2019 has been a great year for film, with plenty of productions both in and out of the cinema landing colossal impacts on audiences worldwide; a good portion of these titles took place outside of the major franchises and the performances that went into the more human-centric dramas resulted in some truly stellar performances. Here are my personal picks for the final year of the decade.
Films that just about made par
Far from Home always had big shoes to fill coming after Avengers: Endgame and is by no means a bad film, yet some bad decisions in character writing placed it below many other MCU flicks for me.
A retelling of the Bonnie and Clyde story with committed performances from Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelsen, but one that refuses to match previous adaptations with a lack of proper character development and a deeper story.
Giving you exactly what you’d expect, this claustrophobic escape from a horde of deadly alligators does everything to a competent standard with just the right amount of self-awareness and good chemistry between its two leads to make it worthwhile.
Most underappreciated release
A curious mixture of artistic vanity and grisly violence, Velvet Buzzsaw is a story of art pieces gone wrong, the creations taunting and eventually consuming the artists that created them. Those looking for something out of the ordinary won’t be disappointed.
It isn't a master work in the superhero genre by any means, but Shazam! is still an entertaining and fun release that continues the DCEU's strengths of releasing standalone films, not to mentioned making the funniest entry in the franchise to date.
This Spanish production made one of the biggest impressions on me this year; it’s a harsh and brutal story of a man hellbent on revenge for his son’s attackers while failing to see and recognise the truth right in front of him. While not making my best films list, I still recommend it wholeheartedly.
Most disappointing film
3rd: Hellboy
Despite Neil Marshall’s previous successes, the 2019 version of Hellboy really had no way of standing alongside Guillermo Del Toro’s previous efforts. Its violent action was rendered toothless by a messy story and a tone that went all over the place, leading to it bombing at the box office.
While many may have enjoyed it, I simply couldn’t get into Quentin Tarantino’s ninth production; outside of its high-quality production values, nothing much really happens in the film. Not even one of the best casts of the year can save a film with a story that doesn’t go anywhere or get us invested.
As both a concluding chapter and, the finale of the sequel trilogy; The Rise of Skywalker is an underwhelming course correction that capitulates to fan demands and refuses to reach beyond the roots of the saga. it’s extremely disappointing that a franchise with as high a pedigree as Star Wars could leave me feeling so deflated and disinterested. At least the smaller scale projects have been able to pick up the pieces.
Biggest audience to critic split
The long-awaited, first female-led Marvel flick did engage many an audience but ended up falling short with reviewers; many were particularly critical of Brie Larson’s behaviour and lack of charisma on-screen. Coming out in-between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Captain Marvel certainly had a lot to live to, still reaching over a billion dollars despite its mixed critical reception. With Larson set to appear in more MCU films in the future, the expected follow-up will have to do much more to impress.
2nd: Detective Pikachu
The Pokemon franchise has had many an animated production released through the years but with the franchise’s resurgence since 2016’s Pokemon Go, this year we were treated to Detective Pikachu. Some critics wrote it off as another lacklustre game-to-film adaptation, but many an audience went to see it and were very entertained by the movie; with a strong performance by Ryan Reynolds and a genuine love of the source material, the flick can stand alongside the likes of Tron and Wreck-It Ralph as some of the better transitions between the two mediums.
1st: The Disney Live Action Remakes
2019 appeared to be the turning point for Disney’s live action production line; the slow process of converting each of their older animated classics into physical form is being met with lowered critical reception based on how unnecessary many of them feel. Aladdin was already quite weak, but The Lion King was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Reviewers pointed out the push towards realistic CGI ended up muting almost every emotion and line of dialogue. Despite these gripes, audiences were not deterred as both Aladdin and The Lion King cracked the top ten highest grossing films list. Going into the 2020s, Disney’s direction and focus should be watched closely.
Best and Worst Trends
Best: The expansion of film releases outside of the silver screen
Streaming services may be dividing content up between audiences, but through increased influence and size, they’re also able to compete with the bigger studios for the first time. Netflix led the charge this year with many an unappreciated release, alongside my favourite film this year; The Irishman. They’ve continued to push the envelope for smaller scale productions and taken some standout films under their wing. Roma was their first major effort a year ago and now The Irishman has further solidified their support for some of the biggest filmmaking auteurs. It will be interesting to see what this means for the future of the medium.
Worst: Franchises fizzling out long past their prime
Closing out the decade, many franchises that were once at the top of their game ended up clunking to an end, unable to reach the lofty heights of their predecessors. The biggest let-downs this year were Terminator: Dark Fate and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker; the former ended up putting its franchise in the ground for good, while the latter coasted along on a predictable and uninteresting premise. The long running X-Men series from Fox also crashed out with Dark Phoenix, a production many forgot about shortly after it released. It wasn’t just films either, as Game of Thrones was also met with a highly disappointing anti-climax for its final season. Perhaps it’s a sign; high time to move on from these long running properties, take more risks, and make something more original.
My top five worst films of the year
5th: Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
A despondent conclusion with very little commitment or imagination; a title that devolves the once legendary franchise into mindless spectacle and little else. It may not be divisive as The Last Jedi, but it’s certainly one of the least memorable entries of the entire saga.
Close had potential to be a taut and engaging thriller but is instead too slapdash and unmemorable to make an impact. The characters don’t have enough chemistry to make us care and the rushed nature of the final act saps most of the tension.
The third and final strike in an endless string of failing sequels and proof positive that the Terminator franchise has no business outstaying its welcome. It feels like a film pushed off an assembly line desperately trying to pander to nostalgia without offering any reinventions.
Once again failing to rectify the mistakes of the Monsterverse, Godzilla: King of the Monsters offers nothing good outside of its expected monster rumbles and continues the franchise’s track record of aggressive mediocrity.
An ugly and mean-spirited film that squanders Mads Mikkelsen’s talents in favour of drab, weightless action that offers nothing its contemporaries haven’t done many times before. It opened the year on a thoroughly nasty and disconnected level.
My top five best films of the year
Honourable Mentions: John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum and Us
Taron Egerton blew me away with both his portrayal of Elton John and standout performance of the soundtrack; as a biopic, it’s a production that any viewer, fan or otherwise, can enjoy massively.
Another tour-de-force performance from Joquain Phoenix creates an origin story we never thought we needed for the clown prince of crime. This character deep dive is a staunch representation of mental illness and DC’s most successful project in a long while.
Far from the throwaway sequel everyone thought it would be, Toy Story 4 is another excellent creation from Pixar; not only is the animation and detail sublime but the main characters and story are all beautifully presented throughout.
The MCU’s ultimate climax has become the highest grossing film of all time; after eleven years of careful crafting and development, it’s certainly well deserved. Avengers: Endgame could not have been more of a perfect finale with powerful conclusions to extended character arcs and an incredible climax that had everyone cheering in the theatre. The only tinge in its image is the fact that you’ll need to have followed the series for over a decade to receive its maximum impact.
It may have been bumped to Netflix, but it’s still the best film of the year. The Irishman boasts the most outstanding performances of 2019 with titans of the genre giving their all alongside a compelling story. What puts The Irishman just above Avengers: Endgame for me is its place as a standalone production and the gargantuan attention to detail that director Martin Scorsese applies. It is by all accounts, a true cinematic experience and another masterful crime drama.
That’s a wrap on 2019 in film; considering how I’m spending a majority of 2020 out in China; the release line-up is sure to offer a wide range of flicks to check out.
(All images used for review and criticism under fair use)
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