2019 Movie Time Capsule | A Year of Endings and Surprises

To begin with, January moves from locked-room peril to a collision of superhero identities. Meanwhile, a young would-be knight and an unlikely working partnership give the month two less ominous routes to follow. For example, these early 2019 movies contrast everyday lives with increasingly unlikely threats. Ultimately, this is a useful opening month for viewers who prefer discovering the stakes before committing to a longer franchise.

Escape Room

US theatrical release

A game night becomes a trap when the puzzles stop playing fair. Indeed, this is a compact place to start a year that would keep finding new ways to make familiar spaces feel dangerous.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Glass

US theatrical release

Shyamalan brought three very different men into the same story. At the same time, whether you came for the superhero mythology or the director’s taste for a reveal, this was a curious opening chapter for 2019.

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The Kid Who Would Be King

US theatrical release

A schoolboy, a sword and a problem rather bigger than homework. In other words, Arthurian adventure returned with younger shoulders carrying the armour, offering a family detour before the blockbuster season took over.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

The Upside

US theatrical release

An unlikely working relationship gives this comedy-drama its starting point. In fact, the attraction here is the space between two personalities, a change of pace from the year’s worlds in need of saving.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Meanwhile, February finds room for a cyborg, a rapper, plastic bricks and dragons. For instance, you can move from Alita’s enormous constructed world to the more grounded ambition driving Gully Boy without leaving this month. In addition, several of these films build their appeal around the bond between two companions. Consequently, February is worth exploring if relationships matter to you as much as an invented world.

Alita: Battle Angel

US theatrical release

One of our 2018 calendar’s delayed arrivals finally stepped into Iron City. At last, a cyborg searching for her past gave the year a spectacular science-fiction prospect with a much more personal question underneath.

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Gully Boy

India theatrical release

A young rapper tries to turn the noise around him into a voice of his own. In particular, this Indian release brings ambition, music and the question of who gets permission to dream into February.

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The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

US theatrical release

The bricks were back, and keeping everything awesome was proving harder than saying it. However, a sequel built around imagination had the tricky job of surprising audiences who already knew the toy box.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

US theatrical release

Hiccup and Toothless reached another turning point in their friendship. Above all, for anyone attached to this pair, the promise was adventure with an emotional goodbye waiting somewhere beyond the clouds.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

In contrast, March puts a superhero origin beside a deeply unsettling family holiday. However, Dumbo and Hotel Mumbai pull in different directions again, so choose this month according to the sort of evening you want. For instance, a familiar Disney character and an unsettling set of doubles promise very different viewing experiences. Therefore, the poster grid here works best as a menu rather than an instruction to watch everything.

Captain Marvel

US theatrical release

Carol Danvers arrived with a new perspective on Marvel’s shared universe. Meanwhile, before April’s grand gathering, this film offered a different hero, a different period and another route into the larger story.

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Us

US theatrical release

Jordan Peele turned the idea of seeing yourself into something deeply unwelcome. In particular, a family holiday and a visit from familiar-looking strangers made an unnerving contrast to March’s brighter studio adventures.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Dumbo

US theatrical release

The little elephant with the enormous ears returned in a live-action retelling. After all, the appeal remained wonderfully simple: take a character the world underestimates, then let him do something that changes the view.

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Hotel Mumbai

US theatrical release

A hotel under attack becomes the setting for a survival drama. In contrast to the playful escapes elsewhere, this is a heavier stop on the calendar, centred on people trying to protect one another as ordinary work becomes extraordinary danger.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Next, April offers two very different approaches to superhero power before Endgame arrives. At the same time, Missing Link provides a stop-motion escape from the shared-universe conversations surrounding those releases. In particular, a coming-of-age fantasy need not ask for the same emotional investment as a huge ensemble finale. Similarly, the smallest-looking adventure in this group may be the right choice for a different audience.

Shazam!

US theatrical release

A boy receives the body and powers of a superhero without an instruction manual for growing up. That mismatch gives this DC adventure a playful starting point and a very different kind of wish fulfilment.

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Hellboy

US theatrical release

The red coat, the horns and the enormous right hand returned with a new incarnation. As a result, another chance to enter Hellboy’s supernatural world also meant another test of what makes the character work on screen.

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Missing Link

US theatrical release

An explorer and an unusual new companion set off together in a stop-motion adventure. By comparison with April’s superhero appointments, this offered handcrafted creatures, travel and a different scale of cinematic discovery.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Avengers: Endgame

US theatrical release

The aftermath of Infinity War left a rather large question hanging over Marvel’s heroes. After all, here was the appointment many viewers had been keeping for years: a culmination carrying the weight of everything before it.

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Meanwhile, May is particularly interested in turning familiar worlds into fresh screen attractions. For example, Pokémon, John Wick, Aladdin and Godzilla each offer a different balance between recognition and discovery. After all, a familiar character is only a starting point. However, whether you choose a detective, an assassin, a genie or a monster, the pleasure is seeing what the film does with that recognition.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

US theatrical release

A detective story with a very unusual partner opened the door to a live-action Pokémon world. In fact, the fun was seeing familiar creatures become everyday neighbours, then following the mystery through that crowded playground.

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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

US theatrical release

Wick’s problems were growing faster than his list of safe places. As a result, the third chapter promised another elaborate survival exercise, with the franchise’s rules becoming almost as entertaining as the ways he breaks through them.

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Aladdin

US theatrical release

A street thief, a princess and a wish-granting lamp returned in a new screen version. However, the challenge was finding fresh energy inside a story whose songs and images were already lodged in so many memories.

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Godzilla: King of the Monsters

US theatrical release

Godzilla had company, and subtlety was unlikely to be the point. Naturally, a monster-sized confrontation made this the calendar’s invitation to sit back and watch creatures argue on a scale humans could barely comprehend.

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By contrast, June makes a good place to compare what a sequel promises with what a new premise can offer. In addition, the Indian release of Article 15 brings a different kind of investigation to a month containing toys, mutants and a world missing its Beatles songs. For instance, these 2019 movies put established characters beside an entirely different social investigation. Therefore, June offers a useful reminder to look beyond the most familiar title on a release list.

Dark Phoenix

US theatrical release

Another holdover from our 2018 watchlist finally arrived. However, Jean Grey’s powers put the X-Men’s loyalty under strain, giving this chapter a conflict that begins inside the team rather than at its gates.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Toy Story 4

US theatrical release

Woody’s world had already changed more than once. Nevertheless, a further adventure raised the question every beloved sequel faces: what new territory is worth exploring after an ending that many viewers were ready to keep?

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Yesterday

US theatrical release

What if the songs you loved disappeared from everyone else’s memory? As a result, a musician wakes into that strange opportunity, turning a familiar songbook into the engine of a romantic, musical what-if.

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Article 15

India theatrical release

A police investigation becomes a way into the caste divisions surrounding it. In turn, this Indian release gives June a more confrontational dramatic stop, asking viewers to look beyond the comfort of an easy answer.

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Then, July asks us to revisit several kinds of memory: childhood animation, Hollywood history and the aftermath of a superhero event. However, Midsommar makes an apparently welcoming trip feel considerably less reassuring. In particular, a holiday can mean escape, danger or a chance to revisit a remembered world. As a result, July gives the same broad idea several very different cinematic shapes.

Spider-Man: Far from Home

US theatrical release

Peter Parker tries to take a holiday, which is rarely a reliable plan for a superhero. Even so, a school trip brings fresh scenery while the responsibilities waiting for him remain stubbornly difficult to pack away.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Midsommar

US theatrical release

A trip to a remote festival offers a reminder that horror does not need to hide in darkness. Instead, sunshine, flowers and apparently welcoming hosts make an unsettling combination when the invitation begins to feel permanent.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

The Lion King

US theatrical release

Simba’s journey returned in a new visual form, with familiar music waiting in the wings. Nevertheless, this major nostalgia appointment was another chance to see how much of an old favourite survives a different presentation.

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

US theatrical release

An actor and his stunt double navigate a changing Hollywood. In other words, Tarantino’s film made room for hanging out as well as history, asking us to wander its streets before deciding where the story was headed.

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Meanwhile, August is full of situations that become more complicated than their participants planned. For instance, a wedding-night game and an attempt to navigate grown-up territory become two very different engines of comic chaos. At the same time, the action and comedy entries approach pressure with very different expectations. Therefore, an amusing premise on one card should not be mistaken for a promise that its neighbours share the same tone.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

US theatrical release

Two oversized personalities got a spin-off large enough to hold their arguments. In fact, if the main franchise had already stretched the meaning of fast, this detour was unlikely to volunteer a lesson in restraint.

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Good Boys

US theatrical release

Children approaching grown-up territory without grown-up understanding can generate a particular kind of chaos. At the same time, this comedy places friendship at the centre of an afternoon that gets considerably further out of hand than planned.

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Ready or Not

US theatrical release

Meeting the family takes a decidedly alarming turn when a wedding-night game begins. In short, a bride, a grand house and a very bad welcome make a tidy recipe for a darkly comic survival story.

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Batla House

India theatrical release

A police officer faces the aftermath of a contested operation in this Indian action drama. Consequently, it gives August another kind of pressure story, where the fight over what happened continues after the immediate danger ends.

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In contrast, September moves between childhood fears, adult schemes and the pull of a distant parent. Nevertheless, Abominable gives the month a gentler route home for anyone after an animated adventure. For example, several of these 2019 movies are concerned with finding a way through unfamiliar territory. Nevertheless, their approaches range from adult anxiety to a family adventure, so the tone matters as much as the premise.

It Chapter Two

US theatrical release

The Losers returned as adults, but Derry had not finished with them. A reunion with childhood fear turns the second chapter into a question of what growing older does, and does not, leave behind.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Hustlers

US theatrical release

Work, money and a dangerous plan draw a group of women into a crime story. In particular, the attraction is the shifting balance between solidarity and self-interest when the stakes begin to rise.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Ad Astra

US theatrical release

A journey into space also becomes a journey towards an absent father. At the same time, alongside the year’s noisier spectacles, this offers a quieter question: how far can someone travel without escaping what troubles them?

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Abominable

US theatrical release

An unexpected encounter with a young yeti starts an animated journey home. By contrast with September’s darker releases, this lighter option is built around companionship and discovery rather than another contest over who can save the entire universe.

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Next, October concentrates several films that reward entering an unfamiliar point of view. Above all, consider keeping plot details to a minimum before visiting the households, isolated rooms and unreliable perspectives collected here. After all, knowing more about a film is not always the best preparation for it. Consequently, the short descriptions here deliberately leave room for the discoveries that belong to the viewing itself.

Joker

US theatrical release

Arthur Fleck takes centre stage in a story built around the man beneath the makeup. In contrast, it is a very different comic-book appointment from April’s ensemble spectacle, narrowing the frame to one troubled perspective.

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Parasite

US theatrical release

A family finds a route into a wealthy household, and the arrangement becomes increasingly complicated. Above all, go in with as little detail as possible: the pleasure lies in watching the balance of the house change.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

The Lighthouse

US theatrical release

Two men share an isolated workplace and far too much of each other’s company. However, the setup is small and the atmosphere is anything but, giving October a claustrophobic detour away from franchise-sized storytelling.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Jojo Rabbit

US theatrical release

A young boy’s understanding of the world meets the realities that his beliefs cannot comfortably explain. Therefore, this unusual wartime comedy-drama makes its tonal balancing act part of the reason to look closer.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Meanwhile, November offers a useful counterweight to the louder franchise appointments elsewhere in the year. For example, racing, divorce, crime and a family mystery create very different kinds of pressure alongside a returning Terminator and a young king. In particular, the review buttons can help you choose between films that look very different on paper. However, read a spoiler-labelled analysis after viewing if you would rather keep a story’s turns intact.

Terminator: Dark Fate

US theatrical release

The future sent another threat, and the Terminator story found another path forward. Once again, familiar faces and a new chase gave viewers one more chance to ask what the franchise could still do with its central nightmare.

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The King

Netflix release

Power proves a rather different thing from the idea of being powerful. After all, this medieval drama follows a young king into the responsibilities surrounding the crown; here it is filed by its November Netflix release.

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Ford v Ferrari

US theatrical release

Building a racing car becomes a struggle over vision, rules and who gets to make the decisions. However, the finish line matters, but so does the partnership working towards it against resistance from all sides.

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Marriage Story

US limited theatrical release

A relationship ending still contains the history of a relationship that once worked. Instead of broad spectacle, this drama gives the calendar an intimate counterpoint, with the difficult practicalities of separation sitting alongside everything that cannot be neatly divided.

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The Irishman

US theatrical release

A crime story stretches across years, following loyalty, power and the cost of remaining useful. Instead of another quick rise to the top, this offers time to consider what is left after the work is done.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Knives Out

US theatrical release

A death in a wealthy family brings a detective into a house full of reasons to be suspicious. Ultimately, this is an invitation to enjoy the machinery of a mystery, from its shifting stories to its carefully chosen details.

A pick from the 2019 calendar

Finally, December closes this selection with both large franchise farewells and stories about carrying a task through to its end. At the same time, Little Women and Spies in Disguise offer contrasting alternatives to a journey through war or another trip into a game. For instance, these final 2019 movies need not all serve the same audience or occasion. Ultimately, the calendar is an invitation to pick a route through the year rather than a claim that every film belongs on every watchlist.

Jumanji: The Next Level

US theatrical release

The game reopened, and understanding the rules did not guarantee an easy second visit. Even so, another round of body-swapping adventure offered a familiar playground with fresh complications for the people trying to get out.

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

US theatrical release

The Skywalker saga reached another enormous finish-line appointment. After all, whether you arrived with hope, questions or a long history of arguments, this was a December release carrying far more baggage than its characters could see.

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1917

US limited theatrical release

A message must reach its destination, and the journey is the story. In particular, filed here under its December US limited release, this war film makes movement through dangerous terrain the centre of its cinematic experience.

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Spies in Disguise

US theatrical release

An elegant spy finds himself in a body that is not particularly suited to his usual methods. In turn, animation turns an absurd transformation into a partnership story, adding a comic alternative to December’s bigger dramatic fare.

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Little Women

US theatrical release

The March sisters returned with another telling of a story about family, ambition and making a life. Above all, it is a welcome reminder that revisiting familiar material can be as interesting as launching the next enormous screen universe.

A pick from the 2019 calendar