Look, I know it’s late ok, but go qualm about it! 2020 sucked for going to the theaters to see movies so I’m doing my list from 2019 that I never published.
So I’d like to take you back to a previous time, the before-time, a wonderous age of going to the theaters and being in large crowds with who knows how many germs and diseases, actually, this isn’t sounding that great anymore, I think I need to go wash my hands…alright let’s just stick to the movies here, Qualmist! Stay in your lane!
Fine, here are my top 10 favorite movies from 2019, if anyone cares at this point…
Coming in at #10
Shazam! A surprising comedy action movie from DC, Shazam! wasn’t perfect, but I thought they blended the humor and action themes well and added just a little bit of heart.
#9, They Shall Not Grow Old
Truly incredible, they actually restored and colorized footage from WWI. I honestly don’t think that they needed to colorize it, it would have been great in black and white as well, but seeing 100 year-old footage of a war that we don’t talk about much anymore was really eye-opening.
#8, Joker
I loved the cinematography and aesthetic of this film. For all the hype about glorifying mental illness or revenge or whatever, I thought the film covered some interesting themes and topics of poverty and aspiring fame. The ending twist was great too, NO SPOILERS!
#7, The Farewell
Who knew Awkwafina had that kind of acting range! It was great to see her in a more serious roll, she definitely deserved to win that Golden Globe for it! Too bad the category was for musical or comedy…ummm, have you seen The Farewell? It’s neither of those! She should have won for drama! Anyway,
#6, Knives Out
A fun murder mystery filled with rich pricks getting their comeuppance, what else could you ask for!? Oh, and Chris Evans in a turtleneck!
Now on to the top 5!
#5, Parasite
What a crazy film! It was multilayered and suspenseful, dark but funny. Do yourself a favor and read some in-depth analysis of the film so you can better understand it.
#4, Endgame
Such an intense movie and a great ending to the Avengers phase of the MCU, the ending was so sad! Watching it in theaters and people literally cheering when everyone walked out of the portals was the best, awww, I miss going to the theaters! It was a fun time-heist action movie, but I still liked Infinity War more overall.
#3, Fighting With My Family
This little sleeper-hit about a wrestling family from the UK made me tear up. Heart and humor make for a great script, as this is definitely a movie that I could watch again and again. And I have!
#2, 1917
Another WWI movie, I loved the suspense and action of this movie. But what really got me was the cinematography, I’m sure you noticed it too. It was filmed to look like one long take in real time. The same style as Birdman from a few years ago. Having worked in the film industry, I love trying to break it down and figure out how they shot it the way that they did. Do yourself another favor and look up Behind-the-scenes footage for it, you won’t be disappointed!
And now it’s time for my favorite movie of 2019!
And the award goes to…Jojo Rabbit!
I freaking loved this movie. Directed by Taika Waititi and featuring a stacked cast including Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and of course, Taika himself. I understand the controversy of making a film about WWII and Hitler as a comedy, but when you actually watch it and see the character arc of little Jojo as he realizes the lies of the Third Reich, you’ll understand that it’s actually a critique of them. I loved this movie though, Taika did a great job, there were some genuine moments that made me tear up and others that made me laugh out loud. Little Yorki was my favorite character, he was so cute! I also loved the David Bowie song Heroes in German at the end, that was really cool.
Ok now, the award for worst movie of the year is a 3-way tie!
Cats *Facepalm. So so so…sosososo bad! I saw this at the beginning of 2020 actually, so was this whole year my fault?!? My b everyone!
MIB International *Snore. No plot, not funny, didn’t make sense.
The Dead Don’t Die! *Supposed to be sarcastic?
Anyway, I saw 46 movies in total from 2019, so what’s on your list?
The Qualmist 