Best movies of 2019

1. Parasite
   
   Bong Joon Ho’s family thriller capped off its triumphant 2019 by placing first on IndieWire’s Critics Poll. The movie world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first South Korean film to win the festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or. Since then, “Parasite” has became a box office sensation (over $20 million in the U.S. and over $100 million worldwide) and a top Oscar contender in categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, and more.
   
   
2. The Irishman
   
   Martin Scorsese’s elegiac gangster epic “The Irishman” reunited him with “Goodfellas” stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and nearly missed out on the top spot on IndieWire’s Critics Poll. “The Irishman” has been a dominant force in the awards race, picking up Best Picture honors from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn also named “The Irishman” one of the top films of the year.
   
   
3. Marriage Story
   
   Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” became a top Oscar contender when it debuted at the Venice Film Festival, and now it lands in the third position on IndieWire’s Critics Poll. Adam Driver has emerged as a top contender for the Best Actor Oscar, winning several critics group prizes in the category. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
   
   
4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
   
   Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to Hollywood dazzled critics this year and landed in the Top 5 of the IndieWire Critics Poll. Tarantino was named the National Board of Review’s best director, while the movie is one of the only titles this year to land nominations from every guild.
   
   
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 
   
   Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” failed to earn the official French nomination for this year’s Best International Film Oscar despite earning vast critical acclaim, the Cannes prize for Best Screenplay, and landing at number five on IndieWire’s Critics Poll. France went with “Les Miserables” instead, which did land on the Oscars shortlist.
   
   
6. Pain & Glory
   
   IndieWire’s Eric Kohn named Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain & Glory” the best movie of 2019, writing, “‘Pain and Glory’ has the emotional resonance of an artist coming to terms with the intimate nature of his work, and in the pantheon of the films-about-filmmaking genre, it’s a paragon of the form.” The film is expected to land Almodovar another Oscar nomination for Best International Feature. Antonio Banderas won Best Actor at Cannes.
   
   
7. Uncut Gems 
   
   The Safdie Brothers followed “Good Time” with arguably their best movie yet, the Adam Sandler-starring “Uncut Gems.” The movie won Sandler the Best Actor prize from the National Board of Review, making him a dark horse to land his first Oscar nomination. The Safdie Brothers were named the year’s best directors by the New York Film Critics circle, a deserving upset over heavyweight contenders like Scorsese, Tarantino, and Bong Joon Ho.
   
   
8. The Souvenir 
   
   Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” was for many critics the first masterpiece of 2019 when it debuted to universal acclaim at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, turning leads Honor Swinton Byrne and Tom Burke into breakout stars. The film chronicles their doomed romance, but as Eric Kohn wrote in naming “The Souvenir” one of the year’s best films, “The movie is more than a teary breakup story. It charts a path to finding catharsis through creativity and reveals how some of the most awful experiences can engender great art.”
   
   
9. Little Women
   
   Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” has been dazzling film critics ever since it started screening in October, so it’s no surprise to see it land in the Top 10 of IndieWire’s Critics Poll. The film features one of the year’s best ensemble casts (that it got overlooked for the SAG Best Ensemble prize is one of awards season’s biggest shockers) and an ingenious script from Gerwig, which reorders the narrative of the eponymous novel to startlingly emotional effect.
   
   
10. Knives Out 
    
    Rian Johnson followed “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” with an ingeniously structured murder mystery starring the likes of Daniel Craig, Lakeith Stanfield, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, and the up-and-coming favorite Ana de Armas. “Not since “Hamilton” has a juicy slice of entertainment been so openly determined to bridge the gap between old history and new language,” wrote IndieWire’s David Ehrlich in his A- review.
    
    
11. Us
    
    Jordan Peele followed “Get Out” with the more ambitious “Us,” which left audiences divided but impressed most film critics. At least everyone agrees on the show-stopping performance from Lupita Nyong’o, who effortlessly creates two original characters that compare and contrast with one another at every moment. Nyong’o has rightfully picked up several critics prizes for Best Actress and landed a SAG nomination.