#10:
Interstellar
I’d first seen Interstellar a few years ago, but at the time I didn’t really think anything of the movie. I thought it was long and boring, and I probably fell asleep at some point during it. Not so in 2019! I came into this movie knowing that it would be a slow burn. I made sure to pay attention to the details this time around. The wormhole, the time distortion stuff, the space travel, the science… all that stuff is right up my alley and I just ate it all up this time around. I also found myself very interested in the dynamic between Matthew McConaughey’s character and his daughter. Can you believe that the normally unshakable Dan actually shed some tears at a few points during this movie? Well, it happened.
I can’t say I fully understand what happened in this movie, but in a way that is one of the cool things about it. I don’t plan to watch this movie anytime soon, but I am sure I will return to it in a few years. Now I know specifically what to watch for the next time around.
#9:
The Perfection
This movie is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Does it deserve to make anyone’s top 10 list? Most critics would probably say no, but I am not most critics. I thought this movie was fun and original with a lot of unforeseen twists along the way. Expect to be grossed out. There are a few uncomfortable scenes in this movie, but I am weird and I like it when movies make the viewers uncomfortable. Anyone can make a funny or a feel good movie. Not everyone can pull off stomach-turning and also make a really good movie at the same time. But they do here!
#8:
Green Book
Due to all the accolades this movie received, I fully expected to like Green Book when I sat down to watch it. Surprise, surprise: I did. I don’t know what I can say about Green Book that hasn’t already been said about it. It’s a feel good movie. It’s well acted. It’s well filmed. It moves along quickly and never drags. You have a vested interest in the characters and their journey. The friendship between the two leads feels very real. I had a good time watching this movie.
#7:
Lion
I think this movie suffers from “January bias” as I watched it very early in 2019. I watched this film and I absolutely loved it, but now that a whole year has passed since I saw it I can barely remember anything except for the very basics. Indian boy falls asleep on a train, gets separated from family, gets adopted by Australians, and uses Google Earth as an adult to find his hometown. It is an inspiring and heartfelt movie. Man tears once again were shed. I remember being very happy I watched this, and at the time thinking that this could be a contender for best movie I watched of the year. Well, it didn’t quite reach those lofty heights (partially due to the aforementioned January bias), but it did manage to reach #7 on this list.
#6:
What We Left Behind
I have seen plenty of Star Trek documentaries in my time, but this one has to be my absolute favorite. It is made with a lot of heart and passion, and it shows. What We Left Behind offers an in-depth look at one of the most underrated Star Trek series, in my opinion, Deep Space Nine. Characters are interviewed, plots are analyzed, episode themes are discussed, and perhaps most importantly: the movie gives us a look at what DS9 would look like if it were to be brought back for a season 8. Excellent documentary, and I can’t encourage enough Star Trek fans to check it out. Heck, even if you don’t like Star Trek, this film might make you want to give DS9 a look.
#5:
Titanic
This movie has won one of my movie rankings in the past. Wouldn’t it have been a hoot if it won again? Obviously, that didn’t happen, but I stand by the fact that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. I know it has a lot of naysayers, and I know that people like to mock the movie for its “cheesy” romantic storyline. I, however, don’t give a flying fuck about any of that. Mock me all you want, I think this is an epic movie that has it all. It is filled with moving, touching scenes, an uplifting romantic story, high-flying action, tragedy and memorable characters that you both love and hate.
I will defend this movie till the day I die.
#4:
Enter the Void
Enter the Void is a bloated, overly long, sometimes boring, sometimes repetitive film that I should probably hate. But I don’t. There’s something hypnotic about this movie. It had me completely in its grip for the entire duration of its 3-hour run time. My attention span is notoriously short. I can barely make it through an episode of Stranger Things. So how did this manage to keep my attention for 3 hours? The movie is a trip, that’s how. This sounds really cliched to say, but I think of Enter the Void as more of an experience than a movie. The whole thing makes you feel like you are on some kind of drug. The colors, the hallucinatory way the movie is filmed, the flashbacks. All these things hit you, and they hit you hard. This isn’t a movie for everyone, however. It is very bleak and touches on a lot of traumatic subject material. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. But I loved it. I don’t know if I will ever watch it again, but I loved it.
#3:
Knives Out
This movie was a pleasant surprise. I knew what to expect coming into Knives Out, but the whole “British-style whodunit mystery” genre isn’t really my thing. It won me over, though with its intriguing setup and its big, memorable cast of characters. I quickly found myself becoming invested in the murder. I became invested in the family. My mind went in a hundred different directions trying to figure out what was happening. And then the movie throws a wrench into things and tells you who committed the murder pretty early on. But things aren’t as clear cut as they seem…
*cue dramatic music*
I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but you really need to watch this movie. If I thought it was terrific, and I am not even a fan of this kind of movie, you’ll probably love it too.
#2:
Aliens
I have already seen this movie a handful of times in my life, but I’ve never appreciated it as much as I did in 2019. I put it on in the dark, by myself, with headphones on, and I quickly lost myself in the world of the film. Everything about Aliens is near-perfection. The characters, the cinematography, the action, the suspense, the acting. It’s phenomenal. Paul Reiser’s character Carter Burke is one of my favorite villains of all time, and then of course you’ve got Sigourney Weaver as the legendary Ellen Ripley. These two actors alone would have been enough to carry this movie, but then when you throw in people like Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and Michael Biehn…. game over, man. Game fuckin’ over.
One of the best action movies ever made, and one of the few sequels out there that’s actually better than the original film. I actually watched this movie twice last year, and NO other movie I watched can say the same thing. I can’t sing the praises of this film enough.
#1:
Avengers: Endgame
It feels anti-climactic to put this giant blockbuster as my #1 movie, but what can I say? I thought this was a great film. Not only is Endgame a fast, exciting, action packed movie that is an absolute blast to watch, but it brings a certain sense of urgency and emotion to the table that is rarely seen when it comes to superhero movies. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie. I kept having to wipe the tears from my cheeks, even when there wasn’t anything emotional happening on the screen. I was just SO into the movie, in a way that I’ve never been into a movie before. 10 plus years of interconnected Marvel films were all leading up to this point. The payoff did not disappoint.
Right now, I am watching all the Marvel movies in order. I’m up to Age of Ultron, in case you were wondering. But I can’t wait, and I mean I SERIOUSLY can’t wait until I get to Endgame again. It might just win my 2020 ranking too!
Honorable mentions:
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Roma
Blackkklansman
Moby Dick (the Patrick Stewart version)
The Hate U Give
Blue Ruin
Cabin in the Woods
Requiem for a Dream
Evil Dead 2
Joker
For a complete index of all of my past blog entries, including movie rankings, television show discussions, and video game reviews, click:
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