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The Best (and Worst) Films of 2019: The Runners Up

The fourth tier consists of great movies that are just a step behind the best. The consummate silver medalists, the runners up, the Karl Malones.

#27. The Kid

Vincent D'Onofrio delivers one hell of a western with his directorial debut, there's really just one major thing holding it back - Chris Pratt. The rest of the cast, highlighted by standout performances from Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan, is absolutely remarkable. But I've seen very little proof that Chris Pratt can play any character other than Chris Pratt and his turn as the villain here is as unconvincing as anything I've seen him in thus far. Which stinks because he seems like a genuinely good dude, just not really capable of doing much outside of his limited range as the lovable goofball.

#26. Midsommar

Ari Aster announced his arrival to the horror world in phenomenal fashion with last year's Hereditary and while Midsommar didn't quite hit the mark for me as well as his debut did, it's still strikingly unique and masterfully crafted horror. It's carrying a good amount of emotionally charged turmoil and trauma but the horror elements just never really clicked for me. It felt like more of an overtly violent drama than a straight horror film.

#25. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

It's definitely just a big dumb monster movie, but what else do you really want a Godzilla movie to be? While the bar is embarrassingly low, this definitely stands out to me as the best American Godzilla we've gotten thus far. The human characters don't really add much to the story but at least they don't hinder it the way they did in the 1998 or 2014 films. It's a CGI symphony of mass destruction that does exactly what it needs to in setting the stage for next year's Godzilla vs. Kong. Throwback popcorn carnage that would make Roland Emmerich proud (if he weren't already associated with such a terrible Godzilla movie).

#24. Ad Astra

James Gray's moody space opera is more of a character study than a true space exploration tale but Gray makes it a fascinating one nonetheless. It feels a bit melodramatic at times, especially with Pitt's therapeutic confessional scenes, but the film does exactly what it sets out to do incredibly well. I just wish it reached a little further than the somewhat limited script confines the scope to. A solid film and a visual spectacle, just not necessarily a stand out compared to it's sci-fi contemporaries.

#23. Bombshell

With a confusingly comedic tone, including John Lithgow's portrayal of Roger Ailes coming off more like Jabba the Hut than a black mailing sexual predator, Bombshell does a fine job of digging into the toxic environment at Fox News but never really scratches all that deep past the surface. It's biggest asset, the emotional core of the film, is Margot Robbie's powerful supporting role. While Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron deliver great performances, they make for troubling heroes when faced with actually taking a stand. It's Robbie who serves as the film's most dynamic character arc and salvages what could have easily devolved into an SNL skit parading as Oscar bait.

#22. Hustlers

More than just Goodfellas with strippers - Hustlers tackles the class warfare, gender inequality and overall social climate of 2019 better than any film since The Wolf of Wall Street. Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez deliver career performances at the center of one of the year's most important films that finally tackles female empowerment without making it feel like a cheap marketing gimmick (*cough* Ocean's 8 *cough*). It's a warts and all true crime story whose shortcomings in it's script are made up for by it's remarkable cast and breakout director, Lorene Scafaria.

#21. Rocketman

Boasting a more realistic depiction of it's subject than last year's Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman does a great job of telling the story of Elton John. But perhaps what I appreciated most about Rocketman is that it actually showed some of the process of John's songwriting, rather than in previous biopics where the songs seem to materialize instantaneously. It certainly has all the theatrical flare you'd expect to see with an Elton John life story but it also does a great job of showing you behind the scenes of how it all comes together. But the downside to not glorifying and glossing over every detail is that John's story doesn't really have that magical fairy-tale ending. He bounces back from addiction and finds happiness, which is obviously great, but it feels to lack the triumphant finale we've come accustomed to seeing with these kind of biopics.


#20. Ma

A not so subtle take-down of high school politics and the lingering effects of bullying; Ma tackles peer pressure, mob mentality and the grim repercussions of being hell bent on chasing popularity and acceptance in a fascinating social commentary that plays out like a millennial Carrie update that replaces telekinesis with social media. It's an interesting examination of how desperate people can become to feel connected and show off their popularity but as great as the construct is - you can't help but want for Ma to go off the rails even further. Octavia Spencer and director Tate Taylor weave in a much needed emotional context to the story but Ma's revenge doesn't quite put the film over the way Carrie's prom night massacre does in De Palma's classic leaving you with a good movie that misses the opportunity to be great.


Check out our Full Review here.

#19. Shazam

I hate to sound like a pessimist but after roughly 20 years of this comic book movie craze, I don't know how anyone couldn't be suffering from superhero fatigue at this point. But thankfully, Shazam reaches outside the familiar formula to take you on a hero's journey through the perspective of a 14 year old kid. Which gives the film a child like wonder that's been absent in the painfully self serious DCU to this point. The youthful enthusiasm is absolutely infectious and that's due to it's incredible young cast in Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer and Grace Fulton. Not to mention Zachary Levi getting to go full Tom Hanks in Big. After it's rocky start, DC seems to have found it's stride here in this latest run of films.

#18. Between Two Ferns: The Movie

Believe me, I fully understand the eye roll that likely accompanies the idea of turning Funny or Die's faux interview web series into a full length feature film - but once you lean into the absurdity of it, it's as pure a Galifianakis comedy vehicle you can find outside of his legendary stand up specials. I'm all in on Galifianakis at his most Galifianakis, even if the premise feels like a dated 90's comedy. A couple of the interviews don't quite land like they should (the Chrissy Theigen and Peter Dinklage gags stick out like sore thumbs) but if you're a fan of Galifianakis or can't help but laugh a little too long at the character name Shirl Clarts - this movie is for you.

#17. Unicorn Store

Brie Larson's directorial debut plays out like a liberal arts, white girl's version of Sorry to Bother You. It's less worried about exposing the horrors of the cut throat capitalist market place and more concerned with the fear of losing your identity and ability to express yourself in a soul crushing, button down 9-5 existence. The surreal narrative is a tad inconsistent but the core message of the film was strong enough for me to overlook it's somewhat erratic structure. Much like Kit's glitter bombed paintings themselves, Unicorn Store is a beautiful mess of expression and self-acceptance.

#16. Us

With his sophomore effort, Jordan Peele has established himself as a powerhouse filmmaker to be reckoned with. The social-political undercurrent in Us is even more finely crafted in conveying a deeper message than Get Out. However, the actual horror elements of Us feel underdeveloped by comparison. There's so much attention to the details, that the film on the surface seems to suffer as a result. The groaning doppelgangers don't instill much fear or suspense into a film selling itself as a straight horror picture. It's a societal think-piece whose themes will linger in the recesses of your memory longer than your typical horror film, I just wish the underlying message was better interwoven into the plodding midsection of the film.

#15. Ford v. Ferrari

The true story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles' triumph over Ferrari at the 24 hour race of Les Mans is certainly a captivating one. The film moves a little slowly in it's exposition but the payoff with the final race and yet another remarkable performance from Christian Bale make this as crowd pleasing an Oscar contender as you're likely to find this year. It's a little lighter than Mangold's typical subject matter but he tackles the film with enough detail and character to fill the 2 and half hour run-time with plenty of memorable moments.

#14. The Lighthouse

Robert Eggers' follow up to The VVitch is a hauntingly beautiful ghost story about isolation and paranoia. It's also surprisingly funny, with the outstanding performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson absolutely carrying the film. Its' bleak black and white presentation along with the nightmarish hallucinations are hypnotic. Eggers is one of the most dynamic directors in horror and his second feature boasts an atmosphere even more entrancing than his breakout debut.

#13. The Irishman

Martin Scorsese returning to the gangster epic is a must-see for any film lover but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel every bit of the long gestating I Heard You Paint Houses adaptation's 3 and half hour run time. The themes of coming to grips with your mortality and loyalty are presented incredibly well but it's hard not to wonder if this may have been better suited as a mini-series (especially given it's exclusive Netflix release). The central character just doesn't have much depth to him and the film definitely misses the personality and fast moving pace of Goodfellas, Casino, or even the Departed. As great as it is to see De Niro, Pesci and Scorsese reuniting, this is nowhere near the masterpiece it's being touted as.


View the Rest of the 2019 Tiers Here:


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