Movies Released in 2019 That I've Seen
Movies I've seen from 2019, ranked from best to worst.
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- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoLee Sun-kyunCho Yeo-jeongGreed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.Parasite is an exceptionally well-written and directed film which is just plain fun to watch. At one point I was planning on getting up to do a quick chore when there was a lull in the drama, but half an hour later I was still glued to my seat, Bong Joon Ho is a master of wringing all the tension out of a scene and escalating it further. My one real complaint would be that it all goes a bit off the rails by the end, but even then it's a film that sticks with you long after it's over.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsRobert PattinsonWillem DafoeValeriia KaramanTwo lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.The Lighthouse is a movie that probably shouldn't work as well as it does, and certainly wouldn't if even one of its major components weren't up to snuff. Luckily, Robert Eggers has pulled off a coup, combining fantastic direction and cinematography with stunning performances from Robert Pattinson and (especially) Willem Dafoe to produce a character-driven story that is equal parts baffling and enthralling. The story itself is incredibly simple but the real meat is in seeing how the characters handle their circumstances and come into conflict as the tension builds and builds. Eggers is clearly enjoying experimenting a bit more and it pays off, showing that he's a filmmaker that will demand attention from here on out.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaniel CraigChris EvansAna de ArmasA detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.Knives Out is a devilishly clever murder mystery which seemingly gives away the game early on, but still finds ways to surprise you. The ensemble cast are all great and this film is just a joy to watch from start to finish.
- DirectorJonathan LevineStarsCharlize TheronSeth RogenJune Diane RaphaelJournalist, Fred Flarsky, reunites with his childhood crush, Charlotte Field; now one of the most influential women in the world. As she prepares to run for president, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter, and sparks fly.I love Seth Rogen comedies, so it's perhaps no surprise that Long Shot really hit home for me. It's basically a Seth Rogen comedy, a rom-com and a political drama all blended together to make for a very enjoyable cocktail. Rogen is great, but Charlize Theron really kills it here, and the film got several big laughs out of myself and my wife. I was also pleasantly surprised by the film's social commentary and its willingness to engage with political conflict in the narrative. Granted, the commentary can be rather broad and simplistic, but its heart is in the right place and it doesn't detract from what is a very charming experience.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesHalle BerryIan McShaneJohn Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins' guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.John Wick 3 has one of the greatest opening half-hours I've ever seen, somehow actually managing to live up to the promise of having the entire world of assassins hunting down our titular hero. It's a total joy to watch and I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. As the movie goes on, it starts to get a little bogged down in mythology-building, and the action sequences can be a little too-obviously choreographed at times, but John Wick 3 is still a very enjoyable entry in this franchise which hints at even bigger, even more over-the-top showdowns to come.
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandSamuel L. JacksonJake GyllenhaalFollowing the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.Spider-Man: Far from Home is by far the best Marvel movie since Infinity War (which was just over a year ago, but considering how many of these movies we get, that's an accomplishment). I expected to enjoy the film, but it's way better than I was anticipating. It's a breezy bit of fun, with strong character moments, a great villain (and fantastic display of their powers) and entertaining action sequences. After a string of messy films, the MCU is finally back on track and I can't wait to see where Spidey goes from here.
- DirectorRachel LearsStarsAlexandria Ocasio-CortezCori BushJoe CrowleyA look at the people involved with various political campaigns during the 2018 U.S. congressional election.I was excited enough to see a film about the US 2018 mid-term congressional elections (seriously), but Knock Down the House really surprised me and tugged at my jaded, cynical heartstrings. The optimism and drive to bring about positive change from the candidates is inspiring to see, and it's heart-breaking as one-by-one they fail to achieve their goals. And then, at the end, one of them makes it and my faith in the ability of the political system to change for the better was rekindled, slightly. Hopefully Knock Down the House is just a glimpse of positive changes coming to us in the future!
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsLupita Nyong'oWinston DukeElisabeth MossAdelaide Wilson and her family are attacked by mysterious figures dressed in red. Upon closer inspection, the Wilsons realize that the intruders are exact lookalikes of them.Perhaps appropriately, Jordan Peele's Us feels like an exceptionally well-directed and acted episode of The Twilight Zone. While the plot it isn't as solid as Get Out was, it's scarier and still a really enjoyable experience that will leave you pondering exactly what you just watched long after leaving the theatre.
- DirectorDarius MarderStarsRiz AhmedOlivia CookePaul RaciA heavy metal drummer's life is turned upside down when he begins to lose his hearing and he must confront a future filled with silence.I've got mixed feelings on this movie. On the one hand: undeniably great performances and this is one of those movies you watch and just think "man, this had to get nominated for Best Sound Editing". On the other hand, I kind of hate it because it make the deaf community portrayed here look like a cult with little sympathy for someone who doesn't want to accept that his life has changed forever. I also don't really like that it seems to imply that being an artist and a "rebel" is hurting Lou and what she really needs to be happy is to hang out with her rich father and his friends. These factors really kind of sour me on Sound of Metal, but I can't ignore just how strong this movie is for most of its runtime.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsRosa SalazarChristoph WaltzJennifer ConnellyA deactivated cyborg's revived, but can't remember anything of her past and goes on a quest to find out who she is.I went into Alita expecting to like it, but DAMN I did not expect to like it as much as I did. Robert Rodriguez's direction in the action scenes is breathtaking. While the film can feel awkward at times, like it's missing an hour of story and context, the film does a great job of making you care about its characters, especially Alita herself. It's unfortunate that this film got co-opted by jerks, but Alita truly does put performative-feminist superhero faire like Captain Marvel to shame without even having to beat us over the head.
- DirectorGene StupnitskyStarsJacob TremblayKeith L. WilliamsBrady NoonThree 6th-grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.Good Boys may just be "Superbad, but younger", but is a really good time and well worth a watch. The main trio make for an affecting and funny group, and it's nice that the cast all actually look the age that they're supposed to be. It's also very heartfelt, like the best coming of age, raunchy comedies of this sort are. That said, a lot of the jokes boil down to "haha, kids don't know what sex toys are!!!", but if you aren't bothered by that then I don't see how you can't have a great time with Good Boys.
- DirectorAdam RobitelStarsTaylor RussellLogan MillerJay EllisSix strangers find themselves in a maze of deadly mystery rooms and must use their wits to survive.Escape Room looks like the sort of PG-13 gimmick horror movie that would be absolute garbage, so imagine my shock when it ended up being a legitimately good time. This largely comes down to the good cast putting in solid performances, but also because the film works for the same reason Escape Rooms do - imaginative room designs, clever puzzles, good pacing and constant forward progression never let it get dull and the death game setup keeps the stakes sky high.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsCharlize TheronNicole KidmanMargot RobbieA group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.Bombshell succeeds mainly due to its strong acting and message, as well as its tasteful portrayal of its lurid subject matter, but overall it's one of those "well that was good" movies that doesn't leave you with many questions and isn't going to stick with you for very long. It also doesn't help that it's very much set in a time period I'd prefer to forget, making it even more unpleasant to sit through.
- DirectorPenny LaneStarsJex BlackmoreChalice BlytheNicholas CroweA look at the quick rise and influence of the controversial religious group known as The Satanic Temple.I've been a defender of The Satanic Temple for nearly a decade and Hail Satan? is a great look into why they are secretly diabolical geniuses. The leaders of the church are master trolls, exposing religious hypocrisy and the terrifying attempts to turn America into a Christian theocracy, while also taking a load of heat from Christians who just can't help but go into a judgmental frenzy when they hear "Satanist". If I have any complaint, it's that the film merely teases at the strife within the organization of the Satanic Temple rather than exploring this further and what it may mean for the future of the movement. In any case, Hail Satan? is an important documentary that should give any open-minded individual pause when reflecting on the forces attempting to push their beliefs into government spaces.
- DirectorDavid LeitchStarsDwayne JohnsonJason StathamIdris ElbaLawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.Hobbs & Shaw is pure, unpretentious, unadulterated fun from start to finish. It keeps up the ridiculously entertaining set-pieces and character work which have been making the Fast franchise work since 2011. Losing most of the main cast for the spin-off does make this feel like the least-important Fast film since the franchise suddenly burst into critical popularity, but there's plenty to love about Hobbs & Shaw regardless.
- DirectorRichard StanleyStarsNicolas CageJoely RichardsonMadeleine ArthurA secluded farm is struck by a strange meteorite which has apocalyptic consequences for the family living there and possibly the world.Color Out of Space is a solid HP Lovecraft adaptation, a cosmic horror as strange as it is thrilling and given a lot of life due to Nicholas Cage's entertainingly manic performance.
- DirectorVince GilliganStarsAaron PaulJonathan BanksMatt JonesFugitive Jesse Pinkman runs from his captors, the law, and his past.El Camino is solid crime thriller but how much you'll enjoy it depends very much on whether you've seen all of Breaking Bad or not. It acts as an effective epilogue to the series, giving several characters one last chance to shine and giving Jesse as good an ending as one could reasonably ask for him. It's nothing flashy but fans of the series will not want to miss it.
- DirectorRob LettermanStarsRyan ReynoldsJustice SmithKathryn NewtonIn a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective.If you're a Pokemon fan, Detective Pikachu is a no-brainer - watch it, you will freak out at all of the highly-detailed Pokemon brought to life and all of the references to the franchise. If you don't care as much about Pokemon, then Detective Pikachu is a little tougher sell. It follows the usual buddy-detective cliches well enough to be fine, but if the script was a little better written then this film could have been truly great. As it is, it's just short of greatness.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsBilly McFarlandJason BellGabrielle BluestoneAn exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.Fyre is an entertaining documentary about how a disaster of a music festival came about. There are some fantastic anecdotes in here from the people who were forced to take part in it, although I feel like the stories of the people who were actually at it did not get enough screentime.
- DirectorKarim AmerJehane NoujaimStarsBrittany KaiserDavid CarrollPaul-Olivier DehayeThe Cambridge Analytica scandal is examined through the roles of several affected persons.The Great Hack is an enlightening documentary which helps to inform how data mining, as utilized and manipulated by Cambridge Analytica, is becoming an existential threat to democracy. It makes for an alarming tale and is presented in a very slick way which will hopefully help drive more interest in privacy concerns.
- DirectorMichael DoughertyStarsKyle ChandlerVera FarmigaMillie Bobby BrownThe crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.King of the Monsters is a fantastic-looking film which does all of its headlining monsters justice. The monster brawls are all really exciting and feature destruction on a massive scale. However, the film tries to juggle way too many plotlines and characters without giving any of them the proper attention that they need, which ultimately takes away from the things that matter - a character from whom to view the destruction, and the actual monster battles (all of which are far too brief). It's still dumb fun for sure, but it could have been so much better.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloAfter the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.After the unexpectedly tight, well-plotted Infinity War, Marvel wraps up their 10 year, 22 film saga with Endgame... and I can't say that I'm quite as enthusiastic about it as most people have been. The film has plenty of great moments, but it felt plodding, overly-silly at times (even by Marvel standards), and really wastes most of the characters (especially Thanos, who is reduced to a big CGI baddie after his iconic turn in Infinity War). Oh, and don't even get me started on the blatantly illogical plot...
- DirectorAlexandre AjaStarsKaya ScodelarioBarry PepperMorfydd ClarkA young woman, while attempting to save her father during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.Crawl is a decent creature feature that makes the most of its claustrophobic setting. It's nothing particularly special, but it's a fun time at the movies because of the strong performances of Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper, as well as Alexandre Aja's signature brutality.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerStarsLily CollinsZac EfronAngela SarafyanA chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy from the perspective of Liz, his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.Extremely Wicked is buoyed heavily by its cast (particularly the perpetually-underrated Zac Efron) and has moments of brilliance (particularly the ending), but falls short because the overarching plot is structured in such a way that it doesn't consistently hit as hard as it should. In particular, it seems confused at times about whether the film is about Ted Bundy or his wife, since she disappears from the film for long stretches of time despite clearly being the protagonist. Certainly worth a watch, but just not as good as I would have liked.
- DirectorDavid YaroveskyStarsElizabeth BanksDavid DenmanJackson A. DunnWhat if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?Brightburn turns the typical superhero origin story (specifically Superman) into a horror film. It's such a simple premise that it's hard to really screw up, but one might wish that they could have gone a bit further with the premise than they did. As it is, it feels rather restrained, but considering the small budget it actually probably squeezed every dollar out on screen as efficiently as possible. The characters could have also done with some personality, but as it is, Brightburn is at least an enjoyable enough twist on the superhero genre.
- DirectorLars KlevbergStarsTim MathesonBen DaonZahra AndersonA mother gives her 13-year-old son a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.This remake of Child's Play is more akin to a reimagining, taking the idea of a killer doll and putting that into our world of connected devices, with some creative results. I like the change where Andy and Chucky are legitimate friends and Chucky's evils stem from a misguided sense of jealousy, but the narrative around it is shaky. Plot points can come across as very contrived and none of the characters' actions make any sense unless you justify it with "the plot made them do it".
- DirectorAnna BodenRyan FleckStarsBrie LarsonSamuel L. JacksonBen MendelsohnCarol Danvers becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.Captain Marvel feels like it's aiming to be a top-tier Marvel movie (like Black Panther), but it doesn't manage to achieve this goal which just makes it feel disappointing. 10 years in, Marvel films are having to try harder to stand out, and I feel like Captain Marvel tried to do so with its unusual method of structuring an origin plot. In my opinion, this just makes a lot of moments throughout the film fail to leave an impact, since we have no reason to really care that Carol has lost her memories. The film is enjoyable enough either way, but I can't help but wish that it could have been less messy.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsWill SmithMena MassoudNaomi ScottAladdin, a kind thief, woos Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah, with the help of Genie. When Jafar, the grand vizier, tries to usurp the king, Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie must stop him from succeeding.The latest live-action Disney remake is... fine. It's certainly not as good as the original and most of its alterations do not improve the film any (although the one that I did like was how they changed Jasmine's ending to give her some more agency). Probably worst of all were the added moments of awkward humour felt extremely forced and dragged out, but most of the story has had the seriousness of it neutered (such as Jafar, who just feels like a generic villain here instead of someone dangerous and sinister, or how Aladdin comes across like an idiot when he pretends to be a prince). Luckily the main trio of Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie are extremely charming, otherwise this film would have been a complete disaster.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsDavid HarbourMilla JovovichIan McShaneCaught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, Hellboy battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.Look, I get that the del Toro films were far better than this and that 2019's Hellboy is clearly a mess of competing visions, but goddamn if I didn't have a fun time with it. The world here is just as weird and fantastical as it was in the prior films and David Harbour does a great job as the titular anti-hero. Neil Marshall is one of my favourite directors and I wish he could just recapture the potential he's shown in the past.
- DirectorMarc MeyersStarsAlexandra DaddarioKeean JohnsonMaddie HassonThree best friends embark on a road trip to a heavy-metal show, where they bond with three aspiring musicians and head off to one of the girls' country home for an after-party.We Summon the Darkness is a fun, po-faced dark comedy which is elevated by unhinged performances by Alexandra Daddario and Maddie Hasson... which is good because all the actual main characters of the film are far more dull to watch. Thankfully, the film also doesn't fall into the trap of "what if Satanic Panic, but real?" which is always iffy to me since the lies of the Satanic Panic literally ruined peoples' lives.
- DirectorTim MillerStarsLinda HamiltonArnold SchwarzeneggerMackenzie DavisAn augmented human and Sarah Connor must stop an advanced liquid Terminator from hunting down a young girl, whose fate is critical to the human race.In many ways, Terminator: Dark Fate is the most competent Terminator sequel since T2. However, Dark Fate has some frustrating, crippling flaws which make it worse than it had to be. It's nice to have Linda Hamilton back, Arnold's great as ever and Mackenzie Davis is solid, but Natalia Reyes is not convincing as this film's "new" Sarah Connor. Furthermore, the action sequences are merely competent, the CGI-heaviness robs them of a lot of excitement. Dark Fate also has lots of interesting new ideas (Cyborgs! A Terminator that grows a conscience!), but does absolutely nothing with them. Instead, it just recycles the plot of the first Terminator and hopes that it can get by with "girl power" alone.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsDonald GloverBeyoncéSeth RogenAfter the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.The Lion King is... fine. It has amazing, photorealistic VFX, Scar is great and Seth Rogen is a perfect Pumbaa, but otherwise... meh. The worst aspect is that the realistic lions can't really emote well, which combined with half-hearted acting means that scenes don't hit as hard as they should. As a result, this is a remake which doesn't really change anything and is just plain inferior to the original.
- DirectorAndy MuschiettiStarsJessica ChastainJames McAvoyBill HaderTwenty-seven years after their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.It Chapter Two is a huge step down from the original in every way. It plays out like a nostalgia-heavy homage to the original film (which is only 2 freaking years old!!!), but the characters haven't really learned anything since their first encounter with Pennywise and (SPOILER) they ultimately defeat him in the same way... why should we believe that he's actually dead this time? This wouldn't even be an issue if most of the characters had some personality and weren't spending most of the film separated from each other. Oh, and the CGI is really bad too. It's just a bloated, uninteresting mess which makes for a damp epilogue to the first part.
- DirectorJenny GageStarsJosephine LangfordHero Fiennes TiffinKhadijha Red ThunderA young woman falls for a guy with a dark secret and the two embark on a rocky relationship. Based on the novel by Anna Todd.After is a well-shot film which I can give some big props for being based on a novel, written and directed all by women, and it really shows in how the film portrays a female perspective on romance and sexuality. However, it's too bad that this is also perhaps the most generic romance film I've ever seen. Like, the plot is 100% made up of cliches that you see in literally every half-assed romantic film. This isn't necessarily bad - the film is "fine", I guess, but it's also not my cup of tea at all.
- DirectorKevin KölschDennis WidmyerStarsJason ClarkeAmy SeimetzJohn LithgowDr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.I really wanted to love this film. It's anchored by a bleakly sad story and solid performances from Jason Clarke and John Lithgow, but it just doesn't hold together. While it was rather shaky for the first hour at times, the main issue is that the third act is extremely rushed, ruining any momentum the film had been building up and skipping over the horror before it can really sink in. Oh, and speaking of which, for a horror film it really is not scary at all. It's too bad, I expected Pet Sematary to be really good but it definitely did not come close to my expectations.
- DirectorAdrian GrunbergStarsSylvester StallonePaz VegaSergio Peris-MenchetaRambo must confront his past and unearth his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in a final mission.Rambo: Last Blood is a disappointing ending for the franchise, especially after Rambo 4 came out of nowhere and ended up being surprisingly good. Last Blood is ugly, bleak and unenjoyable, all in service of an ending which regresses everything about Rambo's character from the past 5 films. On the plus side, at least the final action sequence is suitably brutal, but the rest of the movie is a turd which makes that not worth it.
- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaOscar IsaacThe surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again in the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.Whatever your opinion is on The Last Jedi, it's hard to argue that The Rise of Skywalker is anything but the worst Star Wars film ever made. Worse, if you did like The Last Jedi, then The Rise of Skywalker is also insulting to boot. By trying to backpedal from all the interesting decisions The Last Jedi made, The Rise of Skywalker just feels incoherent. The blistering pacing doesn't leave any time to take in what's happening - gotta mask how dumb the plot is somehow though! Oh, and the way that the film handles Kylo Ren, the standout character in this new trilogy, is infuriatingly bad. I will say that I loved D-0 and thought that this was C-3P0's best portrayal in the whole series, but those are the only real positives I have about this film. It's just incredibly disappointing all-round.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsLeonardo DiCaprioBrad PittMargot RobbieA faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood is a nostalgia picture for 40+ year olds who pine for late 60s Hollywood. Your enjoyment of it is going to hinge heavily on whether that matters to you at all, because the narrative is pretty lacking. If you're like me and don't really care about the time period of the movie then the only other thing to keep you interested is the strong acting, but that can only go so far when the story itself is kind of lacking.