Kris Tapley, formerly of Variety and In Contention, now working with Netflix, tweeted: “I’m realizing I haven’t been truly levitated since The Irishman/Parasite/1917.”
Notice, all three of those films are from 2019 and, although I wouldn’t choose this particular trio as my last truly levitating cinematic experiences, I can safely say I haven’t been blown away by a film since 2019. That, Tapley got absolutely right.
The currently decade has, obviously, been hampered down by a pandemic and a very dry creative output by studios. These are dire times for the cinematic experience, and I truly don’t know when we’ll get back on track, but, for now, there will always be 2019.
The 2019 movie year had a boatload of critically-acclaimed fare, including “Parasite”, “Uncut Gems”, “The Irishman”, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, “Marriage Story”, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, “Pain and Glory” …
There is also plenty of spread around love for “Atlantics,” “Midsommar,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “A Hidden Life,” “Richard Jewell,” “Knives Out,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “The Souvenir,” “Transit,” “The Lighthouse,” “1917.”
“Parasite” won Best Picture and consequently kick-started a major South Korean interest with US audiences. Its effects can even be found on Netflix’s ultra-popular TV series “Squid Game,” not to mention an innumerable amount of people seeking out and getting acquainted with the filmographies of Bong Joon-ho, Chan Wook-park, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sang-soo.
I’m almost tempted to make a poll about this on the sidebar (and maybe I will). My question for readers is which 2019 film has stood the test of time and is the absolute best of that year? I hate to choose just one, but I’ll have to go with the Safdies’ “Uncut Gems.” A mesmerizing and visceral work that has influenced many filmmakers in the short 3 years since its initial October 2019 release.
Before practically going bankrupt, Row K had planned to release "Cliffhanger" in August 2026 on more than 3000 screens nationwide — hopefully with Vertical it hits as many theaters.