2019

It's the end of another year, and in terms of reviews, this was a big one for me. I watch and reviewed 80 movies this year, which constitutes over half of the movies I've ever reviewed for this page. In celebration of that, I'm going to count down my top 10 favourit movies I watched this year.

These aren't the top 10 most perfectly perfect movies of the year, just the ones that I, subjectively, liked the most. I would have done a bottom 10 as wel, but I honestly didn't watch all that much garbage this year. It was pretty solid overall. I can give a bottom 1, though. Fifty Shades of Grey. Like there was ever any competition.

Moving on to the list.


#10: Jaws

I'm always a little nervous that I'm not going to enjoy the 'classics' as much as everyone else, and that did happen a few times this year. Jaws was one of the ones that I saw the appeal of and adored. When the majority of your movie takes place on the open ocean, that's a risky move, and the fact that it payed off is incredibly impressive. The music is iconic and basically the entirety of the third act is gripping, intense and immensely satisfying. Jaws sinks your teeth into you and doesn't let go.


#9: Sing Street

This was the big surprise of the year for me. I had a few of those movies that I'd never heard of before and ended up being hidden gems. This was the first and the best. What I expected to be a pretty basic story about a kid using music to woo a girl ended up being one of the most relateable movies I've ever seen, with themes of growing up, figuring out what makes you who you are, the bonds between brothers and the importance of music. Every time I think about this movie, it makes me want to watch it again immediately. Check it out, I urge you.


#8: The Lego Movie

Bit of a cheat, since I picked this movie for my 100th review specifically because I already knew I loved it. I've seen this movie about half a dozen times, and it is still supremely entertaining. This is easily the funniest comedy on the list, and you can watch it over and over while still picking up on new things each time. The attention to detail in the animation is astounding, and the ending hits you hard. Nobody expected much from this before it's release, look where it is now.


#7: Spotlight

Potentially the best example of a 'Based on a true story' movie ever told, Spotlight is powerful. You're thinking about this movie long after you've turned it off. The scariest part is that it's still as relevant today as it was when the movie is set. These are universal issues that haven't gone away. You watch this movie and it just makes you sicker and sicker as it goes on, and I mean that in the best possible way. Brilliant acting, excellent script, Spotlight certainly deserved the Oscars it won and then some.

#6: Back to the Future

Hell, yeah. This is another movie that I already knew was amazing, but... come on. It's Back to the Future. Perhaps the greatest '80s movie ever made. Just like Jaws, the music is iconic, and the story paved the way for all time travel stories that would be told after it. So many great moments, such great dialogue, such memorable characters. Need I say more?

#5: Groundhog Day

I think when I reviewed this film, I likened it and all the elements in it to the impossibility that someone made this movie specifically to appeal to my tastes and story preferences. The movie that inspired an entire genre of films to come, Groundhog Day is simply brilliant. Bill Murray's performance drives the movie, and seeing his journey really is the heart and soul of the film. It's also really funny and really heartfelt all at the same time. It's the textbook example of doing as much as you can with a simple premise as possible. Yeah, this was made for me.

#4: Die Hard

Yet another example of a much-beloved film getting the exact same admiration for me as it does from everyone else, Die Hard is the gold standard for what an action movie can do. You don't need to rely on big explosions or over-the-top set pieces. Those are here don't get me wrong, but Die Hard is a more personal story than its bargain-bin copycats. It's about one man doing whatever he can to survive, and the relentless machinations of one of the greatest movie villains ever. I'm actually embarrassed it took me this long to watch it.

#3: Avengers: Endgame

This is the point of the list where all my credibility is tossed aside and I'm accused of being a filthy normie, but I can't help it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe earned it. Regardless of your feelings towards this franchise, an 11-year plan like this shouldn't work as well as it did, and that climactic chapter to the Infinity Saga delivered just about everything it could have. As a fan of these movies, I will treasure the memory of seeing this movie in cinemas on opening night forever. This was always going to make the list. It was inevitable.

#2: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is one of the most consistent film trilogies ever to be made. Each chapter in this series is excellent, and each is amazing in their own way. The final chapter hit me the hardest. I just love everything about these movies; the characters, the CGI, the action, the humour, it all just works. This was the first movie to ever make me cry in the cinema. This. A kids' film about dragons. These movies shouldn't be as incredible as they were. Legitimately one of the best film trilogies ever made. You cannot change my mind on that.

#1: Whiplash

You may think this is an odd choice for number 1, but hear me out. No other movie this year made me feel as tense as this movie did, action and horror films included, and this was without a single action scene. It's just pure character-driven drama, and it's phenomenal. Whenever Miles Teller is up on that stage, you're right there with him, saying 'Please don't mess up, for the love of God, don't screw this up.' J.K. Simmons gives maybe my favourite performance of the year. I cannot stress enough how much this film gets the blood-pumping and the heart-racing AND IT'S JUST A KID PLAYING THE DRUMS! Excellent movie. Excellent, excellent movie.

And that's my list. The reviews will continue in the new year, though I may go a bit easier with the schedule, since doing so many movies so quickly really took a lot out of me. It may also give me time for another Marathon Month, who knows? Thank you to everyone who read my reviews this year; here's to many more to come.