Its time for me to rank all the movies I saw in 2019!

First, a slight rule change. In the past I’ve always had a very strict rule that I only count films I’ve seen in the cinema. However, 2019 really saw the blow out of “direct to streaming” movies, many of which deserve to get a comment. So, I’m making the compromise that where is movie is launched on a streaming platform (rather than comes to streaming after a full mainstream cinema release) I’ll include it on the list, but won’t give it a ranking.

2019 was a very hard year to rank, with a lot of good movies but a lack of outstanding classics. Frankly, the exact order of the top 5-6 could easily be swapped around.

I managed to see 46 films in the cinema this year, falling just short of the target 50.

On the other hand managed to avoid seeing many stinkers this year; there’s plenty of movies in the bottom 10 which aren’t at all terrible.

But to the list….

1. Hotel Mumbai

If it’s the role of movies to engage you and make you feel emotions, then this film is a clear winner. Set during the 2008 terrorist attack on the titular hotel, this movie pulls no punches, and sucks you into the story, making for a terrifying experience. Great performances from Armie Hammer and Dev Patel, but Jason Isaacs was the stand out for me.

 

2. Judy

This biopic of Judy Garland’s life – framed through her final years and a tour of the UK – is both glorious and tragic, reflecting perfectly Garland’s life. Renée Zellweger gives a performance that must surely be mentioned at the Oscars. The movie is a great example of “show don’t tell”, and the final performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow is emotionally intense.

 

3. Tolkein

Perhaps the surprise pick of 2019, this movie isn’t really anything special per se, but absolutely works as an engaging and delightful piece of storytelling. The director (Dome Karukoski) manages to balance lovely shots with a light touch, letting the cast – led by Nicholas Hoult – tell the tale.

 

4. Avengers: Endgame

This film deserves to be up near the top of the list as it wraps up dozens of plot threads across dozens of films, yet remains comprehensible, fun, and witty. Once again the Marvel set pieces are extremely memorable, and the final ending more than dramatic enough for this to be dismissed as just a “comic book movie”. Its one fault is that it leaves you with a feeling that the Marvel films might just have peaked with Infinity War & Endgame, and we won’t see a movie like this again.

 

5. Rocketman

Whilst many have said that this Elton John film wasn’t as good as Bohemian Rhapsody last year – and I agree it wasn’t as fun a spectacle as that film – I thought this movie better tackled its subject, and left the audience with a proper understanding of the subject at its heart. Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell were excellent, as the film strikes all the right chords (pun intended).

 

6. Joker

 A great performance in a great movie that leaves you on the edge of the seat. Just enjoy the ride in a dark and twisted world.

 

7. Jojo Rabbit

A very good film! Taika Waititi writes, directs, and stars – all to his usual high standard – and this is very clearly the film he wanted to make.
Whilst there are some hilarious moments, it is far less the comedy its billed as, and is in fact a very dark and black movie.
Sam Rockwell is great, and Stephen Merchant very powerful in his small role.
Rebel Wilson is terrible, as expected, and I remain baffled how she still gets cast..

 

The King

Timothée Chalamet as Henry V, drawn both from history but also the Shakespeare play. Perhaps a little dry for some, I thought this told the story of Henry V’s journey very well, and although (as in Shakespeare) it takes significant historical liberties, the film still feels more true to the story and the period than most other historical dramas. Chalamet continues to prove himself one of the up and coming great actors of his generation, very well supported by Joel Edgerton as Falstaff.

 

8. Good Boys

This comedy – starring kids! – was just really, really funny! I enjoyed it immensely!

 

The Two Popes

Anthony Hopkins plays Pope Benedict XVI, and Jonathan Pryce plays Pope Francis, set against the splendour of Italy. The two veteran actors give a master class in performance, with a script that engages and provokes in equal measure.

 

9. It: Chapter 2

It’s not a new observation to say that the second half of the book – where the protagonists are now adults in the modern day – isn’t as good as the first half. Yet It Chapter 2 takes this bonkers ending and makes it work, with some great scary moments, and tense work. A really great adaption (something rare for Stephen King’s work).

 

10. Instant Family

I had no idea what to expect from this movie, but Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne star in a quite lovely comedy about adoption. There’s nothing complicated here… its just a really nice, often funny, film. Quite Delightful.

 

11. Ben is Back

Lucas Hedges is rapidly becoming one of my favourite actors, and here he stars in a gut wrenching film written & directed by his father Peter Hedges, and co-starring Julia Roberts. The movie beats you up emotionally, without ever allowing you to lose sympathy for the characters. A tough watch, but a very effective piece of cinema.

 

12. The Lion King

Whilst this lacked the cast of the original, for sheer spectacle this is a great movie.

 

13. Captain Marvel

Overshadowed by the Avengers movies around it, I really enjoyed this adventure. Brie Larson and Jude Law as are good as you’d expect.

 

14. Mary Queen of Scots

I feared the worst from this, but most of this retelling of the life of Mary Queen of Scots was true enough to history, although goes off the rails in the last half hour. Saoirse Ronan is another actress rapidly becoming a personal favourite.

 

15. The Report

This movie really came and went VERY fast, perhaps overshadowed by the very similar Official Secrets. However, this drama concerning the investigation of torture by the CIA is the better movie, led by a solid performance from Adam Driver, and a very strong and effective message.

 

16. Star Wars 9: Rise of Skywalker

This is a very easy movie to pull apart, as the plot is shockingly brittle. It also struggles to work as part of a holistic trilogy. But it’s a fun adventure in space, and that’s not a bad thing.

 

17. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

A very slow and deliberate movie, but if you’re buying what its selling, its very satisfying. Tarantino assembles a great cast, and takes his time immersing the audience in the story.

 

18. Blinded by the Light

The story of a British-Pakistani family told through the music of Bruce Springsteen shouldn’t work, but does. It’s not very fresh, and pulls many a cliché out, but there’s enough heart there to make it a lovely watch.

 

19. Shazam!

DC remembers how to make a fun movie! Just so enjoyable! Nothing great, nothing amazing… just a lot of fun! And surprisingly, its really the younger cast who make this work!

 

20. Knives Out

The joy of Knives Out is that all the parts of the mystery work, and the clues are all honest; unlike most modern crime movies it doesn’t feel the need to add an impossible twist to deceive the viewer. The cast is mostly having fun, and it’s well filmed. A few odd moments, and quite a lack of consequence, mean this drifts a little further down the list.

 

Never Surrender

A brilliantly made documentary about the making of Galaxy Quest. If you love the movie, check this out.

 

21. Ford vs Ferrari

Half of the appeal of this film is watching Matt Damon and Christian Bale perform together. The other half is the wonderful direction of the races.

 

22. Glass

M Night Shyamalan delivers with his sequel to Unbreakable and Split. M Night is a rare director who can actually get Bruce Willis to act, although I’m less sold on James McEvoy here. I enjoyed all the idea here, but yeah, it doesn’t quite work as a whole narrative.

 

23. The Hate U Give

A small scale telling of a “black lives matter” moment, I really enjoyed this movie.

24. Spiderman Far from Home

A cool film, with lots of spectacle, and Tom Holland is great. Drifted down my list a bit as months later I find it was all a bit forgettable.

 

25. On the Basis of Sex

This movie has a point to make, and makes it, whilst just about staying on the right side of the story-telling/making a point balance.

 

26. Monty Python’s Life of Brian

Still a wonderfully quotable comedy classic, and all the better on the big screen!

 

27. Official Secrets

A British version of The Report, this movie lacks the real performances to make the impact it wants to. Very worthy, and enjoyable enough, but not a classic.

 

28. Ad Astra

This is another movie which I certainly enjoyed, but left me feeling that it under delivered on its premise. Some great moments, and Pitt is perfectly good. But could have done more with the concepts.

 

 

Marriage Story

There are moments in this movie which are brilliant, largely because of the cast – Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, and Alan Alda. There’s also some great directorial flairs. However, there are also some very drawn out scenes with equally flat direction, making this a mixed bag of a film.

 

29. Late Night

Its good. I enjoyed it. It all works. The cast is strong. But… it was all just a little… obvious?

 

30. Mary Poppins Returns

A delightful sequel to the original which properly captures the spirit of Mary Poppins.

 

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile

Zac Efron gives a very powerful performance as Ted Bundy, and the recreation of key moments in the Bundy trials is very well done. However, I feel that the movie draws the story just a little too narrowly for its own good; there was a larger tale to tell here.

 

31. Aladdin

Lots of colour and movement, and some nice additions to the story.

 

32. Green Book

For all the talk about this movie, and the awards it won at the Oscars, I don’t think its as clever as it thinks it is. Mahershala Ali gives a great performance, but the character arcs really aren’t present, and the movie does little with the premise. Watchable for Ali, but that’s about all.

 

33. If Beale Street Could Talk

Another nice premise and doesn’t really deliver, and lacks the pace and intensity it needs.

 

34. The Good Liar

This is an entertaining couple of hours, and is well cast, but any movie that relies on multiple long exposition scenes to explain the twists isn’t doing it right.

 

35. Stan and Ollie

Just a lot of fun. Simply and nostalgic fun.

 

36. Toy Story 4

This was my first Toy Story film, and it was a perfectly good children’s adventure.

 

37. The Aftermath

For a concept that could have been really interesting, this movie plays things very safe. Perfectly watchable, but no twists or turns.

 

38. Ride Like A Girl

This was the sporting movie equivalent of paint by numbers. Just one cliché after another. Saved from being terrible by good use of the Australian locations, and the well-directed races. The movie ends before any of the controversies which later beset several key players, but does show the nasty side of horse racing.

 

39. Red Joan

Not terrible, but lacks enough material to fill the movie, and doesn’t really explore the conflicting nature of the decisions made by the characters.

 

40. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

I really like the X-Men franchise, and this kept me entertained enough, but thinking back I can’t really remember anything at all from it, which says it all.

 

41. Five Feet Apart

I’ve probably been a little unfair on this movie, as the lead actors are good, and the subject material brave. Unfortunately, it a very difficult movie to watch, and hinges on some bizarre – and unbelievable – character choices. In some ways of all the bottom 10 choices this is the one which deserves another chance… but it isn’t enjoyable.

 

42. Ralph Wrecks the Internet

There’s some clever ideas, but it’s a very dull film.

 

43. The Front Runner

The Front Runner tries to tell the story of Gary Hart, but has two problems. Firstly, the pacing is all over the shop. Important and dramatic points are rushed, whilst unimportant character moments are drawn way, way out. Secondly, the movie seems to just assume that we all arrived at the cinema with the opinion that Hart was a great and wonderful man, so doesn’t bother to tell us WHY we should think that. As a result, we’re never properly engaged, and frankly bored for long portions.

 

44. After

This is a truly bad film. Filled with tropes and never once subverting or playing with expectations, and filled with bizarre acting choices.

 

45. Last Christmas

As much as I love Henry Golding, this was a terrible movie. No actual story, a twist that can been seen from the very start (and is stupid), and slightly problematic in its portrayal of certain characters.

 

46. Yesterday

This is an utterly stupid movie. The premise is absurd, and then nothing is done with it. Its not funny, its not moving, its just stupid. And the girl picks the wrong guy, just because this is a movie and that’s what happens. If this didn’t have Curtis and Boyle on the credits it would never have been made. So, so bad.

 

 

 

 

For no other reason than because I can, a list of my favourite 48 movies I saw in the cinema this decade, highlighting some favourite stories and performances.

I’ve noted in brackets the year I saw them, and marked with an asterisk the movies I rated #1 on that year’s list.

48. Arrival (2016)

Sci-Fi done intelligently, with imaginative direction.

47. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

    Gritty, and more honest than most.
    

 

46. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The perfect blend of action and comedy.

45. Whiplash (2014)

A powerful two hander between Miles Teller and JK Simmons.

 

44. Contagion (2011)

    A great ensomble movie which plays its dark material absolutely straight.
    

 

43. Hugo (2011)

    Beautifully directed, and a love letter to early cinema, introducing me to Asa Butterfield, and starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jude Law….

42. Holding the Man (2015)

Just so sad, and so powerful.

 

41. God’s Own Country (2017)

The location and characters make this a very different take on the coming out story. (And yes, that is Prince Charles from The Crown).

 

40. Rocketman (2019)

Taron Edgerton is fabulous in this tale that lets you into the life of Elton John.

 

39. Moonlight (2017)

One of the best directed films of the decade.

38. Paul (2011)

Such a wonderful homage to so many great sci-fi movies.

 

37. Room (2016)

Intense. Brie Larson is amazing.

36. Love and Mercy (2015)

Paul Dano and John Cusak tell the story of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, and its quite wonderful.

35. The Muppets (2012)

A worthy revival of the Muppets.

34. Spotlight (2016)

Still troublingly relevant.

33. Kick Ass (2010)

In 2010 this was new and different and shocking. Perhaps the best Nicholas Cage performance, and also starring Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Chloe Grace Moretz, who I thought would do more this decade.

 

32. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The culmination of many great films.

 

31. Joker (2019)

One of the best comic book movies of the decade, mostly because it really isn’t a comic book movie.

 

30. Boyhood (2014)

Audacious.

29. Detroit (2017)

Will Poulter and John Boyega star in a movie that deals with awful real world events with appropriate gravitas.

 

28. Saving Mr Banks (2014)

Charming. Lovely performances raise this above the obviousness of the story, along with some equally lovely moments.

27. Inside Out (2015)

The best Pixar of the decade. By a lot.

26. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

This was just so totally unexpected and fresh at the time, and made an instant star of Taron Egerton.

25. The Way, Way Back* (2013)

Steve Carrell and Sam Rockwell in a delightful coming of age movie.

24. Chronicle (2012)

Dan DeHaan is the breakout star of his emotional and unusual sci-fi movie.

23. Star Wars: Force Awakens (2015)

Its fun! And Star Wars!

22. Tolkien (2019)

Lovely movie, starring Nicholas Hoult.

21. The Maze Runner (2014)

I love this cast. Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter… and its also a great action adventure.

20. Rogue One (2016)

In hindsight, the best of this decade’s Star Wars.

19. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* (2014)

One of the best action adventures, because of the human (and ape) aspects.

18. Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri (2018)

This story is so intense, but few movies have this great a cast: Francis McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Lucas Hedges, Peter Dinklage…

17. Judy (2019)

As fabulous as the lady its outside. Renée Zellweger  is outstanding.

16. Hotel Mumbai* (2019)

Incredibly powerful, scary, chilling, gripping

15. Jurassic World (2015)

It’s a big dinosaur movie, and I loved it.

14. The Big Short (2016)

Another movie I’ve watched many times since it was released, and enjoyed more each time. Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Christian Bale the stars for me.

13. Brooklyn (2016)

Another of the small and personal stories which make up a lot of this list. Saoirse Ronan, supported by Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson, set in 1950s Brooklyn and Ireland. Quite magical.

12. The Martian* (2015)

Some of the best work from Matt Damon, my favourite actor.

11. The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)

This is a beautiful movie, from the locations to the acting. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Emory Cohen, and Dane DeHaan.

10. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Probably the best of the comic book movies which dominated the decade.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower* (2012)

Ezra Miller, Emma Watson, and Logan Lerman in a tale that’s whimsical yet powerful. A genuine coming of age.

8. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet give incredible performances, in a gorgeous northern Italian environment, all written and directed to perfection. Really enjoyed visiting the movie’s locations this year.

7. Sing Street* (2016)

A real hidden gem from the decade. Teens in 1980s Ireland start a band. Wonderful, and some great songs.

6. Love, Simon (2018)

Just a lovely story, led by Nick Robinson’s performance. I cry at least twice every time.

5. Argo (2012)

Every time I watch this, I enjoy it more, and the tension of the final escape continues to hold up. Great work.

4. Lady Bird* (2018)

Three of my favourite upcoming actors/actresses – Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Lucas Hedges – supported by Laurie Metcalf, and directed by Greta Gerwig. An incredible combination.

3. Manchester by the Sea* (2017)

Utterly gripping tale in a very small but lovely setting. Visited the town of Manchester later that year. Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges.

2. We Need to Talk about Kevin* (2011)

The most emotionally shocking and gut wrenching film of the decade. Ezra Miller the star performance.

1. The Social Network* (2010)

SO well written and SO well performed, allowing me to watch it again, and again.