The Best Theatrical Releases of 2019
HomeThe Best Theatrical Releases of 2019
Posted December 30, 2019 08:00 AM by Brian Orndorf
Bad cops need a fast buck, King Arthur goes to junior high, Redrum redux, a mate for
Toothless, fatherhood vs. the end of the world, Almodovar gets intimate, Divorce: Netflix Style,
Korean class warfare, Adam Sandler's ninth crazy night, and the tao of Mr. Rogers. Blu-
ray.com's Brian Orndorf takes a look at his favorite films of 2019.
Marriage Story
While "Marriage Story" doesn't break new ground with its depiction of a marital disintegration, it remains a superbly observed understanding of a break-up that begins with minor, respectful moves before snowballing into something potentially catastrophic. Writer/director Noah Baumbach cuts deeps with his vision of growing household resentment, but he retains a sense of humor and life, more interested in the mysteries of pure behavior than a mechanical understanding of divorce. "Marriage Story" is raw yet poetic, maintaining a level of compassion for all involved while visiting the characters as they experience the worst in their increasingly complicated lives. Stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are sensational as the divided couple, providing Baumbach with the humanity he's looking for while dissecting an unpleasant slide into legal and familial complications. It can be a painful journey, but Baumbach keeps the feature lived-in and emotionally authentic.
Uncut Gems
A rocket-sled ride through self-destructive habits and wrong moves, "Uncut Gems" is a furious creation from Josh and Benny Safdie, who lovingly embrace the elephant-sitting-on-chest moviegoing experience. Pulling pure panic out of a normally sedate Adam Sandler (who delivers his finest career performance), the Safdies generate a spinning world of terrible impulse control, transforming the saga of an addict on the loose into a semi-cosmic odyssey about family ties, lust, and the pursuit of orgasmic highs. It's a mesmerizing offering of pure anxiety.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
It's enough to have one of 2018's best films, the documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Somehow the universe has decided to permit two wonderful movies about Fred Rogers, with "A Beautiful Day of the Neighborhood" stepping away from bio-pic interests to put the subject's teachings to the test. Tom Hanks makes an ideal Mr. Rogers (emphasizing genuine concern without a trace of camp), and director Marielle Heller constructs a pitch-perfect understanding of the subject's world, exploring themes, moods, and even model design to bring her educational and poignant picture to life. Heller also deserves credit for mastering 2019's lone act of true directorial bravery: giving her feature over a full minute of still, silent reflection for all the loved ones we hold dear. Perfection.
Parasite
Socially aware and cinematically precise, director Bong Joon-ho delivers a twisty ride of horrors with "Parasite." The feature is clever and sharp, but also mindful of screen potential and timing, working the audience in full as small acts of survival within two Korean households begin to snowball into something horrific. The effort moves along with steady reveals, sustaining suspense unlike anything else found this year, building to points of unbelievable tension. However, while a Hitchcockian ride, the production is attentive to the development of personalities, giving life to everyone involved in this perverse game of domination, creating deliciously uncomfortable conduct as the mental illness and class resentment of the story unfolds.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
One of the greatest animated film series comes to a close with "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," with the production wisely aging up with its audience. Closure is immensely satisfying here, with the trilogy conclusion coming up with a decent villain to apply pressure on the heroes, but the movie is more interested in the concept of partnership and personal growth, putting Hiccup and Toothless on a path to adulthood, and all the love and independence it requires. "The Hidden World" manages to remains as jubilant as the previous chapters, providing big feelings and sweeping CG-animation to maintain the scale of the effort as it explores intimate concerns. While it's hardly the last offering of the brand name (which has enjoyed many television spin-offs and specials), the feature completes its cinematic arc with warmth, fury (the light and dark kind), and directorial authority from Dean DeBlois.
Doctor Sleep
Director Mike Flanagan gives himself the tonal challenge of a lifetime with "Doctor Sleep," tasked with creating a sequel to "The Shining" that resides somewhere between the book by Stephen King and the 1980 film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. Miraculously, Flanagan creates an ideal middle ground between the creative extremes while still managing to generate his own special darkness with this epic revisit to the world of Danny Torrance. The rich oddity of King and the cold-blooded mystery of Kubrick remain, immersing viewers in a compelling battle between frightening agents of steam-sucking evil and those with "The Shine." While the feature grows almost impossibly macabre at times, Flanagan is immensely inventive with the endeavor, crafting striking scenes of confrontation, astral projection, and personal inventory, achieving complete success with a project many initially doubted.
The Kid Who Would Be King
It's been a long time since there was a genuine adventure film made for a pre-teen audience, and Joe Cornish's "The Kid Who Would Be King" takes the responsibility of such cinematic possibilities seriously. A soaring tale of bravery and adolescent anxiety, the feature provides a full meal of earnest behavior and discovery, blending Arthurian legend with inventive interpretations of magic and mystery. The cast is eager to please, following Cornish's lead to remain committed to every single beat of this delightful endeavor, which is reminiscent of youth exploration efforts from the 1980s, updated here with slick visual effects and a big heart.
Dragged Across Concrete
S. Craig Zahler doesn't take it easy on his audience, and "Dragged Across Concrete" is no different. Launching a dirty cop story with 160-minute run time, Zahler crafts a hypnotic study of bad men facing worse times, commenting on financial woes and professional pressures with offerings of direct violence and layered characterizations. It's not an easy sit, a Zahler specialty, but "Dragged Across Concrete" has genuine surprises, true grit, and two strong performances from Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, who bring color to the helmer's dark world.
Pain and Glory
While Pedro Almodovar rarely disappoints, his creative instincts are unusually sharpened for "Pain and Glory," his best offering in years. While the story remains rooted in his traditional dramatic interests, there's more of a pronounced fingerprint on the screenplay, which utilizes Almodovar's own experiences as an aging filmmaker to inspire a tale of a memory, therapy, and love. Reuniting with frequent collaborator Antonio Banderas, the helmer pulls out a career-best performance from the actor, who captures the internal burn of the titular elements, finding an elegant and profound way to communicate Almodovar's touching themes and emotions.
Light of My Life
Dire stories of post-apocalyptic life are common these days, but "Light of My Life" largely avoids the rolling violence of the subgenre, tapping into the primal horror of parenthood in a world gone mad. Writer/director Casey Affleck manages to create something expansive and intimate with the picture, grasping the trials of guardianship with specific concentration on the central relationship between a father and his daughter, who also happens to be one of the few females left in a dying world populated with dangerous men. "Light of My Life" has its harrowing moments, but it never strays from realism, tapping into the anxiety that comes with love and protection, creating a heartbreaking study of fatherly education as it's put to the ultimate test.
Also of note: Spider-Man: Far from Home, Woman at War, Little Joe, Toy Story 4, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, Clemency, Jojo Rabbit, Luce, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Her Smell, The Irishman, Ford v Ferrari, Dolemite Is My Name, Ms. Purple, and Brittany Runs a Marathon.
Please check out the Blu-ray.com community 2019 theatrical picks here
Marriage Story
While "Marriage Story" doesn't break new ground with its depiction of a marital disintegration, it remains a superbly observed understanding of a break-up that begins with minor, respectful moves before snowballing into something potentially catastrophic. Writer/director Noah Baumbach cuts deeps with his vision of growing household resentment, but he retains a sense of humor and life, more interested in the mysteries of pure behavior than a mechanical understanding of divorce. "Marriage Story" is raw yet poetic, maintaining a level of compassion for all involved while visiting the characters as they experience the worst in their increasingly complicated lives. Stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are sensational as the divided couple, providing Baumbach with the humanity he's looking for while dissecting an unpleasant slide into legal and familial complications. It can be a painful journey, but Baumbach keeps the feature lived-in and emotionally authentic.
Uncut Gems
A rocket-sled ride through self-destructive habits and wrong moves, "Uncut Gems" is a furious creation from Josh and Benny Safdie, who lovingly embrace the elephant-sitting-on-chest moviegoing experience. Pulling pure panic out of a normally sedate Adam Sandler (who delivers his finest career performance), the Safdies generate a spinning world of terrible impulse control, transforming the saga of an addict on the loose into a semi-cosmic odyssey about family ties, lust, and the pursuit of orgasmic highs. It's a mesmerizing offering of pure anxiety.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
It's enough to have one of 2018's best films, the documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Somehow the universe has decided to permit two wonderful movies about Fred Rogers, with "A Beautiful Day of the Neighborhood" stepping away from bio-pic interests to put the subject's teachings to the test. Tom Hanks makes an ideal Mr. Rogers (emphasizing genuine concern without a trace of camp), and director Marielle Heller constructs a pitch-perfect understanding of the subject's world, exploring themes, moods, and even model design to bring her educational and poignant picture to life. Heller also deserves credit for mastering 2019's lone act of true directorial bravery: giving her feature over a full minute of still, silent reflection for all the loved ones we hold dear. Perfection.
Parasite
Socially aware and cinematically precise, director Bong Joon-ho delivers a twisty ride of horrors with "Parasite." The feature is clever and sharp, but also mindful of screen potential and timing, working the audience in full as small acts of survival within two Korean households begin to snowball into something horrific. The effort moves along with steady reveals, sustaining suspense unlike anything else found this year, building to points of unbelievable tension. However, while a Hitchcockian ride, the production is attentive to the development of personalities, giving life to everyone involved in this perverse game of domination, creating deliciously uncomfortable conduct as the mental illness and class resentment of the story unfolds.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
One of the greatest animated film series comes to a close with "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," with the production wisely aging up with its audience. Closure is immensely satisfying here, with the trilogy conclusion coming up with a decent villain to apply pressure on the heroes, but the movie is more interested in the concept of partnership and personal growth, putting Hiccup and Toothless on a path to adulthood, and all the love and independence it requires. "The Hidden World" manages to remains as jubilant as the previous chapters, providing big feelings and sweeping CG-animation to maintain the scale of the effort as it explores intimate concerns. While it's hardly the last offering of the brand name (which has enjoyed many television spin-offs and specials), the feature completes its cinematic arc with warmth, fury (the light and dark kind), and directorial authority from Dean DeBlois.
Doctor Sleep
Director Mike Flanagan gives himself the tonal challenge of a lifetime with "Doctor Sleep," tasked with creating a sequel to "The Shining" that resides somewhere between the book by Stephen King and the 1980 film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. Miraculously, Flanagan creates an ideal middle ground between the creative extremes while still managing to generate his own special darkness with this epic revisit to the world of Danny Torrance. The rich oddity of King and the cold-blooded mystery of Kubrick remain, immersing viewers in a compelling battle between frightening agents of steam-sucking evil and those with "The Shine." While the feature grows almost impossibly macabre at times, Flanagan is immensely inventive with the endeavor, crafting striking scenes of confrontation, astral projection, and personal inventory, achieving complete success with a project many initially doubted.
The Kid Who Would Be King
It's been a long time since there was a genuine adventure film made for a pre-teen audience, and Joe Cornish's "The Kid Who Would Be King" takes the responsibility of such cinematic possibilities seriously. A soaring tale of bravery and adolescent anxiety, the feature provides a full meal of earnest behavior and discovery, blending Arthurian legend with inventive interpretations of magic and mystery. The cast is eager to please, following Cornish's lead to remain committed to every single beat of this delightful endeavor, which is reminiscent of youth exploration efforts from the 1980s, updated here with slick visual effects and a big heart.
Dragged Across Concrete
S. Craig Zahler doesn't take it easy on his audience, and "Dragged Across Concrete" is no different. Launching a dirty cop story with 160-minute run time, Zahler crafts a hypnotic study of bad men facing worse times, commenting on financial woes and professional pressures with offerings of direct violence and layered characterizations. It's not an easy sit, a Zahler specialty, but "Dragged Across Concrete" has genuine surprises, true grit, and two strong performances from Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, who bring color to the helmer's dark world.
Pain and Glory
While Pedro Almodovar rarely disappoints, his creative instincts are unusually sharpened for "Pain and Glory," his best offering in years. While the story remains rooted in his traditional dramatic interests, there's more of a pronounced fingerprint on the screenplay, which utilizes Almodovar's own experiences as an aging filmmaker to inspire a tale of a memory, therapy, and love. Reuniting with frequent collaborator Antonio Banderas, the helmer pulls out a career-best performance from the actor, who captures the internal burn of the titular elements, finding an elegant and profound way to communicate Almodovar's touching themes and emotions.
Light of My Life
Dire stories of post-apocalyptic life are common these days, but "Light of My Life" largely avoids the rolling violence of the subgenre, tapping into the primal horror of parenthood in a world gone mad. Writer/director Casey Affleck manages to create something expansive and intimate with the picture, grasping the trials of guardianship with specific concentration on the central relationship between a father and his daughter, who also happens to be one of the few females left in a dying world populated with dangerous men. "Light of My Life" has its harrowing moments, but it never strays from realism, tapping into the anxiety that comes with love and protection, creating a heartbreaking study of fatherly education as it's put to the ultimate test.
Also of note: Spider-Man: Far from Home, Woman at War, Little Joe, Toy Story 4, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, Clemency, Jojo Rabbit, Luce, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Her Smell, The Irishman, Ford v Ferrari, Dolemite Is My Name, Ms. Purple, and Brittany Runs a Marathon.