And without further ado, here are the top 10 from 2019:

10. Us
Writer/director/producer Jordan Peele returned to fill us with fright and leave behind some food for thought with his new work, Us. Set in the summer in sun drenched California this time, the terror the Wilson family has to endure while on holiday is anything but sunny.
Click here to read our full review

9. The Nightingale
Set in Tasmania in 1825, The Nightingale delivers an adventure of epic proportions. Confronting and unafraid to push the viewer to the edge of repulsion, it will most certainly leave its mark in your grey matter.
Click here to read our full review

8. Avengers: End Game
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos’ actions and restore balance to the universe.
Click here to read our full review

7. Booksmart
There is a lot more to Booksmart than it just being a female version of the typical end of High School years romp. It has a big heart and a big brain and it marks the exceptionally strong directorial debut of Olivia Wilde. She delivers a work that will resonate strongly with females but includes much to admire for men as well.
Click here to read our full review

6. Hotel Mumbai
Incredibly intense and relentless, Hotel Mumbai tells the story of the real world events that took place in India in 2008 when ten members of an Islamic terrorist organisation staged a series of attacks and bombings in the city of Mumbai. The siege lasted four days and became the focus of the world’s attention at the time.
Click here to read our full review

5. JoJo Rabbit
With a gloriously absurdest approach to films both big and small, Taika Waititi provides something that is in short supply at the moment. Using Christine Leunens’s novel Caging Skies as the nucleus for his project JoJo Rabbit finds the Kiwi in great form. Leunens’s book about a Hitler youth who finds out his mother is harbouring a young Jewish girl in their house provides the basis for a Waititi screenplay that is rich in humour and subtext.
Click here to read our full review

4. Knives Out
There is something so satisfying when a dialogue based movie truly hits its mark. In the current environment that seems to favour action based films above all else, Knives Out stands out with its delicious dialogue and ever changing finger of blame. Having the writer also be the director, in this case Rian Johnson, makes the entire exercise feels more on point. Little seems diluted from what is a classic whodunnit.
Click here to read our full review

3. The Irishman
Never has Martin Scorsese made the life of a criminal look more mundane or realistic. As you would expect in a film three and a half hours long, there is a lot of down time for the criminals. The banality and tedium of a life outside the law is presented in an unapologetic manner. These eventless moments are starkly contrasted by some of the maestro’s most graphic violence to date.
Click here to read our full review

2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
In Quentin Tarantino’s penultimate film (if he indeed stops at ten) Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, we see quite the departure. His other films feel like they were made by someone who lived through the fantasy of film, digesting genres and regurgitating his own. The new work reflects more on his upbringing in Southern California. It’s the world he grew up in. It feels personal and forms a love letter to the Hollywood he grew up around.
Click here to read our full review

1. Parasite
It’s been a very satisfying experience watching the progression of auteur Bong Joon Ho and his most recent work Parasite finds him in absolutely top form. The film works on multiple levels and is a sharp critique on class systems.

And some honourable mentions:

Best Australian Film:
The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:
Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:
Apollo 11

Best Performance:
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

Film we where most surprised to enjoy:
Ready or Not

Having the writer also be the director, in this case Rian Johnson, makes the entire exercise feels more on point. Little seems diluted from what is a classic whodunnit. It’s clever but not so clever the it leaves you behind. There are plenty of clues and it’s entirely up to you to decipher real from ruse.

With such a packed cast, it also prevents the blame from landing on the most famous shoulders as so often happens. To help throw you off the scent, contrasting comic relief is provided by Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. His Foghorn Leghorn voice (the film’s description, not mine) brings to mind his crazy redneck voice from Logan Lucky.

By film’s end, you will have done your detective due diligence and gone through a number of suspects as they all have reasons to lie. Don’t miss the chance to catch this classic slice of old school magic and support a genre that when done right, is both endearing and entertaining.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/STUDIOCANAL.AUS

Acclaimed writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in KNIVES OUT, a fresh, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect.

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombin (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.

With an all-star ensemble cast including Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, KNIVES OUT is a fun, witty and stylish whodunnit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.

In Cinemas November 28.
www.knivesoutmovie.com.au

To enter this great competition simply fill out the form below. Please note – these tickets are for a specific event only and can not be exchanged or refunded. The winners will need to be available on November 25 at 6:30pm in Brisbane to be able to attend this event at Event Cinemas Myer Centre.

Knives Out Competition

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Competition will be drawn 21 November 2019, winners will be notified by email.