Another year, another slew of amazing movies and 2019 has had no shortage of those. Throughout the year we've seen tremendous blockbusters and indie darlings, runaway hits and sleeper success, and as we will cover in yet another edition of Best Movies of the Year (That You May Have Missed), there plenty of hidden gems that deserve the spotlight.
Of course, this Best Of list will exclude any and all blockbusters, even if they didn't make quite as much money as fans and the studio would've liked to see (TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL), as these movies have done well for themselves in one way or another — even if was just dominating conversations for a week. But on the flip side, there are plenty of great movies that should've gotten more audience attention — like MIDSOMMAR, THE FAREWELL, PARASITE and JOJO RABBIT — but have stayed in the conversation for a large chunk of the year. This because they have — on top of being amazing movies — had much written about them and/or have had major presences in this awards season, the latter three securing nominations at the Golden Globes and will likely have places at the Oscars. Indie movies for sure, but ones that have had no problem rising above the pack and staying in the conversation by the end of the year in major ways.
The following 25 slots are reserved for movies that — for the vast majority — didn't get much attention in theaters or streaming, and/or have been mostly shut out with awards season in full swing. As the year comes to a close, the best friend these titles have is word of mouth and the hope that they're seen by curious movie fans. They're future cult classics, genre mainstays, and hidden heartbreakers, and between all of them, there's remarkable craftsmanship and a parade of fantastic performances. Best of all, there's something for everyone; if you're looking for thrills, chills, tears or a mixture of it all, chances are there's a hidden gem in here waiting to blow your mind.
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1. The Art of Self-Defense
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots
If you haven't seen THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE – Riley Stearns’ black-comedy set in the world of suburban martial arts – then perhaps you’ve at least heard it labeled as a modern FIGHT CLUB. It may have a lack of a shirtless Brad Pitt or comedic moments with sacks of leftover fat, but it lives up to the comparison by examining the modern social constructs of what it means to be a man in this modern world. Better yet, it does it with an idiosyncratic sense of humor, bursts of extreme violence and an unexpected level of suspense that makes a movie that always keeps you on the back foot. Simply put, this movie manages to be so bizarre while staying so deceptively low key, so really there’s no telling where it could go. Starring Jesse Eisenberg in his best post-SOCIAL NETWORK role as an unassuming man drawn to martial arts after being attacked, Alessandro Nivola steals the show as his Sensei, the leader of the dojo with cult leader control. Centering on men and the deconstruction (and making fun) of toxic manhood, Imogen Poots breaks the mold as Anna, eager to and often successfully trouncing the boys at every turn. The humor of Stearns’ script is so blunt and odd it’s enough to make the movie come off as just a peculiar drama, but the trio of excellent performers expertly hit all the right notes to drive home the black comedy, then weaving effortlessly into the spurts of squeamish violence. Making just over $2 million, this is the kind of movie that was never going to break out at the box office, destined instead for cult classic status. Smart, funny and bloody, ART OF SELF-DEFENSE examines the nature of manhood in the modern era in a wholly unique way, made all the better by making a wiener dog a star player.
Read our review here!
2. Atlantics
Writers: Mati Diop, Olivier Demangel
Starring: Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Traoré, Nicole Sougou, Aminata Kan
Now the Senegalese submission for the Best International Feature trophy at the Oscars, Mati Diop's ATLANTICS first hit radars when it became the first movie directed by a Black woman to be featured In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was soon picked up by Netflix, but coming out around the same time as the streaming service's other heavy hitters, THE IRISHMAN and MARRIAGE STORY, sort of buried it in the discussion. That's a shame, because if you're looking for a slow burn romance story laced with supernatural chills, this year provided you with no better option than this one. Starring Mame Bineta Sane in a shining role as Ada, the story centers on a young woman who's being forced to marry a wealthy, globe-trotting man, despite her being madly in love with Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré), a man who has no money in his pocket but has passion in his heart. After a boat carrying Souleiman and the other young men of the town capsizes at sea, Ada is left heartbroken and lost, but soon the spirits of the lost men come back to merge with the bodies of the young women, who begin taking revenge on a wealthy contractor who cheated them out of money. Sane is compelling as Ada, left to contemplate an uncertain future, discovering her sense of self as the spirit of Souleiman comes creeping into her life. And creeping is a keyword here, as the spirits inhabiting the bodies of the young women make for some of the more unnerving moments of the year (who knew nothing but white eyes could go so far?). Diop gives her movie a constantly intimate undercurrent, blending the heat of the Dakar town with the passion of the story, throwing in some seriously creepy vibes on top. A lot is happening here that can sometimes shift focus away from the story of Ada, but the theme is always clear that the ghosts of our past always stay with us and can guide us as we change course after tragedy and move into a new day. And, yeah, I still get goosebumps thinking about a certain shot or two.
3. Blinded By the Light
Writers: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha, Sarfraz Manzoor
Starring: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Dean-Charles Chapman, Aaron Phagura
Should you ever need a burst of feel-good energy wrapped big emotional resonance and a timeless soundtrack to make the world seem filled with endless opportunity, then BLINDED BY THE LIGHT is waiting for you. Based on a true story, the film from Gurinder Chadha (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra), a young man from a strict Muslim household who after years of dreaming of getting out of his small English town is introduced to the music of Bruce Springsteen, and the doors of the world are immediately blown off. Soon he's barreling down the street singing "Born to Run", eliciting weird looks from the surrounding public and causing others to join in the excitement. Giving the rousing musical moments more meaning is the well-drawn conflict between Javed and his father, Malik (Kulvinder Ghir), as well as the tense social/racial issues in England at the time. Whenever Javed feels down and like he may never be able to escape, he just cranks some Bruce, sings to the heavens, and propels forward. It's a movie about how music can enrich and speak to the soul, and it's a story told with its own unbreakable, infectious spirit and with terrific work from Kalra, Ghir and more. Despite being met with critical acclaim at various festivals the movie failed to reach the numbers of another (and inferior) movie about music, YESTERDAY, and made only $17 million worldwide off a $15 million budget, and soon lost steam in the public eye. But now that the movie is on Blu-ray and Digital you can all get out there, crank up the volume and be swept up by the power of The Boss and this delightful, heartwarming flick.
Read our review here!
4. Booksmart
Writers: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman
Starring: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Billie Lourd, Diana Silvers
High school movies have been a major spoke in the wheel of movies since their heyday in the 80s and the John Hughes era, to the point where most can be tossed onto a pile with the many other forgettable entries. But now and again a few can shine from the pack, and this year's BOOKSMART earns its place as one of the very best to come from the genre this whole decade. The directorial debut of Olivia Wilde centers on two longtime friends on the eve of high school graduation (Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever) who realize they've never cut loose like their classmates. Determined to make some memories, the two set out on a crazy night that progressively gets more bananas, with truths about their friendship bubbling up in the process. It certainly can't escape some comparisons to movies like DAZED AND CONFUSED and SUPERBAD, but it without a doubt has its own voice and wild sense of humor, filled with a colorful cast of characters brought to life wonderfully by the impressive supporting cast. Feldstein and Dever own the show, turning in star-making performances that have already made them some of 2019's standout talents. Earning rave reviews out of Sundance, the movie was oddly set for a May release by Annapurna, with big blockbusters taking over much of the tickets sales, then ending with $24 million worldwide. That's not bad for the kind of movie it is and considering the budget ($6 million), but a later release could've poised it to better box office performance and awards potential given its crowd-pleasing potential. Luckily, it's managed to not be totally forgotten by awards season, but I still feel it hasn't gotten quite the attention it deserves, so if you haven't had a chance to check out one of the best high school movies of all time, best get out there and get busy livin'.
Read our review here!
5. Brittany Runs a Marathon
Starring: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock
Much like the movies THE REPORT and LATE NIGHT, BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON won over critics and audiences out of Sundance, leading Amazon to scoop it up for a whopping $14 million. Jillian Bell plays Brittany, a woman who decides to lose weight and get her life on track by taking up running and training for the New York City Marathon. In the wrong hands, this movie could've been many things, like an all-too-fluffy rom-com filled with a lot of skipping and upbeat music, or worse, a comedy that does nothing but fat-shame at the expense of the lead character. But similar to 2015's TRAINWRECK, Colaizzo's movie centers on a complex lead character whose journey towards self-improvement is filled with ups and downs, triumphs and failures, and a few embarrassing moments. Her journey is most compelling when she's having to reconcile her insecurities, feeling like no matter what she does she will always be "a fat girl." Jillian Bell makes the case for her landing more leading roles as Brittany, bringing to her a natural hilarity and relatable level of internal pain. She owns every moment of success and keeps us with her through self-destructive habits. Also like TRAINWRECK, the movie has the comedy chops, smarts, and crowd-pleasing capability to have been a hit, but Amazon released it like an indie film — doing well in limited theaters on opening weekend but petering out upon expansion — when it could've gone big right out of the gate. Now it lives on Amazon Prime, which is great because it is the kind of movie that makes for easy, feel-good viewing, but it isn't reliant on those sensibilities to the point where it's lacking in any depth.
Read our review here!
6. Climax
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub, Kiddy Smile, Claude Gajan Maull, Giselle Palmer
The premise of Gaspar Noe's CLIMAX centers on a group of dancers coming together to, well, dance, only for a mysterious someone to spike the drinks and send everyone from having a blast on the dance floor to descending into a spiraling madness filled with violence, sex, and hellish euphoria. Noe ensures that you’ll feel exactly what they’re feeling every step of the way, placing viewers in a claustrophobic party space filled with dancers of incredible talent – introducing you to their various dynamics and relationships – all before taking off every hinge and plunging us into the grips of escalating insanity – centered on some very sweaty people. No matter how prepared you think you may be Noe always manages to veer off into more shocking territory, gliding between characters while ramping everything up off-screen. Okay, maybe I’m skirting around the point: This movie is f**king bonkers and intoxicating in the craziest ways. The characters are on some strong LSD, and the movie will make you feel like you are too. That may not sound like your cup of tea, and it wasn’t for some critics who saw the movie coming out of Sundance, with audiences split down the middle. It’s a jarring experience you need to prepare yourself for, and if you get swept up in the impeccable dance moves, an incredible performance from Sofia Boutella and submit to the ever-swirling chaos it will be unlike any moviegoing experience you have had so far this year. Just, never drink the punch at parties. Ever.
Read Arrow In the Head's review here!
7. The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
Starring: Ma Dong-seok, Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Sung-kyu, Choi Min-chul
The South Korean film everyone is talking about this year is Bong Joon-ho’s PARASITE, but director Lee Won-tae delivered an impressive outing of his own with the cop thriller THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL. Based on a true story about – you guessed it – a gangster and a cop teaming up to catch a serial killer after former is attacked by him, GCD blends some unexpected black humor and some hard-hitting action thrills to make for a movie with so much to love. As a director/writer, Won-tae keeps the suspense palpable by painting an even portrait of head gang boss, Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok), and cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol), as two men on opposite sides of the law who reluctantly work together, but who have their individual motivations and goals and clash more than once – all while the killer roams free. Dong-seok gained more notoriety on this side of the ocean for his work in the zombie flick TRAIN TO BUSAN, and here he proves a talent to keep watching. He’s a bull of man, imposing and dominating every scene he’s in, but having a glimmer of vulnerability underneath the tough exterior. Do you like awesome cop thrillers? Do you like the eccentricities that come with some of the best that South Korean cinema has to offer? Then why are you still reading this?
8. Her Smell
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Agyness Deyn, Gayle Rankin, Ashley Benson, Virginia Madsen, Amber Heard
As awards season kicks into the high gear with all the guilds and Globes people putting out their nominations, everyone begins to talk about what is deserved and what’s not, and lots going around about who's been snubbed. We all have the performances we think should be getting more attention, and with that in mind, I would like to step on the largest soapbox I could find and shout with uncontrollable rage that Elisabeth Moss is being woefully overlooked. And I say “woefully” while shaking my fist to the heavens! Across nearly two and half hours, Moss owns every second as rock star Becky Something (leader of the band Something She), a woman of immense destructive capabilities, both for herself and everyone around her. Kicking in the door fueled by drugs, booze, and her insecurities, Something is in everyone’s face, aggressive, unpredictable, mad and sometimes hilarious, and through it all, Moss is the epitome of the line “Can’t take your eyes off the screen.” It’s a tour de force performance in every sense of the word, and the fact no organization is properly bowing down to her work is further evidence that voters don’t look very far come voting time. The movie itself is hit and miss, with writer/director Alex Ross Perry a little too indulgent stylistically, and sometimes losing what story there is in the process. But as an actor’s director, he makes the right call putting Moss front and center, and with the performance she gives, I would aim to push the runtime that long too.
9. High Life
Writers: Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth
Over this decade, plenty of sci-fi films have come out and left their mark on the genre, and all without having the words “Star” and “Wars” anywhere in the title. Movies like GRAVITY, INTERSTELLAR, ARRIVAL and THE MARTIAN have landed on Earth and asked questions about the nature of humanity – often with some thrilling production values backing them up. While some may look at a few of these movies and find them asking and answering easy questions, tucked away in the corner of sci-fi gems is HIGH LIFE, a sexual, eerie and alluring sci-fi-drama from director Claire Denis. With a meditative and haunting tone, Denis’ film asks challenging questions about the nature of human existence as it nears its end – centering on a small band of criminals sent into space to find alternative energy methods. Led by powerful work from Juliette Binoche and Robert Pattinson, Denis’ film asks hard-hitting questions but posits no simple answers and does so by making use of captivating visuals and cinematography from Yorick Le Saux. Denis is also never afraid to make her movie get gross, which even involves some intricate sex machinery that Binoche is a true trooper for using. It’s poetic even when it’s off-putting, and if you’re looking for some challenging space material that doesn’t feature moon battles and laser swords (all awesome stuff), then this is your flick.
Read our review here!
10. Honey Boy
Writer: Shia LaBeouf
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Noah Jupe, Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs
A child star of the Disney scene, Shia LaBeouf had a harder time coming up than people probably realized as they were watching him scream “OPTIMUS!” in the TRANSFORMERS movies. A very public personal life and years of therapy later, LaBeouf has channeled his story into the therapeutic film HONEY BOY, which mirrors specific periods of his life as a young child actor (Noah Jupe) and an angry, troubled A-list star (Lucas Hedges) in the fictional character, Otis Lort. All of it tracks back to his relationship with his rodeo clown father, played by LaBeouf himself in a transformative performance. Directed by Alma Har’el with unflinching honesty to match the script, HONEY BOY is as truthful of cinema as you’re likely to see this year. An incredibly personal story told lovingly, both actors playing Otis knock it out of the park, with Jupe proving talent and maturity far beyond his years, and Hedges doing some of his best work yet – which stands for something considering his Oscar-nominated work in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA and great work since then. But it’s LaBeouf who owns the day here, not only with his remarkable talent on the page but with a performance that should make him a top contender for a Best Supporting Actor trophy – attention for which is extremely lacking on an Elisabeth Moss in HER SMELL-level of criminality. HONEY BOY is one of those movies where the only crime is that there isn’t enough of it, like how much of the movie is centered more on the Ortis’ young days and not as much on his rehab phase as an adult. But that’s just me being selfish. This is a poignant story told beautifully on numerous levels, made all the more worth it to see LaBeouf as a balding man breaking down on a toilet.
Read our review here!
11. In Fabric
Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, Gwendoline Christie, Julian Barratt
IN FABRIC is a movie about a killer dress. It’s a dress that causes people to do crazy shit, strangles people, and has a mind of its own and glides across the floor towards its target. If that sounds like a bonkers time with a movie, it very much lives up to that expectation. What makes Peter Strickland’s movie so much more is that it doesn’t rest entirely on the very wild premise, and instead the director crafted an ode to genre films of the 70s (SUSPIRIA rings the biggest bell) to tell a story about the folly of consumerism through the weirdest lens possible. There are witches who win the prize for best Black Friday marketing ever, a surprising amount of zany black humor that somehow manages to complement the creepy atmosphere – not belittle it – and some strong performances from a game cast. As a way of demonstrating the grand effect the dress has on several people, the movie switches character focus halfway through, which is a style I don’t always feel like is executed effectively, but if anything, everything just gets weirder from then on, so it’s still a captivating ride nonetheless. More jarring than frightening and bizarre to the point where casual horror fans may not get quite the kick out of it, IN FABRIC it’s a late-in-the-game genre gem that warrants a viewing for its style, confident direction, and, well…it’s about a dress that kills people.
Read our review here!
12. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Writers: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert
Starring: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Danny Glover, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO had quite the journey getting made. Director and co-writer Joe Talbot and star Jimmie Fails took to Kickstarter to raise $75,000 to make the short film that led to this movie, and after it debuted at Sundance it got Talbot in the room with people at Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, who put up the money for the feature production, with A24 jumping to help distribute. The result is a love letter to San Francisco, a city undergoing immense change and told from the perspective of Jimmie (Fails), who clings to his childhood home despite an older white couple living inside. A story about finding out where your true home is and carving out a new future for yourself, LAST BLACK MAN is a poetically told tale with a wonderful friendship at its core, with Jonathan Majors turning in a tremendous supporting performance as Mont. Talbot has an impeccable eye that makes him a talent to watch, giving life to parts of the city not often captured as well on film, balancing between solid drama and bursts of humor. Coming out of Sundance the movie was poised for awards contention, with Talbot winning the Dramatic Directing Award, and the movie being nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. But now with awards season in full swing, the movie has been left off many lists – which may have to do with the early summer release date. Not the kind of movie to break the box office, the movie came out a bit too early and didn’t stay in public eye for long. It’s a shame because the script and Majors’ performance should at least be getting more attention. But that’s why we have this piece! The movie is on Digital and Blu-ray, and this soulful story may very well end up on your Top 10 for the year.
13. The Lighthouse
Writers: Robert Eggers, Max Eggers
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe
Robert Eggers became one of the top horror directors to watch after his tremendous debut with THE WITCH, a colonial-set horror flick filled with atmospheric dread and Shakespearean dialect. For his follow-up feature, THE LIGHTHOUSE, Eggers jumps ahead a few hundred years to the late 19th Century, centering on two salty lighthouse keepers who are, let’s say, going through some shit. A genre movie but not quite having the straight chills of WITCH, Eggers expands on his craft by telling a story rooted in the style of the great American mythos, a combination of Herman Melville and Edgar Allen Poe. The result is a richly complex film with seemingly endless possible interpretations, so much to where I dare not even begin to cover them here. What makes this movie required viewing for cinephiles rests even in the superficial details, like Eggers shooting on 35mm film and in 1.19:1 aspect ratio, giving the movie the look of the older horror films from the beginning of moviemaking history. Front and center are among the two finest performances of the year from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as drenched, calloused seamen in close quarters with one another, spitting Eggers’ era-accurate dialogue that makes for arresting, crazy monologues. And indeed, this movie has its crazy, darkly comic moments, sometimes involving a weathered sea bird who drives Pattinson’s character up a wall. There was so much hype leading up to the release – especially considering Eggers’ last movie – and was met with critical acclaim coming out of the film festivals. Perhaps A24 had hoped the movie would get the same attention from audiences that last year’s HEREDITARY and this year’s MIDSOMMAR did, but the movie was not at all embraced by the moviegoing public. While WITCH rode the hype to a decent $20+ million domestically, THE LIGHTHOUSE only got to $10 million despite a solid release, not winning over audiences that instead flocked to JOKER and maybe even JOJO RABBIT and PARASITE. It’s getting some attention on the indie awards circuit, but for the most part, the cinematography, script, and acting are going mostly ignored, which is a shame considering the supreme craft involved. But the movie heading to Blu-ray and Digital soon as of this writing, so if you didn’t see it in theaters, be sure to break out some bitter booze and sit down with this one ASAP.
Read our review here!
14. Love, Antosha
Narrated by: Nicolas Cage
In June 2016 the entertainment world lost a young talent in Anton Yelchin, who died in what was labeled a “freak accident” at age 27. Film fans may have recognized him from a plethora of work, from indie outings like CHARLIE BARTLETT and big blockbusters like the STAR TREK movies. But as LOVE, ANTOSHA so lovingly, heartbreakingly reveals is that there was so much to his talent that the world never got to see – until now. Filled with archival footage and Yelchin’s own photography, director Garret Price traces Yelchin’s love of performing back to his early days as a child actor and burgeoning cinephile, and traced his artistic expansion as he grew older. Yelchin dipped his toes into all manner of artistic expression, the picture being painted of his insatiable need to express himself in a variety of ways. A wide assortment of talent like Chris Pine, Jennifer Lawrence, JJ Abrams and more recall their time with Yelchin – the most heartwarming recollections coming from his mother, whom he was very close with. Plenty of documentaries like ONE CHILD NATION and AMERICAN FACTORY are (rightfully) earning a lot of praise this awards season and are easily accessible on Netflix and Amazon, but LOVE, ANTOSHA is a true love letter in every sense of the word, one that sheds light on its subject in many revealing ways, and the waterworks will flow from start to finish as you see how deep it digs into the mind and talent of a man who had so much left to give.
15. Luce
Director: Julius Onah
Writers: Julius Onah, JC Lee
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Tim Roth
This year was perhaps one of the very best – if not the best – years for movies this century, and LUCE sports one of the best small ensembles of this amazing year of movies. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, and Tim Roth each hit it out of the park and into the parking lot in Julius Onah’s high school-set drama, which centers on an escalating conflict between star-student Luce (Harrison) and his teacher, Harriet (Spencer). Onah and JC Lee’s script weaves a weighty ensemble drama digging into the perceptions we have of one another, and the pressures set upon exceptional individuals – especially a young Black man like Luce – who was adopted from a war-torn country by his parents (Watts and Roth). The dynamics between everyone and the taut dialogue make LUCE play out just as much like a twisty thriller as it is a compelling drama, with Luce perhaps hiding more than his parents care to see. Harrison Jr. is especially terrific here, giving Luce a likable charm but with an ever-calm, suspicious demeanor that can come off as a bit sociopathic. LUCE moves like a stage play, with the performances and the writing the true stars, and like many of the movies on this list it was hailed upon arrival, but barely registered at the box office. It’s now out in the world of streaming and if you’re a fan of top-quality drama LUCE is one of the best offerings in an overall fantastic year.
Read our review here!
16. The Nightingale
Director/Writer: Jennifer Kent
Starring: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman
Much like Eggers coming off THE WITCH and into THE LIGHTHOUSE, a lot of eyes were on Jennifer Kent for her post-BABADOOK feature, THE NIGHTENGALE. Tackling a horror of a very different sort, her new movie is set in 1825 and centers on a young woman, Clare, (Aisling Franciosi) who is sexually assaulted and made to watch her husband and baby killed. Soon after, she picks herself back up and heads onto the road to hunt down the men who took away everything from her (Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman). Showing and addressing rape in the way Kent does is no easy maneuver, but unlike exploitation movies of the past, she doesn’t revel in the horror, but uses it as a springboard to tell a story of revenge and discovering what kind of person you really are after a tragedy occurs. Laced in is an examination of social and racial issues prevalent in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) at the time, with an Aboriginal man named “Billy” (Baykali Ganambarr) helping her track them down. Long, dour, violent, difficult to watch but emotionally rewarding in the end, THE NIGHTENGALE finds Kent pushing herself through challenging material that will no doubt put many at an unease they may never get over, but she comes out the other end an even more mature director. Fransciosi should also be in awards talk for her role, giving a powerhouse performance that puts her through unbelievable ringers. Ganambarr, Claflin, and Herriman are also great in the movie, which no doubt thanks to the subject matter didn’t even make $1 million by the end of its limited theatrical run, despite positive buzz out of Sundance. It’s a rough movie, to be sure, but by the end, the sheer emotional power of it rises well above the harder material.
Read our review here!
17. One Cut of the Dead
Director/Writer: Shin'ichirô Ueda
Starring: Takayuki Hamatsu, Mao, Harumi Syuhama, Yuzuki Akiyama, Kazuaki Nagaya
While there are a few great zombie comedies out there (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, WARM BODIES, ZOMBIELAND), ONE CUT OF THE DEAD manages to be a cut above the rest by being so damn pure of heart and brazenly silly. The low-budget flick from Shin'ichirô Ueda centers on a film unit making their own zombie movie, only for actual zombies to come charging onto the set, and for the director (Takayuki Hamatsu) ordering to keep everything rolling. This bonkers premise gives everything mad-dash energy that’s just too playful to not be swept up in. When that’s mixed with the evident homage to early George A. Romero movies the whole thing, at its best, feels like you’re watching the playback of your own home-made zombie flick – and it’s a blast. Made for the equivalent of $25,000, the movie earned a following in its native Japan, where it went on to wild success and made the equivalent of $30 million. It didn’t get quite the audience here ($50,000 at the B.O.), but it currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and stands as one of the best-reviewed movies of the year. I believe that’s because the boundless energy and inventiveness are enough to overcome any of the evident flaws (a second act slump), and some killer performances (Harumi Shuhama, above) elevate the fun to gory glory.
Read Arrow in the Head's review here!
18. The Peanut Butter Falcon
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church
A few of the movies on this list manage to light a fire in your heart and make whatever hellscape that awaits you in the real world seem slightly more faded away. Of all these movies with such a big heart, PEANUT BUTTER FALCON outsizes them all by a country mile. Much like THE LIGHTHOUSE but lacking the smell of barnacles, FALCON recalls the spirit of 19th Century American literature, most notably the work of Mark Twain and stories like “Huckleberry Finn”. Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a man with Down syndrome, dreams of escaping the confines of the retirement home he has to live in so that he can travel south to attend the wrestling school headed by his idol, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Along the way, he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who while outrunning his own problems embraces Zak and helps him on his quest – only for caretaker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) to crash the party. An adventure across the swampy, humid South, this equal parts hilarious and sweet tale is fueled by the instant bond of Zak and Tyler. If only for a brief moment at the start are there some growing pains, but very soon their friendship is sturdier than the mightiest boat, as Tyler sees Zak as someone not to be coddled but who should get to live life as fully and openly as anyone else. LaBeouf adds to his HONEY BOY work with another stellar performance, and newcomer Gottsagen leaps right into the muddy waters and wins the day. It’s storytelling at some of its most heartwarming and funny this year, and it’s one of those little gems that I guarantee will make your day a little sweeter.
Read our review here!
19. The Report
Starring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Ted Levine, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, Maura Tierney, Jon Hamm
During the early months of 2019, there were probably a few movies that hit your radar if you were paying attention to the scene, and surely one of them was Scott Z. Burns’ THE REPORT starring Adam Driver. Hailed as one of the best movies to come out of Sundance, it was seen as a strong awards contender that was sure to blow people away with its unfettered recounting of the investigation into the CIA’s use of torture after 9/11. Amazon bought the distribution for a reported $14 million, and one of the earliest contenders was made known. But then the movie came out for a limited theater run, the small run was made smaller its second weekend after very disappointing numbers, and its awards qualifying run never went further than those few weeks. The movie is now streaming on Prime, and yet whatever buzz was built has faded almost completely, with reviews staying positive, but reception dwindling upon its major release. While I don’t think it would’ve had a strong placement come awards season anyway, the movie is still an incredible expose into the shady workings of the government, who so flippantly resorted to torture to gather information, even though the signs were clear no results were coming from it. At the tip of the spear is Driver’s Daniel Jones and Annette Bening’s Sen. Dianne Feinstein, both of whom are excellent in this. Driver is measured and almost robotic as Jones (as the role calls for), only to carefully build-up to some fiery speeches that drive home the story’s passion. Burns, both behind the camera and script, gives his movie no frills nor many thrills, opting instead for strong facts and information in a clear, focused presentation. That might make this a bit of a slog for some, and probably why it didn’t register in wide release, but for anyone who likes their journalistic stories and government exposes meticulously researched and with a call to arms for accountability, THE REPORT is more than worth your time.
Read our review here!
20. Shadow
Writers: Zhang Yimou, Wei Li
Starring: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu, Wang Jingchun
Director Zhang Yimou broke into the Western eye with martial arts epics like HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, and after stepping away from the genre a bit after 2006’s CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER – and ignoring the opus of THE GREAT WALL – Yimou is back in thrilling form with SHADOW. His past epics have leaned more towards colorful extravagance on a visual level, but here he’s in a new territory by adhering strictly to the yin-yang of a black and white palette, crafting arresting visuals against a story of dueling power dynamics. A quiet approach to storytelling – spending a lot of time between a few characters in few locations – SHADOW is no less thrilling in the action department, with the choreography as inventive as you would expect from the man behind the camera. This man has an army of fighters sliding down on a rain-slicked road on umbrellas made of knives, with said umbrellas then being used in twisty, elegant combat for full badass effect. The movie was a hit in its native China, grossing the equivalent of $90 million, but it didn’t make as much as his other movies that did okay stateside (HERO made a terrific $53 million back in 2004). Fans of martial arts epics are probably well aware of this one, but really, this is a must-watch for anyone who’s a fan of some slick action and gorgeous production design – and it’s kind of hard to imagine anyone not being a fan of those things.
21. The Souvenir
Director/Writer: Joanna Hogg
Starring: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton, Richard Ayoade
Coming of age films come in many forms, but I can think of fewer as gently poetic and sobering than Joanna Hogg’s THE SOUVENIR. Told with elegance, Hogg’s semi-autobiographical tale centers on film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne), who meets and falls in love with an older man (Tom Burke). As charming and seemingly complex as he is, he soon begins to demonstrate abusive tendencies, which Hoggs reveals in subtle ways, slowly showing taking advantage of her innocence and love for him. Ultimately, it’s a quiet almost dreamlike journey through one young woman’s evolution through a toxic relationship, suffering from it and finally becoming stronger through it all. At the heart of it all is Swinton Byrne, who turns in a star-making performance as Julie, capturing her wistful innocence, exhaustion, and eventually, strength with gentle ease. The wonderful final shot hints at far more to come in the story of Julie, and despite making less than $2 million at the box office, that’s exactly what we’re getting with a sequel set for next year in THE SOUVENIR PART II. This is perhaps the result of the critical acclaim, with many critics naming it one of the best movies of the year, and it picking up some award nominations from certain critics organizations. Hogg's story is deeply human and cathartic, and could even be the start of an unexpected trilogy you should keep an eye out for.
22. Tigers Are Not Afraid
Director/Writer: Issa López
Starring: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortes, Hanssel Casillas, Nery Arredondo, Tenoch Huerta
When you think of modern horror-fantasy with a sociopolitical twist, you may think of the work of Guillermo del Toro (THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, PAN’S LABYRINTH, THE SHAPE OF WATER). But now as 2019 comes to a close director Issa Lopez has planted a flag of her own in the field with the wondrous and haunting TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID. Set in a Mexican city suffering from the ongoing drug war, the story centers on several young children whose parents have vanished at the hands of the cartel, and are now left to navigate the treacherous world on their own. A young girl, Estrella, who after using a piece of chalk that will magically grant her three wishes, is haunted by disturbing images of her mother’s ghost. While never forgetting the playful spirit of the children at the core, the subject matter is undeniably grim and violent, but also it boasts a fulfilling sense of horror-fantasy that can inspire and terrify all in the same breath. The child stars front and center show some serious maturity in their acting chops, thrown into the heart of some dark territory by Lopez, who herself shows remarkable talent in blending various tones and visual elements. There are all sorts of terrors on-screen, from the very real violence of the drug war to the fantastical, ghostly visuals making use of unnerving makeup. TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID is one of those rare genre films that blends so much so effortlessly, telling a very adult story through the eyes of children. If you’re a fan of del Toro’s best work, you have no reason not to hunt this one down.
23. A Vigilante
Director/Writer: Sarah Dagger-Nickson
Starring: Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Tonye Patano
Olivia Wilde is on this list for a second time, but for this go around it’s for her work in front of the camera. Despite the presence of an A-list star, A VIGILANTE is one of the much, much lower-grossing films on the list, to the point where the only info available on Box Office Mojo lists its small international cume, totaling just over $83,000. Debuting at SXSW back in 2018, Saban Films snagged the distribution rights to the film from Sarah Dagger-Nickson, releasing it this last March. A vicious and compelling gem, this hard-hitting thriller centers on Wilde’s Sadie, a woman who after suffering years of abuse has honed her own fighting skills and travels around the country to aid other survivors by, to put it bluntly, beating the shit out of their abusers. Wilde turns in her best on-screen work as Sadie, an action hero in her own way, still recovering from years of abuse at the hands of a former partner. The material is challenging and sometimes off-putting, and Dagger-Nickson’s uncompromising eye places you right into the middle of Sadie’s physical and emotional struggles, highlighting the intensity of Wilde’s performance. Packing an unexpected punch, this is the kind of movie this sort of list is perfect for, as it got virtually no theatrical release and demands to be hunted down and watched (I rented it on Vudu, myself). Between her acting here and her direction on BOOKSMART, Wilde is heading into an exciting new phase of her career, and Dagger-Nickson is a talent to keep an eye on.
24. Waves
Director/Writer: Trey Edward Shults
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown
Set to Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed”, the trailer alone for WAVES packs an emotion punch large enough to send a tearful shiver up your spine – showcasing some incredible work from Sterling K. Brown. Finally getting to watch the final product, Trey Edward Shults’ follow-up to IT COMES AT NIGHT hits those same emotional highs and features even more incredible work from the likes of Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Taylor Russell – making for one of the best ensemble showcases of the year. Much like the other Harrison Jr. film, LUCE, this movie deals heavily in the heavy burden of expectations that can be placed on young people’s shoulders, with WAVES digger deeper into the psychological storms that can brew as a result. That result makes for a whopper of rage and tragedy, ultimately becoming a story of learning how to forgive and overcome anger. Like a mixture of IN FABRIC and HER SMELL, Shults switches up the narrative focus halfway through, which can be a little shaky, and he gets a bit carried away with some stylish flourishes (continuous 360-degree shots; several aspect ratio switches). Still, it’s an often hypnotic and complex examination of a family, and one that fits comfortably in a new era of teen-centric projects that aren’t afraid to veer into darkly thematic material, and with a little neon lighting to flesh it all out (HBO’s EUPHORIA). At the end of the day, the performances alone are reason enough to call this a must-see, with Harrison Jr., Russell, and Brown each turning in Oscar-worthy work that is sadly going ignored. Get your heads on straight, voters!
25. Wild Rose
Writer: Nicole Taylor
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo, Jamie Sives
The phrase “saving the best for last” is tired and I wish to have no part in peddling it any further – but the fact of the matter is given how this article is laid out I have to accept that WILD ROSE is where we end things, and it is indeed one of the very best movies out of the bunch. Another ode to music, this story centers on aspiring country singer Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley), who after leaving prison is reunited with her two children, but has all her sights set on becoming the next great country superstar. The thing is, she’s got a whole other section of her life and personality that needs sorting out, with her fiery, steadfast personality and music dreams complicating her relationship with her kids and her mother (Julie Walters), who is basically raising the children. A struggle between personal responsibility and keeping your dreams alive, this rich character drama is fueled by Buckley’s incredible, show-stopping performance, nailing the big country songs and the quieter moments off-stage. Her star has nowhere to go but up after this, and you need not look further for her talent than one of the best scenes of the year: Rose-Lynn walks on stage of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, then singing a tear-jerking rendition of Wynonna Judd’s “When I Reach The Place I’m Goin” to an empty auditorium. While Buckley deserves some attention herself, the movie could end up with a deserved Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” which is co-written by none other than Mary Steenburgen and is, indeed, the best original song of the year in a movie. A movie that has secured a place on the list of Movies That Made Me Cry Like a Baby This Year, WILD ROSE will warmly hug the dreamer in all of you, and send you off in tears and with a song in your heart.
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So there you have it. By the end of this list, I hope you were able to add a few movies to your watchlist or were reminded to check out a few you've been meaning to get to. Of course, I only put 25 on this list, but there are plenty of other great little movies that could use more love — some I didn't have a spot for and others I also have yet to check out. Be sure to share some of your favorites down below if they didn't get a shoutout above, and spread the love of awesome movies.
See ya'll in 2020!