Like any other recent year, I spent the majority of 2019 trying to see as many movies as I could, thoroughly enjoying posting an entry in my ten word review series every time I passed another ten-film milestone. I wrote up two of those this year – a decent effort I thought, given some years I’ve struggled to get to 20 movies.

Four of those 20 made this list.

Yep, although the first two thirds of the year were certainly no slouch, that final bit brought the goods like nothing else and turned 2019 into a banner year for worthwhile theatrical adventures (though sadly I haven’t seen Parasite yet). In the process it transformed this list from a Disney-dominated extravaganza to a… slightly less Disney-dominated extravaganza. Yay for a bit of competition, right?

Happy New Year!

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VR BEST OF 2019 DISCLAIMER

This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. To agree with me 100% is rarer than an EA game without microtransactions. Respectful disagreement is most welcome.

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10. Toy Story 4

This was a strong year for animation to be sure, but the most surprisingly good dose of it came from Pixar’s initially derided bonus sequel to the beloved Toy Story trilogy. Pixar is still doing a fair amount of good stuff in the modern era, but this still felt like a cash grab when it was announced. Then it actually came out, and wow. The team who brought you a heart-rending tale about growing up now brings you a heart-rending tale about parenthood and shifting between phases in your adult life. Oh, it’s also the prettiest animation you ever done seen, and it’s by far the funniest Toy Story movie yet. Unafraid to use only the legacy characters it needs in order to serve this particular story, it also introduces a hilarious set of new ones and none of them outstay their welcome. Toy Story 4 kicks a come-from-behind goal to beat 23 other movies to the tenth slot.

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9. Frozen II

This was always going to be a tricky one. The first Frozen arguably should never have received a sequel, but the realities of modern entertainment media meant it was a foregone conclusion. So it’s quite pleasantly surprising – and a bit of a relief – that the sequel at least does something different, and just about pulls it off. Frozen II is just as weirdly-paced as its predecessor and has a relationship with consequences that cheapens some plot points, but it tackles differing themes in different surroundings that still link back to family, so it still has that emotional heft the first one packed into every ounce of its being. There’s a huge amount of exposition going on as the writers strain to fill in lore gaps and reorient this gigantic ship of a franchise in a new sequel-friendly direction, but if the visuals and soundtrack are still this good in the future, I’m definitely up for more.
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8. Ford V Ferrari

James Mangold hits another one out of the park with this astonishing true story that sizzles on the page and roars on the screen. It’s rare you see a sports-focused movie that serves the interpersonal conflict with as much punch as the bare-knuckle action, but everyone involved in this wonderful film makes sure that is exactly the case. Every turn, gear change and burst of acceleration is rendered with detail, love and deliciously crunchy editing, keeping the excitement up even if you know how the story ends. But the performances of Matt Damon, Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts and especially Christian Bale keep this tale of clashing egos, ever-present danger and unlikely triumph humming along every time there’s more than one of them on screen together. You don’t have to be a car person to enjoy this one – It’s just universally great filmmaking the whole way through.
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7. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

This is such an impeccably-crafted action movie that it would have been a real struggle deciding between it and MI: Fallout for my movie of the year had it released in 2018. With less focus on an unravelling hidden world of lore than its predecessor, Parabellum cuts more closely to the single unending chase structure of the first John Wick movie – only reversed – and the threequel is all the stronger for it. Not that such a plotting choice would have guaranteed success by any stretch of the imagination, of course – if you double down on action you only put more pressure on yourself to deliver on that action. But my oh my, does this movie deliver on that action. Thanks largely to the fruitful ongoing partnership between Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves, this franchise has now attracted the best of the best to make its endlessly creative fights explode off the screen. You can put this one on your shelf right next to the two Raid movies and it will not look out of place. You know, unless your shelf is sorted alphabetically.
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6. Klaus

A friend of mine called this the best Christmas movie he’s ever seen, and while a part of me knows that surely can’t be true, I sit here typing right now and struggle to think of a better one. Sure, there are movies set during Christmas that I might enjoy more, like Love Actually, The Nice Guys and yes, Die Hard; but this alternate take on Santa Claus’ origins is an incredible effort at encapsulating the selfless ideals inherent to the Christmas spirit. The debut feature from Sergio Pablos Animation Studios is a visual delight that draws bittersweet tears with relentless precision. A genuine full-length 2D animated movie with added volumetric lighting to warm the frame, Klaus draws clear inspiration from The Emperor’s New Groove and The Nightmare Before Christmas, playing with tropes to expedite its story, then adds in some heavy emotional gut punches that left me either winded or struggling to hide my watery eyes. JK Simmons, Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones bring the drawings to life with great vocal work, and oh, that’s right, it’s on Netflix right now; so watch it before the season fully passes us by.
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5. Marriage Story

Speaking of Netflix, here’s another one you can watch right now. But if Marriage Story makes you cry, it will probably be for a very different reason. This is a devastating story about how the process of divorce gets its ugly tendrils into every part of the lives of those it touches, introducing distress and damage even when both parties have the best of intentions. It’s long for a film of its kind, and the two central performances (from perhaps the two busiest actors of 2019) are so ridiculously good that they will draw you into their slowly-unravelling worlds. And yet, director Noah Baumbach manages to insert no small amount of comedy into proceedings – occasionally of the absurd kind – and despite acres of deliberately empty space in most frames, he rarely shoots with depressing lighting. What’s more, Randy Newman of Toy Story fame does the score (whenever there’s a score at all). So with one already-famous argument scene as an exception, Marriage Story really isn’t all that melodramatic or tragic. It’s just sad, in a pointedly realistic, devastatingly familiar way.
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4. Knives Out

Rian Johnson returns to his regularly-scheduled programming after The Last Jedi, and in doing so may have topped his own Brick and Looper. Knives Out is a delectable savoury stack made from truly magnificent slices of cinematography, hammy acting from a magnificent all-star cast, razor-sharp writing and terrific sound mixing. But its also a whodunit made by a creator who delights at pulling the rug out from under his audience, so you know it’s gonna keep you guessing – like actually keep you guessing. Indeed the plot of this one gives you more information early on than you might expect from a traditional mystery caper, moving the goalposts and weaving a different, spicier kind of tangled web thereafter. Every single character has something to hide, and most of them are immensely unlikeable in a weirdly fun way. Thus everyone seems like a genuine suspect, and you’d be OK with any of them being found out. The cherry on top of this movie is that it has Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc, and he’s just the best.
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3. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

This is probably the most Quentin Tarantino movie yet. Indulgent to the tastes of a nostalgic movie buff? Check. Banging, funky retro soundtrack? Check. Dialogue about nothing all that important that subtly showcases the motivations of characters and their relationships with others? Check. Long, drawn out sequences of slowly-building tension? Check. Camera gimmicks? Check. Plenty of the same recurring character actors in cameos? Check. Copious wide shots? Check. Shocking ultraviolence? Check. Feet? Check. But there’s also somehow a lot more in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There’s more silence, more contemplation, more niche jokes, more physical acting than usual – almost all of it seeming pointless until you realise what it was setting up the whole time. Each showpiece scene is worth its own in-depth discussion, from the MST3K riff as our protagonists watch a TV episode, to the lengthy flashback scene that exists to set up one line, to a couple of memorable dialogue exchanges with a precocious child co-star, to the investigation of the Spahn Ranch, to that ending. If each and every Tarantino film is a hearty meal for his fans to savour, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an absolute feast.
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2. Jojo Rabbit

In many ways the antithesis of Tarantino’s tinseltown epic, Taika Waititi’s sixth film is no slow burn. It moves quickly and at times deliriously through a Wes Anderson-esque series of square frames and cuts – albeit without the character detachment for which Wes is so renowned. No, that typically whimsical Waititi generosity is well and truly lodged within the truly absurd set-up of a 10 year-old Hitler Youth recruit with a desperate desire to be accepted and be part of something, despite his buried heart of gold. Due to the subject matter, Jojo Rabbit goes to tragic and scary places, but as our hero comes face-to-face with the hidden goodness of humanity in the face of chilling dehumanisation, his imaginary Taika-shaped Hitler friend morphs to fit his conscience and the true reason for Waititi’s choice of protagonist becomes clear. Also, Roman Griffin Davis gives one of the best child performances I have ever seen in the lead role. Also Sam Rockwell is in it. Also it’s absolutely hilarious.
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1. Avengers: Endgame

In the years since I started this whole thing I’ve put both a Walt Disney Animation Studios movie and a Star Wars movie at the top of this list. Now, more than ever, it feels like the right time to put a Marvel movie up here. After all, even if you completely ignore the Fox buyout Disney dominated the year in film, and Avengers: Endgame is one of their least believable achievements ever. I mean, sure, I did watch almost every Marvel movie again in the month preceding its release, but most of my friends didn’t and they still enjoyed it. Endgame caps off 21 movies of build-up with grace and deceptive ease, not to mention a mountain of genuine surprises and paid-off character arcs. It’s funny, emotionally cathartic on multiple counts, and truly consequential in a way that the majority of its predecessors simply are not. It is the very best kind of fanservice, the gold standard by which other films of its kind have and will be judged, in my mind the largest cinematic achievement of the decade. It isn’t perfect by any stretch, but both times I saw it in theatres Endgame absolutely blew me away.
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Honorable Mentions
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—Joker

As I said earlier I’d be cool never watching this one again, because discomfort is kind of its whole goal. But few 2019 performances were more impactful on the quality of a film than Mr Phoenix’s.

—Shazam!

On recent form, a positively un-DC-like adventure, but one that gets by on its commitment to a 1980s caper spirit and an instantly magnetic foster family dynamic that toasts the heart.

—Yesterday

More straightforward romantic comedy than the trailers might suggest, this stylish jaunt has the all-star crew – and music – to slide right into the rotation with other Richard Curtis classics.

—Spider-Man: Far From Home

A messier, more distracted Spidey flick than the last one, but every supporting player is a highlight, the twists are great, and that ending is a ripper.