Welcome one & all to another of my Fave Films lists! These are my favorite films of the year. And again, I’ve decided to do it alphabetically since I can’t bring myself to organize it any other way. I deliberately don’t use the word ‘best’ in the title of this note, & only rarely in their descriptions, for various reasons. I’m generally not aiming at objective criticism & am not attempting to suggest that these are the ‘best’ films of 2019. These are my favorite, for various reasons, & I fully realize that there were many objectively better-made films last year. I know because I saw many of them.
Some observations & musings on my favorite films in general - 6 / 11 of these are not in English, 2 are from Brazilian directors, 2
from Asia, 2 were shot in black & white, 2 Comic films, 1 Horror film
& 1 Czech film on the list. I do not grant extra points to diversity, just
for the sake of it. However, you’ll notice that there is a great amount of
diversity on this list anyway. Film is a global artform & can be made by
anybody (in principle). I am an advocate of more diversity in Hollywood, don't get me wrong. But those that manage to get produced enter a level playing
field of criticism from me. Historically, my lists have always been diverse in
a variety of ways because I have a very eclectic interest in the craft, not
because it was consciously done. All you have to do is look at my previous lists to verify that.
I hadn’t seen most of these films until I was lucky enough to attend 2019’s Karlovy
Vary International Film Festival in July. I managed to see 3 / 4 on this list there. I couldn't see the 4th one there because one heartbreaking fact about attending
that festival is that you just can’t see everything you want to. There’s just
too much going on & a number of films play at the same time, on days you
don’t attend or are too far away from each other to make the screening,
etc..
There are many
films that almost made my list. There are no less than 7 tied for
12th place. I’ve probably seen all those
you’re thinking of, but if not, make sure to let me know in the comments. I’ve
tried to watch every film on my friends’ ‘best of’ lists as well as many
respectable lists I found online. So there was some serious & thorough
research done before I settled on these. One of the reasons I love doing these
lists is that mine are so different than everyone else’s I see. I don’t try to
be different, it just turns out that way. These are the most amazing,
interesting, creative & inspiring films I loved the most from 2019. Enjoy!
My favorite
feature films
This list is in
alphabetical order
All my reviews
are spoiler-free
THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURÍDICE GUSMÃO
Simply titled INVISIBLE
LIFE upon it’s wider release after it ran the festival circuit. A tropical
melodrama from Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz. 1 of 2 films on this list that
I watched on my final day at Karlovy Vary (a glorious day it was). I was
immediately drawn in by the intoxicating tone of this beautiful &
heart-breaking work of art. The saturation of lush colors, sensual sounds,
exotic locations & the attention to detail, while spanning 6 decades of
Brazilian culture, is amazing. Certain to trigger some for its unforgiving
portrayal of a harsh patriarchal society, which victimizes & exploits the
two sister protagonists, until its heart-rending final scene. It requires a bit
of patience before the trajectory of the plot reveals itself fully, which is
essentially & simply, a question. It’s planted in your mind early on &
tantalizes you to the point that it’s all you can think about. And as the
conclusion draws near, your eyes begin fill with water, blurring your vision of
anything else. Finally, you get what you asked for. And as the end credits
begin to rise, your tears begin to fall.
Fans of
Almodóvar should definitely seek this film out. They don’t make many films like
this nowadays. This was the first film by Karim Aïnouz I’d seen. I’d never even
heard of him. I’ve since watched his 2002 debut MADAME SATA, which is really
good, but am having trouble finding copies of his more recent work. Except his
2006 film LOVE FOR SALE, which is next on my list. INVISIBLE LIFE was adapted
from a 2016 debut novel (of the same name) by Martha Batalha. Watching this
film is as intellectually stimulating as reading a novel. You can tell that it
was adapted from one. The script is that well-written. It’s not available
online yet as of this posting. I’ll keep you informed as to when it drops
though. I want to watch this again very badly.
JOKER
A psychological
character study of a man’s trajectory into self-destruction & madness
masquerading as a comic book character origin story. Joaquin Phoenix’s nuanced
performance in his metamorphosis into the iconic character is genuinely
convincing. It’s one of the very best performances I saw all year. Although
director Todd Phillips has repeatedly said that this is meant to really be the
Joker, as well as being produced by DC, I choose not to see it that way. For
me, it’s a kind of Elseworlds story, where events unfold in a similar but
different way to the Gotham in my imagination, where the Joker’s origins are
forever a mystery. I absolutely love the plot’s ambiguity, which gives me, the audience,
so much work to do! It forces me to rewatch the film, looking for the subtle
hints required to help separate Phoenix’s unreliable narration from some
glimpse of objective reality. I generally like Comic films, & watch all of
them, but give me an R-rated one that’s great & I’ll probably love it.
Director Todd
Phillips took an unpredictable career turn with this film. It’s quite a
contrast between this & much of his previous work (THE HANGOVER trilogy
& a mixed bag of low-brow comedies). I’d argue that this is his objectively
best-made, acted & realized film. I want to point out that I’m not
interested in anyone’s political analysis of this film. So if its existence,
popularity or content has triggered the tender recesses of your delicate
echo-chamber belfry, or threatened to melt your stellar dendrite mindset,
please take your reactionary whining elsewhere. Thank you. That said, I still
prefer Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the character, but Phoenix’s performance has
once again, for the 4th time this decade, raised a film into my top-10 of a
year (YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, INHERET VICE & HER previously), making
him one of my most admired actors working today. In addition to its 11 Oscar
nominations, Joker has been nominated for 1 Golden Raspberry award for a new
category, introduced in 2019, called the ‘Worst Reckless Disregard for Human
Life & Public Property’ award, LOL.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
I suppose I’m
calling this my favorite Horror film of the year, though it’s more of a dark
Psychological Drama / Fantasy with Horror elements & a splash of Cosmic
Horror. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson (in essence, also ‘da foe’) foil
each other to the point of madness in this wonderfully bizarre, bleak &
Lovecraftian nightmare. The 2 actors, fully committed to their captivating
roles, play 2 ‘wickies,’ a 19th Century slang term for a lighthouse keeper. The
story was inspired by the 1801 real-life Welsh tragedy, referred to as ‘The
Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy.’ But there are many layers to this story & the
two characters also represent the figures Proteus (Dafoe) & Prometheus
(Pattinson) from Greek mythology. The former
was called the ‘Old Man of the Sea,’ in some versions even Poseidon’s
son, while the latter, as you may well know, defied the gods by stealing fire
to bring knowledge to Mankind. The lighthouse, obviously, standing in for Mt.
Olympus in this allegory. No seagulls were harmed in the making of this film.
‘Nothing good
can happen when two men are trapped alone in a giant phallus,’ quoth American
director Robert Eggers whenever he begins to describe his film. This is Eggers’
2nd feature, following his outstanding 2015 debut Indie-Horror THE VVITCH. THE LIGHTHOUSE
scenes were shot in Nova Scotia, at an artificial lighthouse, which was
constructed for the film out of wood. Jarin Blaschke’s Oscar-nominated
cinematography is some of my favorite of the year. Many special techniques were
used to emulate the look & feel of orthochromatic film, which was used at
the turn of the 19th century. Even with my extensive, albeit selective,
historical film knowledge, I’m having a very hard time finding comparisons or
follow-up titles for this. THE LIGHTHOUSE pairs quite nicely with the 2019
Indie Drama BAIT, which is also highly recommended. Besides that, there’s this
1976 BBC TV movie THE SIGNALMAN or the not highly recommended 2017 film COLD
SKIN, but neither really capture the essence or feel I crave after this
experience.
LILLIAN
A road movie, a
biography (sort of) & an observation of various aspects of American society
through the eyes of a stranger in a strange land. Based on the real adventure
of a Russian immigrant named Lillian Alling who, after her visa expired while
working in NYC, decided to return to Russia by walking there - through hundreds
of miles of modern-day Americana, before venturing through thousands of miles
of Canadian & eventually Alaskan wilderness, mostly on foot. With nothing
but what she carried & without any money. Polish actress Patrycja Planik
only speaks a few words, in the first scene, before carrying the rest of the
film with her charisma alone. Other characters speak to her, & to each
other, but Lillian’s quest is furtive & other people range from impertinent
distractions to hazardous threats. During the first half of the film, she feeds
off of rural America’s rectitude, seemingly without guilt or care, scavenging
whatever she needs to continue on. This contrasts sublimely with the second
half, which takes her into the vast & unforgiving wilderness where survival
seems more & more unlikely, building tension & compassion for her
struggle. The cinematography & natural landscapes are beautiful &
provide a stark contrast with the mounting hardship of her journey.
This was my
favorite film I saw at Karlovy Vary last year. As I mentioned in my festival review,
my friend John & I were making fun of this film for a few days, I think
because the premise of a woman walking to Russia from New York sounded silly.
Then we discovered it was based on a true story. One screening fit nicely into
our schedule so we decided to give it a watch. Now, there have been many
liberties taken with this film compared to the real story. I highly recommend
watching the film before doing any sort of research. You’ll appreciate it more.
Austrian director Andreas Horvath had only made documentaries before making
LILLIAN. I’d never seen any of his work, nor even heard of him. This is Polish
actress Patrycja Planik’s first feature film. Both were at Karlovy Vary &
introduced the film.
LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT
This film is
just about equal parts Andrei Tarkovsky & Wong Kar-Wai in terms of
inspiration (as well as a few straight-up thefts of their iconic imagery).
Let’s take a second to discuss ‘slow cinema.’ First of all, it’s not for the
average moviegoer. Most people probably don’t have the patience to sit through
numerous classics, old & new, which, by today’s ‘standards,’ might seem boring.
I’m certainly not immune to this attention deficit approach to films which,
with their vast abundance in today’s streaming society, can cause us to quickly
lose interest in some slow-burns. Especially subtitled ones. Most of you
probably won’t dig this as much as I do & that’s cool. The last hour of the
film is one 59-minute single take, no edits & no trick editing to look
seamless. And that sequence was originally shown in 3D, not available in the
online version, which I’m glad I missed because I’ve seen video recordings of
how wearing the glasses made the film quite dark & it lost a lot of its
rich colors during the sequence. I will say the gimmick is really the glue
holding this film together. Normally I don’t fall for such tricks, as you may
have noticed the amazing film 1917 didn’t make my list, but I was really
drawn-in to this seductive cinematic art project. There were many better (&
more original) films from 2019 to choose from, but this one cast an enticing
spell on me.
This is
Director Gan Bi’s 2nd feature film. I haven’t yet watched his debut, 2015’s KAILI
BLUES (which features a similar, 40-minute single take), but I definitely will
soon. LONG DAY’S JOURNEY… is infamous in China for being marketed as a
‘mainstream’ film, which drew a massive audience on its 1st day. When it was
reported that it was actually an ‘art-house,’ Indie film, the box office
plummeted 96% the following day. I look forward to his future efforts, which
hopefully will lead him towards a stronger voice of his own. Now that he’s
played with his favorite inspirational toys, it’s time to walk a path untaken.
MONOS
MONOS
(‘Monkey’) is the name of a squadron of young soldiers, stationed somewhere
near the cloud line somewhere in Latin America. Who they’re fighting against is
unclear. There’s a general air of apathy towards whatever they’ve been ordered
to do. What they stand for is equally ambiguous. Left unsupervised, the plot
begins to unfold like Lord of the Flies, but with the added nuance of having
young women present as well. They hold an American woman hostage, who they’re
not supposed to harm, but also take a callous attitude towards. Add guns,
alcohol & psychedelic mushrooms into the mix & some predictable
problems begin to arise pretty quickly, launching into some familiar APOCALYPSE
NOW territory when all hell breaks loose & the war comes to them. Most of
the plot unfolds without much dialogue from then on, as the band degrades into
a savage pact of hunters out to remove all obstacles in the way of the freedom
they’ve acquired by burning down all the bridges that bound them to humanity.
This is the
film I most regret not seeing at Karlovy Vary last July. I would have traded 3
other (bad) films I saw to have seen this. There was simply no way to fit it in
my schedule. Brazilian director Alejandro Landes helmed this tale. I haven’t
seen his previous film PORFIRIO, but I really want to now. He’d made a
feature-length documentary before that as a debut. Nothing in MONOS treads new
ground in terms of story or moral, which is not to say that it isn’t truly
impressive. Because this film is about how it’s told. Specifically the
outstanding work by cinematographer Jasper Wolf, some of my favorite of the
entire year. It reminds me of some of the best shots in the best of Werner
Herzog’s work. The tone of the film is dense with atmosphere & the
hand-held camerawork puts you right there within a scene. I really wish I’d
seen it on the big screen.
ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD
I think this is
my favorite English-language film of the year. Having foreknowledge of the
film’s core plot, that of the ‘Manson murders,’ might be essential to making
this ‘cup of tea’ your preferable flavor. Without an even basic understanding
of who the historical characters are, & what inevitable event the plot
slowly builds towards, must significantly diminish one’s appreciation &
enjoyment of this tale. I was fascinated by how engaged this story kept me. I
was actually participating in it myself by keeping track of the events in my
head & trying to predict where & how Tarantino’s alternative history
would merge with actual events. All the while being highly entertained by the
ways it didn’t. All the way to its unpredictable ‘fairy tale’ ending, which
completely enchanted me. One caveat of my love for this film though is the
representation of Bruce Lee, which I feel paints him in an inaccurate &
negative light. The fact that his scene begins with perhaps the film’s best
single, unedited, long take does help curtail my grievance, however.
This may end up
being Tarantino’s penultimate directorial effort, which deeply saddens me.
Because this is one of my favorite films by him & in many ways, is some of
his very ‘best’ work, which the film’s 10 Oscar nominations can attest.
Referred to by Tarantino as his ‘Magnum Opus,’ & his love letter to the
L.A. he grew up in, he 1st wrote the story in novel form, taking him 5 years,
which only DiCaprio & Pitt have been allowed to read, before even starting
on the screenplay. Robert Richardson’s cinematography, his 5th time working
with Tarantino (counting KILL BILL as 1 film), captures the tone of late 1960s
Hollywood beautifully. The attention to detail, in all respects, is amazing.
Margot Robbie even wears some of the late Sharon Tate’s real jewelry. Some of
the businesses given makeshift facades along Hollywood Blvd have even insisted
on keeping the film’s period dressing intact to return the city to a more
classic look. And oh my god, what an amazing soundtrack! My 2nd favorite
soundtrack of the year (see below for #1). Outstanding acting & casting all
around. Tarantino has said that there’s a 4-hour cut of the film on the way
(the theatrical cut is already an impressive 2 hours & 41 minutes), so we
haven’t even seen everything this film has to offer! I’m at a loss as to where
to begin with follow-up recommendations for you so I’ll just say that Tarantino
said the director whose work most resembles this film is that of French
filmmaker Claude Lelouch, so start there.
THE PAINTED BIRD
This is
certainly the most powerful film on this list. And at 2 hours & 47 minutes,
also the longest. When I left the cinema, I was stunned & shaken. And my
1st thought was I can’t wait to watch this film again. When summarizing this
film in conversation with friends, I’ve found it apt to say it greatly
resembles Andrei Tarkovsky’s IVAN’S CHILDHOOD in content & tone, with the
added sophistication & similar cinematography style of Michael Haneke’s THE
WHITE RIBBON & the occasional cruel exploitation & emotional beats of a
typical Lars von Trier film. All of which is meant to be complimentary, but is
not always taken that way. And if that completely goes over someone’s head, I
just insist they watch it based on my recommendation. This is the only
Czech-produced film which I’ve loved in the nearly 15 years I’ve lived in
Prague. This film came highly-anticipated, due to its walk-outs &
inflammatory responses at the Venice Film Festival. Its reputation of being
difficult to watch preceded it by months. I had no problem with its most
graphic content. which is to say, I’m not condoning the events, just that they
weren’t too heavy-handed for my sensitivities. Obviously a story about the
physical, psychological & sexual abuse of a child isn’t an uplifting one.
This is Czech
director Václav Marhoul’s 3rd feature, coming 11 years after his previous film
TOBRUK, which I haven’t seen & probably won’t due to its reviews. Though
produced by the Czech Republic, the leading actors aren’t Czech, which is
interesting. The language spoken by all the characters is called Interslavic,
basically a ‘Slavic Esperanto,’ which was created in 2006 to be understood by
all Slavic nations. The director didn’t want the audience to feel like this was
set in any specific country. THE PAINTED BIRD was adapted from a novel by Jerzy
Kosiński, who also wrote BEING THERE (which director Hal Ashby made into a
wonderful 1979 film). He was heavily criticized for claiming the events were
autobiographical, before eventually admitting this isn’t the case. Plotwise, it
is quite similar to the 2013 German / Polish film RUN BOY RUN. Or sadly, Roman
Polanski’s childhood, surviving fleeing the Krakow ghetto on his own after his
parents were taken by Nazis, at age 6 (if you can manage some empathy for the
controversial man).
PARASITE
This is the 2nd
film on this list I saw on my last day at Karlovy Vary (right before THE
INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURIDICE GUSMAO). Since I first saw it there, I’ve grown to
absolutely love this film. I’ve seen it 3 times as of writing this. Garnering
that rare Best Picture Oscar nomination, as well as Best Foreign Film nom, like
ROMA did last year, I want this to take Best Picture this year. In many ways, I think it’s the ‘best’ &
most accomplished film of the year, as well as the most socially important
& thought-provoking. It’s a brilliant, though tragic, microcosm &
disturbing parable of class-division. This is undoubtedly director Bong
Joon-Ho’s masterpiece (so far). He describes it as his ‘staircase’ film, using
vertical space symbolically to visualize the insurmountable gulf between social
hierarchical worlds. What begins as a binary ‘have vs. have not story’ evolves
into a more nuanced & accurate reflection of our world.
The film leaves
us asking, ‘who is the true parasite?’ And while the answer usually depends on
one’s own bias due to social status, perhaps it is the film’s message that,
though tragic, must be seen as an honest one - they (as well as we), all are.
Because all members of our multifaceted societies take advantage of, as well as
depend on, in many ways, those above & below us for our own comfort & lifestyles.
Each ascension up the social hierarchy displaces someone else, essentially
creating a ‘zero-sum game,’ & only helps to further divide everyone who has
striven to reach a little higher. While the lowest of the low, having little to
no recourse of their own, possess the worst emotional parasitic trait of them
all - that of hope. As uncomfortable a revelation as that is to accept.
Apparently this is going to be expanded into a TV miniseries soon, so I’m
looking forward to that as well. Bong Joon-Ho’s next ‘best’ 3 films are: THE
HOST, MOTHER & MEMORIES OF MURDER, in that order.
WAVES
Last
alphabetically, but by no means least (it’s probably my 4th favorite film of
the year) comes this emotional gut-punch of hypnotic & mesmerizing fervor.
WAVES is outstanding in just about every respect a film can be. One thing that
sets it apart is its use of a changing aspect ratio, which contracts from
widescreen to more ‘square shape’ (see THE LIGHTHOUSE above) as the film draws
towards its mid-point, mirroring the characters’ emotional disconnection from
each other & their growing inner turmoil. There are many creative camera
movements used as well, especially more than one 360-degree pivot & various
spins. The effects are mesmerizing & give the film a glorious playful freedom.
As I’m avoiding spoilers, I’ll just say that it eventually returns to its
widescreen format as the characters confront & struggle to overcome their
pain. Amazing acting by everyone involved, some of the very best I saw all
year. Very intimate performances whose pain we are to find sublime beauty in.
WAVES is an
ambitious & unprecedented achievement by director Trey Edward Shults, his
3rd feature, but only his 2nd I can recommend. I loved his 2015 debut Indie
Drama KRISHA, which Shults also wrote, but didn’t care for his 2017 follow-up
Horror effort IT COMES AT NIGHT, which he didn’t write. The soundtrack alone is
outstanding. Tame Impala launches us in & we exit the film with Radiohead,
my favorite use of their music in any film ever. So many rich & alluring
tones saturate this landscape. And, on top of that, there’s an original score
by Oscar-winning Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor, who also scored the
outstanding TV series WATCHMEN last year, one of the ‘best’ TV shows of 2019. WAVES
will absolutely possess you in its emotional vigor & is my absolute
favorite soundtrack of the year.
This list is in order
Baf! I found the time to add more films to this note. It
was a really good year for Horror films. I love & respect the genre &
it’s one I take pride in knowing a lot about. I take the time to watch the best
of what each year brings. I saw around 25 of what 2019 had to offer I think (I
don’t keep track of these things). So let’s do another top-10! THE LIGHTHOUSE stands
out as my favorite. Just for fun I’ll put these in order, most favorite first.
So here are my 2nd through 11th favorite &/or most interesting Horror films
of 2019.
IN FABRIC
One of my favorite films I caught at Karlovy Vary. This is
not the 2nd ‘best’ horror film of the year (after THE LIGHTHOUSE), but is my 2nd favorite, no doubt.
It’s really like 2 separate films in one, kind of giving itself its own sequel.
Half way through, it switches its focus to completely different characters,
which you’d never know from the trailer, which adds to the unpredictability of
this very bizarre tale. Director Peter Strickland is one of my favorite horror
directors working today & although I enjoyed his previous 2 films more (THE
DUKE OF BURGUNDY & BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO), I still love this one very
much.
US
Hey, look at that. My next 2 star African-American
protagonists & I’m not even awarding extra points because of diversity. How
unintentionally progressive of me. I didn’t love this story as much as director
Jordan Peele’s previous, & debut, film GET OUT, but its quality is
certainly equal in most other respects. I’d probably respect this film a bit
more had I not guessed its twist ending before it was half over. This stretched
my suspension of disbelief a bit too tightly in places, but still great.
MIDSOMMAR (DIRECTOR’S CUT)
This is an interesting film. I can both argue that it’s
really good as well as criticize it for being equally bad. Both points of view
require ignoring more than a few aspects of its plot, acting quality &
pacing. Perspective is really the only difference. I prefer a positive perspective
though. I find it very interesting that, as a Horror film, it’s set almost
entirely in broad daylight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before in this
genre. And that doesn’t detract in the least bit from its more frightening
moments. This cut adds 24 minutes of new footage, extending its length to 2
hours & 51 minutes. For those who enjoyed the theatrical version enough to
want a rewatch, seek out this longer cut. It’s as visually trippy &
unsettling as before, now with more gore. From director Ari Aster, who made
2018’s HEREDITARY, one of the top-10 ‘best’ Horror films of the last decade.
DOCTOR SLEEP (DIRECTOR’S CUT)
I loved Stephen King’s follow-up novel to THE SHINING. I read it in the Fall of 2013, right when it came out. THE SHINING is my favorite Horror film of all time. I've seen it like 15 times. Mike
Flanagan’s film adaptation is quite good, though it didn’t quite live up to my
expectations. I think most directors would have done a worse job though. It did
hit all the important plot points of the novel, without leaving me wanting more
content. It slightly changed the ending of the novel, which I didn’t mind
because I think the film’s ending is more interesting & is more satisfying
to fans of the novel THE SHINING than to Kubrick’s film. The director’s cut
adds 28 minutes of new footage, making it just about exactly 3 hours long. If
you only want to watch it once, go for the longer cut. Mike Flanagan should be
a name you remember if you love Horror films, having made the great Netflix
series THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, HUSH & GERALD’S GAME.
READY OR NOT
This was the most fun & funny Horror film I saw in 2019
(HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U being a close 2nd). I’ve been developing a real soft spot
for Horror-Comedies in recent years (giving many older films a rewatch &
reassessment). The horror elements are on the light side, but it’s got its
moments. I love the nod to the ending of 1988’s HEATHERS in the final shot.
Co-directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, who helped make the
great 2015 Indie Horror Anthology SOUTHBOUND.
CRAWL
One of Tarantino’s favorite films of 2019. The possibility
that, not only can this really happen, but that it must have already done so
somewhere in the world, is truly frightening. Presumably partly inspired by
Tobe Hooper’s 1976 underrated EATEN ALIVE, but then again, maybe not. Very
respectable performances & production value for such a simple premise. Sam
Raimi was 1 if its producers. From French director Alexandre Aja (HIGH TENSION,
THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake).
THE LODGE
I caught this at a midnight screening at Karlovy Vary,
which the young actor Jaeden Martell was there to introduce. Its wide release
wasn’t until February of 2020, so expect to hear much more about this soon.
This film builds an incredible amount of tension in a masterful way. I found
the ending a bit of a letdown though, which really upset me. But I’m not going
to judge it for not sticking the landing. It’s a hell of a journey, which is
more important. From Austrian directors Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz (of
GOODNIGHT MOMMY fame).
THE GOLDEN GLOVE
This film absolutely wins the weirdest characters prize,
maybe of the entire year. It’s the only foreign-language Horror film on this
list, sadly. It’s loosely based on the crimes by the German serial killer Fritz
Honka in Hamburg, Germany, in the 1970s, in the Saint Pauli district, which I
visited a few years ago. Critics really didn’t like this one, often pointing
out its ‘pointless depravity’ & the like. Which is an honest description of
the main character’s actions, obviously, but I think an unfair labeling of the
film itself. It’s a nihilistic, gory & unforgiving character study of a
killer without much apparent motivation (no typical backstory of abuse or
whatever) except heartless malevolence. Unless you really like Horror films
& will watch just about anything, this will completely repel & nauseate
the average moviegoer. I thought it was great. I’d never seen a film by German
director Fatih Akin, but I hope to soon. Adapted from a 2016 novel.
BRAID
Despite its low IMDB rating (currently at 5.3 / 10), I was
absolutely fascinated by this tapestry of surreal Horror. To be honest, the
film doesn’t make any sense. The scenes seem disconnected & I often really
had no idea what was going on. Which means that you really have to be ready for
anything as the film slowly strips you of all ability to predict what will happen
next. Leaving you with the thought ‘where the hell is this going & should I
even keep watching?’ The answer, in my humble, is a resounding absolutely!
You’ll hate every character & take sinister pleasure in their torture. Or
you won’t & this film is absolutely not for you. I’m not saying this is a
great movie, but I was very entertained by the trip down its proverbial rabbit
hole. This is the debut feature film, written & helmed by Italian director
Mitzi Peirone, who started her career as an actress.
I TRAPPED THE DEVIL
And despite this film’s low IMDB score (currently 4.8 / 10,
which is complete bullshit), I really liked it. Obviously influenced by one of
the most infamous (it was banned after its original airing due to its
disorienting effect on 60’s American sensitivities) Twilight Zone episodes
(1960’s THE HOWLING MAN), which is honestly a more accomplished story despite
its 25-minute length. Nevertheless, it gains points for being set at Christmas
time, an always welcome addition to any genre film. Is our protagonist crazy
& has he trapped a normal human? Or is it really the Devil he’s captured? You’ll
have to watch it yourself to find out. This is the debut film from director
Josh Lobo & I think he has promise. As long as he learns how to keep up the
dramatic tension he’s good at introducing, but here let’s go of during its
second act.
This list is in order
APOLLO 11
2019 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon
landing. This documentary uses only archival footage, remastered with amazing
video & sound quality, to remind us what an accomplishment that truly was.
One interesting detail is that the electronic music soundtrack was played
entirely on instruments available in 1969. What more can I say? Who wouldn’t
love this film? Who isn’t interested in space? An obvious favorite doc of the
year. Sadly, they left out the footage of the aliens who were watching the
mission along the way, LOL.
HONEYLAND
This film was shot in North Macedonia (aka the Republic of
Macedonia). That’s on the northern border of Greece for my American friends. HONEYLAND
was shot over 3 years. Over 400 hours of footage was shot before being edited
down to its 89-minute final version. It’s been nominated for 2 Oscars - Best
Documentary Feature as well as Best Foreign Film, the first ever nomination for
the country. Bees are an extremely important resource for life on this planet, as
we may find out the hard way after we’ve killed them all with our Monsanto
chemicals, reducing our future supermarket size to half because of all the food
we won’t have anymore. The amazing protagonist of this film, Hatidze Muratova,
is an inspiration &, unlike popular environmental activists currently in
the news & on magazine covers, is actually doing something herself to
improve the state of her local community. This is a great doc about the doc,
about 15 minutes long, I highly recommend.
FOR SAMA
Also nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. FOR
SAMA is a heart-wrenching home movie that was made as a love letter from a
mother to her baby daughter. Shot over 5 years, with over 500 hours of total
footage, during the uprising in Aleppo, Syria. The film was edited down to 96
minutes. Waad Al-Kateab, just 21 years old when she began filming, shot most of
this herself for her daughter Sama (‘Sky’ in Arabic) & the unspoken
backdrop of this needs to be said - in part, in case her daughter grows up without
her mother. I will mention that she eventually fled to Turkey & is today a
UK citizen. So don’t avoid this thinking that it’s not going to end well. I
think it’s really important to watch films like this, if only for selfish
reasons, such as giving yourself a perspective on life to show just how good
we’ve got it, despite whatever problems come our way.
HAIL SATAN?
A look at the quick rise & influence of the
controversial religious group known as The Satanic Temple. For the record, I am
not a Satanist. I do not worship any supernatural entities because I believe
humans have invented them all. In fact, most Satanists don’t actually believe
that Satan exists. Those who do are called Christians, for example. I generally
have a ‘live & let live’ attitude towards religious people & most of my
conflict with them stems from how it influences them to take political stances
which attempt to restrict the freedom of others, regardless of, & indeed
disrespectful of, others’ beliefs (or lack thereof). One of my favorite quotes
on the subject is, ‘Religion is like a penis. It’s a perfectly fine thing for
one to have & take pride in. But when one takes it out & waves it in my
face we have a problem. And please don’t try to shove it down a child’s
throat.’ This doc is surprisingly funny. And I love how the director’s name is
Penny Lane. If you have a sense of humor, give this doc your time. If you
don’t, I’m sure you’ll be quite offended by it. If so, please let me know. I’d
like to know who I should avoid spending time with in the future.
MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN
‘The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott's ALIEN -
rooted in Greek & Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of
Francis Bacon, & the dark visions of Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger. A
contemplation on the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power
of myth, & our collective unconscious’ - IMDB. That pretty much sums it up
nicely. This played at Karlovy Vary last summer as well & I’m sorry I
missed it. I had faith it would eventually be available online, which it now
is. If you think 1979’s ALIEN is the ‘best’ Sci-Fi film ever made, I respect your
choice. I’d argue it’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. If you think ALIEN is the best
Horror / Sci-Fi film ever made, also a good choice. Mine is Carpenter’s 1982 THE
THING but ALIEN is right up there. Go behind the scenes of ‘one of the best’
Sci-Fi films ever made with this great doc. Fans will absolutely not be
disappointed & you’ll come out having learned many new & interesting
things about this beloved classic.
IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS
This 4 hour & 20 minute doc covers many (but by no
means all or enough) classic 80s Horror films, with many interviews with the
directors, actors & special effect technicians who worked on them. One huge
criticism however is that it only covers English-language American, Canadian
& British productions. But what it lacks in quality, it more than makes up
for with quantity. Only offered to purchase to those who crowd-funded it, you
can find it online on the Shudder streaming service, or other ‘unofficial’
sites to stream if you are so inclined.
