The Best And Worst Of 2019

And so, another year has come to a close, but not just any year, mind you, but the one to close out a decade. The 2010's were a very odd decade, but one that I'll certainly remember. In 2010, my mom took me to see my first R-rated flick; "Cop Out", a movie I'll always enjoy because I love buddy-cop movies more than anything. 2011 saw the first time I saw a movie more than once in theaters; "The Muppets". I started writing feature-length scripts in 2014 and most of them turned out terribly, but that goes with the trade. I graduated high school in 2016. My senior prom was held at the House of Blues, which was a wonderful night, whether you factor in people vaping in the bathroom or not. In 2017, I was diagnosed with Depression, which has now blossomed into MDD(Massive Depressive Disorder), along with anxiety and OCD, tics and all. In 2019, I released my debut album, creating a character in the process, Konkrete Angel.

I bring all of this up because, no matter what happened, no matter what was going on, no matter what was happening in the world around me, movies were always there. Movies were always flickering to life on the sceen in front of me. Just like they always are and like they always will be. and this year in review is no different.

2019 seemed like another banner year, though what exactly made it so, I can't put into words. First, we go through the best performances of the year, vocal ones included. Next, a brief listing of the best original songs from cinema this year. Then my choices for the most overrated and underrated films of the year. Finally, my personal lists of the best and worst films of the year. An amazing thing happened this year: out of the over 200 movies I've seen from 2019, only two of them I've given zero stars out of four to. Either I've gotten softer, or people are wising up. Let's begin. Here's to the roaring '20's.

The Best Performances of 2019

Best is hilighted in red.

Best Actor
Scott Adkins-"Avengement"
Ben Affleck-"Triple Frontier"
Christian Bale-"Ford V. Ferrari"
Jean Claude Van-Damme-"The Bouncer"
Matt Damon-"Ford V. Ferrari"
Leonardo DiCaprio-"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
Taron Egerton-"Rocketman"
Mel Gibson-"Dragged Across Concrete"
Zack Gottsagen-"The Peanut Butter Falcon"
Paul Walter Hauser-"Richard Jewell"
Lucas Hedges-"Honey Boy"
Michael B. Jordan- "Just Mercy"
Noah Jupe-"Honey Boy"
Daniel Kaluuya-"Queen & Slim"
Shia LaBeouf-"The Peanut Butter Falcon"
Zachary Levi-"Shazam!"
Mena Massoud-"Aladdin"
Matthew McConaughey-"Serenity"
Matthew McConaughey-"The Beach Bum"(TIE)
Ewan McGreggor-"Doctor Sleep"
Liam Neeson-"Cold Pursuit"
Robert De Niro-"The Irishman"
Edward Norton-"Motherless Brooklyn"
Himesh Patel-"Yesterday"
Joaquin Phoenix-"Joker"
Brad Pitt-"Ad Astra"
Matthew Rhys-"A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood"
Mak Ruffalo-"Dark Waters"
Adam Sandler-"Uncut Gems" (TIE)
Sean William Scott-"Bloodline"
Vince Vaughn-"Dragged Across Concrete"

Best Actress
Awkwafina-"The Farewell"
Jillian Bell-"Brittany Runs A Marathon"
Cate Blanchett-"Where'd You Go, Bernadette"
Jessie Buckley-"Wild Rose"
Jessica Chastain-"It: Chapter Two"
Emilia Clarke-"Last Christmas"
Kaitlyn Dever-"Booksmart"
Beanie Feldstien-"Booksmart"
Anne Hathaway-"Serenity"
Francesca Hayward-"Cats"
Lily James-"Yesterday"
Anna Kendrick-"Noelle"
Sienna Miller-"American Woman"
Isabella Moner-"Dora And The Lost City Of Gold"
Julianne Moore-"Gloria Bell"
Elizabeth Moss-"Her Smell"
Lupita Nyong'o-"Us"
Florence Pugh-"Fighting With My Family"
Noomi Rapace-"Angel Of Mine"
Haley Lu Richardson-"Five Feet Apart"
Daisy Ridley-"Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise Of Skywalker"
Saorise Ronan-"Little Women"
Jessica Rothe-"Happy Death Day 2U"
Rosa Salazar-"Alita: Battle Angel"
Kaya Scodelario-"Crawl"
Naomi Scott-"Aladdin"
Jodie Turner-Smith-"Queen & Slim"
Octavia Spencer-"Ma"
Charlize Theron-"Bombshell"
Charlize Theron-"Long Shot"
Samara Weaving-"Ready Or Not"
Olivia Wilde-"A Vigilante"
Renee Zelwegger-"Judy"

Best Supporting Actor
Asher Angel-"Shazam!"
Colson Baker ("Machine Gun Kelly")-"The Dirt"
Jamie Bell-"Rocketman"
Sterling K. Brown-"Waves"
Daniel Craig-"Knives Out"
Willem Dafoe-"Motherless Brooklyn"
Robert Downey Jr.-"Avengers: Endgame"
Jamie Foxx- "Just Mercy"
Brendan Fraser-"The Poison Rose"
Nick Frost-"Fighting With My Family"
Topher Grace-"Breakthrough"
Jake Gyllenhaal-"Spider-Man: Far From Home"
Bill Hader-"It: Chapter Two"
Tom Hanks-"A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood"
Woody Harrelson-"Zombieland: Double Tap"
Kevin Hart-"Jumanji: The Next Level"
Samuel L. Jackson-"Shaft"
Shia LaBeouf-"Honey Boy"
James McAvoy-"Glass"
Bill Moseley-"3 From Hell"
Al Pacino-"The Irishman"
Joe Pesci-"The Irishman"
Brad Pitt-"Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood"
Dennis Quaid-"The Intruder"
Sam Rockwell-"Richard Jewell"
Michael Shannon- "Knives Out"
Will Smith"Aladdin"
Mark Strong-"Shazam!"
Bruce Willis-"Motherless Brooklyn"

Best Supporting Actress
Ana De Armas-"Knives Out"
Ella Balinksa-"Charlie's Angels"
Kathy Bates-"Richard Jewell"
Millie Bobbie Brown-"Godzilla: King Of The Monsters"
Zoey Deutch-"Zombieland: Double Tap"
Rebecca Ferguson-"Doctor Sleep"
Julia Fox-"Uncut Gems"
Dakota Johnson-"The Peanut Butter Falcon"
Anya Taylor-Joy-"Glass"
Nicole Kidman-"Bombshell"
Vanessa Kirby-"Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw"
Jennifer Lopez-"Hustlers"
Billie Lourd-"Booksmart"
Elizabeth Moss-"The Kitchen"
Lili Reinhardt-"Hustlers"
Margot Robbie-"Bombshell"
Margot Robbie-"Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood"
Taylor Russell-"Escape Room"
Taylor Russell-"Waves"
Naomi Scott-"Charlie's Angels"
Amanda Seyfried-"The Art Of Racing In The Rain"
Kristen Stewart-"Charlie's Angels"
Taylor Swift-"Cats"
Suki Waterhouse-"Pokemon: Detective Pikachu"
Zendaya-"Spider-Man: Far From Home"
Sheri Moon Zombie-"3 From Hell"

Best Vocal Performance
Kristen Bell-"Frozen II"
Brianna Denski-"Wonder Park"
Mark Hamil-"Child's Play"
Ed Helms-"Penguins" (Narration)
Oscar Issac-"The Addams Family"
Hugh Jackman-"Missing Link"
Chloe Grace Moretz-"The Addams Family"
Idina Menzel-"Frozen II"
Keanu Reeves-"Toy Story 4"
Ryan Reynolds-"Pokemon: Detective Pikachu"
Will Smith-"Spies In Disguise"
Charlize Theron-"The Addams Family"

The Best Original Songs Made For A Movie

(In alphabetical order, personal best/favorite is bold)

"Beautiful Ghosts"
Perfomred by Taylor Swift
-"Cats"

"Don't Call Me Angel (Charlie's Angels)"
Performed by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey
-"Charlie's Angels"

"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
Performed by Elton John & Taron Egerton
-"Rocketman"

"Into The Unknown"
Performed by Idina Menzel
-"Frozen II"

"Moonfog"
Performed by Jimmy Buffet
-"The Beach Bum"

"Speechless"
Performed by Naomi Scott
-"Aladdin"

"Super Cool"
Performed by Beck, Robyn and The Lonely Island
-"The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part"

"Swan Song"
Performed by Dua Lipa
-"Alita: Battle Angel"

"The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy"
Performed by Chris Stapleton
-"Toy Story 4"

"The Dead Don't Die"
Performed by Sturgill Simpson
-"The Dead Don't Die"

The Most Overrated Film Of The Year

"The Lighthouse"
What in fresh hell did people honestly see in this particular movie? A horror film, if one can call it that, centering on two sea-farers hubbed in a lighthouse as the pair slowly begin to go mad, the movie has baffeled me to no end. There's no finite story composed throughout it's 110 minute running time, most of the time taken up by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as they bicker and fart (I wish that last part was made up) before slowly going mad. It's incredibly pretentious and difficult to decipher any sort of point. A friend of mine showed me a review by one of his classmates. He gave it a full five stars and said he had no idea what he saw, but he knew he loved it. Believe it or not, that's the most common thing I hear about the movie: "I don't understand it, but it's awesome." Well I sure as hell don't understand it, but it's one big pile of trash.

Overrated Runners-Up: Brightburn; Climax; Downton Abbey; Harriett; Midsommar; Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark; The Art Of Self-Defense

The Most Underrated Film(s) Of The Year

(TIE) "Cats" & "Charlie's Angels"
Ah, yes, two films I'm defending, and very different ones at that. First off, let's discuss "Cats". Yes, the sight of realistic looking cat-human hybrids are certainly odd, the feeling fades away long before the movie is over. The movie does have some faults (I could've much done without the forced humor of James Corden and Rebel Wilson), but is otherwise a dazzling musical adaptation with the original song, "Beautiful Ghosts", simply stunning.

"Charlie's Angels", on the other hand, was some of the most fun I've had at the movies this year. It bombed, unfortunately, but the three main ladies are fun together and the action is well-staged. Plus, "Don't Call Me Angel" is one of the best songs of the year, bar none. It's a shame it bombed, I wouldn't have minded seeing a sequel with these ladies.

Underrated Runners-Up: 3 From Hell; 21 Bridges; Angel Has Fallen; Anna; Black Christmas; Child's Play; Gemini Man; Moherless Brooklyn; Rambo: Last Blood; Serenity; Stuber; Terminator: Dark Fate; Where'd You Go, Bernadette; Wonder Park

The Worst Films Of The Year
Dishonorable Mentions: A.I. Rising; An Acceptable Loss; Arctic Dogs; Benchwarmers 2: Breaking Balls; Body At Brighton Rock; Brightburn; Changeland; Climax; Corporate Animals; Dead Water; Doom: Annihilation; Downton Abbey; Dragon Ball Super: Broly; How High 2; Jexi; Mary Magdalene; Midway; Nightmare Cinema; Norm Of The North: Keys To The Kingdom; Norm Of The North: King-Sized Adventure; Overcomer; Playmobil: The Movie; Run The Race; Saving Zoe; Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark; Secret Obssession; Sextuplets; Sgt. Will Gardner; Tell It To The Bees; The Angry Birds Movie 2; The Curse Of La Llorona; The Last Man; The Lightouse; The Vanishing; Tolkien; Trading Paint; Undercover Brother 2

10. "Lucy In The Sky"

Here's an interesting one to start with. A film poised as Oscar Bait for the 2019 season, "Lucy In The Sky" dared to be a different kind of space movie. One that examined the mental health and psychosis of an astronaut looking to get away from her problems and life by escaping to space. Sounds interesting, right? Did you see which list this was on? This is shockingly bad, primarily because the cast pedigree is phenomenal. What exactly went wrong between filming and final cut is beyond me, but rather than dissect the normatures of what makes this bad, I would rather give you an example of what kind of tomfoolery you're getting with this. While sitting on a rooftop, admiring the sunset, Lucy tells her companion that "I see the sunset every 90 minutes up in space, I see it every hour." Now, I was awful at math when I was in school, but there are 60 minutes in every hour, not 90, ergo, those two statements can't be correct. Normally, I wouldn't bring this type of nit pick up, except for the fact that Lucy prides herself on being a renowned genius that would never make mistakes. If that holds true, you sack of tang, then why would you make a math problem out of spare scrabble pieces? Toss in a psychotic race to her side piece that would be totally ludicrous if it weren't based in fact and you have, what I consider, to be the biggest A-List blunder of the year.

9. "Unplanned"

Hi, Pureflix, how nice to see you again. I don't take too much pleasure in wanting to put you guys on my annual worst lists (to be fair this is ever so slightly better than last years worst list entry, "Samson"), but when you make something as egregiously atrocious as this, you deserve to be called out on it, just like everyone else. This, however, might be their most odd one yet. The first film from the religious company to recieve an R Rating, and for good reason (the film includes sights of copious blood and abortion related images far too graphic for this type of movie), yet let's not get into the company feigning that the reason for the rating was because of religous persecution. Following Abby Johnson as she begins her career at an abortion clinic, the film proceeds to treat the viewer, and it's characters, like a bunch of drooling morons. My opinon notwithsatnding, whether you're for or against the topic of abortion, this is such a shoddy representation of it, with awful dialogue, excruiating pacing and the use of the same three sets over and over. Just how jaw-droppingly weird and absurd is it? One character, while prepping for an operation, feels it appropriate to say "Beam me up, Scotty". But the pin that popped the balloon? During a confrontation between Abby and her boss, her boss compares abortion to FAST FOOD RESTARUANTS, saying, I kid you not, "Abortions are our fries and soda." Get the hell out of here.

8. "Pledge"

The topic of fraternity hazing has never been interesting to me, at least for a narrative film. Maybe as a documentary, the topic could find more success. After 2016's atrocious "Goat", along comes "Pledge", the exact same movie, albeit with a horror bent and alarmingly short at only 77 minutes. A group of nerdy newcomers to their local collge campus find themselves entangled into a frat house to become initiated into the biggest frat there is. Only problem? The members of said house are raving lunatics, priding themselves on inhumane torture and grotesque violence when called upon. The acting is b-movie level at best, the writing comes straight out of the latest porn productions, the violence comes from out of nowhere and is way too much for the viewer to take in and the pacing, even though it's only 77 minutes, is so sluggish. Nothing adds up to a cohesive whole here, leaving the only person feeling bamboozled to be the viewer itself.

7. "Lying & Stealing"

Never heard of this one? I don't blame you. Released pretty much directly to video sometime in the year, "Lying & Stealing" is a con-artist movie featuring none of the charming elements that usually go into these kind of films. Featuring lead pair Theo James and Emily Ratajkowski, the film features these two as con people that manage to cross paths and, please say it with me now, join forces so they can pull off one last heist together so they can finally lead normal lives and be free of their debts. I don't feel as if I'm new to the world of con movies, so this adding absolutely nothing new to the table is insulting and empty. Truth be told, I almost forgot the movie even existed mere hours after watching it. The acting isn't atrocious, at least from a normal viewpoint, but Theo and Emily have about as much chemistry as Plank from "Ed, Edd N' Eddy" (which was a literal piece of plywood) and a single nail; I don't for once recall a moment where these two didn't look like they couldn't stand to be aound each other. This is not a movie made for mass consumption. It's a Z-Level Hallmark movie with f-bombs. 

6. "Countdown"

"Countdown" is about as scary as a game of hopscotch. A horror movie revolving around an app that can seemingly predict the end of the user's life, the film is tonally all over the place, featuring really out of place comedic scenes (though, to be fair, Tom Segura as a cell phone repairman, is quite good), and switching between these and out of place jump scare moments. The acting is pretty routine (read: mid-level at best), but the whole experience is boring and slow, and at 91 minutes, it has no business being that sluggish. Everything about the movie seems oddly outdated and feels like it should've been released in 2011. The official tagline for the film is "Death? There's an app for that." Never mind the fact that they used this outdated joke from 2010 in 2019, the film, for a brief moment, had an outstanding marketing gimmick. The studio actually developed the app that you see in the movie, glitches and all. While I promplty deleted it after downloading it, it still brings up the notion of how big of a missed opprotunity this was. However, I SOMEHOW managed to find the film on Blu-ray for only $1, so maybe a rewatch is in order. A girl can dream...

5. "Captive State"

You remember "Captive State", right? You don't? I don't blame you. This attempt at being a revolutionary Alien Invasion pic is one of the worst sci-fi movies I've ever seen. And it's all the more maddening because the premise is so good. The year is 2027. Chicago has been held in a grip by an alien takeover for the last few years. The humans wandering the streets fight for resources and begin to plan to fight back against their new leaders. At 110 minutes, with a cast that includes John Goodman and Vera Farmiga and with, at times, moody imagery, it shouldn't be this awful, but here we are, readers. This is a truly terrible excuse for a movie, with almost beginner-level direction by Rupert Wyatt, an asinine script and poor perfromances from almost the entire cast (as bad as Colson Baker is in the film, don't let that deter you from his awesome performance in Netflix's "The Dirt"). With the recent Corona Virus pandemic leaving the streets empty as of now, I was instantly called back to this film, which represents our life at this very moment: empty, bleak and hopefully forgotten by the end of the year. (Side note: stay safe out there.)

4. "The Goldfinch"

Remember just a few entries ago when I called "Lucy In The Sky" the worst A-list blunder of the year? I take that back. Prestigous studio Warner Bros. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Donna Tartt. An exceptional cast that includes Ansel Elgort, Jeffrey Wright, Finn Wolfhard, Nicole Kidman, Oakes Fegley, Sarah Paulson and Luke Wilson, how in the love of hell did this go wrong? Where can I start? This is an absolute dreadful experience and at, I shit you not, 149 minutes in length, it gets worse and mind-numbing by the minute. The acting is really, really poor, mostly everyone (aside from bright spot Luke Wilson), looks bored and disgusted with the material, the writing is incredibly pretentious and stupid and the pacing, the PACING, is the worst in any movie I've seen ths year. While viewing the film in the theater, a first occured! 70 minutes in, the power went out due to a massive thunderstorm outside. For a moment, I was almost hoping it wouldn't come back on, but alas, thirty seconds later, the movie came back on right at the moment it stopped, and the last 80 minutes weren't too thrilling either. Yuck, just yuck. 

3. "Midsommar"

No, it's not that I don't get it. I got it. It's not that I don't like movies that make you think. There's nothing to think about. It's not even the fact that I didn't care for director Ari Aster's debut, 2018's "Hereditary". I just don't understand what's supposed to be good about it. This is an awful movie, no matter which aspect you look at it from. Following an admittedly awesome and unsettling prologue, the second the opening cedits roll is the second the movie loses any semblance of credibility or respect from me. The acting isn't good, nor bad, it's simply stationary, providing nothing of use for me to attach to. It's story, essentially amounting to getting revenge after a break up, is laughably dense and holds no water. The base story, about a group of friends going to a swedish Midsommar festival as a means of trying something new, while holding potential, holds zero suspense because the viewer automatically knows that these people aren't on the up and up. It's unpleasant to watch, sure, but not because of any of it's subject matter, but because the act of watching the 147 minute theatrical verison (I have not seen, nor have any desire, to seek out the 171 minute director's cut) is akin to hearing a woodpecker crack at your skull until it ends. A strange thing happened; after I had viewed the film and essentially told people I had hated it, people, including friends of mine, lunged at me for not only hating it, but for not praising it as the most revolutinary horror film to come along in some time. Are you serious? If you enjoy it, that's A-OK, with me. I didn't, far from it, hence why it's so high up on this list.

2. "American Dreamer"

There are a lot of reasons to point out what went wrong with "American Dreamer", an attempt by the filmmakers to have comedian Jim Gaffigan in a role that's a complete 180 from his usual image. That sounds like something that could work out well, no? It's certainly worked for a lot of other comedians, so why not him? Woooo, boy, where should I begin? The story has Giaffigan, playing a loser going through a mid-life crisis while driving for a ride-share company. His highest paying customer is a local drug dealer, who hires Gaffigan to drive him around on the down low. After he finds himself in a bind and needs to acquire extra cash quick, Gaffigan's head spins until he decides to kidnap the dealers toddler child for ransom. That, my friends, is how "American Dreamer" becomes the most morally disgusting film of the year. Kidnapping people for ransom isn't anything new, but not only is there no sensible reason, outside of money, for him to do this, but it makes him lose any ounce of sympathy we might have had for him. Spoiler alert, I guess; while this plot point occurs at the midway section of the moive, it's a big reason as to why it's on here, so take note. After Gaffigan kidnaps the child, he places him inside of his trunk, so as not to be detected by the dealer or law enforcement, and as he's riding along almost without a care in the world, the child ends up dying under his care. Um, what? That's right, and just like that, the movie almost forgets about this child, but we, the viewers, sure don't. Toss in contemptible writing, truly hateful and abusive characters with cold, black hearts and empty souls and an ending truly benign and unsatisfying to anyone with a human heart. This is truly the lowest level you can get in filmmaking, but alas, there was a movie that came out this year that was worse... 

1. "After"

In a weird way, and I do mean weird, "After" might be the most faithful book adaptation there has been. The book, written by Anna Todd, is the absolute worst book I've ever read, and the movie matches every single debased detriment the book had to offer, from useless characters, to barely functional plot developments, riddled with plot holes, to the jaw-dropping level of writing featured in the book (the prose was so clunky and diluted, it was like reading a first graders first novel) to the insulting fact that, yes, they really did make a feature film based off of One Direction fan-fiction. Harry Styles is our main love interest, though his name has been inconspicuously changed to Hardin Scott and is played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. Our lead is Tessa Young, played by Josephine Langford. These two actors might be charismatic in different films, but placed here, up front and center, it's cringe-inducing and uncomfortable to watch as they flop around like pool noodles for the entierty of the movie. Their chemistry is far from non-existent, it's violently painful to watch. The writing is awful, the performances are atrocious, the story can be seen from several states over and the set-up for a sequel is laughable. The biggest penalty? Casting the lovely and radiant Jennifer Beals, only to have her say two and a half lines and promplty exit, giving her nothing to do and, thereby, squandering her talents. "After" almost made me pull a walkout, but I din't wanna give the film the satisfaction. This is a movie so bad, it makes literal doves cry. How pathetic.

The Best Films Of The Year
Honorable Mentions: 3 From Hell; 6 Underground; 1917; 21 Bridges; A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood; Ad Astra; A Dog's Journey; Aladdin; Alita: Battle Angel; A Madea Family Funeral; American Woman; Angel Has Fallen; Anna; Avengers: Endgame; Black Christmas; Booksmart; Braid; Brittany Runs A Marathon; Captain Marvel; Cats; Charlie's Angels; Child's Play; Cold Pursuit; Dark Waters; Descendants 3; Doctor Sleep; Dragged Across Concrete; Dumbo; Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw; Fighting With My Family; Five Feet Apart; Ford V. Ferrari; Frozen II; Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened; Gemini Man; Glass; Good Boys; Hail Satan?; Happy Death Day 2U; Hustlers; Honey Boy; It: Chapter Two; John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum; Judy; Jumanji: The Next Level; Just Mercy; Knives Out; Last Christmas; Late Night; Long Shot; Ma; Marriage Story; Missing Link; Noelle; Official Secrets; Parasite; Penguins; Plus One; Pokemon: Detective Pikachu; Queen & Slim; Rambo: Last Blood; Ready Or Not; Richard Jewell; Serenity; Shaft; Spider-Man: Far From Home; Spies In Disguise; Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker; Stuber; Terminator: Dark Fate; The Addams Family; The Art Of Racing In The Rain; The Banana Splits Movie; The Brink; The Dirt; The Farewell; The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil; The Intruder; The Irishman; The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part; The Lion King; The Upside; Toy Story 4; Trial By Fire; Triple Frontier; Uglydolls; Us; Where'd You Go, Bernadette; Wild Rose; Wonder Park; Yesterday; Zombieland: Double Tap

10. "The Beach Bum"

Harmony Korine has directed two films this past decade: this and 2013's "Spring Breakers". Both of them have earned their place on my best of the year lists. "The Beach Bum" is an entirely different film than "Spring Breakers", but it's bountiful pleasures are almost too much to count. Matthew McConaughey plays a man only known by the name Moondog. As for a story? Well, there really isn't one. It's more just a series of characters and situations that Moondog comes across and gets himself into. His wife, played by Isla Fischer, loves him to death, but doesn't dare manage to reveal to him that she's having an affair with his best bud, played by Snoop Dogg ("The R&B Singa with the Ding-A-Linga" as he so eloquently calls himself at one point). There's Flicker (Zac Efron), a drifter who encourages Moondog to engage in pure chaos; Captain Wack(Martin Lawrence, returning to the big screen for the first time since 2011) as a boating captain taking people on dolphin tours and many more. The acting, all around the board, is tremendous; the obvious good time the cast is having effectively rubbing off on the viewers themselves. For the second year in a row, I had to award two people Best Actor, because Matthew McConaughey gives, what could very well be, the very best performance I've seen of him. It's like he was put on this earth, just to play Moondog. The sun-dappled florida scenery is beautiful, the pacing is engrossing and the soundtrack, featuring laid-back and pitch perfect sunny selections (such as Eddie Money's "Two Tickets To Paradise", Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" and even a lovely live performance of "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins and Matthew McConaughey) are pitch-perfect. This is the definition of a movie that has no direction and yet still somehow manages to make the viewer smile like a goon for weeks on end.

9. "The Peanut Butter Falcon"

This has to be the sweetest film of the year, without any attempts at manipulation on the audience. Newcomer Zack Gottsagen, an actor inflicted with down syndrome, yet performing as capably as the rest of the seasoned actors around him, plays Zack (who else?), a man with down syndrome living in a group home. His dream is to meet his idol, underground wrestler, The Saltwater Redneck (Thomas Haden Church) and become a wrestler just as badass as him. After his roommate (Bruce Dern) helps him sneak out one night, his caretaker (a radiant Dakota Johnson) leaves to find him. Along the way, he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a man on the run after getting himself in hot water. He agrees to take Zack to North Carolina in hopes of meeting the Saltwater Redneck and being trained by him. Everything about the film, from it's writing, to it's cast, to it's intricate humor that someimes sneaks up on you, are all brilliant. Zack is as humane as anybody else, and Gottsagen is a wonder in the role. Hopefully studios take notice and cast him and more people with ailments in featue films like this more often. The rest of the cast, in particular LaBeouf, are acting their hearts out. There isn't too much more to say without repeating myself, all you really need to do is, well, see it for yourself.

8. "Shazam!"

I'm not saying that Marvel aren't just as great at making superhero fare (Trust me, they are), but DC sometimes one-ups them, and "Shazam!" is one of those times. So nice, I saw it twice, this was such a delightful film from beginning to end, I wouldn't know where to start. Following the travails of an orphan, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) as he bounces aimlessly from foster home to foster home, Eventually, he settles into a group home, filled with foster brothers and sisters. One night, he finds a mysterious cavern underground and, through the passing through of a grand wizard (Djimon Honsou), becomes Shazam (Zachary Levi), seemingly invincible, a God among men. There's, of course, the standard good vs. evil plot point, involving baddie Thaddeus (Mark Strong), after Shazam for his powers after he was almost given, then stripped of them years ago. Zachary Levi, star of my all-time favorite TV show, "Chuck", is his typical charming self, exuding tremendous amounts of happiness and humor in the title role, while Asher Angel is a delight as Billy, finding layers within his character. Mark Strong will always be a joy to watch (he was a great villain in 2010's best film "Kick-Ass") and he's wonderful here. The action set-pieces are well-crafted and exciting and the humor is awesome, making one almost forget that their watching a comic-book film. If they don't make a sequel to this, it will truly feel like a crime.

7. "Waves"

A24, you might've been on my worst list once this year, but you're on the best list twice, so take that as an "I'm sorry, please forgive me." Up first, "Waves", an amazingly human drama that packs layers of emotion unlike any movie seen this year. I will not be spoiling anything in this review, because there's a moment that occurrs at the midway point that causes a big ripple and is the crux for what the makes the movie so memorable. What I can say is that, divided into two halves, both of which are fantastic, the film follows a family of four (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown and Renee Elise Goldberry) simply acting out their everyday activities, like any other family. That is, until an incident causes unfortunate ripples that they have to deal with, almost head on. The performances are all terrific, no matter what, and the writing is on a level unlike any other. The cinematography is trippy and relaxing, both at the same time, and the soundtrack selections match the film completely. What else can I say to convince you to watch it?



6. "Bombshell"

Sexual harrassment, in any way, shape or form, is inexcusable, no bones about it. Fox News also seems like just a hostile enviornment to work in (judging just from the glimpses I've caught, it's a lot of back-patting absurdity). In telling the true story of Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) and how he was not only one of the most powerful people on the news network, but also one of the most disgusting. He used his powers for evil, so it seemed, and the three women out to expose him are Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Kayla Popisil (Margot Robbie). While biopics and films based on true stories always add things into the story to make it more dramatic and exciting, the film grabs ahold of the viewers attention. The main trio of ladies are all fantastic (it doesn't hurt that they all give fantastic performances anyway no matter the movie) and the story they're helping tell, in the wake of the ongoing Me Too Movement, is important. The makeup is great, especially given how erie the actors look to their real-life counterparts. Hopefully, people look to movies like this and find ways to help fight for the cause.

5. "Motherless Brooklyn"

Film noir is an almost forgotten era, and we have people like Edward Norton to keep their legacies alive. Adapted fom the novel by Jonathan Lethem, Norton writes, produces, directs AND stars as Lionel, a P.I. employed by his loyal and up-front boss Frank (Bruce Willis). After a botch job leaves Frank dead (not a spoiler as this occurrs very early and is the main reason why the plot is set in motion), Lionel is left in shambles, but still deteremined to get to the bottom of his killing, why it was orchestrated and who wanted him dead. This is, by and large, a true-blue gumshoe thriller; Norton (who happens to be my favorite male actor) more than handles himself with the material. Portraying a detective with OCD and Tourrettes, Norton shines in his typical fashion, and acquits himself a terrific ensemble. Aside from the aforementioned Willis, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Ethan Suplee, Michael K. Williams and Leslie Mann all join in and not a single one of them falter. The writing is pinprick sharp and the pacing is wholly engrossing. I read a lot of complaints from viewers saying they felt the movie was way too long. While it is 144 minutes, the movie never once lags in pace and keeps one's attention, at least it did for me, until the very end. Hopefully, filmmakers take note of how well Norton accomplished his vision with this film and begin to resurrect some of the genres prevalent in the golden age of Hollywood, just as well as he did.

4. "Joker"

Ah, yes, that one movie that everyone and their mothers were talking about. It's here, so I get to talk about it now. "Joker" is an R-rated film for good reason; it's gritty, horrific, heavily raw and brutal. It gives you a hauntingly real vision of a disturbed person, afflicted with a big bout of a mental illness. The man in question is Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a city man with a job as a clown, advertising for business and entertaining children in hospitals. He fits the role well, but outside of his job, everything is falling apart ("All I have are negative thoughts" he tells his therapist during one session). He has no one to connect to, his mother isn't the friendliest and is inflicted with a disease that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at any given moment. As his life continues to go downhill, Fleck slowly begins to descend into madness, leading to consequences that cannot be undone. We've all heard about Phoenix's performance, and the praise is more than well deserved here, but let's talk about the rest of the movie. The score, composed by Hildur Guonadottir is erie and haunting, surely a score not soon to be forgotten. The cinematography is grimy and the discomforting dread that rises, slowly sneaking onto the viewer, is almost too much to handle. While viewing the film in theaters, I almost became ill, not because the movie was gross, but because the actions were so disturbing, especially knowing that these kinds of things could and do happen in real life, it became too real, and that's a gutsy move, one I applaud the makers for. If you're easily squeamish, please steer clear of "Joker", but if you're feeling brave, I promise ypu, it's an experience you won't ever forget.

3. "Rocketman"

It was, for a while, tempting to put this at #1 on the list, making it the fourth year in a row that a musical was my pick for best of the year, but alas, while this was tremendous, two other movies came out on top. Neverthless, not only is "Rocketman" a fabulous biopic, but a different one at that. It's staged as a full-on musical rather than the standard music-bio format. Taron Egerton is just terrific as Elton John, his voice (whom you hear all throughout the soundtrack) is beautiful, giving new life to the Elton classics we all know and love. As a film for music lovers, it's dynamite and beautiful; Elton's story is not one for everyone (he was insistent on not dumbing the story down for a PG-13) and kudos to the makers and studios for accomadating this as such. The acting is great and the musical set-pieces themselves are well-staged, finely crafted and utterly delightful to watch. The numbers are all incorporated into the movie perfectly, with "Tiny Dancer" and "Rocketman" proving the most moving and pretty. There's really not too much more to say, other than to get Egerton a recording deal and have him start churning out albums STAT!

2. "Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood"

Tarantino, Tarantino, how do I love thee? Shall I count the ways? Quentin Tarantino has always been my personal favorite director and he proves his love for the movies in spades with "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood". The story may follow actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) on their path to increased stardom, but blink and you'll miss the other elements, like Rick's next door neighbor, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her rising star on the way to fame. How about Cliff's run in with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh)? What about the cult of people, waiting for a man named Charlie to tell them what to do next? Ok, you may not miss them because this is 161 minutes long, but besides the fact, the late sixties are recaptured perfectly by Tarantino, filled wall-to-wall with music cuts and vintage commercials to compliment the soundtrack, finely balanced humor to go along with the dramatic elements, and, of course, terrific performances from every single ensemble member. The level of detail that went into recreating this time period is jaw-dropping. The film posters for the fake films are a treat to drink in, the TV series and filmmaking aspects of yesteryear are magnificent and the costume and set desgins are the cherry on top. Here's to the golden age of Hollywood; without it, we wouldn't be where we are today.

1. "Uncut Gems"

The 135 minute cinematic equivalent of a full-on, non-stop anxiety attack, "Uncut Gems" is truly a winner; a masterpiece, if you will. Directed by The Safdie Brothers (who helmed 2017's equally intense "Good Time"), "Uncut Gems" is simultaneously cut from the same cloth and it's own thing. Adam Sandler (who was wrongfully snubbed for an Oscar nom) is mesmerizing, unlike you've ever seen him, as Howard Ratner, a jeweler in New York who can walk the walk and talk the talk about as good as the big boys, but has several problems to deal with. He has mounting debts. His marraige to his wife (Idina Menzel) is crumbling; she knows he has a mistress (Julia Fox); and he has loan sharks breathing down his neck. After finding a rare Ethiopian Black Opal, he gets excited; this is his ticket out, his way to repay everyone and possibly open his own business outside of his jewelery store. When basketball player Kevin Garnett (playing himself) comes in and is infatuated with the Opal, Howard reluctantly allows him to borrow it for a night, as a potential good luck charm. To reveal any more would be a crime unto itself. Adam Sandler, after slumming it in his last few films, has never been so alive and full of excitment like this in years; he looks absolutely ecstatic to be playing a new kind of role and it rubs off on the viewer. He is the big reason why the film works as well as it does. The rest of the cast are all great, but this is Sandler's show all the way. The writing is crisp, electric and vibrant. (It should be noted that the film features a total of 696 F-bombs, counted as accurately as possible by myself, which was a challenge as most of the dialogue overlaps). The music is entrancing (the theatrical trailer, which I've willingly viewed a lot, still gives me goosebumps and is one of the best put together trailers I've ever seen), and the film never lets up or gives you a chance to breathe until the credits roll. Buy why should it? You should feel exactly as how Howard is feeling throughout the entire movie, leading to an explosive payoff that, without spoiling, lead me to loudly gasp in a fully packed theater. This is an awesome movie, and I hope to see more like it in the future. Not only the best film of the year, but one of the best of the decade.