5. “The Irishman”
At 77 years old, with a half-century of filmmaking under his belt, Martin Scorsese refuses to rest on his laurels. Instead, 2019 saw the release of his third consecutive stone-cold classic: “The Irishman.” Reuniting with his old collaborators Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel — plus throwing Al Pacino into the mix — this chilly, gradually-paced epic spans the life and career of mob hitman Frank Sheeran across the American mid-century. As Sheeran bounces between Mafia power player Russell Buffalino and Teamster president Jimmy Hoffa, the insidious creep of corruption and gangsterism into political life is revealed. And as the well is progressively poisoned, so too is Frank’s conscience, and regret haunts him, right into his old age in a retirement home. Elegiac, discomfiting, and surprisingly funny, “The Irishman” is a nothing less than a late-career masterpiece from one of American cinema’s last remaining heroes. – Christina Newland
4. “The Farewell”
Stories don’t need to be devastating to convey tragedy or be manipulative to evoke an emotional response, something that is demonstrated stunningly well in Lulu Wang’s superb and personal “The Farewell.” Starring Awkafina and Zhao Shuzhen (in awards-worthy turns) with the former playing the latter’s American-raised granddaughter, the film braids storytelling beats about cultural difference, prolonged grief, and familial wisdom into such a finely woven narrative that it all becomes one collective story of longing, regret and hope. Written and directed by Wang, the film cuts a potent portrait of what it means to act in someone else’s best interest and whether the decision to withhold potentially devastating information is to the benefit of the withholder or the withholdee. A tremendously moving familial drama about generational and cultural divide, the film really sings when its characters and themes meet in the middle, finding the common ground in grief and joy to become a story larger than the sum of its parts. – Ally Johnson
3. “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
Marking his 9th outing (or 10th, depending on your “Kill Bill” take), “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” is Quentin Tarantino’s most mature film to date, as he remembers the Hollywood of his childhood. As the film follows the alcoholic, insecure actor Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his quasi-employed stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) over the course of a couple days, Tarantino leans into the nostalgia – bordering on a melancholic nostalgia – to reveal the larger truths and ideological shifts within the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s. Strung together by a heartbreaking, ethereal performance by Margot Robbie (whose angelic Sharon Tate meets a different fate from her real-life counterpart), “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” relishes in an era that no longer exists (if it ever did), and to symbolically right a wrong that changed the course of American history. When the credits of Tarantino’s magnum opus begin to roll, one can’t help but wish to remain lingering within his wistful reality. – Tyler Casalini
2. “Marriage Story”
Noah Baumbach typically keeps his movies to a tight 90-or-so minutes; his latest runs a loose, shambling 135, as clear a sign as any of a filmmaker letting it go and leaving it all in. But it’s less a matter of self-indulgence than necessity; Baumbach must allow these characters space to live and breathe, to let each tell their own story, so that both can be, by turns, equally admirable and flawed. So the scenes that another filmmaker might have cut – like Scarlett Johansson‘s long, searching, scorching explanation of how it all went awry, or Adam Driver‘s already famous, late-night rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive,” which becomes just as painful and confessional – are what give this picture its beating heart, and its bleeding soul. – Jason Bailey
1. “Parasite”
Like the organism imagined when reading its title, “Parasite” is a slippery beast. Once you think you’ve got a grasp on what it’s doing, it morphs into a new and somehow even more marvelous, yet malicious creature. Bong Joon-ho’s latest — and greatest — begins as a family comedy about the unemployed but inventive Kims, headed by Song Kang-ho‘s rumpled patriarch, before shifting into a gleeful heist picture as they con their way into the wealthy Park household. But “Parasite” keeps evolving over its unsettling 132 minutes, with each surprising transformation — from comedy to satire to all-out horror — and every perfectly framed composition remaining true to Bong’s singular vision. His sharp satiric barbs about class cut deep, but his affection for the Kims — and their love for each other — make this as moving as it is incisive and entertaining. – Kimber Myers
Honorable mentions: So yeah, blah, you’ve seen every single one of our top 25, and need some more outlying suggestions to track down and watch with the family over Christmas because otherwise you might end up talking to one another and you can’t stand your brother-in-law Ryan who’s turning into this weirdly libertarian asshole? We’ve got you covered. These were the titles that narrowly missed a top slot — often they had good few low-ranked votes — such as Craig Brewer‘s Eddie-Murphy relaunch “Dolemite is my Name,” or Christian Petzold‘s “Transit” or one spectacularly high one — both Jia Zhangke‘s “Ash is Purest White” and Sam Mendes’ “1917” placed at number 1 on one contributor’s list each, as did Nadav Lapid‘s “Synonyms” which I mention especially because that list was mine and I’m mad at everyone here for not having seen that actual masterpiece. Trey Edward Shults‘ “Waves” didn’t quite make it, to not everyone‘s dismay (yes, this is me editorializing again), with Todd Philips‘ “Joker,“ Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy,“ Terrence Malick‘s “A Hidden Life,” Zhang Yimou‘s”Shadow,”and Gaspar Noé‘s “Climax” rounding out the closest also-rans. We can’t guarantee you’ll love every one of them, or even that you should (cough “Waves“), but we can guarantee that anyone will be a lot better than listening to Ryan bang on about how fluoride in the water supply is the government’s cover for mind-control nanobots. – JK