At this time of year, the movie press will be revealing their favourite films of the year, which can be incredibly varied. Movie fans turn to their most trusted critics to discover which movies are the best of the year – and which they should try and watch before the year is out. But which movies are considered to be the Top 10 across the critical board?
Avengers: Endgame
The Marvel movie shocked fans and showed a new side to the superhero genre.
The penultimate movie in Marvel’s Phase Three revealed how deep and earthy superheroes movies can truly be, and it really impressed fans and critics all over the world.
Avengers: Endgame landed the top spot on the Rotten Tomatoes list, which ranks movies based on a huge number of critical reviews and scores, meaning this film is the closest to having received acclaim that we can get.
Best films of 2019: Which are the Top 10 movies of 2019? (Image: Netflix/Pixar/Marvel)
Us
The second feature from Jordan Peele showed Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o in a really new light.
The movie follows a family who go on holiday to a place Adelaide (Nyong’o) has feared for a very long time – and soon they are met by their fearsome doppelgangers.
The movie raked in an impressive $255million (£195million) despite its tiny budget of just $20million (£15.2million.)
Toy Story 4
The fourth instalment in the Toy Story franchise was a film very few people thought was required.
However, the most recent Toy Story movie saw Buzz and Woody brought back together in a way which was both heart wrenching and poignant, making it a movie many dubbed as “the real Toy Story 3.”
The movie received a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of the most successful children’s movies of the year.
Toy Story 4 (Image: Pixar)
Knives Out
Star Wars director Rian Johnson brought a new twist to an Agatha Christie-style story in Knives Out.
He united James Bond and the Avengers by bringing Daniel Craig in as a super sleuth, determined to catch the killer of the wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer.)
In the star-studded cast was Captain America’s Chris Evans as well as Hollywood heavyweights such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon and Toni Collette.
Daniel Craig in Knives Out (Image: Lionsgate)
The Irishman
Martin Scorsese’s latest film has been a hotly anticipated film ever since critics and reporters got wind of the project.
It brings back Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci to star alongside each other, with the addition of major names such as Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Anna Paquin.
The film follows a hitman who tries to keep his friends and “enemies” close as his life surviving with the mob and the unions is chronicled.
The cast of The Irishman (Image: Netflix)
Parasite
Parasite known as Gisaengchung in its native South Korea, has wowed on the awards scene so far this year.
The film won the Palme d’Or and is likely to win the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
While the film has some previews in the UK this year, it is not officially released in the UK until February 2020, meaning it may be one for fans’ 2020 lists this time next year.
The cast of Parasite (Image: Curzon Artificial Eye)
Booksmart
Booksmart is the feature film directorial debut of Olivia Wilde, known for her role in TV series House.
The film follows two high school seniors who are trying to party and enjoy their final days in high school before going out into the big world of college.
The movie gained critical acclaim and showed girls doing the “gross-out” comedy in a new way in the coming-of-age story.
Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever in Booksmart (Image: Entertainment One)
The Farewell
The Farewell has gained rapper and actor Awkwafina a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Billi.
The movie follows a family dealing with grief in the only way they feel they can – despite it being a way many would find totally shocking.
The movie has been a huge success and is also expected to turn some heads in the awards stakes.
Awkwafina in The Farewell (Image: Entertainment Film)
Spider-Man: Far From Home
The final move in the Marvel Phase Three slate was not what many people would have expected, given it featured Spider-Man going off on summer vacation.
Of course, fans were still reeling from Avengers: Endgame and were desperate to know if some of the shocks would be undone.
Sadly, this was not to be, but Spider-Man provided a well-earned reprieve from the shock and upset of Endgame, making it one of critics’ top movies.
Tom Holland as Spider-Man (Image: Marvel)
If Beale Street Could Talk
The final movie to make the Top 10 is If Beale Street Could Talk, which was sadly overlooked by many awards ceremonies.
Barry Jenkins, whose previous feature film Moonlight won the Oscar for Best Picture, adapted the film from James Baldwin’s novel, and it is a love story about a couple who are torn apart when a man is accused of rape.
When his partner finds out she is pregnant, there is even more reason for concern as the families rally alongside the accused in the hope of his release.
KiKi Layne and Stephan James in If Beale Street Could Talk (Image: Entertainment One)
Honourable mentions
Marriage Story, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and They Shall Not Grow Old all appeared in the long top movies list, with the latter focusing on restoring war documentary footage in a way which presents a story.
Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and Rocketman, the Elton John biopic, also appeared in the longer list.
Now, fans will be looking to the awards season to give an idea of which of these films will be big winners.
