General: Top Films of 2019

This is my personal list of the 10 best films of the year. Before you read it and angrily write that I shouldn't have omitted <fill-in-the-blank>, let me make a few remarks:

To qualify for the list I must have seen the film in the cinema in 2019. Any film that I didn't see will not be included. Maybe I decided not to see a film. Maybe I missed a film because I was sick in bed and couldn't go out. Maybe a film wasn't shown in my local cinemas. Whatever the reason, if I didn't see a film in the cinema it won't be in the list.

By the same reasoning, it's relevant when I see the film. If a film is shown over the New Year period from December to January the film might be included in one year or the other, depending on when I go to see it. In the same way, some films, particularly the Oscar contenders, are released in the USA in one year but not shown in other countries until the next.

1. Avengers: Endgame

This is the film that the MCU has been building up to for 11 years, the climax of 23 films. There was so much potential for it to go wrong. I'm glad it didn't.

2. Joker

For me this was the surprise hit of the year. It was much better than I expected. Let's hope it gets a few awards at the 2020 Oscars.

3. Ip Man 4

This is a last minute addition, just when I thought my list was finalised.

4. Happy Death Day 2U

A brilliant sequel that changes the direction set by the first film. "Happy Death Day" should have been in my 2017 top film list, but I didn't appreciate it until I watched it on disc a year later.

5. Once upon a time in Hollywood

This is one of Quentin Tarantino's weakest films, but as I've said before, Tarantino's worst films are better than the best films of other directors.

6. One Cut of the Dead

Technically, this is a 2017 film, but it took a long time for it to arrive in German cinemas.

7. Rocketman

I like the music in "Bohemian Rhapsody" more, but this is a better film.

8. Green Book

This was the winner of the Best Film Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards. It's the best film to win the award for years, in my opinion.

9. Fighting with my Family

It's possible that this film should be higher in my list. I'll watch it again soon, but my list is final, I shan't change it any more.

10. Lords of Chaos

That's interesting. This year there are four true stories in the seventh to tenth positions in my list. I've always had a weakness for true stories.

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That's my list for this year. I went to the cinema 130 times, and I've seen 121 films. (The films that I saw twice were "Avengers Endgame", "Captain Marvel", "Green Book", "Joker", "Once upon a time in Hollywood", "Parasite", "Rocketman", "Spider-Man Far From Home" and "Yesterday").

I welcome top 10 lists from my readers. Please leave them in the comments.