The Wandering Earth, the Chinese sci-fi blockbuster that nobody knows about
As I examined my fleshed-out list of 2019 movies viewed, I noted that I saw pretty much everything on internet streaming services. The way of the future, right? At home viewings, I can move around as much as I want, sit in my chair, lie on the floor, stand, exercise, stretch, eat and drink with frequent breaks, pause for bathroom duties, and so on. But to be bound to a cinema chair for two to three hours... well, the thought doesn't sound one bit appealing to me.
This was the year of Netflix, and to a lesser extent, Amazon Prime, for my viewing needs. I occasionally rented a new release on Youtube, and a friend or two loaned me things now and then. Netflix in particular put out a lot of stuff worth watching over the past year, some of the content produced by Netflix, some of it picked up for presentation on the service
When I first considered how many 2019 movies I'd seen, I figured it wasn't very many, but after examining my activity on Letterboxd (a social network for film fans), I realized I'd actually viewed 27 movies that were released in 2019, out of a total of 220 movies for the year (which isn't over quite yet, but I don't see things changing by much). Both numbers are down from the previous year, and yet I'm still a bit surprised with the results. Like I said, there weren't many outstanding flicks to check out this year, so instead I found myself falling into the streaming binge-watch trap more often than not. Netflix and others seemed to have more to offer in the way of shows (both new and old) than in movies.
Having said all that, there were some nice surprises, some of the best seen earlier in the year. Stuff like John Wick: Chapter 3, Yesterday, The Dirt, The Highwaymen, and I Am Mother. Along with compelling films like The Wandering Earth and In The Shadow of the Moon, there were fun - if second-rate - movies like Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Rocketman, and Triple Frontier.
The fun and wacky Dolemite is My Name, starring
a rejuvenated Eddie Murphy
Some odd, and sometimes flawed, documentaries that were still engaging and/or entertaining were: Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (a colourful and comprehensive history of kung fu cinema), Hail Satan? (a look at the Satanic Temple and its fight for justice and equality), and Tell Me Who I Am (a young man lost his memory in an accident, and is brought up to speed by his brother).
More sophisticated fare included Marriage Story (emotionally charged performances by Adam and Scarlett) and Midsommar (a low-key horror along the lines of the classic The Wicker Man). Not at all high-brow, The Breaking Bad Movie exceeded my hopes, feeling like a very natural continuation of the gritty TV series.
But not everything was a winner. The highly regarded Us failed to impress me, though that might have just been a case of too much hype and too-high expectations. The Beach Bum was a big let-down, too, looking like yet another tired vehicle for McConaughey to act outrageous and grow a beard.
Once the year is officially over and done with, I will compile a Top Ten or Twenty. But for now, here is my list of 2019 movies I've seen, not in any particular order:
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Marriage Story
Midsommar
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Hail Satan?
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Tell Me Who I Am
In The Shadow of The Moon
Dolemite is My Name
The Red Sea Diving Resort
Deadwood: The Movie
Rocketman
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Yesterday
The Dirt
The Highwaymen
Us
The Beach Bum
Triple Frontier
Triple Threat
Beneath the Leaves
The Wandering Earth
I Am Mother
Polar
IO
Only Mine
More 2019 movies added January 4, 2020:
Crawl
Long Shot
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