Jan 10

Jan 10 Best Films of 2019

The year in film was a quite a journey for me. There were projects I looked forward to getting my eyes on for months that I wound up being utterly disappointed in. There were projects I had no interest in seeing that I took a chance on and fell in love with. Nothing shook out how I expected and it really made for an exciting process for me in creating my Best Films list for 2019.

Let it be known that there are films (yes, more than one) on this list that I almost walked out of. There are films on this list that I could not sit straight through. There are even films on this list that I had to reach out to some trusted friends on to see how certain scenes or subjects were handled that I heard word of before watching them. I’ve have never had so many films cause such a strong reaction in me make it to the best of the year list. I will not identify which ones are which, though like my Best of the 2010s list, I will include content warnings where appropriate so you don’t get into these films without knowing.

Here are what I consider to be the 10 best films of 2019, ranked.

10. Missing Link

Studio Laika is doing some of the most exciting work in animation right now. Their innovations in stop motion animation make every film an event, regardless of how well the story works. Missing Link is a hit in every way. The beautifully saturated color pallet, the Victorian Era setting, the costuming, and quick moving plot make this one of the best adventure films in recent memory.

Missing Link is currently streaming on Hulu.

9. See You Yesterday

See You Yesterday is clever low budget science fiction. Writer/director Stefon Bristol and writer Fredrica Bailey craft a political time travel narrative of the here and now. Brooklyn teenagers CJ and Sebastian invent time travel devices that let them go back in time one day. They want to show their invention off at a science fair for potential college scholarships. They know better than to change the past, but CJ still chooses to play a prank on their first trip that cause real issues in the present. The result is a tense time travel drama about trying to rewrite recent history to stop a racially-motivated act of police brutality. CJ and Sebastian can only travel for 10 minutes at a time, and the past is not as easily changed as they might imagine. Full review.

content warning: racial violence

See You Yesterday is currently streaming on Netflix.

8. The Nightingale

The only expectation I had for Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her horror masterpiece The Babadook was character driven narrative. The Nightingale is one of the most nuanced and politically minded revenge films ever made. It is difficult to watch due to the nature of the violence in the film, but ultimately a rewarding drama exploring the pattern of state-sanctioned criminal behavior during the British penal colony era of Australian history. The only reason this film is not higher on the list is the challenge of watching it. I wasn’t able to watch straight through on my first viewing.

content warning: sexual assault, violence against women, racial violence, graphic violence

The Nightingale is currently streaming on Hulu.

7. Fast Color

Superhero films are still holding on as a viable genre at the box office. That makes it all the sadder that Fast Color barely had a chance to find an audience in theaters last year. This smart, sensitive, and beautiful story of three generations of women hiding their abilities from a world that wants to exploit them is a must-see for any science fiction fan. Full review.

content warning: violence against women

Fast Color is currently streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Epix.

6. Us

Jordan Peele is a modern master of horror. While Us does not have quite the same satirical bite as Get Out, it does have a unique vision of horror and a pervasive sense of dread. Hidden twin horror is nothing new; Peele’s spin on the formula is. Lupita N’yongo’s performance as Adelaide and Red elevates a great screenplay into a modern horror masterpiece. Full review.

content warning: violence against women and children, gore

Us is currently streaming on HBO Now/Go.

5. Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s films are not for everyone. His perspective on cinema and society is as bleak as it is unique. Parasite is his most accessible film in years and it’s still very weird. A family living in poverty schemes to take over every high paying job for an extremely wealthy family, assuming alternate, friend of a friend personalities to finally start living the good life. I’d argue the film is a dark comedy until the last half hour, which makes the usual Joon-ho turn to utter despair all the more impactful. Full review.

content warning: gore, violence against women and children

Parasite is currently in theaters.

4. Booksmart

Olivia Wilde directs the most novel teen comedy in years. It’s not just the focus on two teenage girls graduating high school (which, in itself, is a nice change of pace). It’s the tone. It’s the variety of genres played with as the two best friends who never broke a rule go from party to party the night before graduation. It’s the commitment of the cast, the honest voice of the teens, and the long con narrative payoffs that make this coming of age teen comedy so entertaining.

content warning: drug use

Booksmart is currently streaming on Hulu.

3. The Farewell

Writer/director Lulu Wang strikes gold with this tale of culture clash within a family. Billi, a first generation American, visits China with her family to spend time with her dying grandmother Nai Nai. Nai Nai does not know she is dying, as the belief in the area is people have a better chance of recovery from potentially terminal illnesses if they are not told they might die. Life goes on as normal so they can live the last days of their life happily and maybe even recover. Everyone in the family except for Nai Nai knows that the extravagant wedding no one asked for is a final chance for Nai Nai to be with everyone and it breaks Billi’s heart. She is a permanent outsider (a Chinese American who doesn’t quite fit into American society, but also an American-born Chinese person who doesn’t fit into Chinese society) just trying to connect with her family and their collective decision to lie. The film is sweet, charming, and filled with incredible performances.

The Farewell is available to rent or purchase on all digital platforms.

2. Atlantics

Writer/director Mati Diop’s feature length debut Atlantics is a revelation. The film seamlessly blends drama, romance, political commentary, and paranormal horror into a beautiful story of love, loss, and revenge where the dead don’t stay dead. I have never seen another film quite like it and now I wish there were more. The execution of such a strange combination of ideas is so strong that everything becomes so much more believable. Full review.

content warning: sexism, abuse of women

Atlantics is currently streaming on Netflix.

1. Little Women

Writer/director Greta Gerwig takes one of the most adapted American novels of all time and gives it a new voice onscreen. Little Women has never felt so real and necessary. The time-skipping narrative device places the four sisters on equal ground, allowing characters not named Jo to shine and be heroes in their own stories (even if Jo has the most dynamic adventure). The cinematography, editing, music, costumes, and production design are all top notch. It’s the little decisions that push this film to the top, like letting the sisters speak over each other when they’re younger children or mirroring the blocking of every scene in the first half of the film with an equivalent moment in the second half. Full review.

Little Women is currently in theaters.