In honor of the most recent and controversial Academy Awards ceremony, as well as Apple TV+'s CODA becoming the first streaming title to win the Best Picture award, what better time to take a look back at some of the incredible films that were released during 2019?
2019 was a great year for cinema, as film fans were treated to a wide variety of top-tier movies ranging from highly anticipated sequels to some highly original new creations. Cinephiles over at Ranker have rounded up their favorite, for those looking for the best of the year.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Jumanji: The Next Level is the sequel to the highly successful Jumanji spinoff about the group of friends from the previous film returning to the dangerous game of Jumanji to rescue one of their own, but the stakes have been raised significantly this time around.
Related: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Jumanji The Next Level
The film is directed by Jake Kasdan and has an all-star cast featuring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black. Fans absolutely loved the unique spin on the classic fun adventure movie, as well as the outstanding chemistry and performances from the cast.
Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit is a comedic war drama that takes a look at WWII from the unique perspective of a young German boy being raised in the Hitler Youth by his single mother. The movie follows Jojo, whose imaginary friend is the country's ruthless dictator, as he discovers that his mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their home.
Jojo Rabbit is adapted and directed by Taika Waititi and stars Scarlett Johansson, Roman Griffin Davis, and Thomasin McKenzie. Fans often consider it one of Taika Waititi's best movies and the film won him his first Academy Award for Best Adapted screenplay.
Toy Story 4
Toy Story 4 is the highly anticipated finale to the massively successful Pixar animated series, Toy Story, and is about a new toy named Forky joining Woody and the gang on a road trip that reveals just how big the world can be for a toy.
The film sees the return of a large number of the original cast, including series leads Tim Allen and Tom Hanks, as well as adding several new characters voiced by some talented actors, including Keanu Reeves, Tony Hale, and Christina Hendricks. Many fans cite the film as one of Keanu Reeves' top non-action films.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a dramatic adventure comedy about a young man with Down's syndrome running away from his care home to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional wrestler.
The film is written and directed by filmmaking duo Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz and stars Zach Gottsegen, Dakota Johnson, and Shia LaBeouf. The Peanut Butter Falcon is very reminiscent of a modern-day The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and features incredible performances from the entire cast.
Knives Out
Knives Out is writer-director Rian Johnson's incredible whodunnit murder mystery about a detective investigating the death of the patriarch of an eccentric and extremely combative family. The film features a stand-out cast including Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig, and Jaimie Lee Curtis.
Fans absolutely loved the comedic take on the classic murder mystery narrative that had audiences guessing and completely intrigued for the entire film and Knives Out is often considered a quintessential fall movie.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is a biographical drama about the real-life relationship between the iconic Fred Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel.
The film is directed by Marielle Heller and features an outstanding performance from Tom Hanks in the leading role of TV legend Steve Rogers, as well as supporting roles from Chris Cooper and Matthew Rhys. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is a beautiful feel-good film that really focuses on the positivity of Fred Rogers.
Doctor Sleep
Doctor Sleep is director Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name and is a sequel to the iconic horror book and movie, The Shining. The movie follows a now-adult Danny Torrance, who must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as the True Knot.
The film features outstanding performances from Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Cliff Curtis. Despite not quite living up to the original, Doctor Sleep is still one of the best Stephen King movie adaptations to date.
Ford V. Ferrari
Ford V. Ferrari is a biographical drama about car designer Carol Shelby and driver Ken Miles battling corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a new race car to defeat Ferrari in 1966.
The film is directed by James Mangold and features stand-out performances from Christian Bale, Matt Damon, and Jon Bernthal. Ford V. Ferrari won multiple Academy Awards and was a huge critical and commercial success.
Little Women
Little Women is director Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The beloved story is centered on the March sisters and Jo March, in particular, who reflects back and forth on her life and the lives of her very unique three sisters.
The legendary novel has been adapted for the screen many times, but Gerwig's unique take on the story and characters provide a fresh and new take. Little Women stars Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, and Florence Pugh.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is the most recent movie in the John Wick franchise and sees the main character on the run with a 14 million dollar bounty on his head after killing a member of the international assassins' guild and becoming the target of virtually everyone.
The third installment in the extremely popular action franchise starring Keanu Reeves adds newcomer Halle Berry to the series and provides plenty of the series' signature action sequences.