Film in 2019 was about family. It was about love. It was about defiance. And it was about growing old. From the March sisters to Jimmy Hoffa, Rick Dalton to Lance Corporal Schofield, Mr. Rogers to best friends Amy and Molly, the characters of 2019 embodied what keeps us human, even when things, or even people, are at their worst. It was yet another beautiful year in film, so let’s celebrate. Here are the MovieMini Awards for the Films of 2019:
(These awards were voted on and compiled by Danielle Gutierrez, Levi Hill, Kyle Kizu, Miyako Singer, and Hooman Yazdanian.)
Best Specialty Performance
Winner: Tom Hanks as Woody — Toy Story 4
Disney/Courtesy
Runner-up: Tony Hale as Forky — Toy Story 4 3. Shirley Henderson as Babu Frik — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 4. Billy Eichner as Timon — The Lion King 5. Zach Galifianakis as Mr. Link/Susan — Missing Link
Next Group: Rosa Salazar as Alita — Alita: Battle Angel Jay Baruchel as Hiccup — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Chris Pratt as Emmet/Rex — The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu — Pokémon Detective Pikachu Keegan-Michael Key as Ducky — Toy Story 4
Best Feature Debut
Winner: Olivia Wilde — Booksmart
François Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Alma Har’el — Honey Boy 3. Joe Talbot — The Last Black Man in San Francisco 4. Jérémy Clapin — I Lost My Body 5. Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz — The Peanut Butter Falcon
Next Group: Vince Gilligan — El Camino Nia DaCosta — Little Woods Melina Matsoukas — Queen & Slim Jennifer Kaytin Robinson — Someone Great Josh Cooley — Toy Story 4
Best Original Song
Winner: “Control” — Her Smell
Don Stahl/Gunpowder & Sky/Courtesy
Runner-up: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” — Rocketman 3. “La Jeune Fille en Feu” — Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4. “Pulled Down” — Her Smell 5. “Jose and Mark” — The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience
Next Group: “Show Yourself” — Frozen II “A Glass of Soju” — Parasite “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” — Toy Story 4 “IHOP” — The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” — Wild Rose
Special Mention: Jessica Only Child Illinois Chicago — Parasite
Best Original Score
Winner: Thomas Newman — 1917
François Duhamel/Universal Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Daniel Lopatin — Uncut Gems 3. Emile Mosseri — The Last Black Man in San Francisco 4. Alexandre Desplat — Little Women 5. Matt Morton — Apollo 11
Next Group: Max Richter, Lorne Balte — Ad Astra James Newton Howard — A Hidden Life Dan Levy — I Lost My Body Jail Jung — Parasite Michael Abels — Us
Best Sound
Winner: Donald Sylvester, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, Steven Morrow — Ford v Ferrari
Twentieth Century Fox/Courtesy
Runner-up: Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate, Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson — 1917 3. Eric Milano, Brian Eimer — Apollo 11 4. Gary Rydstrom, Brad Semenoff, Tom Johnson, Mark Ulano — Ad Astra 5. Matthew Wood, David Acord, Christopher Scarabosio, Andy Nelson, Stuart Wilson — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Next Group: Ryan M. Price, Patrick Southern — Her Smell Damian Volpe, Mariusz Glabinski, Robert Fernandez, Alexander Rosborough — The Lighthouse Wylie Stateman, Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, Mark Ulano — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood Matthew Collinge, John Hayes, Mike Prestwood Smith, Danny Sheehan — Rocketman Warren Shaw, Skip Lievsay, Tom Fleischman — Uncut Gems
Runner-up: Fríða Aradóttir, Judy Chin — Little Women 3. Janine Rath, Heba Thorisdottir — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 4. Mónika Tóth, Katalin Jakots, Iván Pohárnok — Midsommar 5. Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Victoria Money, Barrie Gower — Rocketman
Next Group: Debra Denson, Carla Farmer, Stacey Morris, Vera Steimberg — Dolemite Is My Name Emma Strachman, Elissa Ruminer, Amy L. Forsythe — Her Smell Nicki Ledermann, Sean Flanigan, Michael Marino — The Irishman Traci Loader, Linda Flynn, Adrien Morot — The Lighthouse Scott Wheeler, Camille Friend — Us
Best Costume Design
Winner: Julian Day — Rocketman
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Jacqueline Durran — Little Women 3. Arianne Phillips — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 4. Ruth E. Carter — Dolemite Is My Name 5. Albert Wolsky — Ad Astra
Next Group: Mitchell Travers — Hustlers Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson — The Irishman Mayes C. Rubeo — Jojo Rabbit Dorothée Guiraud — Portrait of a Lady on Fire Miyako Bellizzi — Uncut Gems
Best Production Design
Neon/Courtesy
Winner: Lee Ha-jun, Cho Won-woo — Parasite
Runner-up: Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 3. Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales — 1917 4. Craig Lathrop, Ian Greig — The Lighthouse 5. Jess Gonchor, Claire Kaufman — Little Women
Next Group: Kevin Thompson, Karen O’Hara — Ad Astra Bob Shaw, Regina Graves — The Irishman Henrik Svensson — Midsommar Thomas Grézaud, Hélène Delmaire — Portrait of a Lady on Fire Sam Lisenco, Kendall Anderson — Uncut Gems
Best Stunts
Winner: Hayley Saywell, Ben Cooke, Rhye Copeman — 1917
Universal Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Robert Nagle, Brian Simpson, Chris Palermo — Ford v Ferrari 3. Jonathan Eusebio, Scott Rogers, Cale Schultz — John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum 4. Robert Alonzo, Jacob Dewitt, Samuel Le — Ad Astra 5. Monique Ganderton, Sam Hargrave, Daniel Hernandez, James Young, Terry Notary, Michael Hugghins, Ralf Koch — Avengers: Endgame
Next Group: Mindy Kelly — The Art of Self-Defense Chris O’Hara, Simon Crane, Ralf Koch, Greg Rementer, Randy Beckman — Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw Ian Mclaughlin, Tabitha Dumo — Hustlers Gáspár Szabó, Ildikó Szücs, Anna Vnuk — Midsommar Ku Huen-Chiu, Feng Weilun, Lin Zhitai, Tang Tengfei — Shadow
Runner-up: Allen Maris, Guillaume Rocheron, Scott R. Fisher, Jedediah Smith — Ad Astra 3. Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, Dominic Tuohy — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 4. Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken, Daniel Sudick — Avengers: Endgame 5. Guillaume Rocheron, Robert Winter, Eric Frazier, Brian Connor, Peter Nofz — Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Next Group: Louis Morin, Annie Godin, Christian Kaestner, Ara Khanikian, Michael Dawson — The Aeronauts Richard E. Hollander, Joe Letteri, Kevin L. Sherwood, Eric Saindon, Richard Baneham, Bob Trevino, Nick Epstein — Alita: Battle Angel Bill Westenhofer, Karen M. Murphy, Guy Williams, Sheldon Stopsack, Mark Hawker — Gemini Man Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda, Stephane Grabli — The Irishman Jonathan Fawkner, Carlos Monzon, Dale Newton — Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Best Cinematography
Winner: Roger Deakins — 1917
Universal Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Jarin Blaschke — The Lighthouse 3. Claire Mathon — Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4. Adam Newport-Berra — The Last Black Man in San Francisco 5. Hoyte van Hoytema — Ad Astra
Next Group: Phedon Papamichael — Ford v Ferrari Rodrigo Prieto — The Irishman Yorick Le Saux — Little Women Robert Richardson — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood Hong Kyung-pyo — Parasite
Best Film Editing
Winner: Nick Huoy — Little Women
Wilson Webb/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Yang Jin-mo — Parasite 3. Todd Douglas Miller — Apollo 11 4. Thelma Schoonmaker — The Irishman 5. Fred Raskin — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood
Next Group: Lee Smith — 1917 Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker — Ford v Ferrari David Marks — The Last Black Man in San Francisco Julien Lacheray — Portrait of a Lady on Fire Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie — Uncut Gems
Best Documentary Feature
Winner:Apollo 11
Neon/CNN Films/Courtesy
Runner-up:Diego Maradona 3. American Factory 4. Honeyland 5. Knock Down the House
Next Group: The Biggest Little Farm For Sama Fyre The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley The Legend of Cocaine Island
Best Animated Feature
Winner:I Lost My Body
Netflix/Courtesy
Runner-up:How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 3. Toy Story 4
Next Group: Klaus The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Missing Link
Best International Feature
Winner:Parasite
Neon/Courtesy
Runner-up:Portrait of a Lady on Fire 3. Pain and Glory 4. I Lost My Body 5. Slut in a Good Way
Next Group: Ash Is the Purest White Everybody Knows Honeyland Monos Shadow
Best Scene/Sequence
Winner: The Peach Scam — Parasite
Neon/Courtesy
Runner-up: The Final Bet — Uncut Gems 3. Sixteen Hundred Men — 1917 4. The Trailer — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 5. The Benoit Blanc Breakdown — Knives Out 6. It’s What It Is — The Irishman 7. The Night Window — 1917 8. Leaving China and Nai Nai — The Farewell 9. The Laurie-Jo Devastation — Little Women 10. She Didn’t Notice Me — Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Next Group: Leave It Open a Little Bit — The Irishman Beth — Little Women Shirtless Cliff Booth — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood Lovers — Pain and Glory I’ll Remember — Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Greta Gerwig — Little Women
Wilson Webb/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Steve Zaillian — The Irishman 3. Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 4. Taika Waititi — Jojo Rabbit 5. Matthew Michael Carnahan, Mario Correa — Dark Waters
Next Group: Mike Flanagan — Doctor Sleep Terrence Malick — A Hidden Life Lorene Scafaria — Hustlers Jérémy Clapin, Guillaume Laurant — I Lost My Body Andrew Stanton, Stephany Folsom, Martin Hynes, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack — Toy Story 4
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Bong Joon-ho, Han Jin-won — Parasite
Neon/Courtesy
Runner-up: Lulu Wang — The Farewell 3. Céline Sciamma — Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4. Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein — Uncut Gems 5. Quentin Tarantino — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood
Next Group: Shia LaBeouf — Honey Boy Rian Johnson — Knives Out Noah Baumbach — Marriage Story Joe Talbot, Jimmie Fails — The Last Black Man in San Francisco Pedro Almodóvar — Pain and Glory
Best Ensemble
Winner:Parasite
Neon/Courtesy
Runner-up:The Irishman 3. Little Women 4. Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 5. Knives Out
Next Group: 1917 Booksmart The Farewell Hustlers Uncut Gems
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Al Pacino — The Irishman
Netflix/Courtesy
Runner-up: Joe Pesci — The Irishman 3. Song Kang-ho — Parasite 4. Shia LaBeouf — Honey Boy 5. Jonathan Majors — The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Next Group: Dean Charles-Chapman — 1917 Tom Hanks — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Chris Cooper — Little Women Alan Alda — Marriage Story Kevin Garnett — Uncut Gems
Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Zhao Shuzhen — The Farewell
Casi Moss/A24/Courtesy
Runner-up: Florence Pugh — Little Women 3. Cho Yeo-jeong — Parasite 4. Scarlett Johansson — Jojo Rabbit 5. Park So-dam — Parasite
Next Group: Jennifer Lopez — Hustlers Thomasin McKenzie — Jojo Rabbit Jamie Lee Curtis — Knives Out Lee Jeong-eun — Parasite Julia Fox — Uncut Gems
Best Lead Actor
Winner: Adam Driver — Marriage Story
Netflix/Courtesy
Runner-up: Brad Pitt — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 3. Adam Sandler — Uncut Gems 4. Leonardo DiCaprio — Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 5. George MacKay — 1917
Next Group: Brad Pitt — Ad Astra Robert De Niro — The Irishman Robert Pattinson — The Lighthouse Antonio Banderas — Pain and Glory Choi Woo-sik — Parasite
Best Lead Actress
Winner: Lupita Nyong’o — Us
Universal Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up: Saoirse Ronan — Little Women 3. Elisabeth Moss — Her Smell 4. Awkwafina — The Farewell 5. Adèle Haenel — Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Next Group: Beanie Feldstein — Booksmart Ana de Armas — Knives Out Florence Pugh — Midsommar Noémie Merlant — Portrait of a Lady on Fire Samara Weaving — Ready or Not
Best Director
Winner: Bong Joon-ho — Parasite
Neon/Courtesy
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig — Little Women 3. Céline Sciamma — Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4. Sam Mendes — 1917 5. Martin Scorsese — The Irishman
Next Group: Todd Douglas Miller — Apollo 11 Marielle Heller — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Lulu Wang — The Farewell Lorene Scafaria — Hustlers Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie — Uncut Gems
Best Film
Winner:Little Women
Wilson Webb/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy
Runner-up:Parasite 3. The Irishman 4. Uncut Gems 5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 6. 1917 7. Once upon a Time… in Hollywood 8. The Farewell 9. Apollo 11 10. Marriage Story
Next Group: Ad Astra A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Booksmart Dark Waters Ford v Ferrari Honey Boy Jojo Rabbit The Last Black Man in San Francisco The Lighthouse Pain and Glory
The Cats Category or (The Buck Wild Film Beyond Awards Comprehension):Cats
Not Quite a Feature Film, But Deserving of Cinematic Awards Recognition Anyway:The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience
2018 was mind-boggling. Ever since Black Panther back in February, the year just held strong up through the final days with the likes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So it’s no small statement to say that 2019 might rival it. In less than a month, we’ll have Dan Gilroy’s Velvet Buzzsaw (on Netflix, no less), followed soon after by the trilogy capper for How to Train Your Dragon. And with Captain Marvel and Us in March, the year will quickly become overwhelming. And it’s not only big budget films, or genre pieces from recent American (and male) darlings. There’s a new Scorsese film, a new Kore-eda film, a new Rees film, a new Joon-ho film, a new Larraín film, and a new Denis film — as well as exciting documentaries and feature debuts we’ll hear about soon at Sundance. With all that said, we couldn’t pick only 10 for our most anticipated list. In fact, we couldn’t even stick with 20. Below these 20 are sets of 15 from us individually, as well as five more honorable mentions (for a total of 55). Inject 2019 into our eyes already:
20. The Truth
Directed by: Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, After the Storm, Like Father, Like Son, Still Walking, Nobody Knows) Written by: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Léa Le Dimna Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke Release date: TBD Hirokazu Kore-eda directing Ethan Hawke and Juliette Binoche is enough to start wondering if The Truth will bring the acclaimed filmmaker back-to-back Palme d’Or wins. — Levi Hill
19. Ford v. Ferrari
Directed by: James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) Written by: James Mangold, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Jon Bernthal, Noah Jupe Release date: June 28, 2019 James Mangold has proven himself as a storyteller who understands the American spirit. Combine that with stylish Ferraris, racing and another Christian Bale transformation, and Ford v. Ferrari could be another piece of Mangold gold. — Kyle Kizu
18. Honey Boy
Directed by: Alma Har’el (Bombay Beach, LoveTrue) Written by: Shia LaBeouf Starring: Lucas Hedges, Shia LaBeouf, Maika Monroe, Noah Jupe Release date: TBD (Sundance premiere) Shia LaBeouf writes and co-stars with Lucas Hedges in a Sundance premiering semi-autobiographical film about a childhood actor (Hedges) and his relationship with his father (LaBeouf). The film should be a challenging, honest, painful, but ultimately touching exploration of how LaBeouf became who he is today. — LH
17. The Beach Bum
Directed by: Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers) Written by: Harmony Korine Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Zac Efron, Jonah Hill Release date: March 22, 2019 For his follow-up to Spring Breakers, Harmony Korine kept his color-soaked stoner aesthetic and added A-list stars Matthew McConaughey (Moondog), Snoop Dogg (Lingerie), Isla Fisher (Minnie), Zac Efron (Flicker), and Jonah Hill (Lewis). — LH
16. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
TriStar Pictures/Courtesy
Directed by: Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) Written by: Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper Release date: October 18, 2019 Can You Ever Forgive Me? felt like a film from a 20 year veteran. That it was Marielle Heller’s sophomore feature just shows how astounding she is. Pair her with an icon for another icon’s story, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is set up to be an affecting journey. — KK
15. Proxima
Directed by: Alice Winocour (Augustine) Written by: Alice Winocour Starring: Eva Green, Matt Dillon, Lars Eidinger Release date: TBD Proxima follows an astronaut as she trains her body and her mind for a year on the ISS. The psychology of astronauts is such an intriguing subject that’s often left behind in massive sci-fi stories, so to see the exciting Alice Winocour take on a more intimate angle — Winocour says the film will focus particularly on saying goodbye to family — with Eva Green will be such a treat. — KK
14. Toy Story 4
Disney/Courtesy
Directed by: Josh Cooley Written by: Stephany Folsom, Will McCormack Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Keaton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Patricia Arquette, Keanu Reeves Release date: June 21, 2019 Initially, a fourth Toy Story movie was a head-scratcher, especially after the exit of Rashida Jones due to “creative” and “philosophical” differences with Pixar. But then came the hilarious promos, as well as the reports of how emotional the film was for all those involved. And the first three films arguably form the greatest trilogy of all time, so why doubt the franchise now? — LH
13. Detective Pikachu
Warner Bros./Courtesy
Directed by: Rob Letterman (Goosebumps) Written by: Nicole Perlman, Rob Letterman Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Suki Waterhouse, Rita Ora Release date: May 10, 2019 Ryan Reynolds might be an obvious choice after his (vocal) success with the wise-ass Deadpool, but that doesn’t make this adaption of the video game, featuring the adorable-looking Pikachu and other Pokemon, any less exciting. Think of it as a modern, pop culture heavy take on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. — LH
Directed by: Dan Gilroy (Roman J. Israel, Esq., Nightcrawler) Written by: Dan Gilroy Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Daveed Diggs Release date: February 1, 2019 (Sundance premiere) Regardless of his second feature, Dan Gilroy directed an American masterpiece right out of the gate with Nightcrawler. It’s not only the slow, creeping relevance of the film or the incredible noir stylings, but Jake Gyllenhaal’s terrifying turn. The simple idea of them reuniting is tantalizing, but that it’s for a feature about the often terrifying and visually dazzling contemporary art world takes the anticipation through the roof.— KK
11. Little Women
Columbia Pictures/Courtesy
Directed by: Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) Written by: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk Release date: December 25, 2019 Through 2018, Little Women has seen the silver screen seven times. Take that, A Star Is Born. But it’s tough not to love the idea of Greta Gerwig adapting the story with her delicate, observant eye and such an outstanding cast after she made Lady Bird, one of the best American films of the 21st century. — KK
10. Midsommar
Directed by: Ari Aster (Hereditary) Written by: Ari Aster Starring: Will Poulter, Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper Release date: August 9, 2019 Following up the critically acclaimed (and potential Oscar nominee) Hereditary is no small task. Yet, with A24’s backing, an exciting young cast, a Sweden setting, and another tale of horrific pagan cults, Midsommar has all the signs of another creep-fest by the already horror maestro Ari Aster. — LH
9. The Lion King
Disney/Courtesy
Directed by: Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book, Chef, Iron Man) Written by: Jeff Nathanson, Brenda Chapman Starring: Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyoncé, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Keegan-Michael Key, John Oliver Release date: July 19, 2019 There’s no doubt The Lion King will roar all competitors away from the box office, and take it’s rightful spot on the throne as the top grossing movie of 2019 next to Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: Episode IX. So really, the only thing to hope for is that Jon Favreau takes enough risks to change some elements of the 1994 classic so that it’s not 100% a shot-for-shot CGI (instead of hand-drawn) remake. Other than that, this film is too big to fail. Hakuna matata. — LH
8. Uncut Gems
Directed by: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie (Good Time) Written by: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein Starring: Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Pom Klementieff, The Weeknd, Kevin Garnett Release date: TBD Say what you will, but Adam Sandler is a good actor. Seriously. He’s made some stinkers, but for those who have charted his career, it’s clear that when he’s given an original script from an acclaimed filmmaker (Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, Funny People, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)), he brings real depth to his characters. So, who better then than the Safdie brothers — who helped American audiences further see all of Robert Pattinson’s post-Twilight talents — to usher in even more indie goodwill for “character actor” Adam Sandler? Plus, the Netflix special Adam Sandler 100% Fresh, showing Sandler at his funniest and most heartfelt,was the thing I rewatched most in 2018. If the Safdie brothers tap into Sandler’s uncanny balance of hilarity and tragedy, Uncut Gems might be a major critical and commercial leap for all involved. — LH
7. Lucy in the Sky
Fox Searchlight/Courtesy
Directed by: Noah Hawley (Legion, Fargo) Written by: Brian C. Brown, Elliott DiGuiseppi, John-Henry Butterworth, Noah Hawley Starring: Natalie Portman, Dan Stevens, Jon Hamm, Zazie Beetz, Ellen Burstyn, Colman Domingo, Tig Notaro Release date: TBD Between Black Swan, Jackie, Annihilation, and Vox Lux, Natalie Portman has offered some of the most complex, haunted characters of the past decade. With Lucy in the Sky, she’ll now examine the psychology of an astronaut (based on a true story) along with Noah Hawley, the creator of Legion, and likely further prove why she’s one of the absolute best actors of our time. — KK
6. Us
Universal Pictures/Courtesy
Directed by: Jordan Peele (Get Out) Written by: Jordan Peele Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Elisabeth Moss Release date: March 15, 2019 Get Out came out of nowhere to gross over $175 million domestically, receive four Oscar nominations (including Best Picture), and win Best Original Screenplay. Us won’t have the stealth factor that Get Out had. However, it’s apparent with Us that Jordan Peele is far more than the real deal. Even with what could have been a blank check and even more of a blank page to write and do whatever he wanted, he doubled down on the savage, if slightly funny, horror satire mode he worked to wonders with Get Out. While Us might not reach the box office or Oscar glory of Get Out, it could become, to us, an even more impressive and idiosyncratic horror masterpiece. — LH
5. Knives Out
Directed by: Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper, Brick) Written by: Rian Johnson Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer Release date: November 27, 2019 It was hard to believe as the cast for Knives Out came rolling in, with powerhouse after powerhouse lining up. That they were lining up to work with Rian Johnson, however, is no surprise. With Looper, Johnson gave us one of the best original sci-fi films of the past decade. And with The Last Jedi, he arguably gave us the best Star Wars film to date. Knives Out is said to be inspired by the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie, and will show us a side of Johnson we haven’t seen before. — KK
4. Ad Astra
20th Century Fox/Courtesy
Directed by: James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant, Two Lovers) Written by: James Gray, Ethan Gross Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga, John Ortiz Release date: May 24, 2019 (rumored Cannes premiere) Ad Astra was a bit of an enigma for all of 2018, with a strange January 2019 release date and speculation that it’d open early in December (and in IMAX). So the anticipation is already running high, and for good reason. Gray is a methodical, classical kind of filmmaker that allows you to soak in a film’s world, and feel deeply for his characters. And as Bilge Ebiri wrote for Vulture, filmmakers can get a little more personal, risky, and expressionistic with space films. Throw in DP Hoyte van Hoytema (familiar to space already having worked on Interstellar), Brad Pitt, and the Plan B producing team, and Ad Astra might just be the original epic of the year. — KK
3. Star Wars: Episode IX
Directed by: J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Super 8, Star Trek) Written by: J.J. Abrams, Chris Terrio Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Kelly Marie Tran, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, Matt Smith, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Billie Lourd Release date: December 20, 2019 Was Star Wars: The Force Awakens a bit safe? Sure. Did J.J. Abrams successfully relaunch the franchise after the unfathomable damage of the prequels with an exciting adventure filled with amazing new characters and hinting at themes that Rian Johnson would later fulfill? Undoubtedly. Besides Johnson, who better than to take on the monstrous task of closing out not only this trilogy, but likely also the story of the Skywalkers? And Episode IX, following Luke Skywalker’s death as well as the tragic real death of Carrie Fisher — who will appear via deleted scenes from the previous films — will be an especially emotional experience in a galaxy far, far away.— KK
2. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Warner Bros./Courtesy
Directed by: Michael Dougherty (Krampus) Written by: Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields, Max Borenstein Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Kyle Chandler, Bradley Whitford, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe Release date: May 31, 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters might not be in consideration for many people’s best-of-the-year list when 2019 comes to a close. And it’s possible that the film will be nothing more than monster-movie mayhem (and fun). Yet, when Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune came on during the first trailer, and Mothra spread her fluorescent wings under the neon blue, this lifelong Godzilla fan wiped tears from his eyes. Does the nostalgia for the memory of a four year old’s first experience with movie magic weigh heavy here? You betcha. But with the thrilling 2014 reboot from Gareth Edwards and the enjoyable (if forgettable) Kong: Skull Island, this franchise appears to understand that to win over our hearts, you just have to let some kaiju (Titans) fight. Long live the King. — LH
1. Avengers: Endgame
Disney/ Courtesy
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo (Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Don Cheadle, Bradley Cooper Release date: April 26, 2019 Amidst all of the complaints of it being an incomplete story (debatable) and fans having trouble with their favorite heroes screwing up (it’s called character development, folks) and dying is the reality that Infinity War is an incredible apocalyptic journey that fully earns its crushing dread. Its pacing is pitch perfect. Its theme of the weight of one life versus billions is carefully handled throughout the entire film. And its writing brings together massive superhero personalities in a way that proves that these storytellers truly know these characters. So, not only is Avengers: Endgame the event film of 2019 — sorry Star Wars — but there’s also the very real and likely possibility that the Russos and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will deliver another supreme epic that does right by the eleven years of investment in this universe. And if they delve into time travel, as well as the heart of Captain America — the character that the Russos have defined — Avengers: Endgame could wind up as exhilarating as any big budget epic in recent memory. — KK
Kyle’s Next 15:
15. Superpower Dogs
Directed by: Daniel Ferguson (Jerusalem) Release date: March 15, 2019
14. Ammonite
Directed by: Francis Lee (God’s Own Country) Written by: Francis Lee Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet Release date: TBD
13. The Nightingale
Directed by: Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) Written by: Jennifer Kent Starring: Sam Claflin, Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr Release date: TBD (2018 Venice premiere, Sundance showing)
12. The Laundromat
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, Magic Mike, The Informant!, Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies, and Videotape) Written by: Scott Z. Burns Starring: Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Matthias Schoenaerts, Antonio Banderas, Jeffrey Wright Release date: TBD
11. Waves
Directed by: Trey Edward Shults (It Comes At Night, Krisha) Written by: Trey Edward Shults Starring: Lucas Hedges, Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr. Release date: TBD
10. Chaos Walking
Directed by: Doug Liman (American Made, Edge of Tomorrow, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) Written by: Charlie Kaufman, Patrick Ness, Lindsey Beer, John Lee Hancock, Gary Spinelli) Starring: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Cynthia Erivo, Mads Mikkelsen, David Oyelowo Release date: March 1, 2019
9. Joker
Directed by: Todd Phillips (War Dogs, The Hangover, Old School) Written by: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Shea Whigham, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen Release date: October 4, 2019
8. Newsflash
Directed by: David Gordon Green (Halloween, Stronger, Pineapple Express, George Washington) Written by: Ben Jacoby Starring: Seth Rogen, Logan Lerman Release date: TBD
7. Captain Marvel
Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck (Sugar, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Mississippi Grind) Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Jac Schaeffer, Nicole Perlman, Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse Starring: Brie Larson, Jude Law, Gemma Chan, Samuel L. Jackson, Lee Pace, Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, Djimon Hounsou, Clark Gregg Release date: March 8, 2019
6. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Directed by: Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Cop Car) Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Samuel L. Jackson Release date: July 5, 2019
5. Fonzo
Directed by: Josh Trank (Chronicle) Written by: Josh Trank Starring: Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini, Jack Lowden, Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan Release date: TBD
4. The Woman in the Window
Directed by: Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) Written by: Tracy Letts Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Brian Tyree Henry, Wyatt Russell, Anthony Mackie Release date: October 4, 2019
3. Triple Frontier
Directed by: J.C. Chandor (A Most Violent Year, All Is Lost, Margin Call) Written by: J.C. Chandor, Mark Boal Starring: Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund Release date: March 15, 2019
2. The Last Thing He Wanted
Directed by: Dee Rees (Mudbound, Pariah) Written by: Dee Rees, Marco Villalobos Starring: Ben Affleck, Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, Toby Jones, Edi Gathegi, Rosie Perez Release date: TBD
1. Apollo 11
Directed by: Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) Release date: TBD (Sundance premiere)
Levi’s Next 15:
15. The Dead Don’t Die
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, Only Lovers Left Alive, Broken Flowers, Mystery Train, Stranger than Paradise) Written by: Jim Jarmusch Starring: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Caleb Landry Jones, Selena Gomez Release date: TBD
14. Radegund
Directed by: Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, The New World, The Thin Red Line, Badlands) Written by: Terrence Malick Starring: August Diehl, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Nyqvist, Bruno Ganz Release date: TBD
13. Native Son
Directed by: Rashid Johnson Written by: Suzan-Lori Parks Starring: Nick Robinson, Sanaa Lathan, Margaret Qualley, Ashton Sanders, Kiki Layne, Stephen McKinley Henderson Release date: TBD (Sundance premiere)
12. IT: Chapter Two
Directed by: Andy Muschietti (It, Mama) Written by: Gary Dauberman Starring: Bill Skarsgård, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Jay Ryan, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, Teach Grant, Andy Bean, Xavier Dolan Release date: September 6, 2019
11. The King
Directed by: David Michôd (War Machine, The Rover, Animal Kingdom) Written by: David Michôd, Joel Edgerton Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Sean Harris, Thomasin McKenzie, Lily-Rose Depp, Tom Glynn-Carney Release date: TBD
10. The Irishman
Directed by: Martin Scorsese (Silence, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, Casino, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver) Written by: Steven Zaillian Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Jack Huston Release date: TBD
9. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Directed by: Mike Mitchell (Trolls), Trisha Gum Written by: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Matthew Fogel, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Michelle Morgan, Dominic Russo Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, Nick Offerman, Channing Tatum, Tiffany Haddish, Will Arnett, Charlie Day Release date: February 8, 2019
8. Parasite
Directed by: Bong Joon-ho (Okja, Snowpiercer, Mother, The Host, Memories of Murder) Written by: Bong Joon-ho Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-Jeong, Choi Woo-sik, Park So-dam Release date: TBD
7. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Directed by: Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon 2, How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) Written by: Dean DeBlois Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington, Gerard Butler, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, America Ferrera Release date: February 22, 2019
6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Directed by: Joe Talbot Written by: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert, Jimmie Fails Starring: Danny Glover, Finn Wittrock, Thora Birch, Tonya Glanz, Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Majors Release date: TBD (Sundance premiere)
5. Jojo Rabbit
Directed by: Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) Written by: Taika Waititi Starring: Taika Waititi, Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Rebel Wilson Release date: TBD
4. The Lighthouse
Directed by: Robert Eggers (The Witch) Written by: Robert Eggers, Max Eggers Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson Release date: TBD
3. High Life
Directed by: Claire Denis (Let the Sunshine In, 35 Shots of Rum, Beau travail, Nenette and Boni) Written by: Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Geoff Cox Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth, Lars Eidinger Release date: April 12, 2019 (TIFF premiere)
2. Dumbo
Directed by: Tim Burton (Big Eyes, Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, Batman Returns, Batman, Beetlejuice) Written by: Ehren Kruger Starring: Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Alan Arkin Release date: March 29, 2019
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Directed by: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man) Written by: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina Release date: TBD
Honorable mentions:
Ema
Directed by: Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Neruda, No) Written by: Guillermo Calderón, Alejandro Moreno Starring: Gael García Bernal, Mariana Di Girolamo, Santiago Cabrera, Mariana Loyola Release date: TBD
Gemini Man
Directed by: Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, The Wedding Banquet) Written by: Billy Ray, Christopher Wilkinson, Stephen J. Rivele, David Benioff, Andrew Niccol, Darren Lemke, Jonathan Hensleigh Starring: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, Benedict Wong Release date: October 4, 2019
Last Christmas
Directed by: Paul Feig (A Simple Favor, Bridesmaids) Written by: Emma Thompson, Bryony Kimmings Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh, Rebecca Root Release date: November 15, 2019
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Directed by: Bi Gan (Kaili Blues) Written by: Bi Gan Starring: Sylvia Chang, Tang Wei Release date: TBD (2018 Cannes premiere, 2018 TIFF showing, 2018 China premiere)
Men in Black: International
Directed by: F. Gary Gray (The Fate of the Furious, Straight Outta Compton, The Italian Job, The Negotiator, Set It Off, Friday) Written by: Art Marcum, Matt Holloway Starring: Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani Release date: June 14, 2019