I didn't get a chance to write up as much as I would've liked about each of these selections, however I have much more I could say about any of them and know I will get many chances as time goes on. I would recommend any of the films below and know they'd provide further rich discussion, but in the meantime I'll just go through them here. Enjoy!
Honorable Mentions
25. ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD
The most divisive film (even among myself) on this list, but something about its rhythm and final shot keep pulling it into my mind.
24. BOOKSMART
The last few years' string of strong high school comedies gets a welcome addition thanks to two leads and a fresh approach to the familiar genre.
23. TOY STORY 4
We didn't need another Toy Story, but Pixar's lovely coda somehow provides one more gut punch of a goodbye to their animated trilogy.
22. US
Jordan Peele lives up to both his debut feature and his lofty Twilight Zone aspirations while Lupita Nyong'o delivers a performance for the ages.
21. FOR SAMA
The scene of the year takes place in this personal document of life in Aleppo that shines a light on a stunning true story.
20. ASH IS PUREST WHITE
A unique gangster film that reworks the genre into a multi-generational epic and wonderful showcase for its leading lady Zhao Tao.
19. THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese consistently proving his movies are better than their stereotypes with a summation of his past works that's somehow unlike any of his films before.
18. HER SMELL
Part character study, part endurance test and a bracing musical journey that's tough to sit through and tougher to forget.
17. A HIDDEN LIFE
A gorgeous tone poem with a political message that resonates without ever pandering to our historical moment.
16. HONEYLAND
The non-fiction film of the year and a fascinating attempt to capture a life completely foreign to any of us.
15. UNDER THE SILVER LAKE
An intentionally frustrating and hypnotic puzzle with no easy solutions but endless ambition.
14. AD ASTRA
A space epic that takes familiar themes and turns them into something new with some of the year's most lasting images.
13. MIDSOMMAR
Ari Aster somehow hits two in a row of devastatingly effective horror films about grief and survival with unforgettable lead performances.
12. ATLANTICS
The most impactful debut film of the year and a haunting experiment in using the supernatural to explore the tragedy of real life.
11. CLIMAX
A nightmare of a creation and the most technically impressive and jaw-dropping anxiety attack of the year.
THE TOP TEN
10. TRANSIT
An oblique and windy refugee tale that feels like a fresh engineering of an old school classic that will embed itself into your mind.
09. HIGH LIFE
Claire Denis dives into the most unsettling facts of human existence with a brutal but rewarding outer space fable.
08. HUSTLERS
Jennifer Lopez giving the performance of the year in one of the best stories yet to be told about the realities of post-recession America.
07. UNCUT GEMS
The most stressful moviegoing experience of the year but also the most thrilling ride and an ingenious little creation.
06. LITTLE WOMEN
Greta Gerwig continues to be one of our most important filmmakers by somehow creating a fresh and moving take of a story already told countless times.
05. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
The year's most beautiful film and a sumptuous queer romance where every frame feels rendered with a level of care and attention that only a master of her craft could reach.
04. THE LIGHTHOUSE
A surreal and unmatched theatrical experience that provides a visual feast and a journey into madness that is truly one of a kind.
03. PAIN & GLORY
One of our finest living directors delivers another masterpiece with a lead performance of grace and warmth that sits comfortably among a near immaculate filmography.
02. THE FAREWELL
Director Lulu Wang unpacks life, death and family in her subtly ambitious and stirring dramedy that builds to an overwhelming emotional burst that lingers long after.
01. PARASITE
As has been often repeated, the less said the better. But what can be said is that Parasite is the moviegoing experience of the year, an incredible feat of filmmaking and a puzzle box that unfolds so perfectly it leaves you shaken.
And as always, because there are truly too many good options in a year to ignore, here are more films that didn't make this list but would be worthy additions: American Factory, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Clemency, Dark Waters, Diane, Gloria Bell, In Fabric, I Lost My Body, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Marriage Story, Midnight Family, Missing Link, Monos, The Nightingale, One Child Nation, Peterloo, Ready or Not, Shadow, Sorry Angel, and Wild Rose.
Finally, to make the good seem even better, here are the Worst of 2019:
01. The Lion King
02. Jojo Rabbit
03. Aladdin
04. Miss Bala
05. The Perfection
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