Year-End Lists

Nick Schager: The Best Movies of 2019, as published by Esquire

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. The Lighthouse
   Robert Eggers
2. Marriage Story
   Noah Baumbach
3. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
4. Transit
   Christian Petzold
5. A Hidden Life
   Terrence Malick
6. Little Women
   Greta Gerwig
7. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
8. Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse
   Lukas Feigelfeld
9. Under the Silver Lake
   David Robert Mitchell
10. Climax
    Gaspar Noé
11. The Beach Bum
    Harmony Korine
12. Gloria Bell
    Sebastián Lelio
13. Monos
    Alejandro Landes
14. An Elephant Sitting Still
    Hu Bo
15. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
    Céline Sciamma
16. Diane
    Kent Jones
17. Apollo 11
    Todd Douglas Miller
18. The Souvenir
    Joanna Hogg
19. Long Day's Journey Into Night
    Bi Gan
20. In Fabric
    Peter Strickland
21. Pain and Glory
    Pedro Almodóvar
22. Parasite
    Bong Joon-ho
23. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
    Quentin Tarantino
24. Ash is Purest White
    Jia Zhang-ke
25. Birds of Passage
    Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra
26. Shadow
    Zhang Yimou
27. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
    Chad Stahelski
28. The Edge of Democracy
    Petra Costa
29. High Life
    Claire Denis
30. The Mountain
    Rick Alverson
31. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
    Joe Talbot
32. Tell Me Who I Am
    Ed Perkins
33. Ford v Ferrari
    James Mangold
34. Ad Astra
    James Gray
35. Burning Cane
    Phillip Youmans
36. Crawl
    Alexandre Aja
37. Plus One
    Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer
38. The Great Hack
    Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer
39. The Burial Of Kojo
    Blitz Bazawule
40. American Factory
    Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
41. I Lost My Body
    Jérémy Clapin
42. Invisible Life
    Karim Aïnouz
43. One Cut of the Dead
    Shin'ichirô Ueda
44. Tigers Are Not Afraid
    Issa López
45. Dolemite Is My Name
    Craig Brewer
46. It Chapter Two
    Andy Muschietti
47. Skin
    Guy Nattiv
48. Fast Color
    Julia Hart
49. The Dead Don't Die
    Jim Jarmusch
50. Her Smell
    Alex Ross Perry

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2019

Michael Phillips: The Best Movies of 2019, as published by The Chicago Tribune

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Parasite
   Bong Joon-ho
2. Marriage Story
   Noah Baumbach
3. Ash is Purest White
   Jia Zhang-ke
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
   Céline Sciamma
5. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
6. One Child Nation
   Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
7. Waves
   Trey Edward Shults
8. Present.Perfect.
   Shengze Zhu
9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
   Joe Talbot
10. Little Women
    Greta Gerwig

11-20, alphabetically

• Apollo 11
  Todd Douglas Miller
• Atlantics
  Mati Diop
• Dolemite Is My Name
  Craig Brewer
• The Farewell
  Lulu Wang
• Knives Out
  Rian Johnson
• Long Day's Journey Into Night
  Bi Gan
• The Nightingale
  Jennifer Kent
• Toy Story 4
  Josh Cooley
• Us
  Jordan Peele
• The Wild Pear Tree
  Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Ben Sachs: Top 12 Films of 2019, as published by The Chicago Reader

[see also 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Sunset
   László Nemes
2. Belmonte
   Federico Veiroj
2. The Moneychanger
   Federico Veiroj
3. I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians
   Radu Jude
4. The Wild Pear Tree
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
5. The Image Book
   Jean-Luc Godard
6. Relaxer
   Joel Potrykus
7. Hotel by the River
   Hong Sang-soo
7. Grass
   Hong Sang-soo
8. Coincoin and the Extra-Humans
   Bruno Dumont
9. The Souvenir
   Joanna Hogg
10. First Love
    Takashi Miike

Honorable Mentions (in order of preference)

• Vitalina Varela
  Pedro Costa
• Give Me Liberty
  Kirill Mikhanovsky
• Pain and Glory
  Pedro Almodóvar
• Richard Jewell
  Clint Eastwood
• The Sower
  Marine Francen
• The Laundromat
  Steven Soderbergh
• The Wandering Soap Opera
  Raoul Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento
• Ghost Tropic
  Bas Devos
• The Grand Bizarre
  Jodie Mack
• the last 40 minutes of The Irishman
  Martin Scorsese

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
2. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
3. Her Smell
   Alex Ross Perry
4. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
   Quentin Tarantino
5. Transit
   Christian Petzold
6. Ad Astra
   James Gray
7. Under the Silver Lake
   David Robert Mitchell
8. High Life
   Claire Denis
9. Us
   Jordan Peele
10. Ash is Purest White
    Jia Zhang-ke
11. Knives Out
    Rian Johnson
12. Parasite
    Bong Joon-ho
13. Relaxer
    Joel Potrykus
14. Waves
    Trey Edward Shults
15. Long Day's Journey Into Night
    Bi Gan

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019

Vikram Murthi: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2018]

1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
   Quentin Tarantino
2. Transit
   Christian Petzold
3. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
4. Under the Silver Lake
   David Robert Mitchell
5. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
6. Parasite
   Bong Joon-ho
7. Give Me Liberty
   Kirill Mikhanovsky
8. In My Room
   Ulrich Köhler
9. The Souvenir
   Joanna Hogg
10. Asako I & II
    Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
11. Her Smell
    Alex Ross Perry
12. High Flying Bird
    Steven Soderbergh
13. Marriage Story
    Noah Baumbach
14. Knives Out
    Rian Johnson
15. The Day Shall Come
    Christopher Morris

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019
• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2019

Jesse Hassenger: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014]

1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
   Quentin Tarantino
2. Under the Silver Lake
   David Robert Mitchell
3. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
4. Parasite
   Bong Joon-ho
5. Marriage Story
   Noah Baumbach
6. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
   Joe Talbot
8. Knives Out
   Rian Johnson
9. Slut in a Good Way
   Sophie Lorain
10. Us
    Jordan Peele
11. Luce
    Julius Onah
12. Toy Story 4
    Josh Cooley
13. Little Women
    Greta Gerwig
14. Gloria Bell
    Sebastián Lelio
15. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
    Céline Sciamma

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019
• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2019

Noel Murray: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also The 10 Best Documentaries of 2022 • The 10 (or 11) Best Documentaries of 2021 • The Best Films of 2021 • The Best Films of 2020 • Top 15 Films of 2018 • Best Films of 2017 • The Best Films of 2016 • The Best Films of 2015 • Top 15 Films of 2014 • 15 Best Films of 2012 • Best Films of 2011]

1. Parasite
   Bong Joon-ho
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
   Quentin Tarantino
3. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
4. Marriage Story
   Noah Baumbach
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
   Céline Sciamma
6. Little Women
   Greta Gerwig
7. The Farewell
   Lulu Wang
8. The Irishman
   Martin Scorsese
9. Knives Out
   Rian Johnson
10. Us
    Jordan Peele
11. The Souvenir
    Joanna Hogg
12. I Lost My Body
    Jérémy Clapin
13. Dragged Across Concrete
    S. Craig Zahler
14. Chained for Life
    Aaron Schimberg
15. Apollo 11
    Todd Douglas Miller

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019
• Village Voice Film Poll: Top 50 Films of 2019

Lawrence Garcia: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2020 • 2018]

1. Asako I & II
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. An Elephant Sitting Still
   Hu Bo
3. Transit
   Christian Petzold
4. A Hidden Life
   Terrence Malick
5. Her Smell
   Alex Ross Perry
6. Climax
   Gaspar Noé
7. Our Time
   Carlos Reygadas
8. In My Room
   Ulrich Köhler
9. Grass
   Hong Sang-soo
10. Belmonte
    Federico Veiroj
11. Peterloo
    Mike Leigh
12. Sorry Angel
    Christophe Honoré
13. Synonyms
    Nadav Lapid
14. Los Reyes
    Ivan Osnovikoff and Bettina Perut
15. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
    Quentin Tarantino

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019

Caroline Siede: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2021 • 2020]

1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
   Céline Sciamma
2. Her Smell
   Alex Ross Perry
3. Little Women
   Greta Gerwig
4. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
   Joe Talbot
5. The Farewell
   Lulu Wang
6. Parasite
   Bong Joon-ho
7. Booksmart
   Olivia Wilde
8. Wild Rose
   Tom Hooper
9. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
   Quentin Tarantino
10. Marriage Story
    Noah Baumbach
11. One Child Nation
    Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
12. The Nightingale
    Jennifer Kent
13. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
    Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
14. Paddleton
    Alex Lehmann
15. Hail Satan?
    Penny Lane

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019

Beatrice Loayza: The Best Films of 2019, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020]

1. Her Smell
   Alex Ross Perry
2. Ash is Purest White
   Jia Zhang-ke
3. Asako I & II
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
4. Marriage Story
   Noah Baumbach
5. Transit
   Christian Petzold
6. Uncut Gems
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
7. The Souvenir
   Joanna Hogg
8. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
   Céline Sciamma
9. High Life
   Claire Denis
10. Sunset
    László Nemes
11. Holiday
    Isabella Eklöf
12. What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?
    Roberto Minervini
13. The Irishman
    Martin Scorsese
14. The Nightingale
    Jennifer Kent
15. Peterloo
    Mike Leigh

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: Best Films of 2019