This is going to be a collection of movies that I wanted to highlight that came out in 2019. This is not a ranked list, nor is it all of my favorites of the year. It is also not what I consider “best” in the year either. This is just me wanting to talk about some movies that came out last year.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

For such an auspicious title, this movie is surprisingly intimate. Sam Elliott put in a performance of a career here. Learning the story of The Man Who Killed Hitler and then why he must kill The Bigfoot, is about more the journey than the destination. And yet, the destinations themselves serve their own purposes. But in the end, he’s just a man.

The Wandering Earth

The Wandering Earth is the kind of movie that feels like it should be worse than it is. It’s a big dumb action movie with a big dumb premise: the world’s governments have strapped rockets to the planet in order to move it to another solar system. But the characters are compelling and the narrative feels authentic. In many ways, it feels like a Chinese version of Independence Day (my personal favorite movie of all time). Any honestly, that’s the best compliment I could give a movie.

Booksmart

Booksmart feels like the movie that 2019 needed. Molly and Amy’s meandering journey through LA’s sprawl feels not unlike Superbad a decade prior. But everything about it is refined, introspective, and purposeful, rather than entitled, edgy, and mean-spirted. But most importantly, Booksmart cares about its characters. And you’ll care about them too, even as they are selfish, make mistakes, and otherwise muddle through.

Knives Out

This movie proves that the mystery genre isn’t dead. Every single detail about this movie, like all of Rian Johnson’s previous outings, is designed with themes, impact, and substance in mind. Nothing is misplaced in any way. Every character is distinct in an incredibly interesting way. The best thing I can say about this movie is that it left me both very satisfied and craving more.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

John Wick as a franchise feels like a crazy anomaly. It’s the antithesis of every other action movie out there. Every scene feels audacious enough to build an entire movie around. After leaving the theater for the third installment, I was frustrated that I couldn’t see Chapter 4 immediately.

The biggest theme for all of the John Wick movies is consequences. Every action has consequences. This is true from the very first moment of the first film. And that continues until the last shot of this one. It’s so refreshing feeling like characters live in an actual place and it doesn’t just disappear when we cut away. I can’t wait for more.

The Art of Self-Defense

The Art of Self-Defense lives in a weird space. Every moment is uncomfortable, but not too much. The characters are awkard, but not too much. Each moment leads into the next, but if you at where it starts and where it ends, you probably couldn’t predict it. It’s the best depiction of fragile masculinity I’ve ever seen put to screen, despite being rather surreal. IDK, just see it!

Crawl

Crawl isn’t really anything special. But it does it very well. It’s a white-knuckle no-frills thriller with solid stakes. There’s very few characters, with even the gators feeling more like a force of nature than actual characters. But what it does with them is both compelling and memorable.

Happy Death Day 2U

I really liked the first Happy Death Day. When I saw there was going to be a sequel, I was pumped. And I was not disappointed. The sequel shifts from horror w/ a supernatural edge, to a full on sci-fi movie. And honestly, I think this one can stand up there with the greats, like Back to the Future. Interesting plot turns with plenty of character drama mixed in makes for a really great movie!