Top 50 Movies of 2019

Infectiously magnetic as a heist thriller, rapturous comedy, and social parable. Each scene bleeds with a rarely executed pirouette of sharp wit, malevolence, and edge-of-your-seat uncertainty. “Parasite” is a blistering and profound discernment of class and the human condition

Director Sam Mendes’ war epic marks a pioneering achievement in the ever-evolving landscape of cinema. “1917” is a film that presents all prerequisites for exceptional filmmaking to a tune of complete harmony. As far as artistic and technical design, this is some of the most impressive work ever put on film. However, it is what this design elicits that is far more beguiling. It’s single, continuous shot immerses the audience in the unflinching anxiety and uncertainty of warfare - as it’s character’s and motifs submerge us into the mind and spirit of a soldier. "1917" is a masterpiece of unprecedented scope and skill. It’s one of the absolute best films of the past decade - one that reminds us why we go to the movies in the first place.

While predicated upon post-modernist character studies of old; the film finds its own identity in mood, texture, and an ambiguity as enigmatic as its unreliable narrator. With Joaquin Phoenix in peak form, “Joker” is an intrepid character study that dares to elicit the type of contemplative conjecture provoked only by the most daring cinematic efforts of the past decade

Fueled by a unrelenting enactment of rabid hysteria and palpable desperation; “Uncut Gems” finds virtuoso filmmakers at their most idiosyncratic and thoroughly entrancing. Sandler evokes an uncommon balance of charm and detestability in what is arguably a career best performance

Genre auteur Ari Aster’s richly emblematic, audacious and psychotropic horror epic is an experience like no other. “Midsommar”, through a juxtaposition of beauty and terror, creates a deeply unsettling exploration of the search for identity through belonging within a group

While the film has defects - including a confusing tonal rhythm and inhibited satirical edge - “Jojo Rabbit” ultimately gratifies its audience with a prodigious display of humanism - ignorance in innocence, and the disillusionment subsequent to force fed idealism

Challenging viewer expectations with unnerving social insight; “Luce” is a taut psychological thriller that imbues it’s characters with visceral unpredictability in a tightly woven narrative that compels and threatens to unravel at every turn

An esoteric and immersive incarnate of atmosphere and claustrophobia. “The Lighthouse” shines upon two dynamic performances, and an expert integration of visual storytelling- presenting the fractured male psyche at its most uninhibited

Tarantino’s latest exhibition of unequivocal zest and historical perversion provides the uncommon maturity and insight of a filmmaker in his purest, most self-discerning form. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” traverses patient and temperately in an intricately lived-in canvas, and thoughtfully dissects the artist’s entire body of work with punch-drunk pizzazz.

A high octane spectacle of exhilarating thrills, spirit, and expertly executed racing sequences. “Ford v Ferrari” is an extraordinary vehicle that transcends it’s worn sports drama path through exceptional engineering and sheer entertainment

A languid and didactic dissection of man's grim nature culminated by grand technical and thematic achievement. “The Irishman” is a contrite deglamorization of mob movie mantras and anti-heros; representing a wholly realized vision from one of cinema’s most accomplished auteurs

Theres two sides to every story in writer/director Noah Baumbach’s tenderly intimate and affectionately ambivalent portrait of marital dissension. “Marriage Story”s conducts an unfiltered realism and commanding performances that lead the way within the shoes of characters illuminated with compassion and unadulterated humanism

A generational epic; “Avengers: Endgame” is the emotionally nuanced and marvelously architected culmination of the MCU’s strongest variables. Providing breathtaking sequences of fan service, and effectively finalizing each hero’s character arch; Endgame is a deeply personal, wildly ambitious, Superhero movie for the ages.

An ethereal cocktail of surveillance-era angst and noir film fabric. "Under the Silver Lake's" ambiguous caliber may prove embittering to those seeking total coherence - while it's palpable sense of atmosphere and paranoia will captivate audiences with an affinity for analyzing complex narratives

An unflinching, and immensely unsettling depiction of savage depravity and righteous vindication. "The Nightingale" designates itself as one of the most profoundly disturbing films in recent memory - one that's shock value is inarguably warranted through a thoroughly absorbing narrative, trenchant themes, and remarkable craft

A gleefully depraved love child of the more tantalizing features from Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and David Fincher’s “Fight Club”. This is a pitch-black comedy that pulls no punches in its caustic wit and biting social politics. “The Art of Self Defense” is a nightmarish parable and audaciously provocative exploration into the confines of toxic masculinity.

A fearlessly candid and uninhibited confessional piece pronounced with grace and cathartic candor. Director Alma Har’el utilizes a uniquely ethereal approach to reflect a childlike interpretation of ones own trauma. “Honey Boy” explores themes of abuse and masculine inferiority with deftly balanced humor and tragedy. LaBeouf’s submission is embedded with deeply poignant motifs musing on the search for identity within the context of ones own upbringing.

For viewers who find themselves fatigued by formula; this profoundly earnest adventure is bound to tickle your sense uninhibited fancy. “Peanut Butter Falcon” is a modern fable that synchronizes delicate topics of the subnormal and disenfranchised with effortless optimism and compassion. Disclaimer: Does not revolve around the football team located in Atlanta, or the savory sandwich spread

With grace and meta-mystique; director Pedro Almodovar finds himself effortlessly balancing tonal inequities and self awareness with precision and flair, in a vibrant and moving ode to filmmaking and artistic individualism

“People aren’t just one thing” befittingly proclaimed by the film’s lead character, acts as a deeply profound reflection on this poetically nuanced and intimately life-affirming directorial debut. “Last Black Man in San Francisco” balances a euphoric visual palate with trenchant themes of racial compartmentalization to engender a moving and powerfully understated investigation of african-american identity

Painting an intimate and sincere portrait of familial kinetics, cultural customs, and misguided stoicsm; “The Farewell” is an ardently palpable and affectionately rendered dissection of the ambivalent marriage between blissful ignorance and burdened knowledge

Within it’s 2 act structure; “Waves” employs a dichotomy in style and tone that is both boldly transgressive and frustratingly incongruent. The first half is a staggeringly immersive experience, while the second half is toned down exponentially. Ultimately, this is an immensely bold and unique experience that is bound to be divisive but ultimately rewarding.

While not as narratively cohesive as the first two installments; Parabellum remains a sensationally choreographed and inventive action extravaganza, furthering the franchise’s win streak whilst expanding on it’s gung-ho premise

Engulfing the buoyantly altruistic essence of it’s subject; “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is a zestfully dressed exercise in cathartic expressionism. Modifying the worn biopic structure with sprinkles of fairy dust and empathic delicacy; the film insights echoes of acceptance and deliverance with utter poignance

A beautifully intimate, soft-spoken and soulful journey of spiritual rehabilitation; “The Mustang” is an exceptionally acted and gracefully delicate meditation on the parallel nature and intuitional bond of man and animal