The Best of Entertainment in 2019

Film:

Total Count: 88

Avengers: Endgame (Joe and Anthony Russo)

I’m usually on the fence when it comes to superhero movies, given the argument over whether or not they can truly be considered great cinematic art. Regardless, Avengers: Endgame is a truly remarkable finale to ten years worth of storytelling.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)

If there’s one director whose work I’ve sought out this year, it’s definitely Quentin Tarantino. The ultimate lover of all things cinema, his penultimate flick is basically a love letter to the golden age of movies. And what a love letter it is.

Parasite (Bong Joon-ho)

Bong Joon-ho’s Palm d’Or-winning film tells a tale of class-based differentiation while also being a family drama, a comedy, and a horror film all at once. Go see it while it’s still playing in limited theaters.

Us (Jordan Peele)

Jordan Peele’s second film isn’t as genre-bending as his first film, telling a more straightforward slasher flick in lieu of Get Out’s blend of black envy, trauma and racism. Despite this, the confidence of Peele’s vision as well as the dual performance of Lupita Nyong’o makes this as good of a sophomore effort as I’ve ever seen.

The Irishman (Martin Scorsese)

Scorsese’s three and a half hour epic is a farewell poem to the gangster genre he helped to bolster with some of its’s greatest films. From the story to the performances to the editing, The Irishman deserves serious consideration as this decade’s The Godfather. And yes, I’ve seen it in one full sitting.

Honorable Mentions:

Spider-Man Far from Home (Jon Watts)

The first MCU film to be released following Endgame is an entirely different beast from the ones that preceded it, borrowing heavily from the teen comedies of the 80’s for a more light-hearted approach. It definitely pays off.

Joker (Todd Phillips)

Whether or not you think this is a good or bad film, no film this year has generated as much controversy as Todd Phillip’s take on the infamous comic character (I even wrote my term paper on the film!). That, along with Joaquin Phoenix’s operatic performance, grants this film at least a spot in this section.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Vince Gilligan)

Vince Gilligan’s conclusion to Jesse Pinkman’s story sets out to exactly what it promises to do, with the same level of craft that was given to it’s parent show.

Ford v. Ferrari (James Mangold)

One of the ultimate “bro” movies, with great chemistry between Christian Bale and Matt Damon

Television

Total Count: 16

Lodge 49 (AMC)

The second season of AMC’s regrettably cancelled oddball dramedy is one of the most purely optimistic shows I’ve watched in a long, long time. Boasting a cast of fully-realized characters that are simply looking for direction in their lives, Lodge 49 has a little something for any casual TV viewer, whether it’s the larger mystery surrounding the titular fraternal order or simply watching the characters bounce off of one another.

When They See Us (Netflix)

Based on the infamous Central Park Five case, Ava DuVernay’s four-episode miniseries is grueling and uncompromising in every facet of its production. The finale, featuring Jharrel Jerome playing an older version of his character, is a bleak yet rewarding episode of television.

Barry (HBO)

It could’ve been so easy for Barry to fall into the same rut so many sophomore seasons of television do. Bill Hader’s masterful black comedy crime drama had such a tightly knit first season it could’ve ended with that and no one would’ve begrudged it. Season 2 of Barry manages to dig deeper into the titular character’s psychology through the writing and Hader’s performance while deepening the supporting cast in a way that manages to feel like a logical continuation from where the previous season left off.

Better Things (FX)

Pamela Adlon’s one-woman show seems poised to become the new Louie, ironically fitting given her involvement with its disgraced creator on both shows. Fears that Better Things wouldn’t be able to sustain its quality after CK’s departure proved unfounded, as Adlon’s autuerial vision served its audience the best season yet in terms of filmmaking and structure.

Russian Doll (Netflix)

Created by the collaborative team of Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Lelsye Headland, Russian Doll‘s eight-episode sci-fi loop is easily to digest in the list of Netflix originals that suffer from bloat and demands multiple rewatches to fully admire it’s audacity.

Watchmen (HBO)

Not content to rest on his laurels even after creating one of the best television shows of all time, Damon Lindelof caps off the decade with a nine-episode miniseries that serves as an unofficial sequel to Alan Moore’s groundbreaking comic book. With an amazing cast, excellent writing and flawless direction, Lindelof stays true to the source material while also taking liberties with it to tell a touching story about racial tensions and what it means to wear a mask.

Mr. Robot (USA Network)

I was lukewarm on Mr. Robot for the first two seasons, but a quick binge of Season 3 in time for the fourth and final season made me much more amenable to creator Sam Esmail’s vision. Known for its homages to the styles of Fincher, Kubrick and Hitchcock, the final season of Mr. Robot goes all out in terms of visual and narrative structure, bolstered by Rami Malek’s unforgettable lead performance.

Honourable Mentions:

The Magicians (Syfy)

Season 4 wasn’t as tight or consistent as Season 3 was, but it still boasted one of the series’ finest hours, “The Side Effect”, as well as the most emotional rendition of “Take On Me” I’ve ever seen.

Cobra Kai (YouTube Premium)

By far, my guiltiest pleasure of the year, the YouTube Premium’s second season lacks the shock-of-the-new Season 1 had, but is still as enjoyable to watch, thanks in no small part to the performances of William Zabka and Ralph Maccio.

Bojack Horseman (Netflix)

The decision to split the final season into two halves causes Season 6A to feel more like setup than anything else, losing the experimental edge of the previous seasons’ standout episodes, but manages to mark Bojack’s redemption with a sense of finality all while reminding us that our favorite talking horse won’t be getting the classic Hollywood ending he wants (nor does he deserve).

Game of Thrones (HBO)

There are indeed a number of issues with the final season of HBO’s juggernaut fantasy epic that prevented it from making it onto the full list. In spite of this, it’s still impossible to deny that this was one of television’s biggest shows, both in terms of scale and in how people discussed television as a community.

Video Games

Death Stranding (Sony)

Hideo Kojima’s new project isn’t just a videogame. It’s also a fully motion-captured interactive movie and a statement about the condition of the world today. It’s far from perfect and the only reason I can see myself going back to it in the future is to gather all of its collectibles, but this is without a doubt my pick for Game of the Year as well as a a game that will hopefully inspire future game developers going into the next decade.

Judgement (SEGA)

SEGA’s spiritual successor to the Yakuza series doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from the former, but still proves to be a lot of fun with a gripping murder-mystery and numerous side activities. Hopefully, this will be the stepping-stone for a new game series.

Resident Evil 2 Remake (Capcom)

2019 was a Renaissance year for Capcom, releasing a complete remake of Resident Evil 2 as well as Devil May Cry 5. Similar to the GameCube remake of the original, Resident Evil 2 Remake keeps what made the original PlayStation game so successful, but also manages to make the gameplay much more accessible for it’s audience by using the control scheme that made Resident Evil 4 the high peak of the franchise.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware)

The fact that I’m not even halfway through the game should prove to be a testament to the game’s difficulty as well a reason to exclude this game from being eligible for my list. FromSoftware’s samurai action-adventure game is every bit as challenging and rewarding as it’s earlier work, borrowing from previous games while introducing enough new mechanics to make it its own thing.