From Rom-Coms to Horror Flicks, Here Are Our Favorite Movies From 2019

"There's something so inherently beautiful about the story of The Farewell, even though it's based on a lie. Yes, Billi (Akwafina) and her family are deceiving Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhao), but the love they all have for her is so evident that I find it hard to question their decision. The scene in the ballroom, where Billi's uncle (Jiang Yongbo as Haibin) begins to break down while thanking his mother, still slaps! Maybe I'm biased because, as a child of immigrants, I understand being in between cultures and feeling so distant from your native home and family. Billi's character resonated with me on a visceral level, and Akwafina's performance was truly a revelation. All the performances create such a poignant, realistic portrait of a family, especially the complicated parts of a family that make it hard to stay together."

"I truly was not prepared for the horror-comedy masterpiece that is Ready or Not. The film, which hails from cowriters Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy and codirectors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is a blood-splattered thrill ride as sharp as the point of the crossbow frequently aimed at the chest of the movie's heroine, Grace (Samara Weaving, in a star-making performance), who finds herself sucked into a demented game of hide and seek the night of her wedding. In addition to insane stunts and pulpy-red goop exploding left and right is a humorous edge that helps take to task not only the antiquated ideals of marriage but also the shallow moral code of the one percent. I desperately need more genre films like this."

"Booksmart is a hilarious and heartwarming high school comedy, but at its core, it's a beautiful, realistic movie about female friendship. Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) stick by each other and hype each other up, and even when they argue, you can still feel the love they have for each other. While all the performances were great, I was blown away by Billie Lourd as resident party girl Gigi — she was completely batsh*t and stole every scene she was in. I would absolutely watch a 'Gigi Goes to College'-style spinoff."

"A movie set in Hollywood, about Hollywood, starring Hollywood's biggest names: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is peak Quentin Tarantino. Though it ran the risk of seeming like a vanity project, the film is instead a fascinating snapshot of an industry — and nation — in transition. It also manages to conjure unexpected performances from its seasoned actors, namely Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, and introduces viewers to newcomers like Margaret Qualley and Austin Butler. All in all, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a good reason to go to the movies again."

"I've grown up with the Toy Story series, not just literally, but in the sense that Andy and I were always about the same age when each film was released. I was nervous about Toy Story 4, because after the third movie's crazy-emotional ending, how the hell could Disney-Pixar even try? Welp, I completely take back my apprehension, as the fourth movie still managed to hit me where it hurts emotionally while causing me to break into fits of hysterical laughter in a theater full of 5-year-olds. The plot is adorable and meaningful (as usual), and even though I'll have nightmares for years about those freakin' ventriloquist dummies, I'll watch it over and over again. (But really, though, Disney-Pixar, I feel like we're done here now, no?)"

"Is there a way to bill Ari Aster for my therapy sessions? Because between Midsommar and Hereditary, I'm not sure if my brain will ever function the same way again. And, all jokes aside, that is why I'm such a fan of his work — he's doing things other horror films simply aren't or are too afraid to try. Midsommar, with all its cathartic screaming, gore, and singed flesh, is the trippiest breakup film I never knew I needed."

"Fast Color brings to life a concept that I'd never thought I'd see: a story centered on black women with superpowers. But more than that, it's about a broken family trying to find solace with one another and repairing themselves by bonding through their power. Even though their abilities are at the forefront of the film, their relationship is the true focus, and you can't help but want them to find their way back together."

"You'd do well to keep director Joe Talbot on your radar, because The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a dreamy triumph. The deeply affecting story of a young man who dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built decades earlier in San Francisco is both a poetic ode to a rapidly changing city and the very basic human need to find a place to truly call home."

"Despite the frantic camera work, you just can't take your eyes off Elisabeth Moss in Her Smell. Directed by Alex Ross Perry, the film is composed of five vignettes offering glimpses into the life and career of Becky Something, the troubled but captivating lead of punk band Something She. With minimal exposition, it's hard to know exactly what's eating at Becky, the reasons for her self-destructive spiraling, but isn't that often the case with elusive rock stars? What goes unsaid in Her Smell is perhaps more powerful than anything actually uttered."

"I've been actively searching for my tethered since I saw Us. Seriously, Jordan Peele has convinced me that there is another version of me out there (at least, I hope there is — there's the strong possibility that I'm the tethered, right?), and I can't rest until I figure it out. I was completely captivated by the concept of this movie, and Lupita Nyong'o's dual performance as Adelaide and Red will haunt me forever. Give her two Oscars!"

"Watch the trailer for The Souvenir and you'll glean next to nothing, but I recommend not even doing that. Inspired by director Joanna Hogg's own life, the film follows a film student from an upper-middle-class family searching for authenticity and subsequently falling for a man shrouded in falsehoods. I've perhaps already said too much, but I have to add that the film also sees the acting debut of Honor Swinton Byrne, daughter to Tilda Swinton, who also plays her mother in the film. As the protagonist Julie, Honor is fantastic."

"Tom Holland's Peter Parker has made fans tear up a few times in his appearances throughout the MCU, but Far From Home is a gut-punch. Peter's all in his feelings after losing his mentor, Tony Stark, and he's a teenage boy so he's also in his feelings over a girl. Rather than making us weep over what used to be, though, FFH takes us on a humorous journey of what the future could be, and the Spider-Man cast nail it all, as usual. Though it feels like a teen movie that gets interrupted by Marvel shenanigans, I still thoroughly enjoy watching Holland and company attempt to save the world from the mess of their own making. And don't even get me started on those postcredit scenes!"

"Gloria Bell is proof that this is Julianne Moore's world — we're all just living in it. In Sebastián Lelio's comedy, Moore plays a free-spirited divorcée who sheds the stress of her buttoned-up office job at night by joyfully spinning around LA dance clubs, eventually falling for Arnold (John Turturro). This is a downright luminous film, with an Oscar-worthy performance from Moore. I'll never stop being floored by her ability to dig into a character, fleshing out intricacies and tics in a way that makes her feel honest and real. Who wouldn't want to go down dancing with Gloria when the world blows up?"

"For a movie about a lighthouse, Robert Eggers's stylistic, second-ever feature film leaves viewers in the dark. Between the unreliable narration, stark lighting, and oftentimes impossible-to-understand accents, the film purposefully makes it difficult to glean what is actually going on. What is plain to see, however, is that its two protagonists — outstandingly played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson — are gradually going mad. After watching The Lighthouse, you'll wonder if you are, too."

"Is this the most high-brow film on this list? No, not by a (wait for it) long shot. (Deepest apologies.) It has a scene of Seth Rogen ejaculating all over himself, you know? And yet Long Shot is utterly charming, a modern romantic comedy that would make Harry and Sally blush but fall head over heels for it all the same. I also would be remiss not to mention the wildly funny performance from costar June Diane Raphael, who plays an aid to Charlize Theron's presidential candidate — cast her in all the things. All of them."

"As a modern breakup comedy, Someone Great is great — it's entertaining, relatable, and perfectly cast — but the soundtrack and use of music throughout are what really make it stand out for me. Throwback jams from Lil' Kim and Vampire Weekend fit seamlessly into the storyline, and I can't be the only person who teared up immediately upon hearing Frank Ocean's cover of 'Moon River.' This is the movie that catapulted Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts' to the top of the charts nearly two years after it was released, so the impact of Someone Great (and its soundtrack) can't be denied."

"I haven't gone through a serious breakup in over five years, but damn, Someone Great brought me right back to that emotional and uncertain place as if I were going through it myself again. I saw it first alone, but it's the kind of movie you want to watch with your best friends over a few bottles of wine — followed promptly by a cutthroat ex-partner roast. And trust, that 'Truth Hurts' scene will never not be something you go back to when you need a pick-me-up."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever recover from the moment when I first realized Taron Egerton was actually singing in Rocketman, where he plays music legend Elton John. Calling him 'phenomenal' doesn't feel like enough — his voice, his energy, and those costumes leap off the screen with such dazzling fervor that it's impossible not to be swept up in this musical biopic. And it's not just Egerton who kills it — Richard Madden's slick, sinister portrayal of John's former flame John Reid is a standout."

"I may be a little biased here because of my passionate, unabashed love for Dwayne Johnson, but I'm so glad Hobbs & Shaw didn't turn out to be another Tokyo Drift. (That's the worst movie in the Fast and Furious franchise, kindly do not @ me.) It's a movie that knows exactly what it is and has an insane amount of fun doing it. While there certainly could have been more car chases, Johnson and Jason Statham's banter kept me laughing the whole time. Oh, and the surprise celebrity cameos were just the icing on the cake."