2019 was an embarrassment of riches when it came to cinema. While it’s true that most years require at least some thoughtful contemplation when it comes to whittling down a top ten, 2019 was especially difficult in curating a “best of” list. In the final year of the 2010s, we had tender space odysseys, biting showdowns between the haves and have-nots, treatises on loves won and lost, and deeply personal stories mined from the past - just to name a few. The movies were a hell of a place to be last year. So, let’s pour one out for the decade as it sails into history by celebrating some of my favorite films of 2019.

Sprawling in its vision and intimate in scope, director James Gray follows up The Lost City of Z with his affecting space drama, Ad Astra. Brad Pitt puts forth one of the most subdued - yet poignant - performances of his career as astronaut Roy McBride. A powerful meditation on fathers, sons, and masculinity, Ad Astra profoundly deconstructs a traditional character archetype with a deft hand. Mild spoilers ahead…