Here are the movies that made us laugh, cry and gasp this year.
JOKER
2019’s most controversial “villain origin story” movie. The one that sparked a thousand memes and brought the internet trolls out in full force. The one that divided audiences with its grimly dark, violent and disturbing portrayal of how failed comedian Arthur Fleck became the Joker. Also the one movie that managed to provoke thought and (difficult) conversations amid a plethora of cookie-cutter superhero movies.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
If Joker was 2019’s most controversial movie, then Avengers: Endgame must have been its most banal. Like cotton candy, it was a spectacular visual feast that left audiences entertained, albeit without much nutritional value.
TOY STORY 4
Almost a decade since Toy Story 3, the fourth installment of the beloved Pixar animation was without a doubt the movie every 1990s child wanted and hoped for. If Toy Story 3 was the closure we wanted for Andy (sniff sniff), Toy Story 4 sees our intrepid Sheriff Woody finally embarking on his own adventures.
STAR WARS: RISE OF SKYWALKER
The Disney blockbuster machine churns out yet another installment in the iconic Star Wars series; this time, picking up where 2017’s The Last Jedi left off. Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron’s journey continues in this final chapter of the Skywalker trilogy.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
What would a list of movies be without the film which everyone could not seem to stop talking about? While many would be hard-pressed to say that this film was anything special, it nevertheless was much discussed, and trailblazing in the fact it featured an all-Asian cast. Was it a great movie? Maybe not. But did it make Singapore look hella good? Definitely.
JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM
The internet had a mini-meltdown about Keanu Reeves this year. John Wick 3, which was released around the same time as his cameo in comedienne Ali Wong’s Netflix-original movie, Always Be My Maybe, sparked a renewed fervour for the Matrix star, who is widely believed to be immortal as his good looks never seem to fade with age.
IT: CHAPTER TWO
If you are afraid of clowns, this movie was certainly not for you. However, the sequel to the 2017 remake of the 1990’s series of movies (yes, you read that correctly) saw packed cinemas and movie-goers thoroughly frightened by a terrifying murder-clown.
FROZEN II
From the creators of Let It Go, that song you heard over and over and over again, comes Let It Go (2!), complete with more Princess Elsa transformations and spawning an entirely new line of ice-queen costumes, merchandise and memes. At the heart of it, however, Frozen II is a gorgeously rendered movie with solid plot, pacing and purpose.
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
The first Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) movie to be released after Avengers: Endgame, this was actually a remarkably charming movie, thanks in major part to boyish Tom Holland, who is likeable and manages to make us care about the MCU again.
PARASITE (Korean — GISAENGCHUNG)
Hailed as the best movie of 2019, this psychological thriller directed by Bong Joon Ho is gripping and layered, surprising and shocking and, most of all, utterly riveting. A seemingly typical family drama plot is reinvented as it plays on the nuances of human relationships — making it a truly standout film for this year.
CAPTAIN MARVEL
For all that this is the first female-led superhero film that crossed the US$1 billion-takings mark, and that it was widely praised, many will remember this film for the adorable, unbelievably cute, and squish-worthy pet cat Goose, revealed to be an alien race called the Flerken. And rightly so.
