2019 Movie Rankings: 30 through 21

Jeff D Lowe2/05/2020 11:33 PM

We've reached the third and final day, Day 16, of the 2019 Movie Rankings Countdown. Throughout the rest of the week, leading up to the 92nd edition of The Academy Awards, I will be revealing my rankings for all 185 new movies I watched this year.

RANKINGS SO FAR:
Bottom 15 (171-185)
170-161
160-151
150-141
140-131
130-121
120-111
110-101
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41
40-31

From Jordan Peele to Marvel and a little Shia LaBeouf, this group of 10 movies as we start the Top 30 has a great mix of genres and stories. All of these movies border on "great" with a few breaking through into the 90 out of 100 threshold for the first time in the countdown. Let's get into it, here are movies 30 through 21...

30) John Wick: Chapter Three (86/100): It might not be quite as good overall as the previous two movies, but my goodness does this franchise turn in hit after hit. I could go on and on about the movie, but I'll let this scene do the talking...

No franchise shoots and frames hand-to-hand combat and fight scenes quite like John Wick. Incredible!

29) Little Women (86/100): I am the number-one Saoirse Ronan fan in the world, and I say that with confidence. She turns in one of the year's best performances in 'Little Women', a very good movie from Greta Gerwig. While I might not have loved the movie as much as both critics and audiences, I think this is the best adaption of the classic story. The non-linear fashion in which the story is told didn't totally work for me, but I commend Gerwig for putting her own stamp on a property that could have just simply been spit back out in the same way everyone has seen it before.

28) Waves (87/100): One of 2019's hidden gems, 'Waves' is top tier work from A24...

It's a powerful and emotional experience on the level of character and story, but visually speaking, 'Waves' sticks out from nearly every movie released in 2019. The look of the movie is an absolute triumph. It's breathtaking to look at it and the combination of director Trey Edward Shults and cinematographer Drew Daniels should be applauded. Also, if you put Sterling K. Brown in your movie, expect the tears to flow.

27) Ad Astra (87/100): Sticking on the topic of visuals with movies, holy cow, how about 'Ad Astra'?

Every shot in 'Ad Astra' is mind-blowing to look at. You could easily argue it is one of the best looking space movies ever made. Where you land on the story-telling will determine how much you like the movie, though. Personally, I think Brad Pitt's calm, subdued character is pivotal in making this movie work, even if at times I felt as though a little more emotion could have been written into the script for him. This movie uses the look, sound, and feel of space to create its tension and boy did it succeed because 'Ad Astra' had me on the absolute edge of my seat.

26) Fast Color (88/100): If people want something a bit different from their superhero movie, then 'Fast Color' should be added to your watchlist…

This is a superhero movie leveled out in the most human, relatable way possible. I am much higher on 'Fast Color' than both critics and audiences, but this movie is right up my alley. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is fantastic in the lead role. It's a deep, emotional movie with a perfect amount of originality to make an overused genre feel fresh.

25) Dark Waters (88/100): If anything, 'Dark Waters' is a pretty insane true-story, but it's also a gripping dramatic thriller…

The movie is simple, yet smartly put together. It never ventures into being too boring and holds the attention of its audience well as it unravels so many shocking and disturbing details. This was a passion project for Mark Ruffalo, and it shows, the movie is laced with personal commitment and heart about an important subject.

24) Dolemite Is My Name (89/100): Bravo Eddie Murphy, bravo…

The cast is stellar, but Eddie Murphy stands out with one of the year's best performances. This movie will have you grinning ear-to-ear, and while it carries some biopic cliches, the movie is fantastically made and hits almost all of its comedic beats. The fact this movie landed on Netflix should have been a blessing for the company and I wish it got a bit more shine.

23) The Peanut Butter Falcon (89/100): 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' might be the one small movie that people have asked me about more than anything else from 2019…

One of two excellent Shia LaBeouf roles we got to see this year, it's a fantastic adventure movie that channels a charming personal and emotional level. I've said this about a few movies in my rankings, but 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' truly packs a great deal of heart that is hard not to admire.

22) Spider-Man: Far From Home (90/100): At this point, Tom Holland is my Spider-Man. He has slipped perfectly into the role and his second solo movie is better than its predecessor in my eyes. A big reason for the success of 'Far From Home' is the villain played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Marvel's villain-problem is well-documented, but they changed it up a bit with Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, giving his arc and backstory enough twists and intrigue to make the character feel fresh. Director Jon Watts has done a wonderful job with this franchise and it is right at the top of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

21) Us (91/100): One of 2019's most divisive movies, I was on the positive end of the spectrum for Jordan Peel's follow-up to 'Get Out'. Everything about Peele's filmmaking is so fucking intricate and detailed, there is a "wow factor" to the way in which his stories unfold. 'Us' is definitely out there and requires a few leaps to have everything tie together for you as a viewer, but that was perfectly okay for me. The movie is sharp, pointed and a great creative example as to how there is still plenty of originality left in Hollywood.

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Here are the rankings so far in picture form…