Welcome to the grand finale of our decade-long retrospective. We have arrived at 2019, the closing chapter of the 2010s. It was a year that felt like the end of an era in more ways than one. We saw the conclusion of the "Infinity Saga" that began all the way back in 2008, the final goodbye to the Breaking Bad universe, and Martin Scorsese’s swan song to the mob genre.
While my list for 2019 is shorter than previous years, the quality is undeniably high. These films represent the absolute peak of their respective genres, from superhero epics to murder mysteries.
Here are the 7 films from 2019 that made my top 150 list.
Avengers: Endgame
Rank: #7 Director: Anthony & Joe Russo
If Infinity War was the cliffhanger, Endgame is the emotional catharsis. It is a three-hour miracle of blockbuster storytelling that manages to balance over a decade of plot threads, character arcs, and fan expectations without collapsing under its own weight. The decision to set the film five years after the "Snap" was brilliant, allowing us to see our heroes not as warriors, but as broken survivors dealing with grief.
The "Time Heist" structure effectively turns the movie into a greatest-hits compilation of the MCU, rewarding fans who have stuck around since the beginning. But the final hour is unrivaled. The "Portals" scene is perhaps the single most crowd-pleasing moment in cinema history. It’s an epic, tear-jerking farewell to the original Avengers team, specifically Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, giving them both the perfect endings they deserved.
Did You Know? Robert Downey Jr. was the only actor who read the entire script. The rest of the cast was given redacted scripts or fake scenes to prevent leaks. The iconic line "I am Iron Man" was a last-minute addition, filmed during reshoots just weeks before the movie had to be finished.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Rank: #12 Director: Jon Watts
Following Endgame was an impossible task, but Far From Home succeeded by going small. It focuses entirely on Peter Parker’s grief over losing Tony Stark and the immense pressure of living up to his legacy. Tom Holland continues to be the definitive Spider-Man, perfectly balancing the awkwardness of a teenager on a school trip with the responsibility of an Avenger.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a revelation as Mysterio. He plays the character with a charming, big-brother energy that makes his inevitable betrayal sting even more. The illusion sequence, where Mysterio psychologically tortures Peter with zombie Iron Man visions, is one of the most visually creative and terrifying sequences Marvel has ever produced.
Did You Know? This is the first MCU movie not to feature a cameo by Stan Lee, as he passed away before filming was completed. However, Jake Gyllenhaal was nearly Spider-Man himself—he was the studio's backup choice to replace Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 2 when Maguire injured his back.
The Irishman
Rank: #60 Director: Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese returns to the genre he defined, reuniting with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci (coming out of retirement) for this meditative, melancholy epic. Unlike Goodfellas or Casino, which crackle with the energy of criminal life, The Irishman is about the silence that comes after. It’s a movie about aging, regret, and the loneliness of outliving your own relevance.
The de-aging technology allows the actors to play their characters across decades, and once you adjust to it, the performances are heartbreaking. Al Pacino is electric as Jimmy Hoffa, loud and charismatic, serving as the perfect foil to De Niro’s quiet, soldier-like Frank Sheeran. The final shot—a door left slightly ajar—is a haunting image of a man waiting for a forgiveness that will never come.
Did You Know? The de-aging technology required a massive, custom-built "three-camera rig" (nicknamed the "Three-Headed Monster") so that the actors wouldn't have to wear the traditional motion-capture dots on their faces. Scorsese insisted on this so the actors could perform naturally without equipment getting in the way.
Knives Out
Rank: #76 Director: Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson revitalized the whodunit genre with this sharp, hilarious, and socially conscious murder mystery. Knives Out is a puzzle box that tells you the answer in the first act, then spends the rest of the movie making you question everything you saw.
The cast is having the time of their lives—Chris Evans playing against type as a trust-fund jerk, Jamie Lee Curtis as the steely matriarch—but Daniel Craig steals the show. His Benoit Blanc, with his "Kentucky-fried" drawl, is an instant icon of the detective genre. The film is a masterclass in screenwriting, planting seeds that pay off beautifully in the climax.
Did You Know? The character name "Harlan Thrombey" (played by Christopher Plummer) was taken from a 1980s Choose Your Own Adventure book titled Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? that Rian Johnson loved as a child.
Jojo Rabbit
Rank: #99 Director: Taika Waititi
Only Taika Waititi could pitch a movie about a young boy in Nazi Germany whose imaginary friend is a goofy Adolf Hitler—and make it heartwarming. Jojo Rabbit walks an impossibly tight tonal rope, balancing slapstick comedy with the horrific reality of the Holocaust.
Roman Griffin Davis is astonishing in the title role, capturing the innocence of a child brainwashed by hate who slowly learns to love. The scene involving the shoes in the town square is a gut-punch that reminds you exactly what the stakes are. It’s a satire that mocks fascism by showing just how ridiculous and fragile it truly is.
Did You Know? Taika Waititi did not want to play the role of imaginary Hitler. However, Fox Searchlight stated they would only finance the film if he played the role himself. He described his performance as "a lonely boy's version of his hero, which is really just his dad," rather than an attempt to accurately portray the dictator.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Rank: #107 Director: Vince Gilligan
For years, fans wondered what happened to Jesse Pinkman after he sped away laughing and crying in the Breaking Bad finale. El Camino gives us the answer. It is a tense, beautifully shot epilogue that focuses entirely on Jesse’s trauma and his desperate bid for freedom.
Aaron Paul slips back into the role effortlessly, conveying a brokenness that is painful to watch. The film doesn't try to reinvent the wheel; it simply offers closure. Seeing the return of characters like Skinny Pete and Badger provides a surprising amount of heart, reminding us that even in a world of meth and murder, loyalty still exists.
Did You Know? The production was shrouded in extreme secrecy. The film was shot under the code name Greenbrier, and cast members were ferried to and from the set in robes to hide their costumes. When Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman) accidentally mentioned the movie had already been filmed in an interview, the public didn't believe him because the secrecy was so effective.
Shazam!
Rank: #117 Director: David F. Sandberg
Shazam! is basically Big with superpowers. It injects a sense of childlike wonder into the DC Universe, which had previously been defined by grimdark seriousness. Zachary Levi is perfectly cast as the adult superhero, capturing the enthusiastic, clumsy energy of a 14-year-old boy inside a god’s body.
The film works because it focuses on the foster family dynamic. The relationship between Billy Batson and his foster brother Freddy Freeman is the heart of the movie. It’s a superhero movie that argues family isn't about blood; it's about who you choose to share your powers with.
Did You Know? Zachary Levi initially turned down the opportunity to audition for the role because he assumed the studio was looking for a massive star like The Rock or John Cena. He only taped an audition after his agent convinced him they were looking for an "everyman" quality.
The End of the Road
And there we have it. From Inception in 2010 to Endgame in 2019, we have covered 150 of the best films the decade had to offer in my opinion.
This has been a massive project, but I’m not done yet. Check back tomorrow for the Master List, where I will publish the entire ranking from #150 to #1 in a single post, serving as the definitive directory for The Next Take’s Best of the 2010s.
Thank you for reading!