setting up each shot to be visually stimulating, has sold me on his future films, which I will now look forward to with great interest. It is also worth mentioning that 1917 has a great story that has great emotional pull (especially during a scene when a man is bleeding out), making it NEARLY my favorite film of 2019. However, there was one film that stood above the rest.

Honorable Mentions: Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse); and Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sam Mendes (1917) [although I would love for them to reward Quentin Tarantino with his first Best Director Oscar for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood].



Best Film: The Lighthouse



I am sure that this will be a major surprise to a lot of people, but there was truly no film greater or more unique than The Lighthouse in 2019. Robert Eggers might have already made his magnum opus on only his second film, as it will be difficult to ever top this masterpiece that he has created (having been both writer and director on each of his films). Robert Pattinson perfectly shows how a new sailor, Ephraim Winslow, can slowly go crazy while stuck on an island in a lighthouse with a kooky older sailor as his boss. His desire for physical affection, human interaction outside of the irritable Thomas Wake (portrayed with legendary skill by Willem Dafoe, as I mentioned before), and knowledge of what mystical power is hidden above in the lantern room are each pieces of the psychological deterioration that happens to him, and it is written, directed, and acted so well that the audience also wants all of these things as well. We all want to know: what the hell is going on in that lighthouse?! What secrets is Wake withholding from Winslow, and in turn, from us?

On top of the great acting and writing in this film comes one of the most perfectly shot films that I have ever seen. I honestly would have given Robert Eggers my award for Best Director were it not for the fact that I wanted to honor 1917 and Sam Mendes for their great work. But the way that Eggers chose to shoot this film makes it immediately timeless, much like how Steven Spielberg decided to shoot Schindler's List in black and white with a documentary feel. Instead of the traditional 1.85:1 aspect ratio that we are all used to in a movie theater, The Lighthouse is shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, exactly like old films that were made before the 1950s. Eggers uses this aperture in very clever ways, such as hiding the edges of the screen when filming a shot almost entirely in black, and he also makes use of natural lighting, making the movie even more grim and foreboding. The set design is perfect to capture the era that the film is set in (roughly the late 19th century) and the use of black and white further creates that timeless effect that I mentioned before. The use of many practical effects as well further heightens that antiquated feeling that the movie tries to (and does) create, with the exception of one single visual effects shot that is quite terrifying.

This film is also LOADED with symbolism (especially regarding Greek mythology) that personifies the eternal struggle of man versus god, and it has so many layers to be examined and captured upon each viewing. The music from Mark Korven is haunting and feeds into the atmosphere of the film during every scene. The final two scenes of the film are mesmerizing and eldritch. There is not a single aspect of this film that I would change or improve. I absolutely loved this film in every way possible, making it well deserving of being crown my Best Film of 2019, regardless of whether the Academy acknowledges its greatness or not.

Honorable Mentions: 1917; and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

OSCAR PREDICTION: 1917 (I have the same sentiment here for Tarantino to win his first Best Picture Oscar, but it would also be awesome to see an international film win for once in Parasite!).



TL;DR
1. The Lighthouse (Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay)
2. 1917 (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects)
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Best Portrayal of a Historical Figure, Most Wild and Satisfying Ending)
4. Parasite (Best Actor, Best International Film)
5. Little Women (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Music)
6. Us (Best Cinematic Song)
7. Booksmart (Best Heartfelt Comedy)
8. The Irishman (Best Oscar-Bait Biopic)
9. Ad Astra (Best Sound Effects)
10. Avengers: Endgame (Best Conclusion of a Cinematic Saga)
11. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (Best Stuntwork Performance)


Thanks again for reading through my miniature reviews and awards list! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I look forward to doing this again next year. Leave a comment with your opinions, by all means!