Though we may have put our best foot forward already with our list of the Best 100 films of the Decade, we simply cannot ignore the year that’s gone by. Here are our 20 favourite films of 2019, followed by what we said about them vs what you said about them.
20. Herbs: Songs of Freedom
Played at NZIFF 2019 | Opened nationwide 15 August
We said: “Iconic in Aotearoa’s popular, musical and political culture, local legends Herbs get their incredibly-deserved documentary dues here, in this relentlessly watchable and deeply personal pic directed by Tearepa Kahi.”
Read Steve Newall’s full review
You said: “It showed all members of this iconic band since its inception and their connection with major political moments in NZ’s history. Go see it.” -Pilot, FLICKS USER
Where to watch Herbs: Songs of Freedom
19. Klaus
Streamed from 15 November
We said: “Klaus expresses such sentiment with a subtlety often unseen in typically hyper-expressive family films.”
Read Liam Maguren’s full review
You said: You didn’t say anything. Guess you better give yourself a viewing of this for Christmas!
18. Midsommar
Played at NZIFF 2019 | Opened nationwide 19 September
We said: “Apart from an opening murder-suicide that harkens back to Hereditary’s gruesome family tragedy, the film operates as a fascinating tonal inverse, swapping dread-filled chamber-drama turmoils for sun-kissed, at times goofy, creepiness.”
You said: “It’s a very strange and odd movie, and there are more than a few uncomfortable scenes that not many people would like to see. Because when things get weird, they get weird.” -thisiskeane, FLICKS USER (full review)
17. The Art of Self-Defense
Played at NZIFF 2019
We said: “Satirising contemporary masculinity and the American psyche, it’s a memorable, highly original and often shocking film.”
Read all our mini-reviews of The Art of Self-Defense
You said: “Not all satiric, dark comedies have a message. Alessandro Nivola and Jesse Eisenberg combine to take the urine out of martial arts, mysterious knowledge, office life, gun control messages, and both wimpy & macho guys.” -Ian_Anderson, FLICKS USER (full review)
More info on The Art of Self-Defense
16. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened / Fyre Fraud
Both films started streaming from January
We said: “It’s a gloriously watchable, often barely believable, documentary. You’ve simply got to see it.”
Read Steve Newall’s full review of Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
You said: Not a thing, perhaps because you didn’t know which one of the two Fyre docos to watch. (Answer: either one, really.)
Where to watch Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
15. Ad Astra
Opened nationwide 19 September
We said: “For a film that traverses the solar system, depicted to stunning effect, there’s a deceptive sense of simplicity when Ad Astra isn’t thrilling with truly nerve-wracking action/sci-fi set pieces in Earth’s orbit, on the Moon and beyond.”
Read Steve Newall’s full review
You said: “You know, I really tried to like this movie. But in the end, it didn’t work out too well for me.” -thisiskeane, FLICKS USER (full review)
14. The Irishman
Opened in limited release 15 November | Streamed from 27 November
We said: “While the experience of watching these senior cinema titans come together with such late-career gusto does partially elicit a nostalgic Goodfellas: Endgame vibe about it, the film is ultimately a richly layered, deliberately pensive dismantling of the myth and swagger generally associated with its creator’s iconic gangster opuses.”
You said: “I never need to watch a (new) US mafia movie again. That was the perfect sign off.” -philos, FLICKS USER (full review)
13. Sorry We Missed You
Played at NZIFF 2019 | Opens nationwide Boxing Day
We said: “Colossal, affecting drama that opens the eyes as if they were wounds. Eye-opening to me, at least—a privileged moron who knew nothing about zero-hour contracts or the cruelty it inflicts on honest, everyday people.”
Read all our mini-reviews of Sorry We Missed You
You said: “I can’t wait to see this when it opens on Boxing Day!” -you, FLICKS FAN
Where to watch Sorry We Missed You
12. Knives Out
Opened nationwide 28 November
We said: “[Daniel] Craig couldn’t be better or more adorable as Benoit Blanc. His steely blue-eyed intensity makes him both a compelling interrogator and a comedic force—especially when pontificating about truth and doughnuts.”
Read Liam Maguren’s full review
You said: “Though it’s still early days, somehow this movie seems destined to be one of those great original films (read: not part of a franchise or based on previous source material) that is overlooked, and therefore fails to make a dent at the box office.” -alex128, FLICKS USER
11. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Opened nationwide 15 August
We said: “Is it Rick or Cliff that better represents Tarantino as he approaches retirement in real life? Do both of them represent the medium of film itself? What’s with the emphasis of filth on the bare feet?”
Read Daniel Rutledge’s full review
You said: “What I said to myself about half way through watching Tarantino’s latest was “where is this going?” that feeling continued all till the ending and I honestly feel I got as much out of the trailer as I did the movie itself. Its well made and acted, so on paper good, but its completely bloated and has no actual narrative.” -arlomclean, FLICKS USER (full review)
Where to watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
10. Toy Story 4
Opened nationwide 27 June
We said: “This fourth adventure does a damn fine job, embracing the inevitability of kids growing up, only to be replaced by new children in search of stories packed full of warmth, humour and unabashed merchandising.”
Read Adam Fresco’s full review
You said: “Absolute fan of 1 & 2, 3 was losing steam, the fourth was ok. I feel bad as I do love Buzz and Woody but it was not as amusing as the first 2.” -kingzeus, FLICKS USER
9. Hustlers
Opened nationwide 10 October
We said: “It recognises that under capitalism, working-class single mothers will always be the ultimate hustlers. But it’s also so much fun!”
Read Amanda Jane Robinson’s full review
You said: Nothing—perhaps too embarrassed about being ripped off by a crew of hustlers?
8. Dolemite Is My Name
Streamed from 26 October
We said: “Know this—when you sit down to watch Dolemite Is My Name, you’re going to spend the best part of two hours grinning at the screen. Like me, you might even exclaim multiple times “Eddie’s back!” (this part is optional).”
Read Steve Newall’s full review
You said: …we’ll just assume you also exclaimed “Eddie’s back!”
Where to watch Dolemite Is My Name
7. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Played at NZIFF 2019 | Opened in limited release 14 November
We said: “Best of the festival [NZIFF], no question. Quite possibly the best of the year.”
Read all our mini-reviews of Portrait of a Lady on Fire
You said: Well… you were speechless, just luck us during this film’s final shot.
Where to watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6. In Fabric
Played at NZIFF 2019
We said: “A bonkers crowdpleaser (bonkers film or audience, you be the judge) from a filmmaker who evidently has something against bosses, who vary here from friendly-oppressive to outright-oppressive—or jizzing across the screen while watching… you’ll see.”
Read all our mini-reviews of In Fabric
You said: Not a word. This only played a few times during the New Zealand International Film Festival and hasn’t received a nationwide release date. It’s THAT bonkers.
5. If Beale Street Could Talk
Opened nationwide 6 March
We said: “Every bit as quietly rapturous as his breakthrough 2016 Oscar champ Moonlight, Barry Jenkins’ follow-up adapts James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk into a stirring, compassionate, beautifully performed expression of communal struggle in 1970s Harlem.”
You said: “A film about love and kindness and hate and evil that doesn’t manipulate or talk down to the audience. So much unspoken, plenty unseen.” -RMcMillan, FLICKS USER (full review)
More info on If Beale Street Could Talk
4. Avengers: Endgame
Opened nationwide 24 April
We said: “Both a victory lap and unexpected nostalgia trip for a series of films that have dominated multiplexes over the past decade, all taking place in the shadow of immense failure, pain, and personal loss.”
Read Steve Newall’s full review
You said: “We are constantly reminded that our heroes are fallible, and knowing that this is the big finale of the story arc, it means that any character could find their head on the chopping block. No one is safe, and that sense of hopelessness really feeds into the tension and suspense.” -butch181, FLICKS USER (full review)
Where to watch Avengers: Endgame
3. The Nightingale
Played at NZIFF 2019 | Opened in limited release 26 September
We said: “A powerful, screaming statement about the horrors of British colonialism, as well as saying interesting things about revenge and indeed, the revenge genre of film.”
Read all our mini-reviews of The Nightingale
You said: “You won’t be able to sleep, but it should not be ignored. Every bit harrowing as it is beautiful.” -arlomclean, FLICKS USER
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Opened nationwide 3 January
We said: “As a superhero film, Into the Spider-Verse is a superb shakeup. As an animated feature, it turns the whole production into something masterful, though calling it a “comic book come to life” doesn’t fully emphasise this film’s most eye-wateringly remarkable achievements.”
Read Liam Maguren’s full review
You said: “Laugh-out-loud moments, six spider-people to cheer for, from schoolboy version to out-of-shape Parker. Who had time to eat popcorn?! I liked it a lot!!” -Leigh19, FLICKS USER
Where to watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
1. Parasite
Opened nationwide 27 June
We said: “A gripping, frequently funny and often nerve-wracking film in which one family’s attempt to survive modern capitalism may just show that some of us already live a somewhat dystopian existence.”
Read Steve Newall’s full review
You said: “What a devastating and an absolute rollercoaster of a movie.” -Newt, FLICKS USER
