My Top 10 films of 2019

By Luke Jones

Apollo 11

The documentary of the year also happens to be one of the most thrilling films of the year, despite having the most predictable ending since that big boat approached an iceberg. Todd Douglas Miller’s extraordinary film takes the same approach as the likes of Senna and Amy, eschewing talking heads in favour of purely using existing historical footage and voiceover. Combined with some groundbreaking restoration work that makes the footage look like it was captured yesterday, there were few big screen experiences like it in 2019, and a fitting testament to mankind’s greatest achievement.

Avengers: Endgame

The culmination of the first 11 years of Marvel Studios’ cinematic project was about as successful as blockbuster cinema can get. While not as much gleeful fun as last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, this still managed to achieve what few would have thought possible; assembling the largest superhero cast in movie history into a cohesive, emotional and exciting whole. Despite the spectacle it knows to take the time with its characters, with a sombre opening hour that gives weight to the closing events of Infinity War. This gives way to a 2nd act that feels like a victory lap through the series’ best moments, fan service that is totally earned and setting up a finale that is fist-in-the-air triumphant. Marvel are the big boys at the moment and that earns them some flak, but there really is no other production studio turning out entertainment at this scale and quality at the moment.

Booksmart

Coming out of nowhere, first-time director Olivia Wilde delivered one of the best coming-of-age films of recent years. Coming across as a female-led version of Superbad (but so much better than that sounds) it failed to set the box office alight but nonetheless rounded out the decade as Rotton Tomatoes’ highest rated comedy of the 2010s. It’s hard to disagree, with Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever brilliant as the graduating high schoolers suddenly faced with the realisation that there’s more to life than straight A grades. 

Doctor Sleep

The reception was mixed for Mike Flanagan’s semi-sequel to The Shining, but I thought it was one of the best horrors of the year. With some genuinely disturbing scenes, a great baddie courtesy of Rebecca Ferguson and some deeply affecting moments this worked both as an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel and as sequel to Kubrick’s classic film adaptation of The Shining. 

Dolomite is my name

Eddie Murphy’s back! Whether or not Mr Murphy deserves to be let out of movie jail after his questionable personal life is debatable, but there’s no denying the fun of this Netflix film charting the true-life story of Rudy Ray Moore. Acting as a sort-of blaxploitation rags-to-riches film, Murphy is the best he’s been in years, while Wesley Snipes also reminds you of how much fun he can be in the right role.

The Favourite

Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer) is a filmmaker who hasn’t gelled with me in the past, so it was a pleasant surprise that The Favourite worked so well for me. British royalty, with its political machinations and resolve in the face of heartbreak, is the perfect playground for Lanthimos’ arch wit, and its central trio of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz turn in awards-worthy (and winning) performances.

Marriage Story

A late addition to the list, Marriage Story is a searingly honest film about the divorce of a New York couple based, at least in part, on director Noah Baumbach’s real-life divorce from the actor Jennifer Jason Leigh. At times brutal, it is also a beautiful examination of relationships, honesty, and the divorce system of the United States. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are pitch-perfect as the central couple, and their climactic argument is as devastating a piece of cinema that you’ll see all year. Plus, I’m calling it now; Adam Driver should start making space on his shelf for a little gold statue in February 2020.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

No other film in 2019 stayed with me in quite the way that the 9th film from Quentin Tarantino has. It’s a film of two halves; one is a highly enjoyable recreation of 60s-era Hollywood, with DiCaprio and Pitt in full superstar modes. The other is a tribute to the late Sharon Tate, rescuing her memory from the horror of her untimely end and making this Tarantino’s most human film since Jackie Brown.

Rocketman

Full of the same verve and visor as the man himself, Rocketman scratched the itch that Bohemian Rhapsody didn’t quite reach for me; a big, brash musical led by a winning performance from Taron Egerton. It also doesn’t lose sight of the musical relationship that proved such a hit machine in the 20th Century, with Jamie Bell acting as Elton’s better-adjusted counterpoint Bernie Taupin.

Toy Story 4

Adding another film to the greatest trilogy of all time was a risk for Pixar, and it’s true that Toy Story 4 doesn’t continue the upward curve shown by its predecessors. Yet I’d still put it equal to the first two films in the series, gaining extra mileage out of Woody’s unresolved relationship with the missing Bo Peep. Keanu Reeves is a joy as, well, Keanu Reeves via the medium of Duke Kaboom, the villain is more nuanced than previous foils and Forky is a welcome kids’ favourite for cash-strapped parents. The best trilogy of all time has become the best quadrilogy.