Diego Andaluz's BEST OF 2019

2019 has been the year in which all types of media have flourished in a new way. While the general consensus was that 2018 was slightly disappointing, this year brought us the true “peak” of “peak television”, daring shorts from established feature filmmakers and some of the most talked about films of the decade. This being one of the first years in which I truly began to immerse myself in all aspects of this world, I was blown away by the sheer volume of top-tier content that was produced in 2019. Therefore, I present my top ten pieces of visual media.

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2019

10. Uncut Gems

The idea of Uncut Gems itself is one that is tantalizing: a nonstop thrill ride that keeps you at the edge of your seat. However, while it kept that promise in the final third, the previous portions of the film were much more inconsistent. But because of Adam Sandler’s career-best performance and ability to end on a high note, it is able to barely squeeze into the top ten.

9. Fosse/Verdon + The Irishman

Because of the similar themes and the long nature of both pieces, the best biographical dramas of 2019 merit a tie on this list. While both their runtimes are noticeable to a fault, at their peak they exhibit some of the greatest moments of the year.

8. The Fall

After a six year hiatus, the maker of Under The Skin Jonathan Glazer proves he gets better with age with a directorial stroke of brilliance in The Fall. In just eight minutes, he is able to magically create palpable tension from a simplistic story that has no true conclusion but serves up enough mystery to keep one engaged.

7. When They See Us

Possibly one of the most emotionally riveting miniseries of the decade, When They See Us was able to marvelously bring to light a not-so-recent tragedy in a way that evoked The Shawshank Redemption while still being a deconstruction of what the harshest corners of life can do to innocent children.

6. Chernobyl

The first of two unexpected entries on this list of The Hangover Trilogy collaborators, Chernobyl lands on this list because of its pure filmmaking talent as well as the versatility of its five act structure (especially the haunting first act which was the scariest thing seen this year). While it does have its dips and never quite reaches the hights of the opening, it is still a riveting drama that is clearly the best miniseries of the year.

5. Anima

In a surprise move for the great filmmaker known as PTA, he created his first NETFLIX original in the form of a visual poem accompanied by Thom Yorke. With such surreal imagery and hints at an intriguing plot going on in the background, Anderson is able to craft a dystopian love story with no dialogue and was able to make it one of the most emotionally hard-hitting pieces of the year.

4. Parasite

Original, inventive, shocking, and twisted. Those are just a few of the numerous adjectives that can describe Bong Joon Ho’s foreign-language magnum opus. He is able to subvert and surpass all expectations and if not for a few nitpicks, the rest of the list is able to make a film that would have been the best of 2019.

3. The Lighthouse

Akin to The Tree of Life, this film was one where it was not apparent how great it would be until the final moments. While during the first two acts it may feel slow paced, pointless and all style no substance, the final third peaks in a Lynchian moment of pure glory and bewilderment that recontextualizes and makes one reconsider the rest of the film, becoming one of the most thought about and theorized works of art in recent years.

2. Joker

Simply put, Martin Scorsese did not make the best Scorsese film of 2019. While recently bogged down by controversy surrounding its depiction of violence, before, it was hailed in Venice as the best film of 2019. Carried by Phoenix’s best performance to date and elevated by its Scorseseisms and the rich character arc that was available to work with, Joker was able to stay on par with classics such as Taxi Driver but transcended them once Arthur Fleck took his final steps into madness, steps that neither Travis Bickle nor any other Scorsese lead was able to take. With those final chaotic moments that were beautiful orchestrated by Tood Phillips, Joker cemented itself as a cinematic classic.

1. Mr Robot

In a year with many films, television shows, and shorts being praised as some of the “best of all time”, there is one criminally overlooked piece that just might have brought the greatest cinematic display of brilliance that has been seen in a long time. Possibly the only true auteur television show left, the final season of Mr Robot blew the highest expectations out of the water. It’s Writer, Director, and Producer, Sam Esmail,  is guaranteed to become the next great filmmaker, following in the footsteps of Kubrick and Hitchcock (with sequences that are staged like Shakespearean theatre, ones that have no dialogue, and others that are just brimming with tension). While this will all be expanded on in an upcoming review, what will be said for now is that it is quite ironic that in a year like this, the best “film” is one that I never got to experience in a theatre but one where I was able to experience a grand vision that has never been seen before in cinematic history.

BEST PERFORMANCES OF 2019

BEST ACTOR - JOAQUIN PHOENIX (Joker)

BEST ACTRESS - SCARLETT JOHANSSON (Marriage Story)

BEST DIRECTOR - SAM ESMAIL (Mr Robot)