It’s time once again to compile my favorite movies of the year. It’s a list that I’ve spent far too long thinking about and will certainly judge harshly as I look back years from now. Let’s start this off with a bang.
10 – John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
In the John Wick series, what you see is what you get. Though, what you see is tight violent choreography performed in eye-catching environments. It’s insane that this series has managed to make a silly idea of a safe-haven hotel for hitmen and a high table organization that directs this union of assassins into an expansive mythology. Each movie has built on the original simple concepts of the first movie and expanded them to world-building enjoyment I could continue watching on the big or small screen. One could argue that the violence just masks this series having very little story, but this is John Wick. The violence is part of his world. Every battle is character progression and shows us hidden talents of this retired assassin.
Best Scene – If I’m picking best kill, I’d go for the book in the jaw or horse bucking. Though, the best fight was at the gun and knife exhibit. It is close-quarter combat with plenty of projectiles flying toward their targets. John was defending himself from both sides and aimlessly tossed knives as if it was a spread gun from Contra.
9 – Ford v Ferrari
Not being a car aficionado, I had no previous knowledge of the true story behind what’s depicted in Ford v Ferrari. Having now seen it, I can confirm that it’s a story that all gearheads, history scholars, and movie buffs should know. Director James Mangold gives plenty of time to well-shot and thrilling races. Beyond that, he knows how much the audience needs to embrace the friendship and plight of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. This is a character drama just as much as this is a showcase about top-of-the-line cars and races.
Best Scene – Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby have lot to prove to Ford. This all comes to a head as Miles is tasked to take first place at Daytona to qualify for the Le Mans race. It’s a fast-paced scene that tells a story of determination and overcoming limits in just a few minutes.
8 – 1917
War films are so rare in this cinematic generation that, when they are released, the audience expects near perfection. Thankfully, many we’ve seen in the past decade have delivered. 1917 aspires to meld the realistic onslaught of war with a narrative that drives the experience. Combine those two elements with the clever “one-take” method of filmmaking and you will feel as if you’re braving the front with Lance Corporals Black and Schofield. In a relatively short time, you get to know these characters enough to not care about their end goal, but instead care about how driven they are to reach it. They’re willing to walk through trenches, minefields, and the front line to do so.
Best Scene – In a movie where explosions are happening non-stop, the beauty is found in the very few quiet moments. Just as the goal is within grasp, we dwell with a battalion in the forest as one of the soldiers sings a beautiful ballad that may very well be the last song most of them will ever hear.
7 – The Irishman
The Irishman feels like the capstone for Martin Scorsese’s filmography. I don’t mean that as a plea for him to stop making films. His talent for filmmaking is tier 1 and still continues. Yet, his pairing of DeNiro, Pesci, Pacino, and Keitel is something that film fans are lucky enough to see. Thematically, these performers appearing in a story, where age and time isolates those who were once in power, is a perfect cinematic allegory. The lengthy runtime of over 3 1/2 hours doesn’t drag as every conversation has consequence and adds proper depth to who these characters become.
Best Scene – DeNiro’s Frank Sheeran calls the widow of Jimmy Hoffa. It’s a movie where every character is grey, but this moment makes you see Sheeran in a moment of evil.
6 – Marriage Story
Spoiler alert! Marriage Story is about the literal end of a marriage. Happy. Times. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are at the peak of their talents as they play two spouses looking to get their fair share as their divorce proceedings take place. The elements surrounding/causing/infiltrating divorce can be a person’s lowest point and this film highlights just how far things can go when trying to find justice and where one stands in a new and unwelcome situation. There are no villains here (except maybe the attorneys) and the film masterfully manipulates you into taking sides before making you see the other’s side. Marriage Story will toy with your emotions and put you through the ringer. Though, even with that, it’s a must watch.
Best Scene – Charlie and his son read a very important letter. I fought a tear, but it came regardless.
5 – Crawl
Yes. The film about alligators swarming during a category 5 hurricane. Yes. I acknowledge this means I have to turn in my critic card. The main character (played by Kaye Scodelario) is a former competitive swimmer who skills are coincidentally hand-picked for this natural calamity. The house she gets trapped in, is constantly flooding, even up to the roof. This movie shouldn’t be great and thankfully isn’t trying to be.
Yet, the environment, tension and B-movie level fun make for the best rollercoaster of the year. I love creature features and ate this one up happily. It doesn’t hurt to have horror director Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes) in charge of what could have easily been nothing more than SyFy channel dreck. This movie has all the charm of a lunch buffet sitting under a heat lamp, but I’d happily go back for seconds.
Best Scene – Every death is extreme, but you can’t help but hold your breath as Junior, the family dog, doggy paddles to its owner to find safety upstairs. Every second that goes by, you can’t help but think “You better not kill the dog! Let the humans get eaten, but not the dog!”
4 – Joker
It’s somehow controversial to say you like Joker in this modern sensitive era. This movie is controversial because of the non-controversy it has caused. No one expected this specific take on Batman’s most notorious villain to get the praise it’s getting. Joker plays out like a slow-motion shark attack. You simply experience a behind-the-scenes look at a deranged psychopath knowing that terrible things will happen soon. This look is not only at the personal life of Arthur, but also the narrative he spins in his head. These elements are truly what set this film apart and will leave you with many questions after the credits roll.
Phoenix is already raking in awards for his unforgettable performance and it’s all deserved. It’s difficult to shake just how he makes you feel. I pray that it doesn’t get a sequel, because the story has been told, and to extend it would only water-down this stand-alone experience.
Best Scene – After fleeing the scene of a crime, Arthur hides in a bathroom. The brilliant score of Hildur Guðnadóttir starts up and he begins slow dancing, realizing he has found his calling.
3 – Parasite
Director Bong Joon Ho (The Host, Snowpiercer) has made the tightest and most captivating movie of the year. This South Korean film needs to be seen by all. The story that follows a destitute family that weasels their way into the lives of a very wealthy family, may not seem appealing at first. However, the acting and writing push you through to the dramatic second act where the plot evolves into a thrilling solid hour where you won’t be able to look away from the screen.
Each frame is so purposeful and complements the theme of class division. The cinematography tells just as much of the story as the screenplay itself. Forget your fear of subtitles and watch Parasite the first chance you get!
Best Scene – Without spoiling anything, the Kim family scramble to flee before anyone sees them.
2 – How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Five years have passed since the second film in this trilogy and the characters have all aged with us. The resounding theme in The Hidden World is Love. There’s the love and belonging that Toothless finally finds, but also what we must give up for love in order to not hold anything/anyone back. The Hidden World has mastered every part of its craft. Not only do the themes and story excel, but there is just enough humor to catch you off guard but not deflate important moments, the stakes are real and often realized, the visuals help you escape and the score flows naturally with every scene while emotionally guiding you.
For long time fans, this will be a bittersweet experience. Sweet because it ends the series on a gloriously high note. Yet, bitter because this is the legitimate end of the series. It provides absolute closure. That’s the beauty that most franchises miss the point of now. This brings a conflicted mix of heartbreak, relief and gratitude for being able to take the journey.
Best Scene – One big family reunion. Tears.
1 – Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
I don’t always get into Quentin Tarantino’s movies. He brings both style and substance, but he unfortunately knows it. Though, with his love for film history and stylish eras, there are few better people that could give us a look at the golden age of Hollywood in the 1960s before dangerous realities brought that fantasy life to a halt. In Hollywood, he showcases an aging actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman/chauffeur/buddy (Brad Pitt) as they wander through a changing landscape that is destined to lead into danger.
This film takes its sweet time to establish what the story will actually become, but while it dwells, it shows amazing production design by recreating LA in the ’60s and gives DiCaprio an amazing role, injecting him in that era of television and film. The movie finds direction once DiCaprio’s character finds his and it becomes a clever, terrifying, and delightful romp afterwards. By its very title, Tarantino references old Hollywood classics but also seeks to create a fairytale about how he views the ’60s and how certain events would change the events and the direction the industry took after the murders in the Hollywood hills.
Best Scene – It’s a toss up between either time that Pitt’s Cliff Booth faces off against the hippies. The first scene creates palpable tension, whereas the second scene provides the ultimate payoff.
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