By Anna Husted EBS FILM CRITIC
In lieu of a top 10 list, I’m giving you a top 20 yet again—there are easily 50 movies I enjoyed in 2019 and another 20 I have yet to catch up on, including Pedro Almodòvar’s “Pain and Glory” and Shia Lebouf’s “Honey Boy.” In addition to those two, you’ll also see some films missing that most critics adored such as James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari” (worth watching for Christian Bale alone) and Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” (also worth watching since it garnered Best Picture, but it’s no “The Host”).
Scottish tale about dreams, family and class. It may sound cheesy, but it’s brilliant and empowering. PHOTO COURTESY OF NEON
You’ll also see some Oscar contenders farther down my list than perhaps expected such as Sam Mendes’ “1917.” If you didn’t see “1917” in theaters then don’t bother seeing it at all. It is a master class in filmmaking with cinematographer Roger Deakins at the helm using not just a Steadicam, but also the Trinity System rig, creating what appears to be two long takes and seamless transitions. This type of cinematography is unprecedented and will most likely remain unmatched for years.
I hope this list inspires you to watch something new and find something you love. Enjoy.
- “Little Women” – In theaters
- “JoJo Rabbit” – In theaters
- “Diane” – Hulu
- “The Mustang” – Hulu
- “Wild Rose” – Hulu
- “Fighting with my Family” – Amazon Prime
- “The King” – Netflix
- “To Dust” – Hulu
- “The Lighthouse” – Bozeman Public Library or rent on iTunes
- “The Art of Self-Defense” – Hulu
- “Honeyland” – Hulu
- “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” – Bozeman Public Library or rent on iTunes
- “The Peanut Butter Falcon” – Bozeman Public Library or rent on iTunes
- “Monos” – Rent on iTunes
- “Uncut Gems” – In theaters
- “Joker” – Bozeman Public Library or rent on iTunes
- “The Irishman” – Netflix
- “1917” – In theaters
- “Us” – Hulu
- “Ready or Not” – Bozeman Public Library or rent on Amazon Prime
Other strong films that didn’t quite make the cut:
“Knives Out” – In theaters
“Dolemite is My Name” – Netflix
“The Beach Bum” – Hulu
“Her Smell” – Hulu or HBO NOW
“Woman at War” – Hulu
“The Farewell” – Big Sky Community Library or rent on iTunes
“I Lost My Body” – Netflix
“Ford v Ferrari” – In theaters
Anna Husted has a master’s in film studies from New York University. In Big Sky she can be found skiing down a mountain or at the movies at Lone Peak Cinema. When not gazing at the silver screen or watching her new favorite TV show, she’s reading, fishing or roughhousing with her cat, Indiana Jones.
