The Best Movies of 2019 (So Far…)
2019 Has Given Us Some Pretty Great Movies So Far…
As most of you hopefully know, I put together a list of the 10 best movies every year. However, since the year is halfway over I thought it might be fun to take a look at the 5 best movies of the years so far. I’ve seen 54 new movies this year, so narrowing it down to only 5 wasn’t easy, especially because there have been some pretty good films released so far in 2019 (there have also been some pretty terrible ones as well). It wasn’t easy, but I managed to narrow it down to 5 of the best movies I’ve seen so far this year. I was pretty surprised at the eclectic mix that makes of this list. In fact, I dare say there might actually be something for everyone on here. But hey, I’m a critic of the people and that’s just the way Stars & Popcorn roles. So check out this list, and let me know what you think of some of my favorite movies of the year so far.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
It seems like a theme of 2019 is fond farewells to characters we’ve come to know and love over the year. Hiccup has had one hell of a glow up since he first appeared on screen in 2010, but that’s not the only reason How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World got such a high rating. The film features beautiful animation and a heartfelt story the perfectly closes the series so many have come to love over the years. The final installment will win over even those with the most cynical hearts and will leave longtime fans of Hiccup and Toothless with tears of joy and sorrow in their eyes as they get to say goodbye to the characters they’ve come to love so much over the years.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
At this point is there anyone who isn’t a little biased about the John Wick movies. The contract killer with a heart of gold set off on a rampage to avenge his dog in 2014 and audiences just can’t seem to get enough. Not that I blame them since I’ve seen all these films multiple times over the years since they’ve come out. This third film has the tables turned on cinema’s perfect killing machine as the events of Chapter 2 come back to haunt him. The film is filled with new characters that all leave lasting impressions from a fellow dog lover played by Halle Berry to a neo-ninja played by Mark Dacascos. Of course, none of them are a match for Keanu Reeves, who is a pretty heavy contender to potentially be Stars & Popcorn’s actor of the year for 2019.
Booksmart
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard in theaters. Everything you’ve heard about this movie is absolutely true (at least all the good things). Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut proves that she has not only an incredible sense of humor but an uncanny understanding of the zeitgeist. The film is dangerously funny in that I couldn’t breathe during parts of it. As a critic, I know I’m not supposed to act too easily impressed by movies, because that’s not “cool,” but to hell with it. Booksmart is a near perfect comedy that is this generation The Breakfast Club. I’m going to be carefully watching the careers of everyone involved in the making of this movie from stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein to the incredible team of writers that brilliantly penned this script. They’ve all managed to win me over.
Toy Story 4
Continuing that trend of final entries in epic sagas, we have Toy Story 4 which managed to hit theaters just in time for this list. Pixar is not a studio that simply makes movies. They make masterpieces because of the incredible thought and attention to detail that goes into creating their stories. They simply do not make bad movies (well almost never), but they really pulled out all the stops with this one. I grew up watching Buzz, Woody, and the gang, so this movie was an emotional farewell for me. However, it wasn’t quite the tear-jerker that these movies are so often. However, it left us with a smile and a fond sense of happy memories for the great times we’ve had with all these characters. Of course, if the beautiful animation and brilliant story don’t win you over, there’s always the fact that Keanu Reeves is in it too.
Avengers: Endgame
For 10 years and 21 movies, Marvel has been working towards Avengers: Endgame. Even after building one of the largest film franchises in the history of cinema and perhaps the most well crafted shared universes ever, I wasn’t prepared for the amount of thought and details that went into planning this movie. In fact, I’ll just go on and admit that I full on ugly cried during certain parts of this movie. It was an emotional ending to an incredible series of films that fans loved (don’t believe me? Check the box office) Don’t worry, there are still plenty of Marvel movies coming our way, but I have no idea how they’re going to top this. Don’t worry though, because after seeing Endgame I’m pretty sure we’re in safe hands with the Marvel and I can’t wait to see what they have for us next.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on what some of the best movies of 2019 have been so far. Leave a comment below to let me know if your favorites made it on this list. As always, I’ll be doing a top 10 at the end of the year, so check back then to see if these 5 manage to make it on that list.