My Top 15 Films of 2019

2019 was a mixed bag for me. There were some highs (such as Avengers: Endgame), some movies that were fine but not great ( e.g. Captain Marvel), and some disappointments (cough, Toy Story 4, cough). Here are my top fifteen films of 2019. I am not a critic. I did not see even close to every film released this year and this is based on my personal opinion. Factors include how much I enjoyed it, overall quality, staying power, connection to existing franchises, and repeat viewings in theaters. This ranking also only reflects how I feel at the time of publication and will probably fluctuate as time goes on. (Here are the films that I saw that are not on the list: Dumbo, Shazam!, The Sun is Also a Star, Toy Story 4, The Farewell, The Irishman, The Traitor, Joker, Abominable and Jojo Rabbit, as well as these from Gasparilla (https://bit.ly/2ORRfbz)) 15) Storm Boy - Based on the Australian children’s book of the same name, this is a touching family film that I saw at the Gasparilla International Film Festival and recommend. My only main criticism is that I didn’t find the present-day scenes as interesting as the flashbacks. 14) Stockholm - I also saw this film at Gasparilla and absolutely enjoyed it. It’s both hilarious and intense and based on a true story that I had never heard of before, despite it spawning the common phrase, “Stockholm Syndrome.” I highly recommend this movie and I’m surprised it hasn’t garnered more attention. 13) Captain Marvel - I really enjoyed this movie, though it’s not the strongest MCU film to be released in a while. I really liked the relationship between Carol and Nick Fury and Goose was great. The mid-credits scene was also a great set-up for her role in Endgame, though I wish that film had shown what immediately followed. 12) Spider-Man: Far From Home - I enjoyed this movie, but didn’t think it was nearly as good as Homecoming. The plot felt a lot more contrived, the twist was easier to see coming, and Peter’s relationship with MJ didn’t feel very developed, as he just suddenly seemed to be into her from the start for some reason. The highlight was the mid-credits scene and I can’t wait for the third film. 11) The Best of Enemies - Based on an amazing true story, this film was released at the perfect time and is the time of story we need right now. The only main criticism that I have is that there are some parts of the true story that I wish had been in the screenplay, but overall, I highly recommend it. It’s really a shame that it didn’t do better at the box office, especially since it is so much better than the similarly themed Green Book in my opinion. 10) Aladdin - I had debated seeing this film in a theater and after I saw it on a flight, I wish I had. To quote the film, it’s “clumsy but in a charming sort of way.” It’s not as good as the original, especially with all the elements they kept, but everything else that they added or changed I really enjoyed, especially Will Smith’s Genie. Definitely one of the better Disney live-action remakes. 9) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part - I got to see this movie a week before its release at an early release. While not as good or sarcastic as the original, it is still very funny, enjoyable and deals with some interesting themes for a children’s film. I still think that either “Catchy Song” or “Super Cool” should have been nominated for an Oscar, as well as the film overall (it’s definitely better than Toy Story 4). 8) Frozen II - This movie is not nearly as good as the original, but overall I really liked it. I wasn’t into the whole idea of elemental spirits and while I wanted more Kristoff, I did like his subplot and I liked his song. But I like how different it feels from the original and I love the songs, especially “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself.” Overall, I liked this sequel. 7) Blinded by the Light - Unlike the next entry of this list, which has a very similar premise, I wasn’t familiar with Bruce Springstein at all before seeing this movie, but it’s not a requirement at all. As a writer, I found this film extremely relatable, especially since I first saw it in an early screening at the theater where I first saw the first Narnia film, which had a similar impact on me as Springstein has on the protagonist. My only criticism is that the first act is better than the second and the climax reminded me too much of The Samuel Project, a film I saw at Gasparilla. Overall though, I really recommend it! 6) Yesterday - This film has just a great premise that I had to see it opening weekend. A very enjoyable romantic comedy musical, this film is just a blast to watch, and even more enjoyable the more that you’re familiar with The Beatles. The surprise cameo in the third act was also very touching. 5) Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker - While I acknowledge that this film has flaws, overall I enjoyed it and I felt it had the epic feel that a finale should have, even if The Last Jedi didn’t really set it up well. The best part about this film is Kylo Ren’s arc. He is my favorite character in the sequel trilogy and I’m really happy with how they handled his character. 4) Pokemon Detective Pikachu - By far the biggest surprise of the year, I knew nothing about Pokemon before watching it, but found I could follow along enough and enjoy it. What puts this movie so high on the list, though, is the ending, which I found surprisingly emotional and changed the perspective of what the film was about in such a way that I felt very touched. While this was a similar reaction that I had to Star Wars, the surprise is what ranks it slightly higher for me. 3) Knives Out - This was probably one of the best films that I saw this year. A very entertaining and twisted whodunit was filled with great performances, especially from Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, and Chris Evans. Both funny and intense, if you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend that you do. It should have been nominated for Best Picture. 2) Jumanji: The Next Level - Welcome to the Jungle was such a pleasant surprise for me, since I wasn’t familiar with the original, and it quickly became one of my favorite films of 2017 and one of my favorites of all time. While not as good as the previous film, this sequel was still so much fun. It’s just as funny, shaking things up enough that it felt like it was doing its own thing despite the similar plot points, and did have some great callbacks that were hilarious. After that mid-credits scene, I cannot wait for the next film! 1) Avengers: Endgame - To prep for seeing this film, I rewatched all but one MCU film in a month and this film made that time and investment worth it. They managed to provide a satisfying conclusion to the Infinity Saga to the point where outside of Spider-Man, I’d have been okay if they had ended it here. A film that made me laugh, cry, and it felt like an ending in all the right ways, I’m glad this is the film that finally dethroned Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time. It deserved it.