Bong Joon-Ho, Luca Guadagnino, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Schrader and Other Directors Name Their Best Films of 2019

IndieWire has asked numerous high-profile filmmakers to name their best movies of 2019 and some of the ballots are quite interesting. For one, notice how Assayas, Guadagnino, and Schrader have Roman Polanski’s Venice-winning “An Officer and a Spy” on their lists. The film will likely not be released in the U.S. anytime soon, but it has become a major must-see for many cinephiles who don’t mind separating the art from the artist.

What did I gather from most of these lists? Well, that, despite being busy with their own films, film directors are quite passionate about other people’s movies as well. Recurrently mentioned films include “The Irishman” “Parasite,” “Marriage Story,” and “Uncut Gems.”

Out of the dozens of people included in the piece, there is plenty of love for films like “Parasite,” “Marriage Story,” and “Uncut Gems,” amongst the various other projects that are dominating the awards season conversation. But really, it’s fun to go through the list and find some stand-out picks that might raise an eyebrow or two.

Also, the biggest surprise for me is Luca Guadagnino naming“Death Stranding” his best film of the year, even though it isn’t a film, but, rather, a video game that can be played on Sony’s PS4.

Glad to see “Monos” being mentioned a half dozen times as well. Many film fans missed the opportunity to check it out on the big screen this year, but it will, no doubt, have a successful shelf life on streaming.

Ana Lily Amirpour (“The Bad Batch,” “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”)

“Joker”
“Waves”
“Monos”
“Midsommar”
“The Two Popes”
“Les Misérables”
“Parasite”
“Marriage Story”
“The Irishman”
“The Mustang”

Olivier Assayas (“Wasp Network,” “Personal Shopper”)

“Il Traditore” 
“The Irishman”
“J’accuse”
“Le Jeune Ahmed” 
“Oh Mercy!”
“Proxima”
“Atlantics” 
“High Life” 
“Marriage Story” 
“Ad Astra”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 
“Pain and Glory” 

Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite,” “Okja”)

“First Cow” 
“The Irishman” 
“Asako 1 & 2”
“Marriage Story”
“Midsommar” 
“Uncut Gems”
“Hotel by the River” 
“Mindhunter” (Season 2) 

Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”)

In NO order of preference-

1) “Parasite”
2) “The Irishman”
3) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
4) “Uncut Gems”
5) “The Lighthouse”
6) “Pain and Glory”
7) “1917”
8) “Joker”
9) “Marriage Story”
10) “Jojo Rabbit”
11) “Monos”
12) “Little Women”
13) “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
14) “Midsommar”

Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Suspiria”)

“Death Strand” 
The body of work of the magnificent Claire Mathon
“The Irishman”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 
“Pain and Glory”
Lena Dunham in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“First Cow”
“Synonyms”
“The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao” 
“The Halt” 
“The Mafia Is No Longer What It Used to Be” 
“J’accuse” 
“Varda by Agnès” 
“Her Smell” 
“Liberté” 
“State Funeral” 
“The Wild Goose Lake”
“Ad Astra” 

Paul Schrader (“First Reformed”)

“Dolemite Is My Name”
“The Irishman”
“Long Day’s Journey into Night”
“One Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Pain and Glory”
“Monos”
“Parasite”
“An Officer and a Spy”
“Watchman” Ep. 6