It’s almost the end of 2019 and, as the decade concludes, the decision of which films will rank amongst the year’s best thickens. Yet we at Mxdwn Movies will press forth nonetheless, updating our previous list with some new films since July that stood out in our minds after leaving the theaters. Here are the Mxdwn Movie staff writer’s (updated) picks for the best films of 2019 so far:

Avengers: Endgame

Read our review here

With Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios finally wrapped up the epic, game-changing narrative that had been meticulously crafted since 2008. Dealing with the long-term fallout of Thanos’ snap, the Avengers make one last gamble to reclaim the Infinity Stones and save the universe. Everything about this film felt incredibly satisfying, from the intimate moments to the humor to the heartbreaking sacrifices, all concluding over a decades’ worth of character arcs from once B-list heroes turned pop culture icons. The final battle alone is cinematic comic book magic and by far one of the best things I’ve ever seen in theaters. I love this movie 3000.

– Ben Wasserman

Avengers: Endgame was the culmination event of 10 years of my favorite films, so of course it would make the top movies of 2019 list. The writers and creators paid homage to the best moments of the MCU and gave fans everything they wanted, and more. It was a proper finale to an era and introduction to what’s next, and I never wanted it to end.

– Leilani Reyes

– Avengers: Endgame is, in many ways, a film that will prove difficult to overthrow as both a blockbuster and a cinematic work of art. The film vividly stood out to me particularly for its story and conclusion of a 10 year saga of super hero epics. This was an ensemble cast done perfectly, and the Russo brothers were able to incorporate every emotion and interaction correctly. Endgame had great pacing and timed it’s vital moments wonderfully, adding to the film’s satisfying climax. We as the audience got to see one of the greatest war scenes featuring all our favorite characters and the build-up was beyond satisfactory. There is nothing quite like Endgame that I’ve seen this year and quite frankly I don’t think there will be.

– Drew Mattiola

Booksmart

Read our review here

Booksmart’s premise may sound similar to Superbad but outside of sharing a subgenre, the two movies couldn’t be any more different. Moreover, Booksmart features terrific lead performances, hilarious performances, and top-notch direction from Olivia Wilde, who shows a promising career behind the camera.

– Zachary Sosland

A familiar premise in the realm of the coming-of-age comedies, Booksmart is hilarious, smartly written and gives us some great characters and a heart-felt message of friendship. Think of a female version of Superbad but is an upgrade. Both Kever and Feldstein give fantastic performances and are likeable characters as well. First time Director Olivia Wilde delivers a fast-paced comedy with a kickass soundtrack, hilarious moments and One of the Funniest Movies of the Year. Congrats to Wilde on her exceptional filmmaking skills with this crowning achievement.

– Rick Rice

Booksmart is my favorite film of 2019 so far for its queer representation and emphasis on female friendships. In many comedies there are jokes at the expense of other characters, and while those films may be beloved, I think it’s refreshing to watch Booksmart and see two young women who literally shout words of affirmatios and encouragement at one another. Olivia Wilde did a fantastic job at being an actor’s director, really empathizing with her cast to the point of making sure the set was as closed as possible for a sex scene.  I find this commitment from the cast and crew very important, and I think it comes across in Booksmart’s characters chemistry when you see it.

– Marisa Thomas

Booksmart had a 90’s classic feel to it and I loved every minute. From the first scene where Amy and Molly were heading to school but decided to dance in the middle of the street, it was a great start to a film that reminded me of how my friends and I communicate. When Amy and Molly had an argument in front of everybody at the party, it reminded me of how me and my best friend would go at it. But when the two got back together and hugged it out, I thought “Yes, they are best friends, this is something I’ve been through.” Booksmartstood out because it felt like my life, in some ways, was being told.

– Shauneida Jackson

Hustlers

Read our review here

Hustlers could have easily been a empty shell excuse to get the female audience invested and cash in on male attention. Instead, Hustlers was placed in the brilliant hands of Lorene Scafaria, who opted for the sales pitch of “Goodfellas ala Magic Mike”. The performances are perfect and nail down both Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu as dramatic actors who can command a screen. The editing of Hustlers is also breathtaking, with decisions to play audio only from a phone call during a scene between two women on the phone. All of these qualities make Hustlers a can’t miss for 2019.

– Ryan Sterritt

Jojo Rabbit 

Read our review here

Taika Waititi is undoubtedly a risk-taking director, as I don’t know many others who would direct a coming of age Nazi satire. Let alone play the role of Hitler as a Nazi youth’s fantasy best friend. Clever and whimsical in its evisceration of fascism as incredibly stupid, Jojo Rabbit nevertheless knows when to play things dark and serious. With a talented cast of committed A-list actors and a standout performance by Roman Griffin Davis, this is undoubtedly one of the most unique films of the year. Whether the film deserves to treat something as dark as the Nazis with this silly tone, however, is a matter of discussion.

– Ben Wasserman

John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

Read our review here

Proving that a near perfect trilogy can be made, John Wick Chapter 3 is a marvelous film that is exciting, brutally entertaining and well worth the two years following Chapter 2’s cliffhanger. Keanu Reeves delivers yet another great performance as the deadly assassin who is impossible to kill, no matter who comes after him. Featuring some of the best action sequences in recent years, John Wick Parabellum isn’t just a great action movie but an exceptional example of great filmmaking. With the announcement of Chapter 4, John Wick has become an action icon on par with some of the greatest action characters in cinematic history. John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum is worth the money, time and will surely not disappoint you.

– Rick Rice

I would have liked John Wick Chapter 3 merely for John’s Pitbull, even fighting beside him like Halle Berry’s German shepherds. This isn’t a film I’ll forget because every scene was overdone in a great way, from the shooting scenes to John fighting a motorcyclist on a horse- it all felt amazing and so effortlessly shot. I really enjoyed the cinematography, especially during the scene where John has to fight a pair of Japanese assassins in a room full of mirrors. It felt like John was leveling up every time he beat up a henchman before getting to the final boss, which was also a great battle. Every scene of this film was detailed and I can’t wait for the next John Wick addition.

– Shauneida Jackson

Joker

Read our review here

I already had high hopes for this movie, considering Joaquin Phoenix and Robert DeNiro were attached. But when I finally sat in my seat and the lights dimmed, I had no idea what kind of treat I was getting into. It was everything I could have ever hoped for a Joker movie and more. Everything about it was perfect, from the writing, to the directing, to the score, to the cinematography, to Joaquin Phoenix’s mesmerizing performance. This has become an instant favorite of mine not just in 2019, but of all time — and let me tell you, I’ve seen A LOT of movies over the years.

– Noah Pfister

This film took a subversive approach to the typical villain-hero dichotomy. It developed the infamous Joker in a way that left room for sympathetic sadness, hate, even glee. The acting, cinematography, and writing created the world of the Joker as one the audience easily becomes encapsulated in. By the end of the film, it was impossible to not have been moved, in some way, by the chaotic and complex narrative. Love or hate the concept of sympathizing with a psychopath, there is no doubt the film was produced near flawlessly and executed a beautiful artistic vision in its storytelling.

– Natalie Holderbaum

Midsommar

Read our review here

It’s unbelievable that Ari Aster managed to match the greatness of his 2018 directorial debut Hereditary with Midsommar, but immediately following my first viewing of the film I knew it would be my favorite of the year. Taking the concept of a “breakup movie” to an entirely new level, the film follows college student Dani as she travels to Sweden  following a family tragedy alongside her insufferable boyfriend, Jack, and his grad school friends. I was floored from the first scene on, completely mesmerized by such extreme horrors taking place in beautiful Scandinavia. You’ve been warned.

– Anabel Prince

Ari Aster set the bar high when he changed the horror game with Hereditary in 2018. To say he dodged the sophomore slump with this year’s Midsommar would be an understatement. Aster manages to craft another complex exploration of trauma while introducing new questions about empathy, community, and even bigotry in academia. Everything about this film is unforgettable—from the imagery to the performances to the score—and fuels the horror renaissance by switching out jump scares for a deep, lingering terror that gets under your skin and stays there.

– Alicia Devereaux

Parasite

Read our review here

It’s rare that you get such a confident storyteller laying out an important message while delivering it in a commercially packaged vehicle. Parasite is that vehicle. The struggle of the Kim’s and the luxury of the Park family are an exhilarating comparison, especially how they feed off of each other. The story is only made better by a third act twist that flips everything on its’ head. This is a story of family and the struggles we go through to do right by our own.

– Ryan Sterritt

It’s thrilling enough to see a foreign language film gain so much mainstream traction in the States… but it’s even better when that movie is Parasite. Bong Joon-Ho’s Palme d’Or winner transcends Western concepts of genre, offering some of the funniest movie moments of the year along with some of the most unsettling. It’s not only a brutal social satire but also a masterclass in storytelling that will have you picking up on new details on every rewatch. Thanks to this exposure to Korean cinema and Joon-Ho’s arresting style in particular, I think American filmmakers will begin to challenge their own conventions and push the boundaries of cinema, while American audiences will give more foreign films the attention they deserve.

– Alicia Devereaux

The Farewell 

Read our review here

Everyone and their mother has raved about Lulu Wang’s The Farewell since its debut at Sundance in January, and for good reason. Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ breakout star Awkwafina in her first dramatic leading role, the actress shines throughout as Billie (based on Wang herself), a 30 year-old first generation Chinese American struggling to keep a family secret: Her grandmother, Nai Nai, is dying of cancer, and no one plans on telling her. What follows is a heartfelt, hilarious film that relates to anyone familiar with extended family drama, first gen or not.

– Anabel Prince

The Irishman

Read our review here

Even with fifty years of movies under his belt, The Irishman proves that Martin Scorsese remains in a class of his own amongst modern directors. Compared to his classics like Goodfellas and Casino, this is a very postmortem look at the mob life through the supposed accounts of Frank Sheeran, played by Robert De Niro. Joined by Al Pacino and an out of retirement Joe Pesci, Scorsese creates another sprawling tale through some masterful de-aging technology that captures his characters at literally every stage of their careers. Whether its Netflix production label bars The Irishman from a Best Picture win is unknown, but let’s hope the Academy learns its lesson rather than pull another Green Book on us.

–  Ben Wasserman

The Lighthouse

Read our review here

I was invested in The Lighthouse since I saw the first trailer. After seeing the nightmare fuel that was Robert Eggers’ The Witch, I was prepared to see his next feature outing. Or… at least I thought I was. The Lighthouse was one of the most visually horrifying movies I had ever seen and left me feeling sick to my stomach after watching it. But with all things considered, the movie itself is a work of pure genius, with every frame carefully thought and executed masterfully. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattsion stole every scene they were in together and I found myself laughing and (REDACTED) bricks the entire way through. But most of all, it was the movie’s charm and presentation is what really sold me, combining  square aspect ratio, black and white 35mm film stock, and mono sound to transport me to a time and place I never thought I’d see in the modern day. If this film isn’t enough to show what kind of auteur Robert Eggers is, I don’t know what will.

– Noah Pfister

This A24 film pushed the boundaries for what one would expect to find playing in a mainstream movie theater. Shot on film and incorporating elements of the avant-garde, The Lighthouse proved effectively disturbing as a psychological drama, making even the most neurotypical audience member question their sanity. Two lighthouse keepers attempt to distinguish reality from psychosis, as they survive in isolation for the duration of a wicked storm. This film troubled me beyond words, but its stylistic choices and quality positioned it as undeniably well-crafted and intriguing.

– Natalie Holderbaum

Us

Read our Analysis of Us here

Us sees Lupita Nyong’o shine as both one of the best horror movie protagonists andantagonists in recent memory. Riding the hype of Jordan Peele’s breakout Oscar-winning social thriller Get Out, Us adopts a more straightforward horror approach. A family of four drives up for an inconspicuous weekend at the beach, only for their house to be invaded by red jumpsuit-wearing, scissor-wielding doppelgängers. From there things get even more intense, weaving between scares and laughs via an allegorical critique of American privilege. Even on his sophomore film, Peele’s become one of the best new directors in Hollywood and I can’t wait to see where he goes next.

– Ben Wasserman

Following up the success of his Oscar winning 2017 horror film Get Out, comedian-turned-writer/director Jordan Peele’s sophomore film Us manages to be even more surreal and mind bending. On top of terrific performances, excellent filmmaking, and an ending that will make you rethink everything you just saw, Us further emphasizes that Peels has a prosperous career in horror.

– Zachary Sosland

Upcoming Releases to Look Out For:

– Frozen II– November 22nd

– A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood– November 22nd

– Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker– December 20th

– 1917– December 25th

Updates

11/15/19- Shazam, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Always Be My Maybe, Toy Story 4 and Hotel Mumbai removed from the list

11/15/19- Joker, The Farewell, Parasite, Hustlers, The Lighthouse, Midsommar, Jojo Rabbit and The Irishman added to the list

11/15/19- Toy Story 4, Captain Marvel, Rocketman and How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World removed from the list