Top 10 Best Movies of 2019

A few things to know about the list below (and concerning more of the lists to come on this blog): 

• - I am by no means a professional film critic or anything of the sort, so a) I have not seen every single big movie from 2019, and b) the list is based on my personal, subjective opinions. 
• - If the list seems too long to read, don’t be freaked out; just skip over the movies you aren’t interested in and read about the ones you saw or want to know more about! 
• - I won’t give out any major spoilers in my text, but I will talk about the main plot ideas of the movies, so look carefully / selectively if there are movies on the list that you don’t want to know anything about before seeing them for yourself. 
• - The following movies did not quite make the cut for the top 10 but were so good that they deserve special honorable mentions: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie; It: Chapter 2; Last Christmas; Rocketman, Us. 

• - I hope you enjoy the list! 

10. Doctor Sleep 

Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is an intriguing follow-up to The Shining, as it works as a sequel both to Stephen King’s 1977 novel as well as Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film. Elements of both are followed up in this movie, making for a very unique horror sequel. Ewan McGregor stars as a grown-up version of Danny Torrance, known to the world as “the kid from The Shining”. McGregor’s performance as a traumatized and troubled survivor trying to use his powers to help a likeminded individual is very impressive, as is the supporting cast which includes Rebecca Ferguson as the creepy villain Rose and child actress Kyliegh Curran as Danny’s protegé Abra. 

The best part of Doctor Sleep is how it uses the style of Kubrick’s The Shining as an occasional power tool. The trend in Hollywood these days is to make sequels and reboots that lean strongly on elements from previous installments to capture as much nostalgia as possible; however, Flanagan does the opposite and creates a movie that is very stylistically different from The Shining – except for the few parts where it very meaningfully takes elements from it. I won’t go too much into it for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I enjoy how the familiar atmosphere of The Shining isn’t being captured for Doctor Sleep’s entire runtime, but is used rather sparingly in very certain scenes, which makes it much more impressive. 

9. The Lion King 

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Jon Favreau’s Lion King remake. I am aware of the general negative reception towards the movie in many circles, but for me it completely hit the spot. I’m not a huge fan of remakes in general (whereas I very much enjoy the more recent trend of creative reboots), but in the case of remaking Disney classics with new and exciting animation techniques I am very much for it: the old stories get to be told with a different look, and a new generation gets to experience these stories in the aesthetic of their times. Sure, the original Lion King (one of my absolute favorite childhood movies) can’t be beaten, but beating it was never the remake’s intention. It’s a story that deserved to be told again, and I found this retelling extremely enjoyable. 

My biggest thanks lie with the movie’s casting department. Donald Glover is pitch perfect as Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor has the exact dramatic nuances required for the role of Scar, Beyoncé brings Nala to life with brilliant flamboyance, and John Oliver is hilarious as the parrot Zazu. The decision for James Earl Jones to reprise his role as Mufasa is also clever; who could ever come close to replacing his unique and iconic voice? All in all, watching this movie was a delightful and nostalgic experience – cynics may say that it’s just Hollywood manipulating the viewer’s emotions to make money, but in my view the goal of many great movies is to create real emotional responses in the viewer, so I don’t blame Favreau’s Lion King for succeeding in just that. 

8. Yesterday 

Yesterday is a fantasy comedy about a struggling musician who wakes up to a world where the Beatles never existed. He is the only one who remembers them so he starts to record their songs from memory with his own name, thus becoming a successful artist. This idea is so wild and full of possibilities, and unlike with many concept movies, the writers manage to use this concept to its full potential, coming up with many interesting scenarios and directions. 

This movie succeeds as a concept tale with the strange idea of a Beatle-less world. It succeeds as comedy, with especially supporting actress Kate McKinnon as well as pop star Ed Sheeran (playing himself) being very funny in their roles. It also succeeds as a romance, as the love story between main characters Jack (Himesh Patel) and Ellie (Lily James) is well-written and heartfelt. But most of all, Yesterday succeeds as what it was meant to be at the bottom of it all: a tribute to the music of the Beatles. It becomes crystal clear that the world would be a darker and less magical place, had that band not existed. 

And then there’s that one scene. I won’t spoil anything to people who haven’t seen the movie, but if you saw it, you know which scene I’m talking about. This one moment makes this already fantastic film so much better, and it moved me to the point of tears. Up to that point Yesterday had been fun and entertaining, but this one scene moved the film to a whole new level of deep, emotional impact. 

7. The Irishman 

Veteran director Martin Scorsese has often been criticized for over-romanticizing crime and especially the mafia lifestyle. I’m a big Scorsese enthusiast and this has never really bothered me; I see his previous works as mere stories that don’t mean to teach any moral lessons. But for those who have been bothered by the glorifying take on mafia culture, the latest (and possibly final) mafia film by the 77-year-old director might be a positive surprise. Never before have his movies delved so deep into the dark and psychologically violent ramifications of choosing the mafia lifestyle, even for the main characters. Even more impressive is the fact that despite this change in the point of view, the movie’s style is otherwise one hundred per cent classic Scorsese: the atmosphere is just like in his classics Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995) - it’s just a bit more honest. 

As per usual in Scorsese’s movies, the acting is pure world class. The Irishman has been described as “The Avengers of mafia movies”, which is quite an accurate analogy: whereas 2012's The Avengers brought together the world’s biggest superheroes, The Irishman brought together the greatest names of the mafia genre. Never before have Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel all been in the same film, and their performances here are pure gold. De Niro plays antihero Frank Sheeran with a wide range of emotions and staggering realism, Pacino basically confirms himself an Oscar nomination with his expert portrayal of infamous gangster Jimmy Hoffa, and Joe Pesci shows why it was the right call for him to come out of retirement for this final role of his career. In addition, elements like cinematography, soundtrack and dialogue are the diamond quality one can expect from Mr. Scorsese. 

6. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker 

I am an enormous Star Wars fan, and while the original trilogy remains somewhat of a gold standard, I have enjoyed the newer ones very much. I liked how the opinion-dividing The Last Jedi (2017) took an unexpected and experimental turn in terms of plot, themes and directorial style – but I equally respect how The Rise Of Skywalker took the route of returning to the franchise’s roots and feeling like the classic Star Wars that many viewers were missing in The Last Jedi. Episode IX contains many scenes that could, in terms of atmosphere, be straight from the original trilogy: especially the fun and exciting adventure-action sequences found throughout the film. The climax of the film is epic, and brings this trilogy as well as the entire nine-movie Skywalker Saga to a majestic conclusion. 

There are three people who brought especially much to the table concerning Episode IX’s successes. The first is director J.J. Abrams, who balances the original trilogy’s legacy brilliantly with the direction of the newer Star Wars installments, creating just the right atmosphere for this film. The second is composer John Williams, who still created a Star Wars movie score at the age of 87, and the score brings so much emotion and passion to both the exciting action sequences and the more calm and introspective moments of the film. Last, but not least, is actor Adam Driver, whose portrayal of antagonist Kylo Ren may be my favorite acting performance in all of Star Wars – at the very least right up there with the work of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Ren's journey is one of the most compelling parts in the entire new trilogy. 

5. Joker 

Ever since 2003’s Batman Begins, there has been a trend in Hollywood to make superhero fiction more and more realistic and less campy, and this film brings that phenomenon to an absolute extreme: Joker cannot even be called a superhero movie. While the film does take place in the fictional Gotham City, Phillips’s vision of the city is a realistic American metropolis reminiscent of New York City or Chicago. Gotham’s crime and corruption are portrayed in a staggeringly real-world fashion, and fantasy or sci-fi elements are nowhere to be seen. The story of Joker is a psychological thriller of a man left behind by society, slowly descending into madness and acts of violence. The film’s realism has even sparked a lot of controversy about just how hard this movie could be on some viewers and what it might do to them, and difficult to watch it indeed is: no other movie from 2019 made me feel as unsettled as this one. 

The best part of Joker is definitely Joaquin Phoenix’s phenomenal acting. Across cinema history, many of the greatest role performances have been portrayals of madness, and in my opinion Phoenix is right up there with Anthony Perkins in Psycho and Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Phoenix’s take on the Joker seems almost over-the-top in his manic laughter and social awkwardness, yet at the same time he plays this lunatic with such real-life emotions that every viewer who has felt rejected by society can see a little bit of themselves in the more sympathetic side of the character: that right there is probably what makes the film so hard to watch. If Phoenix ends up winning the Oscar for best leading actor for this movie, it will be thoroughly deserved. 

4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 

Man, Quentin Tarantino just isn’t slowing down. His career hit yet another highpoint this year with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a truly great cinematic tale about an actor struggling to stay relevant (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his laid-back stuntman (Brad Pitt). There’s just so much to compliment here – the dialogue (entertaining even by Tarantino standards), the intrigue of seeing fictional TV shows and movies being made within a movie, the unexpected historical tie-ins, and of course the director’s trademark violence which has a vital role whilst not being on the forefront. The story takes an odd turn towards the end, cementing this film as a beautiful Hollywood fairytale. 

The best part of the movie is the vibrant milieu it creates. Tarantino’s depiction of late 60’s Hollywood – an era very special to the director himself – is so full of detail, so colorful and alive, and just so very beautiful. The set designs, cinematography, soundtrack, costumes, dialogue and many other factors contribute to the film’s unique aesthetic that truly engulfs the viewer in the wonderful world of Tarantino’s nostalgic look on Hollywood. This piece is a great example of both cinema as a medium of entertainment and cinema as a form of art. 

3. Tolkien 

Am I biased due to this film’s director being from my native Finland and the subject matter being my favorite author of all time? Sure. But then again, this a subjective list on which films I liked the most and personally considered to be the best of the year. And this movie moved me with its inspiring and uplifting story based on the incredible life of J.R.R. Tolkien, making for an extremely memorable and special cinema experience. Nicholas Hoult is perfect as the titular author, and Karukoski’s mellow yet powerful directing style is perfect for this particular story. Of all the films on this list, Tolkien definitely has the least amount of big blockbuster-style razzle-dazzle elements, and this subtlety helps the movie stick out as a soothing work of art. 

For a biography about a famous person, this film takes the odd route on not focusing on what made said person famous – the plot doesn’t cover Tolkien writing The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings. Instead, Karukoski decides to show what had to happen in Tolkien’s life so that he could come up with such incredible stories. No other author has balanced such desperate moments of darkness with such uplifting themes of fellowship and good overcoming evil as powerfully as Tolkien, and the reason for him coming up with such extremes draws from his own life: fighting for his life in the trenches of World War I gave him the inspiration for the terrible wars and monsters ravaging his fantasy worlds, but having an incredible and life-changing bond with his Oxford contemporaries gave him the inspiration for the tales of loyalty and friendship that truly define his greatest books. This was genius way to narrow the movie’s story, and I remember leaving the theater feeling very inspired. 

2. The Lighthouse 

“So what the hell just happened?”, asked a friend of mine after seeing Robert Eggers’s sophomore production The Lighthouse with me. And honestly, that’s a damn good question. The Lighthouse can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, and I’m still not sure whether I saw a metaphoric psychological depiction of going mad, a fantasy horror tale about some truly messed-up sea lore, or a vision of a world where movies are something beyond our understanding and imaginations. What I am sure of is that I loved it. 

First of all, the visual greatness of the movie cannot be praised enough. Director Robert Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke work flawlessly in creating some of the most haunting and mesmerizing imagery that I have seen in any movie, and the decision to shoot the movie in black-and-white (not to mention the vintage aspect ratio) does wonders for the film’s aesthetic, making it all the more memorable and strange. 

And then there’s the acting. Both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson deliver jaw-dropping, magnificent performances as the two wickies. The way they bring these unique characters to life is just beyond me. Their roles, combined with the aforementioned visual world and Mark Korven’s creepy soundtrack, make for a truly frightening and unsettling movie experience, echoing the works of the great David Lynch. The Lighthouse made me feel very uncomfortable and anxious while watching it - but it did it in a stunning, artistic way.

And number one... 

1. Avengers: Endgame

I remember seeing 2008’s Iron Man, the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and being surprised about liking a superhero film so much. I then remember how clearly 2012’s The Avengers outdid Marvel’s previous successes, becoming my favorite comic book movie. In 2015, they released Captain America: Civil War, which I found to be better then The Avengers in every regard to my amazement. After 2018’s even-better Avengers: Infinity War, I was certain that Marvel has reached its peak and can’t do any better. But I was wrong: they saved the best for last. While this year’s Joker was great for being such an untypical and unconventional comic book movie, I must admit I enjoyed Avengers: Endgame even more for being the perfect conventional comic book movie; everything great about the genre at its best is condensed into this one spectacular film. 

Many film enthusiasts find Marvel to be overrated and I can hear them rolling their eyes as I write about Endgame being my favorite movie of the year. Honestly, I find building an interconnected cinematic universe spanning over 20 movies, hundreds of characters and numerous ongoing narratives – without any of said movies being bad – to be one of the most impressive accomplishments in cinema history. What I find even more amazing is that all of that buildup, all of the character archs and major stories and consistent stake-raising, came to an absolutely perfect conclusion. But the Russo brothers sure pulled that off, making for the MCU’s most explosive, epic and dramatic movie. 

There’s so much that amazes me about this movie. Instead of just going for a big ending, Marvel first takes the plot into an unexpected direction and tells a story full of fresh ideas that viewers didn’t expect. While doing this, they expertly balance between darkness and light, emotion and humor, action and dialogue, as well as giving just the right amount of screen time to all of the heroes (which is very impressive considering how many of them there are at this point). The directing by the Russo Brothers is excellent, and the cast gives out a series of fantastic performances. But while these things might be enough to get the film into my top 10 of the year, the biggest reason for it being all the way at #1 is the ending – not just of this movie, but of the whole Infinity Saga that they have built for so long. 

I won’t go into plot details (although if you’re enough of a movie person to read through this list yet haven’t seen Endgame, I do have some questions for you), but I will say how the film’s final moments made me feel. At one point, there were literal chills down my spine. I was feeling mental fist pumps due to the sheer gravitas and energy of what was going on. At the next moment, I was in tears – this was the end of the journey for well-built characters that I had become very invested in over the course of several movies. By the end of the movie, I had a wide smile on my face. The bigger a story gets, the harder it is to come up with a satisfying ending for it. Yet Marvel managed to create an enormous world of stories and bring it to an epic series of payoffs, pulling off the perfect ending. And so I believe this film has earned the first spot on my list.

That’s all for today, tune in next week for my look at the top 10 television shows of 2019! Feel free to comment anything ranging from constructive criticism to downright caps-lock screaming (recommendations for movie-and-TV-related list topics are especially welcome)!