Top 15 Movies of 2019

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
Avengers: Endgame
Good Boys
Knives Out
Toy Story 4
Triple Frontier

15.Hobbs & Shaw: Vin Diesel can rest easy knowing that his nemesis Dwayne Johnson didn't tarnish the Fast and Furious legacy with his spin-off film. David Leitch does an outstanding job  staging the huge action setpieces, every new addition to the cast (Vanessa Kirby, Idris Elba, Eiza Gonzalez, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart) seamlessly acclimates to the self-aware absurdity of this world and the winning snarky rapport between the titular characters (Johnson, Jason Statham) only gets stronger with them serving as the headliners instead of the direct support act.

14.Honey Boy: Shia LaBeouf's erratic behavior and substance abuse problems have commanded more attention than his onscreen work in recent years. Honey Boy provides a lot of insight into what inspired LaBeouf's mental health issues, which subsequently made me develop a ton of empathy for him. This semi-autobiographical drama fearlessly explores the relationship between a child actor (Noah Jupe) starring on a hit television series and his abusive, recovering addict father (LaBeouf in an alternately terrifying and heartbreaking performance that is truly revelatory) that's jealous of the success his son is having. Growing up in a hostile environment where your own parent terrorizes you on a daily basis is the type of nightmarish situation that I can't even begin to fathom and LaBeouf deserves to be lauded for having the courage to put his pain on display for the world to see.

13.Jumanji: The Next Level: Thanks to a sharp story that logically raises the stakes, additional character development and some great additions (Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover) to an already loaded ensemble cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan), Jumanji: The Next Level manages to be even more clever, amusing and delightful than its predecessor.

12.Parasite: A weak, out of left field finale is the only thing that prevented Parasite from appearing in the top 10. Writer/director Bong Joon-Ho masterfully combines multiple genres (black comedy, thriller, satire, drama) to tell an engaging, tense and unpredictable story centered around an impoverished South Korean family that scams their way into securing jobs at the home of a tech mogul. Please don't let the presence of subtitles scare you off from watching this very accessible and engaging flick.

11.Booksmart: Remember when these things called comedies used to hit theaters every couple of months? Well, Olivia Wilde's directorial debut was a perfect reminder of the joys this sadly underserved genre can provide. Booksmart is a hysterical, smart coming-of-age tale full of memorable characters that should retrospectively have the same effect on today's teenagers that Superbad did on my generation.

10.The Beach Bum: The king of cinematic nihilism has found something that resembles a soul! The latest from the notoriously polarizing Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers, Gummo) still features plenty of vulgar excess, but underneath its trashy exterior lies an infectiously joyous tale about living life to its fullest regardless of circumstances. It also doesn't hurt that it's a trippy, insane stoner comedy featuring a career-best performance from Matthew McConaughey as a burnout poet named Moondog and a supporting cast (Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence) full of heavy hitters that each get their moment to shine over the course of Moondog's freewheeling journey.      

9.Zombieland: Double Tap: This is how you make a satisfying sequel folks. Zombieland: Double Tap is an enthusiastic reunion tour for the original creative team that retains every ounce of the quirky humor/ample gore/little bit of heart combo that made the first installment great while also bringing in enough new faces (Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia) and ideas (more powerful zombies, improvised weapons) to keep things fresh.

8.Just Mercy: Just Mercy is a powerful, urgent and captivating film about the injustices that occur in the United States legal system that many people in this country ignore or know nothing about. The true story of a falsely-accused death row inmate (Jamie Foxx in his best performance since Ray) and the lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) that helps free him after a nearly decade-long legal battle in the Alabama court system angers, educates and eventually uplifts. Hopefully this important, underrated gem will go onto find a wide audience after a very average wide opening last weekend.

7.Dolemite is My Name: Eddie Murphy has returned from the shadows to remind the world why he's one of the most magnetic and electrifying comic performers of all time. Aided by vivid, energetic direction from the great Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan) and a scene-stealing supporting cast (Wesley Snipes, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan Michael-Key, Mike Epps, Titus Burgess, Chris Rock), Murphy's passion project about the unusual, roadblock-filled path cult comedy icon Rudy Ray Moore faced on his way to finally achieving fame with the creation of the Dolemite character is both funny and inspiring as hell.  

6.Long Shot: How can you make a romantic comedy that's centered around modern day politics without it suddenly descending into a groundswell of negativity? Well, you start by writing a script that is smart enough to poke fun at that world without brushing off the seriousness of the very specific issues female politicians face then cast a pair of multi-dimensional, immensely likable actors (Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron) that have tremendous chemistry in the lead roles. 2 hours later, you have an instant genre classic that also happens to be the most unlikely feel good movie of the year.

5.Uncut Gems: Getting pissed about who does and doesn't get recognized during awards season is arguably the most petty activity film diehards engage in on a yearly basis. The primary source of my perceived snub-fueled ire this year was Uncut Gems. The Safdie Brothers turned what easily could've been a pretty straightforward crime drama about a reckless POS degenerate gambler (Adam Sandler in a brilliantly scuzzy turn) whose massive debts are finally starting to catch up with him into a relentlessly chaotic adrenaline shot of a movie that displays the high-and-lows of gambling and delusional minds of the addicts that are always chasing the next score better than any other film I've ever seen.

4.Jojo Rabbit: I doubt that any other filmmaker working today besides Taika Waititi could've made a film like Jojo Rabbit work. With the help of a brilliant cast headlined by Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell and newcomer Roman Griffin Davis as the titular Jojo, Waititi turns a film about a young boy in Nazi-occupied Germany that happens to have Hitler as his imaginary friend (Waititi) that has his worldview challenged when he discovers his mother (Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (McKenzie) in their home into a hilarious, depressing and touching commentary on the absurdity of bigotry, and how getting to know people from a group you've been trained to fear can make that blind hate go away.

3.Once Upon a Time in.. Hollywood: Quentin Tarantino's supposed second-to-last movie sees the celebrated filmmaker embracing a more restrained and personal approach while still retaining his distinct morbidly humorous flair by setting a laid-back buddy movie in the vibrant Hollywood of his childhood that made him fall in love with the glamorous world of entertainment. The performances from the huge ensemble cast are flawless across the board, the richly-detailed period atmosphere is intoxicating and the alternate history storytelling technique he's employed a bunch over the past decade is especially effective here as he explores what might've happened to the city had Sharon Tate not been murdered by the Manson Family in the summer of 1969.  

2.Marriage Story: At no point does Noah Baumbach's divorce drama feel like a movie. The characters, the reasons why they're getting divorced and their disagreements over what's best for their child are so well-developed that it seems like a documentary about the process of divorce, which helps makes this an unbelievably devastating and rewarding watch. The authenticity that occupies every moment of this film is a testament to the rawness that this unreal cast (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty) puts into their performances as well as the unflinching honesty in which Baumbach portrays everything from the petty competition both parties engage in to win favor with their kids while they're battling for custody to how civility can slowly return to the relationship after the agonizing process has concluded.

1.John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum: Anybody that visits this site with any regularity and/or has known me for more than 5 minutes is aware of my deep-rooted love of the action genre. I've spent more time defending/championing the genre to people that have mocked it than I could possibly count and will watch just about every one that's released in a given year that isn't a Bruce Willis/Dolph Lundgren/Steven Seagal VOD special. This is all a lengthy prelude to say watching John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum was like if a religious individual got to be in the presence of the higher power they worship for 2 hours. I walked out of the theater with a smile so big that it would make Tom Hanks look like the saddest motherfucker on the planet. Injecting more humor, creative kills and martial arts into the staggeringly well-executed fight scenes this franchise has become known was enough to easily make Parabellum the most electrifying entry in this excellent series to-date. John Wick 4 can't come soon enough.