We made it, everyone! 2019 is in the books, and that means time to reflect. What made this year more interesting for me is that this was the first year that I focused on seeing as many movies as I could. I kind of fell off at the end of this year (moving takes up a lot of time, folks), but I made sure to make time for the ones that really caught my eye. Anywhoooo, this year was pretty damn fantastic in terms of top-notch movies that I left impressed with. In fact, several will be in the running for my favorites of the decade. But let’s get to this year first. BEHOLD!

Parasite
If you follow film circles, you have at least heard someone say that you should go see Parasite. Yeah, you should listen to them, and to me. Parasite is the best movie of the year and one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Its blending of genres and switch from dark comedy to a disturbing drama is top-notch. The writing is a masterclass, and it’s an experience that, by the end, will leave you with a lot of feelings to unpack. This isn’t a movie you see every day or even every decade. Go watch this as soon as you can.

Knives Out
Knives Out is a modern murder mystery whodunit that packs a great cast, excellent humor, and beautiful cinematography to make it one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Even after you have watched it the first time, know the twists and turns. It’s the performances that will keep you coming back over and over.

1917
Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins gave us all one final present this year with 1917. The World War I drama takes us all on a tense, emotionally heavy journey through the trenches in a way that I haven’t seen committed to so beautifully on film. The entire movie is designed to appear as one continuous shot, and it creates an experience unlike any movie I have seen before. That alone would have been enough to throw this on my list, but it’s also a great story performed by excellent actors that makes this one of the best.

Ready or Not
It’s taken 8 years, but not since The Cabin In The Woods have I seen a satirical horror movie that is both frightening and hilarious all wrapped into one. Like Knives Out, this is a movie of great performances playing a cast of one F-ed-up family. It’s the lead, Samara Weaving, though, that makes this movie such a fun ride. She’s funny, she’s badass, and by the end, you’ll want her to kill every one of those psycho family members.

Booksmart
If there’s one comedy that I would recommend to see this year, it’s Booksmart. Booksmart is one of those end-of-high school have-to-have-one-big-night-before-college stories. You have seen them plenty of times, but this one is by far the best. Its humor is smarter, the situations are funny yet realistic, and the messages feel more in tune with today’s sensibilities. The cast, crew, writers, and director Olivia Wilde knocked this one out of the park.

Us
Us is another original horror concept from Jordan Peele, and it’s amazing. He carefully blends horror, with science fiction, and splashes of comedy to give us an experience that you haven’t seen before. It’s also a blast to watch as every actor plays two roles of the same character. That alone is something that begs to be watched, but the fact that the performances are wrapped around such an entertaining story only adds to the reason that this is one of the best movies of the year.

Avengers: Endgame
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most expensive long-running TV show that only plays in theaters, and Endgame was the season finale. It’s insane what they were able to pull off. It’s an entertaining movie by itself, but for those who have seen all the movies, it’s a masterpiece like no other. The callbacks, the remixes, the joy, the sadness, this movie tackles so many emotions, and it ends in such a satisfying way. I don’t think we are ever going to see something like this again, and Marvel Studios deserves all the praise and heaps of cash for giving us this 11-year journey.

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino movies have always been hit-and-miss with me. When they are good, they are damn good. When they are bad, I can’t even finish them. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is one of the good ones, one of his best, actually. It may run a little long, but it has the genius pairing of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. They both bring their A-game to this one and are up there as my favorite performances from both actors. And then there is that one thing that Tarantino is really good at with climaxes that are insanely fun to watch. This one has one of those.

Joker
The Joker is a heavy, messed-up movie. It’s not a movie that everyone can handle, but for those who can, it’s a very deep character study of a disturbed man who is looking to be the hero of his story, even if it is only in his head. It’s the haunting performance from Joaquin Phoenix that makes this a movie that any movie fan should check out. Just be prepared for a story that won’t make you feel too jazzed by the end.

Zombieland: Double Tap
There are some movies that you know aren’t for everyone, and you can’t justify that it’s something everyone will find value in, but I really loved this movie. I was a fan of the first, and this one is somehow a funnier movie. Yeah, it has some callback jokes, which only land some of the time. But the new characters they add steal the show. The cast looks like they are having a blast, and it’s just fun to see a sequel to a movie from the last decade that’s actually good. This is one of those movies that I’ll be watching again and again in the October season, and that means it deserves this slot on my list.