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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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

The characters that inhabit this world are somehow softer, less hyper cool, more down to earth and less criminal. For those expecting the histrionics that QT usually fires out, this time that intensity is set to slow burn. The film’s final reel is classic violence overkill (quite literally) and will satiate those with a taste for the big red.

Most of the salacious appeal of the film is its connection to Charles Mason and his disciples and while they play a part, they are not the central theme. That belongs to the world of Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), an old school television actor speeding towards his use by date and his stunt-double buddy, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). It’s the relationship between these two old warhorses that really drives the story.

Some may feel that Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood might be too soft or not hip enough but nine films into his career (not counting the numerous guest spots) it’s fitting that Tarantino would want to do something a little different. When and if he indeed retires after ten, this work will make a fine addition to the canon. In the now, it’s still unlike anyone else’s work and should be seen and enjoyed.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

The ninth film from the writer-director Quentin Tarantino features a large ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is in Australian cinemas August 15!
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is in Australian cinemas August 15.

www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS