My Top Films of 2019
Midsommar conveniently came out at a time when I started learning about my paternal Swedish heritage. A delectable, dare I say fishy, coincidence. Quite exhilarating to receive photos and videos from a newfound Swedish cousin of family celebrating Midsummer just before the release of the film. Hereditary was my absolute favorite film in 2018, so I’m not surprised that Ari Aster’s newest film topped my list again this year.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco transported me into its fantastical world at Sundance, leaving me feeling jarred as the lights came up in the theatre. I felt unsure for a moment of how to even speak in my own voice. The dialogue throughout the film is poetic and beautiful, pulling you into its world and making you forget where you are. The film touches those deep parts of your soul way way at the bottom. The part that holds onto your family histories and traumas, your secret insecurities and of course, your childhood hopes and dreams. All the parts that you try to hide away. Honey Boy on the other hand…that film bitch slaps you in the face and doesn’t let you forget who you are and what your parents did to you. I almost walked out of the film because it felt like a family therapy session gone awry and I didn’t want to be in the room anymore. I can’t exactly say I was happy to stay in my seat, but it still made this list. Mad props to filmmaker Alma Ha’rel who started Free the Work, an org promoting the hiring of female filmmakers.
Filmmaking partners Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas know how to capture raw beauty unlike any documentary filmmakers I’ve seen lately. Pahokee gives you an incredible visual spectacle while you get to know a group of high school students overcoming challenges and barriers in rural Florida. This film connects you with powerful personal stories of American youth that need to be told, especially in our current political climate.
Below is my full top 10 list in a somewhat particular order. Click for links to trailers.