Blankments Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 The end of summer has arrived which means it’s time for some review over what came out this summer. Negativity is never fun to read and as such, this thread will only cover the top ten best films of the summer. I haven't been posting here much this summer and this list is exclusive to BOT, no Letterboxd for this! Honorable Mentions: Aladdin Good Boys The Peanut Butter Falcon Pokémon Detective Pikachu Yesterday 10. The Last Black Man in San Francisco A very fascinating look at a man in San Francisco who just wants to go home. This tackled gentrification and young adulthood with a funny yet poignant outlook. It’s always nice to see a debut film with a real eye for what makes something look unique, and although the ending isn’t wholly satisfying, this is definitely well worth checking out. 9. Dora and the Lost City of Gold A bad idea on paper turns out to be a remarkably charming and breezy blockbuster. Playing like Enchanted, making Dora the Explorer grow up and face actual socialization is an amusing premise that never loses the can-do attitude of the protagonist. A wry sense of humor and a genuinely entertaining Indiana Jones sense of adventure helps out too. 8. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum The John Wick films have become one of Hollywood’s most consistent franchises. This one opened strong but then had a boring middle and a good ending, but it’s still more creative in action than any other Hollywood action movies, besides maybe the Mission: Impossible movies. Keanu Reeves is ridiculously cool, and in this one, he killed someone with a book and it only got crazier from there. So awesome. 7. Blinded by the Light A nice and sweet look at how art from any background affects people of any background. The Springsteen soundtrack is rocking and the entirely unknown cast does wonders with the simple yet satisfying script. This is comfort food cinema, the type of movie that feels like curling up with a nice book while still getting the emotion behind what it means to love your family no matter what. 6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie is a departure from nearly everything he’s done up to this point, and that’s precisely why it’s lovely. Romanticizing the late 60s by showing the mundane details of simply living, it’s a delightful work with surprising warmth. If it didn’t have the complicated ending, it could very well had been #1 on this list; however, it also possibly would not have been ruminating in the mind of this reviewer for as long as it has. 5. Toy Story 4 Arguably the weakest Toy Story still is much better than most animated movies out there. This one has a nice complicated message targeted solely to the adults watching and is all the better for it. Kids will have fun with the new characters, but their parents will discover that even Woody can have a mid-life crisis. The lack of returning characters felt disappointing, but ultimately, this was a top-tier sequel and the rare cinematic epilogue that actually more than justified its own existence. 4. Avengers: Endgame The highly anticipated “finale” for the Marvel Cinematic Universe more than lived up to the hype. Featuring an experimental structure that felt more like binging a three-part miniseries than a fully cohesive film, this jam-packed movie kicked off the summer with a genuine sense of a large event that had been built up for years. The fact that it was just as funny and more emotional than any of these films to date helped too, and the ending being a legitimate tearjerker was unexpected yet wholly welcome. These movies won’t be the same again. 3. Rocketman Speaking as someone who has never been into Elton John music, this movie was shocking in how necessary it was. It follows a typical music biopic structure but enthuses that with musical numbers more complicated than anything seen in La La Land or The Greatest Showman. More than being flashy though, it told a devastating story about the need to be loved properly, and what happens when does not get that love. Egerton’s lead performance as the rock icon is one of the year’s best performances and the film overall is genuinely rich in emotion and spectacle. 2. Booksmart Equally raucous and yearning, the rare comedy that captures the nostalgia of a time. The night before graduation is when one is on the precipice of change, and Molly and Amy are feeling the anxiety of everything about to change. A hilarious night of debauchery and genuine mistakes ensue and by the end of it, they’re still friends and things haven’t changed too much. It’s creatively funny and features one of the best ensembles in recent memory. Molly and Amy just want a night to remember and this is a movie to remember, one where the details are what matter and the overarching feel of the film sticks with one for months after they first see it. 1. The Farewell The only film worth calling a masterpiece this summer. It’s a powerhouse of grief and familial love, wrapped up in a backdrop rarely seen in the movies. The specific universality is what matters here and the story being told is sincerely true, feeling personal in a sometimes-obtrusive sense. A surprising sense of humor and knowing when to punch and when to relax make this a movie clearly in control, and by far, the most memorable and excellent cinematic venture of the summer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
