Thomas Storai 
Thomas shares his top twenty movies of 2019 so far…
It’s not an understatement to say that 2019 has been an incredible year for movies so far with the epic conclusion of the Infinity saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a lot of great surprises from indie movies and other big studios. The year is not over yet and there are still some big movies to come like the conclusion of the Skywalker saga, you can read the thoughts of our team about the best movies still to come this year here.
It hasn’t been easy to rank movies this year with a great number of quality films we have. You may not always feel the same about a movie when you first see it in cinemas and when you rewatch it at home months later. What has remained the same on my top is the first three, only their position has changed throughout the months.
This top is based on French release dates.
20. The Boy Harnessed The Wind
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind is a movie about famine in Africa and how a boy thanks to education could save his village but also himself from a miserable life, up to the way of College education. We already knew Chiwetel Ejiofor was a talented actor, and with this film, we discover his talents as a director! An inspirational, sincere and earnest movie with a beautiful message in it.
19. Vice
Vice is a classic Adam McKay movie, using sharp humor while telling you a story based on true events that are completely insane. Christian Bale is one devoted actor! This movie has a casting at the top of its game with Amy Adams, Steve Carrell and Sam Rockwell.
18. Their Finest
Too often movies that deal with the war focus on the soldiers, the battlefields but Their Finest shows us another side of the war, the side of the civilians. This touching movie is brilliantly lead by Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy. And I very much appreciated Jeremy Irons cameo!
17. Alita Battle Angel
Alita Battle Angel is quite a good surprise! Interesting characters, a captivating story and very well done visuals: it’s a great movie. I got to say when I went to see it at the cinema, I had no idea what to expect and I left being pretty satisfied!
16. The Lion King
The Lion King is a remake worthy of the original! This movie is absolutely magnificent, visually mind-blowing! We rediscover the classic beloved songs and Beyoncé’s song along with Elton John’s new song perfectly blend in with the film’s atmosphere.
15. The Old Man And The Gun
The Old Man And The Gun is a very good movie, it has that old crime caper aesthetic that I really love. The legend Robert Redford just shines again, as charismatic as ever.
14. The Mule
The Mule is a great Clint Eastwood movie, it’s good to see him in front of the cameras again, after all these years, he hasn’t lost his great charisma. Bradley Cooper is lucky to have been able to act on his side, a top-notch casting. A beautiful movie!
13. Beautiful Boy
Beautiful Boy is a deeply moving film about a father’s fight to save his son. Steve Carell is an amazingly talented actor, he’s perfectly capable to make you laugh like in The Office or to make you cry like in this movie. And Timothée Chalamet shows us once again that he’s one of the most talented actors of his generation!
12. Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Pokemon Detective Pikachu is a fun and entertaining movie bringing back a lot of good memories. It’s a rich and detailed universe, a lot of worldbuilding that could lead to some interesting sequels! As a kid, I was very fond of this universe so as an adult finally seeing it come to life in live-action was something quite special to witness!
11. Strange But True
Strange But True is a thriller with a plot well structured and totally surprising twists. It’s also a touching movie with its grief tale. And the cast delivers strong and intense performances.
10. X-Men: Dark Phoenix
This movie never had a chance at the box office with all the bad press surrounding it people never gave it a chance and that’s very unfortunate. X-Men Dark Phoenix is a good movie. Hans Zimmer delivers another majestic soundtrack. This last adventure was well-paced with an awesome ensemble cast. And seeing the team with their X-Men costumes in action was heart-warming! This saga was never afraid to tell dark stories and that’s what made it successful.
RELATED: Review | X-Men: Dark Phoenix
9. Aladdin
Aladdin is a very good movie, staying true to the original movie while bringing a new touch of magic and modernity. The old songs are brilliantly performed and the new ones written by Pasek & Paul are just as excellent! Mena Massoud & Naomi Scott shine as Aladdin and Jasmine. Will Smith has a lot of fun playing the Genie, a role that fits him perfectly! You can definitely feel Guy Ritchie’s filming style!
8. Triple Frontier
With Triple Frontier, J.C. Chandor is a master at directing, delivering a movie focusing on the characters’ conflicts lead by an outstanding cast. A good choice of music and very beautiful cinematography. The characters are tested throughout the story, the movie asks to what they’re ready to do to keep that money, highlighting the moral aspect of it.
7. Shazam!
Shazam! is a fun and entertaining movie with lots of great surprises! Warner Bros handled the marketing well by not showing any of these surprises in the trailers! Zachary Levi is sensational as Shazam, he was made for this role! A great cast! I love it!
6. Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel is a good, even a very good Marvel movie. A compelling story, well-done action scenes, and add some great songs from the 90s to go with it. Goose steals the show quite a few times, really funny! Brie Larson is great as Captain Marvel! In a matter of months, she has quickly become one of my favorite MCU characters on the same level as Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man!
5. Good Boys
Good Boys is a very funny movie with consistent laughs from its crazy humor. Everyone delivers fantastic performances – the way jokes are delivered, the reactions to the crazy situations the characters are in … it’s on top! Jacob Tremblay is a very talented actor, he already has an impressive career so far. He can do comedy just as great as he does drama! There’s no doubt about it, it’s the comedy of the year! Seth Rogen and the other people behind this movie are great at comedy and they’ve proven this many time. Beyond all the laughs, this movie is also a sweet coming-of-age story.
4. Spider-Man Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home concludes the third phase of the MCU in the best possible way with a world post-Endgame. This is an awesome movie full of twists and turns combining action, fun and emotions. A powerful soundtrack composed by Michael Giacchino. Tom Holland once again proves he is the best Spider-Man. Jake Gyllenhaal shines as Mysterio and it was the perfect role for him in a superhero movie. A cast at the top of their game. And this movie gives us the best two post-credits scenes of the MCU! Even if Spider-Man is no longer part of the MCU, I’m so excited for what comes next for Holland’s version of the character and I know it’s going to be exciting!
3. How To Train Your Dragon The Hidden World
How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World is a wonderful conclusion to this saga that started in 2010 and this will remain without any doubt one of the best trilogies of animation in the history of cinema. It’s a movie full of emotions, humor, adventure and action with visuals of breathtaking beauty. It was the best way to kiss goodbye these characters we’ve loved for so long. The soundtrack is simply splendid with a very beautiful song by Jonsi for the ending credits!
2. Avengers Endgame
Avengers Endgame is the end of an era, a gripping conclusion filled with the most unexpected surprises. This movie is absolutely breathtaking on every level, simply mind-blowing! The Avengers Assemble scene is on the same level as the Ride of the Rohirrim scene Lord of the Rings The Return of the King, it is cinematic perfection! That’s a movie that deserves to win Oscars, for the actors – Robert Downey Jr., who is saying goodbye to a character he has played for so many years and he gives his best performance as Tony Stark in this one. This is the most ambitious film of the history of cinema without any doubt and it has the biggest cast ever! 11 years, 22 movies, Endgame concludes this saga in the best way possible – with tears, laughs, cheering and so many surprises.
RELATED: Avengers Endgame | Our Verdict
1. The Death & Life Of John F. Donovan
This movie has only been released in France, Canada, Italy and will soon be released in Portugal (October 31st). It’s really a shame no American studios have bought the distribution rights for the United States because it’s a movie that deals a lot with the US.
Xavier Dolan returns with his first movie in English language and also his most ambitious movie – The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan. It’s a deeply moving and intimate movie accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack. It’s a complex and fascinating story about an artist’s life, about accepting who you are and criticism of how Hollywood works. It’s important and timeless topics. Dolan has a unique way of filming that highlights the actors’ performance in a way that only a few directors know how to do so. He’s involved in every level of the making of his movie, that’s what I call an artist. He is the best director of his generation and he deserves more recognition around the world, his movies are one of a kind. And what an outstanding cast there is in this movie! There are three actors I want to mention especially. Kit Harington who delivers the best performance in his career – complex, broken and vulnerable. Natalie Portman delivers a poignant performance that is worth an Oscar! And finally, Jacob Tremblay is without any doubt the best actor of his generation, very talented! That powerful scene with him and Natalie Portman where they argue after she discovers about the letter and the scene with the cover of Stand By Me (by Florence and the Machine) are certainly the two most poignant and brilliant scenes of the movie. It’s simply a masterpiece!
Be sure to check back at the end of the year for an updated top 20 and see which ones are still in the top and which ones left!
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Thomas Storai is the Senior Collectables Correspondent for Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a wide range of movies. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasStorai where he uses the force frequently!
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Collectables Editor at Future Of The Force.
Star Wars and Marvel specialist, anime expert
