My Top 10 Favorite 2019 Movies

Here are my top 10 favorite movies of 2019. Keep in mind this is just personal preference because it is impossible for an amateur like me to professionally rate all movies of 2019. 

Honorable mentions - a few movies that I haven't watched that I think could have made the list: The Irishman, Marriage Story, The Lego Movies 2 and Lighthouse. 

10) The Art of Self Defense 

The Art of Self Defense is not a movie, it's an art. This is not a typical martial art movie. TASD is actually a social horror/comedy, a very refreshing yet twisted take with a great sense of dark humor. The movie somehow walks the perfect silver line, being both scary and funny also tells a ridiculous yet ordinary story. 

The movie is actually great for someone who study psychology.

9) Chị Chị Em Em

CCEE is the only Vietnamese movie to make it on this list. It's not the greatest movies ever but it hit the spot. It's one of those few movie that took the risk in such a safe market and actually succeeded. On top of the gimmick that is forbidden lesbian love, the plot twist being ok, the extremely cheesy dialog and Chi Pu surprisingly good acting are all of the plus points that gave CCEE the 9th position. 

Chi Pu's role was very demanding in term of acting range.

8) US 

Jordan Peele back at it again with another horror social commentary movies. I love multi-meaning shots in movies and there's no one better than Peele. The twist was actually great and I don't mind the filled with plot hole scientific explanation. Us would have been higher if I didn't went into it with a very high expectation. After all, Get Out was my favorite movie of 2017.

Every god damn thing in Us has at least 2 meanings. Even the title has 2 meanings.

7) Happy Death Day 2U 

I am probably the only one who put HDD2 on any top 10 good list. It is so rare to see a sequel straying so far away from the original yet I still like. The writing and the acting combine make me fall in love with watching Tree's growth and changes as the story progress. Also +1 for the bikini scene...

How could you not love this face.

6) Detective Pikachu 

DP (Detective Pikachu, not Deadpool) is a childhood dream comes true. Seeing all the Pokemon comes to live with vivid details and accurate representation makes me screech every 5 seconds. Pokemon has always been among my top 5 favorite franchises of all time. The anime story has become stale after 20 years of focusing on a 10 years old immortal boy. Making Pikachu a detective is also a pretty big risk for a movie adaptation and it paid off. 

Pika pika...

5) Fighting With My Family 

FWMF is a based on true story movie featureing Paige and her road to become WWE superstar. Inspiring and heart-fell, the story of an underdog from a small town in England who keeps fighting to change and prove herself in a sexist and appearance-based industry is truly worth watching, even if you're not a wrestling or WWE fan. 

Paige became the first superstar to win a title on her debut night.

4) Knives Out 

"It is not the truth that matters but what we choose to do with the truth". You can guess who the villain in Knives Out is within 2 seconds of thinking and yet it's still captivating as hell. As a guy who value the journey more than the ending, Knives Out is a masterpiece of story telling, a donut hole that filled the donut's hole perfectly. 

The message that kindness will ultimately win is what helps set this movie apart in the mystery/detective genre.

3) Friendzone 

Another surprising entry, Friendzone is the only romcom movie in the list. With a slightly outdated topic, Friendzone still manage to find a way to pierce through my heart with the simple friend-love-ship that has been developed organically overtime. The chemistry between the leads alone helps catapult the movie to top 3.

Well it's a good seaway into the next entry.

2) Toy Story 4

Disney has had the tendency of getting a bit cash-grabby in the recent years. It is surprising that Toy Story 4 turned out to not be one of them unfortunate soul. I went in Toy Story 4 with a "this is gonna be so needlessly shit" mindset and come out totally in love. I watched Toy Story 4 4 times in cinema and still get something new every time, whether it's a small detail or a hidden meaning. The theme of freedom and self-worth were beautifully discussed throughout the whole movie using different characters placed in unique situations. 

Bo is basically the Millennial of the Toys.

1) Avengers End Game 

An epic finale to a 10 years story, Avengers End Game has everything a fan could ask for in a superhero movie: a giant battle, team combo, Double-powered Thor, Captain America with a hammer, time travel shenanigan, on your left, 3000 and a truly strong boss. Yes the movie is 3h long, yes it has some inconsistency with its established logic, yes Captain Marvel is an annoying plot device and yes the fan boy in me still love it.

The portal scene still gives me chills and hype after all this time.

What's your top 10 favorite movie of 2019?

Quanny Nguyen