Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Films of the Year 2019

For the seventeenth consecutive year, this is my annual list of films I've watched over the last 12 months. As ever, this means actual visits to the cinema, not films on DVD or on streaming services. As in previous years, I have rated them all in a largely arbitrary fashion.

In 2019, that meant 74 trips to the cinema (it was 73 in 2018) and according to Letterboxd, 144 hours watching the unmissable to the absolute pants. Compared to 2018, the last year has involved seeing far more decent enough films but very few that I’d want to see again.

You can find ratings for the last 16 years here.

Favourite films of 2019: Booksmart / Knives Out / Woman at War / Joker / The Day Shall Come

Documentaries of 2019: Apollo 11 / For Sana / Last Breath

Soundtracks of 2019: The Last Black Man in San Francisco / Motherless Brooklyn

Absolute Melon of 2019: Blinded By The Light

★★★★★: Unmissable!
★★★★☆: Definitely worth seeing
★★★☆☆: Decent film
★★☆☆☆: Disappointing
★☆☆☆☆: Pants
☆☆☆☆☆: Why was this released?


Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ★★★☆☆
Harriet ★★★☆☆
The Two Popes ★★★★☆:
Motherless Brooklyn ★★★★☆:
Judy & Punch ★★★☆☆
Knives Out ★★★★☆
Lucy in the Sky ★★☆☆☆
I Lost My Body ★★★★☆
Honey Boy ★★★☆☆
Le Mans ‘66 ★★★★☆
The Aeronauts ★★★☆☆
Doctor Sleep ★★★★☆
The Last Black Man in San Francisco ★★★★☆
Official Secrets ★★★☆☆
To Kill a Mockingbird ★★★★★:
Gemini Man ★★☆☆☆
Joker ★★★★☆
The Last Tree ★★★★☆
The Day Shall Come ★★★★☆
Ad Astra ★★★★☆
Bait ★★★☆☆
For Sama ★★★★☆
Inna de Yard ★★★☆☆
Pain and Glory ★★★★☆
The Mustang ★★★★☆
Hail Satan? ★★★☆☆
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood ★★★☆☆
Blinded by the Light ★☆☆☆☆
Animals ★★★☆☆
Anna ★★☆☆☆
Support the Girls ★★★★☆
The Dead Don't Die ★★★☆☆
Midsommar ★★★★☆
Spider-Man: Far from Home ★★★☆☆
Vita & Virginia ★★★☆☆
Yesterday ★★★☆☆
Apollo 11 ★★★★★:
In Fabric ★★★☆☆
Men in Black: International ★★☆☆☆
Diego Maradona ★★★☆☆
Late Night ★★★★☆
Booksmart ★★★★★:
Rocketman ★★★☆☆
Sunset ★★★☆☆
Beats ★★★☆☆
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ★★★☆☆
Tolkien ★★★☆☆
Woman at War ★★★★★:
Avengers: Endgame ★★★★☆
Wild Rose ★★★☆☆
Loro ★★★☆☆
Last Breath ★★★★☆
Mid90s ★★★☆☆
Shazam! ★★★☆☆
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story ★★★★☆
Nae Pasaran ★★★★★:
Happy as Lazzaro ★★★☆☆
At Eternity's Gate ★★★☆☆
Us ★★★★☆
Captain Marvel ★★★☆☆
Capernaum ★★★★☆
Everybody Knows ★★★★☆
Happy Death Day 2U ★★★★☆
If Beale Street Could Talk
All Is True ★★★☆☆
Vice ★★★★☆
Burning ★★★★☆
The Favourite ★★★☆☆
Mary Queen of Scots ★★★☆☆
Stan & Ollie ★★★☆☆
Colette ★★★★☆
Mary Poppins Returns ★★★★☆
Green Book ★★★★☆

Tuesday, 1 January 2019

Films of the Year 2018

For the sixteenth consecutive year, this is my annual list of films I've watched over the last 12 months and in 2018, that meant 73 trips to the cinema (down from 83 in 2017).

Overwhelmingly, these visits were to my local Stratford Picturehouse and according to the stats on Letterboxd, overall this amounted to 138.6 hours of film watching.

This has been an exceptionally great year for film: there have been so many I have absolutely loved. The ten I have picked below are not necessarily the ones I admired the most but are my favourites. It was a tough choice. Others, like Roma, Cold War, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and I'm Sorry To Bother You just missed the cut.

As always, this does not include anything watched on DVD or BluRay and as in previous years, I've arbitrarily rated the films I've seen. You can find ratings for the last 15 years here.

Ten favourite films of the year: A Quiet Place / Leave No Trace / Isle of Dogs / Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri / Lucky / The Post / The Breadwinner / First Man / Dogman / Black Panther

Worst films of 2018: American Animals / Downsizing / The Meg / Tomb Raider

Great documentaries in 2018: Nae Pasaran / Three Identical Strangers

Ratings:

★★★★★: Unmissable!
★★★★☆: Definitely worth seeing
★★★☆☆: Decent film
★★☆☆☆: Disappointing
★☆☆☆☆: Pants
☆☆☆☆☆: Why was this released?

Mary Poppins Returns ★★★★
Roma ★★★★
 Nae Pasaran ★★★★
1Sorry to Bother ★★★★
Disobedience ★★★★
The Girl in the Spider's Web ★★★
Three Identical Strangers ★★★★
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ★★
Widows ★★★★
Overlord ★★★★
The Hate U Give ★★★★
Wildlife ★★★
Outlaw King ★★★
The Guilty ★★★
Bohemian Rhapsody ★★★
Dogman ★★★★
First Man ★★★★
The Wife ★★★
A Star Is Born ★★★★
Venom ★★★
Skate Kitchen ★★★★
A Simple Favor ★★★
The Rider ★★★★
Lucky ★★★★
American Animals ★
Yardie ★★★
BlacKkKlansman ★★★
The Miseducation of Cameron Post ★★★★
Apostasy★★★★
Cold War ★★★★
The Meg ★★
Ant-Man and the Wasp ★★★
The Apparition ★★★
Mission: Impossible – Fallout ★★★
First Reformed ★★★
Hotel Artemis ★★★
A Prayer Before Dawn ★★★★
Skyscraper ★★
Leave No Trace ★★★★
The Happy Prince ★★★
In the Fade ★★★★
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ★★★
My Friend Dahmer★★★
The Breadwinner ★★★★
Solo: A Star Wars Story ★★★
Tully ★★★
Deadpool 2 ★★★★
Avengers: Infinity War ★★★★
Lean on Pete ★★★★
The Wound ★★★
 The Deminer ★★★
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society ★★
A Quiet Place ★★★★
Ready Player One ★★★★
Isle of Dogs ★★★★
The Third Murder ★★★★
Tomb Raider ★★
You Were Never Really Here ★★★★
Sweet Country ★★★
I, Tonya ★★★
The Nile Hilton Incident ★★★
Red Sparrow ★★★★
V for Vendetta ★★★★★
Lady Bird ★★★
Black Panther ★★★★
The Shape of Water ★★★
Early Man ★★★★
Darkest Hour ★★★
Downsizing ★★
The Post ★★★★
Hostiles ★★★★
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ★★★★

Random Blowe | Original articles licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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