100 Movies of the Decade: 2019.

First and foremost let me say that I didn’t think I could finish these posts. I thought it would take a miracle, and I honestly doubted if I could write them all in time, but we’re here! Yes! Also, can I just say to the 33% of you from my Instagram poll that said put all 100 movies in one post- there are over 10,000 words in this series. You were planning on reading all that in one sitting or what? Although, scroll to the end if you want all 100 of my picks from the decade.

If you’re new to this thread, you should know I’ll be compiling a list of 100 movies through this decade, but breaking it down to 10 movies per year. If you haven’t seen 2010,  2011, 2012, 2013,  2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, feel free to check it out.

A lot of good things and bad things have happened this year but the silver lining is that we’re all around, alive and kicking so that’s one thing to be grateful for. I faced some all-time lows but also, some pretty great moments. I feel like I’ve overshared in the past nine posts, and several others over the year so I’ll just stick to the fun things that happened to this blog. Overall stats include over 12,700 views and 3,600 visitors from around 97 countries. Average views per month have been gradually climbing and I live for this validation. I also dabbled in some fiction work this year and I thoroughly enjoyed it so I hope to do more of that in 2020.

2019 feels like it simultaneously stretched out but also went by so fast. Throughout this year several major events, trends, memes and whatever else have taken place and I’m here to recap that. This year 54 million Instagrammers eagerly liked a photo of an egg to break a record (or something like that), the #10yearchallenge was in full force, and people tried kicking off bottle caps. We said goodbye to some pretty epic franchises with some pretty disappointing endings, these include Star Wars, Game of Thrones, X-Men, and the Avengers saga. We also nearly lost Tom Holland as Spider-Man to Sony, but thankfully we cleared that out. I almost forgot to mention that the charts were gifted with the likes of Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Lewis Capaldi and that’s the greatest flex of the year.

The movies this year were so epic and most of them had such a great cinematic presence. Multiple hearts and box office records were broken. Each year the movies just keep getting better and I think that’s the way to go. Listed below are ten of my favorite movies from 2019:

Jojo Rabbit	Knives Out
Rocketman	Jumanji: The Next Level
Avengers: Endgame	Shazam
Ford v Ferrari	Captain Marvel
Booksmart	Dolemite Is My Name

Jojo Rabbit (dir. Taika Waititi)

Jojo lives in Nazi Germany with his mother. He’s in the process of training for Hitler’s Youth when he finds a Jewish girl hiding in his attic. While his instincts tell him to turn her in, he doesn’t want his mother to get in trouble so he tries to get information from her. With only the help of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (no, you didn’t read that wrong), this satirical comedy follows Jojo trying to form his own ideologies in a time in which it was completely forbidden.

I wish there were words to explain how much I loved this. Taika Waititi wrote, directed and starred in this movie and it’s one of my favorites from the year. It’s so funny, meaningful and hard-hitting. This man is a visionary (as I’ve said many times before) and we don’t deserve him. The cinematography and colors used were so aesthetically pleasing and the characters were so well rounded. I also loved the German covers of several songs played throughout the film. There’s nothing I didn’t love about this movie. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me clutch my heart and whisper incoherently. This might make my favorite movies of all-time list.

Rocketman (dir. Dexter Fletcher)

This movie takes on the life of Elton John and his rise to fame. It’s a fantasy musical that shows us the highest and lowest points of his life in the most beautiful way possible. With some of his best songs being covered by the exceptionally talented Taron Egerton, this movie had me dancing in my seat on multiple occasions. Or literally every time they sang a song. I laughed, I cried, and I sang my heart out.

I love movies that come with a brilliant cinematic experience and I feel like a lot of the movies this year had that. I watched this for the first time with my sister and we were sitting at the back of the cinema properly jamming and I pity the fools who sat in front of us. This was easily one of the best musicals of the decade and Taron Egerton really did justice to the OG. I love that this movie threw toxic masculinity out like the trash it is and highlighted the power of true friendship and love. (Review here)

Avengers: Endgame (dir. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)

Scott Lang escapes from the quantum realm into a world post-Snap where half the population is gone. While the remaining Avengers have moved on in any way that they can, Scott refuses to give up and tries to bring the gang together in an attempt to bring everyone back. After genius, billionaire, husband, father, philanthropist Tony Stark creates a time machine, they break into teams and go off to seek the infinity stones.

I may not have enjoyed the ending of this movie but this was literally one of the best, if not the best cinematic experience of my life. For one, we had about a year between this and Infinity War and we spent the entire time coming up with a ton of theories, and The Russo’s spent all of their time debunking them. The mystery and excitement that surrounded this movie was so immense, and it was the first time I booked a movie ticket a month in advance. Being in a theatre that erupts in cheers, laughter, but also maintains pin drop silence is something I will never forget. It’s no surprise that this was the highest-grossing movie of all time. It also felt like an ode to the original fans because there were so many epic moments and quotes that made a comeback. It was a good way to end a saga (@Star Wars take notes). If you want an extensive Endgame review, click here.

Ford v Ferrari (dir. James Mangold)

When Ford runs out of ways to come out on top of the market, they decide they want to form a racing team and go head to head with Ferrari. With the help with an American car designer, Carroll Shelby, and an impulsive British driver, Ken Miles they’re able to build a car that’s able to give Ferrari a run for their money. Based on actual events, the underlying tone of this movie is about corporate big shots who want to get involved in everything despite knowing little to nothing about what’s going on. It revolves around the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans.

I haven’t cared about a car race this much since Ta Ra Rum Pum. I didn’t expect to be as invested in this as I was. I was literally at the edge of my seat. Christian Bale just proves time and time again that he’s on a different level than everyone else and it’s brilliant. The best surprise of this movie for me was Jon Bernthal. I haven’t seen him since The Punisher got canceled so it was really nice to see him again and on the big screen this time. He’s got a knack for playing old school dudes in nice suits (re: Night At The Museum: The Battle of the Smithsonian).

Booksmart (dir. Olivia Wilde)

Amy and Molly are academic overachievers and exceptional students, but on the eve of their graduation, they realize that they missed the best years of high school because they were too busy studying. In an attempt to make up for four years worth of parties, drinking, and fun they set out on an adventure and chaos ensues.

This became one of my favorite high school comedies the second I started watching it. It’s so wholesome and funny and often times on crack. Beanie Feldstein, who is Jonah Hill’s sister is in this and their resemblance is uncanny. It made me love this movie more because I’m obsessed with him. All the characters have so much depth and aren’t one dimensional like the ones in other teen comedies, so I really appreciated that. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut was a raging success. (Review here)

Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)

A classic murder mystery follows the death of Mr. Trombey, who was found in him home with his throat slashed. All the immediate family members are questioned by the police, and a private investigator who had been anonymously hired. Keep an eye out for the symbolism and certain dialogue that will give you clues as to who did it. It’s a great exercise for your brain because you won’t stop guessing and coming up with theories.

I kept thinking I could figure this movie out but it kept putting me in my place because I was nowhere close to guessing who did it. I had the best time swooning over Chris Evans and laughing over how ridiculous Daniel Craig’s southern accent is. I love a movie that can make me feel both smart and dumb at the same time. I also really appreciated the spectacular cinematography of this movie; Rian Johnson really pulled through. (Review here)

Jumanji: The Next Level (dir. Jake Kasdan)

Unhappy with his new life in New York, Spencer sends himself to Jumanji once again to live as Dr. Bravestone. When his friends come to find him they figure out what he’s done and go back into the game to bring him home; but, the catch is, they don’t get to choose their avatars this time and Spencer’s grandfather and his friend gets sucked in too. It’s two hours of pure chaos, fun and laughter with a considerably amount action.

When this movie started off, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as did. I wasn’t expecting much either despite all the great reviews. It only took me half a second to fall in love with Danny DeVito. He’s literally the best part of this movie and I wish there was more of him. It was even funnier watching The Rock and Awkwafina trying to duplicate his accent. The other literal star of this movie was Kevin Hart. I knew he was funny but him imitating Danny Glover as Milo might be the most hilarious thing I’ve seen in a while. I laughed so much I actually cried. I also liked the nods to Game of Thrones by casting Rory McCann and the scaling an ice wall bit. It was a top notch movie.

Shazam (dir. David F. Sandberg)

Billy Batson, a 14-year-old is randomly chosen by a wizard to become Shazam. Each letter in the name alludes to qualities from the gods, which mirror as his powers. His designated villain tries to use the seven deadly sins to defeat him and take the powers from himself. Billy has to realize the extent of his powers in order to save his family and the world.

I watched Shazam after Endgame so it really eased my soul because of how funny and wholesome it was. Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer work so well together and are the comedic duo you didn’t know you needed. I loved the family dynamics in this movie, as well the consistent jokes. The training montage is actual cinematic gold. I worry that this didn’t get much attention because it came out with some pretty hard-hitting blockbusters, but it’s right up there as one of the best superhero movies this year. DC is really stepping up their game and I for one am excited. (Review here)

Captain Marvel (dir. Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden)

Marvel’s first solo female superhero movie features Brie Larson as Carol Danvers uncovering the secrets of her past and learning the extent of her powers. Since she’s seemingly part Kree and part Terran, she’s stuck in the middle of a potential intergalactic war against the Skrulls. This movie came with a major plot twist that blew my mind. It also had a post-credit scene that had me shaking with excitement.

I’m obsessed with how powerful Captain Marvel is. If she can punch her way through a spaceship in every movie she appears in, I’d be a happy lad. She’s so cute and soft but also ready to throw hands and I love that. The best thing about the movie for me was (other than the epic score and fight scenes) Talos and his science guy, who didn’t know what was happening. I also appreciated the fact that Goose the cat played a major role in defeating the bad guys. I’m grateful to Marvel green lighting this movie and I hope it’s a trend that will continue to grow. The MCU is filled with so many strong, powerful women and it would be great to highlight them. (Review here)

Dolemite Is My Name (dir. Craig Brewer)

This biographical comedy revolves around Rudy Ray Moore, a stand-up comedian hungry for success. One night, inspired by the tales of a group of homeless men he meets, he develops a personality called Dolemite. He uses this persona to raise to the ranks in the underground scene by selling his own comedy records. When he realizes he could expand his audience, he pitches to make a movie with no experience. It’s a funny, uplifting and vulgar movie with a great cast and some fun cameos.

My earliest memory of Eddie Murphy is Daddy Day Care, which to this day is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen. I came across this movie when I watch Eddie Murphy’s SNL monologue. This movie was really fun and the fact that it actually happened makes it all the more better. The actual Rudy Ray Moore was dubbed The Godfather of rap because of his rhymes and I was deeply amused. There are a ton of familiar faces in this movie, which make it a delightful watch including Wesley Snipes, Keegan Michael Key, Craig Robinson, and Tituss Burgess. Netflix originals generally suck, but this was amazing.

What do these movies have in common?

• Rocketman, Ford v Ferrari, and Dolemite is My Name are all based on real people and real-life events.
• Chris Evans is in two movies this year (Endgame and Knives Out).
• Karen Gillan is in two movies this year (Endgame and Jumanji).
• Scarlet Johansson and Taika Waititi are in two movies this year (Endgame and Jojo Rabbit).
• Dwayne Johnson is credited as a producer in both Shazam and Jumanji.
• Brie Larson and Sam L. Jackson appear as Carol Danvers and Nick Fury in both Endgame and Captain Marvel.
• Game of Thrones alumnus Richard Madden (Robb Stark), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), and Rory McCann (The Hound) are all in movies this year.

For more movies that came out in 2019, click here.

Image from LetterBoxd.

Listed below are 100 of my favorite movies from the decade. I’ve been quite insecure sharing this list because most of it isn’t critically acclaimed. In fact, I don’t think any of the movies that won Best Picture in the last ten years have made it on to the list. Feel free to slide into my DMs and complain about how I didn’t include your favorite movies on the list. I will say that I do regret not including some movies but by the time I realized they were within the decade I’d already published the corresponding year so that wasn’t ideal.

The Social Network	Letters To Juliet
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World	Due Date
Iron Man 2	Tangled
Easy A	Shutter Island
Megamind	The Losers
We Bought a Zoo	Crazy, Stupid, Love
The Help	The Lincoln Lawyer
Captain America: The First Avenger	X-Men: First Class
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2	One Day
Real Steel	What’s Your Number?
This Means War	The Amazing Spider-Man
21 Jump Street	Seven Psychopaths
The Avengers	Pitch Perfect
People Like Us	The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Celeste and Jesse Forever	Rise of the Guardians
The Way Way Back	Identity Thief
The Butler	Pain & Gain
Iron Man 3	The Kings of Summer
Now You See Me	The Internship
Prisoners	2 Guns
Captain America: The Winter Soldier.	This Is Where I Leave You
Kingsman: The Secret Service	Theory of Everything
22 Jump Street	Walk of Shame
Infinitely	The Judge
The Grand Budapest Hotel	Guardians of the Galaxy
The Man From U.N.C.L.E	The Force Awakens
Dope	Straight Outta Compton
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl	Magic Mike XXL
Spy	Ant-Man
Age of Adaline	Legend
Captain America: Civil War	Jackie
Now You See me 2	Storks
Doctor Strange	Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping	Moana
Me Before You	The Nice Guys
Thor: Ragnarok	Logan Lucky
Gifted	Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Split	Going In Style
Logan	The Greatest Showman
Wonder	The Upside
Avengers: Infinity War	BlackKklansman
Black Panther	Love, Simon
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse	Tag
Blindspotting	Sorry To Bother You
Ocean’s 8	Night School
Jojo Rabbit	Knives Out
Rocketman	Jumanji: The Next Level
Avengers: Endgame	Shazam
Ford v Ferrari	Captain Marvel
Booksmart	Dolemite Is My Name

Thanks for sticking around. I want to wish you a very happy new year filled with love, happiness, and prosperity. I hope you grow and flourish and surround yourself with people that want the best for you. Leave the negativity in 2019 and just keep swimming. I recently learned a Chinese phrase from Ronny Chieng’s Netflix special and that’s Gong Xi Fai Cai (恭禧發財, might be wrong, got it from Google Translate) which means “I hope you get rich”. Money isn’t everything, but it certainly is something so here’s me wishing that for you. Have a good one, folks!