Favourite Films of 2019: CCC Issue #82

Thirteen Favourite Films of 2019

Another year has come to pass, a new decade is upon us, and I’m back at it with the countdown lists! First up are the best movies I saw in 2019, and upon review, I saw more great ones than I initially thought. Instead of doing three honourable mentions, I’m making a top 13 list this year, because why not? 

13. The Dirt

The Dirt was the first new movie I saw in 2019 that genuinely stuck out to me as really enjoyable, and it continued to stick with me. I’m a big Motley Crue fan, and a viewer’s love for the band (or lack thereof) will likely correspond with how enjoyable they find it. Though still a significantly flawed film with clumsy writing and pacing, the performances and dialogue are extremely entertaining, and obviously the soundtrack is kick ass. It felt like this year’s hard-core R-rated version of Bohemian Rhapsody. Though only a small glimpse into the world of these off-the-wall rock stars, it reignited my love for them, spawned some new music, and even got the actual band back together by year’s end. If you’re a Crue fan or just a metal fan in general, you need to check out The Dirt.  

12. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Not since Toy Story has there been a trilogy of animated films as cohesive and enjoyable as How to Train Your Dragon. The first movie is utterly delightful, and the second one is emotionally resonant, but the third one did not suffer from diminishing returns. Hidden World opens up the mythology even more, has more of the fun from the previous two, and is perhaps even more emotional than the second movie, which is saying a lot. It also ends in a very satisfying way, and while there may be more How to Train Your Dragon sequels or spinoffs in the future, this third one wraps up the trilogy and serves as a great farewell. 

11. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Coming out in the wake of the devastating finale to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or the ending to the Infinity Saga, at least), Spider-Man: Far From Home was posited as an epilogue and the true conclusion to Phase Three of the MCU, but we’ve seen Spider-Man how many times in the past two decades? Like over ten times? Spider-Man movies used to feel special, but they don’t any more. Having said that, Far From Home managed to do something a little different while still giving fans what’s become expected, and proved to be a very fun, entertaining, and comedic Spider-Man adventure. Though this version of Peter Parker will forever be weighed down by the inescapable Iron Man influence and Stark technology, he is still my favourite superhero going, and I’m continually impressed with the ways the writers keep the material fresh and surprising. It’s definitely not as good as Spider-Man: Homecoming, but a good Spider-Man sequel nonetheless.  

10. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Rumors of a Breaking Bad movie had been swirling for years since the conclusion of the series, and I was surprised by the amount of anticipation accumulated for El Camino in such a short time, given it was only announced a couple months before its release to Netflix. Being able to tune in to the story of what happened to Jesse Pinkman following the series finale from the comfort of the same living room in which I experienced all 62 episodes of the series was a real treat this year. It wasn’t a mind-blowing experience by any means, but given it was writer/director Vince Gilligan’s first feature-length film, I thought he did a great job giving Aaron Paul the spotlight one last time in this role—the role he will surely be associated with most strongly for the rest of his career (and he gave a great performance, too)—as well as bringing back nearly all of what fans loved about Breaking Bad. While not really a necessary film, it was still a very cool experience to be able to return to the world of Breaking Bad once again. 

9. The Irishman

 

Every year Netflix steps up their game with high-quality films released to the streaming service, and in 2019, they delivered their best release yet. Martin Scorsese has directed some of the greatest films of all-time, including such crime classics as Goodfellas and Casino, and I expected The Irishman to be a return to that same style and content. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour gangster epic depicting characters across many decades, with Robert de Niro and Al Pacino, two of the greatest actors ever, reunited once again after far too long, and under the direction of Scorsese no less. Digital de-aging technology made the actors grow old right on screen before our very eyes, and while it definitely harkens back to Goodfellas and Casino, it also takes a poignant look at the toll a life of crime takes on even the toughest criminals. I had no doubt The Irishman would deliver, and did it ever. 

8. Joker

A lot of criticism has been levelled at Joker, but to me, it was an engaging, disturbing dive into the mind of a dark character that just happened to use the backdrop of Gotham and the recognizable character of the Joker to tell its story. Joaquin Phoenix pretty much made the movie what it was thanks to his stellar performance. With a lesser actor in the role, the movie probably would have been so-so, but he elevated the material significantly. The cinematography was excellent, the production design was distinct, the music was incredible, and the balance of dark humour and brutal violence was unnerving. It may have played out in a predictable manner, but was still engaging and increasingly disturbing, until culminating in a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. Joker was not a fun, enjoyable experience, but certainly a memorable and potent one.  

7. Booksmart

 

This movie was perhaps the most pleasant surprise I got in 2019. The trailer looked so-so, but the premise sounded like a classic coming-of-age high school dramedy (a sub-genre for which I am an absolute sucker), and it was the first directing effort of actress Olivia Wilde. Booksmart not only delivers numerous high-quality laughs, it offers realistic, relatable insight to the modern world of high school, with just enough of an original take on the material to feel fresh and inspired. The chemistry between the lead actresses is fantastic, the cinematography is sharp, and there are a couple emotional moments that really hit. There’s no doubt in my mind that Booksmart will be in the conversation of best high school films of the 2010s.  

6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

 

Back in July, I ranked all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies in anticipation of his ninth feature, which I hadn’t seen yet. While I wouldn’t rank Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the top of his filmography, it was still one of the most engaging and purely entertaining movies of the year. Despite a nearly three-hour runtime, the pacing is so excellent it just ticks by and never feels boring or drags. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are as good as they’ve ever been, and both were way funnier than I expected them to be. It digs into old-time Hollywood the way only Tarantino could, while spinning a surprisingly optimistic fairy-tale-like story. I don’t have much else to say on this one, except that it is, in a word, great. 

5. Knives Out

Rian Johnson escaped the trappings of Disney’s Star Wars and delivered a murder mystery (as much a “who”dunit as it is a “how”dunit) that truly shocked me. I had been looking forward to it, but didn’t think it would wind up being so high on my favourites of the year. The ensemble cast doesn’t have a single weak link, the dialogue is witty, and it has more than a few surprises in store. The marketing failed to show that Ana de Armas as Marta is the main character, and she does a great job, especially during her interactions with Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc: a character I would be more than happy to see return in another film. Knives Out is funny, unique, and very fun.  

4. Good Boys

 

Speaking of being funny and very fun, I didn’t laugh harder at a movie in 2019 than I did at Good Boys. There isn’t a lot of substance to this one, it’s basically just a trio of middle-school boys on an adventure to get out of trouble with their parents, but damn is it hilarious. The kids spout R-rated dialogue with tons of cursing and sexual content, they find themselves in extremely inappropriate situations, and the older characters supply many additional laughs as well. I went into this thing not knowing what it was about, but had a really good time. I’m not as fresh on this movie as some others on this list, and perhaps it won’t be as funny upon repeat viewing, but at this point, I remember Good Boys as being one of the most-entertaining movie-going experiences this year.

3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I’m not going to be *that* guy and say the critics were wrong on this one…but as a life-long Godzilla fan, I thought this sequel was pretty exceptional. I had many problems with it, and lament certain decisions made by the creators and studio, but the parts they got right they got really right. Seeing Mothra and Rodan and King Ghidorah on the big screen was a sight to behold; I felt like a kid again seeing these classic monsters battling it out. What I really connected with in King of the Monsters was the focus on the monsters themselves. The entire story and every human character present is focused on the monsters, which are treated as living animals instead of generic creatures. I’ve already talked at length about this movie, but even as I saw more and more movies over the course of the year, the thrilling return of Godzilla never left my mind. 

2. Avengers: Endgame

After repeatedly defying expectations with every new chapter in the sprawling narrative, the Marvel Cinematic Universe pulled one last miracle. While Avengers: Infinity War was the culmination of everything previously built up in the MCU, Endgame was the celebration. Dealing with the fallout of the devastating cliff hanger ending of Infinity War, Endgame has our remaining heroes go on one last epic adventure to bring back those who perished. In terms of satisfyingly concluding a narrative while paying respect to what came before and delivering fan service and payoff for things set up years earlier, Endgame did what I thought would be impossible. It succeeded at nearly everything, but most of all, made for an emotional finale with real consequences that won’t soon be forgotten. Avengers: Endgame is arguably one of the best superhero movies ever made, and I can’t think of much else to say about it that hasn’t already been said. I will never forget the feelings of joy and sadness I felt while watching this decade-defining story come to a close.

1. The Lighthouse

 

I saw many great movies in 2019, but only one was what I would call “the whole package” and instantly struck me as something more than just entertaining, but profound. The Lighthouse is a small indie film from the director of The Witch, and it’s just Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe living on a small island, looking after a lighthouse, and slowly going insane. They are basically the only two actors in the whole movie, the entire thing takes place on the island/in the lighthouse, it’s shot in black-and-white and in a unique aspect ratio, and it’s absolutely brilliant. The Lighthouse is genuinely funny and terrifying and intriguing, both performances are career-best, the music, sound design, editing, lighting, cinematography, and visual effects are all top notch, and, most significant of all, I can’t think of any other movie quite like it. There’s a timeless quality to The Lighthouse. Not since Mad Max: Fury Road or Sing Street has a movie captured my attention and imagination and stayed with me so clearly. The Lighthouse won’t be for everyone, but for me, it was more than just a good movie, it was one of the best of the whole decade. 

With 2019 being the conclusion of the 2010s, I’ve decided to compile a special CCC list just for the occasion. Tune in again soon for my picks for the best movies of the entire decade!