Friday 31 December 2021

My 2021 Movies Ranking

Thank our immunities that we survived the year. 

This year I don't have it in me nor have the time for the usual elaborate reviews that accompany the rankings. It's pretty straightforward, so enjoy. Any questions, debates, preferences or arguments? Leave them in the comments section (or not) and I will see you next year! 😉😜


Ranking                 Movie

1                              Spider-Man: No Way Home

2                              Nobody

3                              The White Tiger

4                              No Time To Die

5                              Judas and the Black Messiah

6                              The Wrath of Man

7                              Injustice

8                              Dune

9                              Reminiscence

10                           The Green Knight

11                           Space Sweepers

12                           Raya and the Last Dragon

13                           Zack Snyder's Justice League

14                           Blood Red Sky

15                           Copshop

16                           Moxie

17                           The Dig

18                           A Quiet Place Part II

19                           The Unforgiven

20                           Coming 2 America

21                           Black Widow

22                           Sinkhole

23                           Last Night in Soho

24                           Two Distant Strangers

25                           Old

26                           No Sudden Move

27                           Suicide Squad

28                           The Forever Purge

29                           I Care A Lot

30                           The United States vs. Billy Holiday

31                           School's Out Forever

32                           Godzilla vs. King Kong

33                           The Tomorrow War

34                           Below Zero

35                           Palmer

36                           Major Grim: Plague Doctor

37                           Red Dot

38                           The Mitchell's vs. The Machines

39                           Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

40                           The Vault

41                           Jolt

42                           Army of Thieves

43                           Malcolm and Marie

44                           The Match

45                           Swallow

46                           The Ice Road

47                           Mortal Kombat

48                           Red Notice

49                           Cherry

50                           Infinite

51                           The Eternals

52                           In For a Murder

53                           The Many Saints of Newark

54                           Fear Street Part One 1994

55                           Luca

56                           The Hitman's Wife Bodyguard

57                           Venom: Let There Be Carnage

58                           Vacation Friends

59                           The Misfits

60                           America: The Motion Picture

61                           Finch

62                           Don't Look Up

63                           Batman: The Long Halloween Part 2

64                           Crisis

65                           Fear Street Part Two 1978

66                           Without Remorse

67                           The Guilty

68                           Chaos Walking

69                           The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust

70                           Candyman

71                           Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1

72                           Resort to Love

73                           Sweet Girl

74                           He's All That

75                           Fast 9

76                           Monk Comes Down the Mountain

77                           Kate

78                           The Marksman

79                           Batman: Soul of the Dragon

80                           Justice Society: World War II

81                           Willy's Wonderland

82                           There's Someone Inside Your House

83                           Every Breath You Take

84                           Super Me

85                           Gunpowder Milkshake

86                           Cry Macho

87                           Spiral

88                           Army of the Dead

89                           Those Who Wish Me Dead

90                           Tom & Jerry

91                           Don’t Breathe 2

92                           The Woman in the Window

93                           Things Seen and Heard

94                           Werewolves Within

95                           The Harder They Fall

96                           Stowaway

97                           Halloween Kills

98                           The Matrix Resurrections

99                           The Card Counter

100                         The Little Things

101                         The Protégé

102                         Deadly Illusions

103                         Outside the Wire

104                         Intrusion

105                         Awake

106                         Beckett

107                         My Son

108                         Pig

109                         Escape Room 2

110                         Thunder Force

111                         Slay

112                         False Positive

113                         A Classic Horror Story

114                         Bliss

115                         Prey 

Thursday 31 December 2020

My 2020 Movies Ranking

 -          The Year of the Streaming Service

I am not going to go into the year that 2020 was, but without a doubt, it has changed (to what degrees we are yet to fully witness) the way movies are distributed and consumed. Movies scheduled for release beyond the sleeper months of January and February, saw their fates swing between several rescheduled release dates and distribution on streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Netflix having bought and sometimes produced its own films in previous years had a head start and this is evident in the list below.

The lockdown and downtime experienced by me during the year saw me watch a record 79 films released this year! 

Was quality affected by the pandemic and lockdown? I do not think so as what I observe is that majority of the bigger, big production (blockbuster type) movies have been pushed back to 2021 and 2022 in some cases; so, we therefore have a concentration of small to mid-budget movies that would have featured in early spring featuring throughout the year.

So, I rank the movies of the year that I have seen in my own preferred order. This order is based on the following: the movie's plot, how compelling it is, the wow/entertainment factor, whether it meets my expectations and how rewarding the viewing experience is.

Apologies for not going into greater synopsis of some of the titles this year but I hope you are still encouraged to watch the ones you have not seen. 

Allow me to begin with 3 movies that are unranked because they were too bad for even I to finish watching:

  • I Am Thinking of Ending Things
  • The 2nd
  • Christmas Crossfire

 Ok let’s go, I present my 2020 movies ranking...

 

 79.          The Invisible Man

Poor plot and character development, even Elisabeth Moss’ acting chops couldn’t save this for me as I expected a lot more from this movie.

 

78.          Spell

Tepid horror fare.

 

77.          The Last Thing He Wanted

The entire film was pointless in my opinion and bordered on masochism for the viewers.

 

76.          His House

Not a bad movie for some but for me it did not deliver to the heights that I had expected, despite the lovely Wunmi Mosaku being in it.

 

75.          Vampires vs. The Bronx

Oh this started so well! Then it quickly tapered into mediocrity. I would love to see this remade with a bigger budget as it has some promise.

 

74.          Dangerous Lies

This had its moments like so many others in its genre and I kind of enjoyed it.

               

73.          Tesla

               

72.          Intuition

                A fairly good Argentinian police procedural with twists and turns.

 

71.          You Should Have Left

 

70.          The Rhythm Section

An unbelievable plot and premise make this action thriller featuring Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown fall flat.

 

69.          Rebecca

Netflix oh! Good acting by all involved but it was a waste of time as the mystery and its reveal fell flat.

 

68.          Love and Monsters

This could have been way better but it was basically a less compelling Zombieland.

 

67.          Love, Marriage, Repeat

Groundhog Day meets British wedding day romcom with less conviction.

 

66.          Guns Akimbo

Someone wrote that Daniel Radcliffe has made so much money from the Harry Potter movies that he now gets to do whatever he likes and acts in any project that tickles his fancy; I agree.  

 

65.          Fantasy Island

One of the few movies to come out earlier in the year before the lockdown. I had great expectations for this but Blumhouse let me down.

 

64.          Deathstroke Knights & Dragons (Animation)

 

63.          Raat Akeli Hai

               

62.          The Babysitter 2

The first part was loads of fun, this just seemed forced and could have been better.

 

61.          Inheritance

It was good to see my man Simon Pegg in this role. Perhaps the script in the hands of a better production team would have been more on the money.


60.          Fatman

Slowly but surely, Mel Gibson is making his way back A-list movies. Fatman is a different and interesting take on the person of Santa Claus, featuring Walton Goggins as a Santa Claus hating hitman.

 

59.          The Lift Boy

Feel good fare without the usual accompanying melodrama.

 

58.          Rattlesnake

Poorly cast, this ranks this high for the production quality and does nothing to improve on the beloved original.


57.          Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (Animation)

 

56.          Triggered

55.          Honest Thief

Liam Neeson strikes again as a retiree with a very special set of skills.

 

54.          Wonder Woman 1984

Meh movie that does a great disservice to the first part and Pedro Pascal’s career.


53.          Lego DC: Shazam!: Magic and Monsters (Animation)

52.          The Tax Collector

I think this film suffers from an identity crisis and it shows in the actors’ performances. Great preview but the inconsistency sets it back terribly.

 

51.          We Can Be Heroes

Robert Rodriguez doing Robert Rodriguez kiddie stuff.

 

50.          The Decline

49.          Altered Carbon: Resleeved (Animation)

48.          A Fall from Grace
A movie so bad that it keeps you watching until the end.

 

47.          The Peninsula

Standalone sequel to the greatness that is Train to Busan. It does not reach the dramatic heights of its prequel despite the use of CGI.

 

46.          Superman Red Son

45.          Waiting for the Barbarians

Could be viewed as boring but the performance of Mark Rylance gave it greater life.

 

44.          Ludo

Had a good laugh with this one!

 

43.          The Vanished

A good mystery to be solved.

               

42.          Unhinged

Road rage raised to the power of 100, starring Russel Crowe.

 

41.          Tenet

.14          Tenet

40.          The New Mutants

39.          Bad Hair

Hahaha!! This was fine comedic horror. The writer director Justin Simien is going to go places.

38.          Coffee and Kareem

37.          Like a Boss

36.          The Match

35.          Project Power

Shows that movies about having superpowers can be so different from the superhero fare.

 

34.          The Lovebirds

Hilarity! And yes, Issa Rae is fine!

 

33.          Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (Animation)

Enjoyed this!

 

32.          Sonic the Hedgehog

Jim Carrey is back bitches!!! And no, we can’t wait for the sequel!

 

31.          Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

30.          Way Back

29.          Mosul

28.          Seriously Single

Hahahahaha!!! Abeg, South Africans sabi.


27.          Bloodshot

26.          Citation

25.          The Trial of the Chicago 7

24.          Spenser Confidential

23.          Greyhound

22.          Hubie Halloween

21.          Greenland

I like Mr. Butler. 2012 remake?


20.          The Call

The Lake House meets Psycho, Korean style.

 

19.          Eurovision Song Contest: The Fire Saga

I was surprised at how much I was invested in this movie! Loooooool!!!


18.          The Old Guard

17.          Rogue

16.          Oloture

15.          Alive

Do Koreans make the best Zombie movies in general? I think they do.


14.          My Spy


This brought plenty laughs and smiles to my face.


13.          Mulan

What can I say? I am biased.


12.          Next Boss Level


I totally loved this film! Edge of Tomorrow lite. Frank Grillo should definitely keep at it!


11.          Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Powerful dialogue and acting by everyone especially the late Chadwick Boseman with themes that resonated with me.


10.          The Midnight Sky

George Clooney knows how to make movies sha.


9.            Run


The incredible Sarah Paulson does it again.


8.            The Devil All The Time

A film that allows its star cast of mostly non-Americans, showcase their acting chops around a plot that carries you along like a proper film should.


7.            Extraction


6.           The Half of It

The indie (coming of age) drama of the year in a time when independent films are being outfeatured by superhero, blockbuster fare.

 

5.            Escape from Pretoria


Based on a true story about the compelling tale of two white South African political prisoners trying to escape prison, following their violent/militant protests against the apartheid government in 1979. A very good dramatic turn by Daniel Radcliffe, whom I swear is living his best life!


4.            The Hunt


Fun! Fun!! Fun!!! Probably the one film directly affected by the pandemic as it was released in theatres the same week the lockdown was announced in the US. The Hunt was also initially scheduled for release in September 2019 but had to be delayed because of the mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, as well as direct criticisms from Donald Trump. What other reason do you need to see it then? Ok, maybe the total badassery of Betty Gilpin.

 

3.            Bad Boys for Life


This was the closest to a blockbuster that 2020 had (no, Tenet and WW84 do not count) and we are sure glad we saw it before the lockdown situation! A perfectly balanced and realistic action flick that aged in tandem with its audience from the first part and highlights growing old as cops, a bit reminiscent of the later Lethal Weapon movies but with more candour.


2.            The Banker


If you haven’t seen The Banker, do try to. Years ago, I stated that Anthony Mackie was one of the best African American actors of his generation but it has been a pity that over the years he has not quite lived up to it. The Banker showcases him doing some proper acting alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Nia Long and Nicholas Hoult – talk about Falcon, Nick Fury and Dr, Hank McCoy walking into a bar.


1.            The Gentlemen



Of course, it had to be Guy Ritchie’s movie to top my 2020 films list.


And that's it folks. We look forward to the world moving on from the Corona virus so that we may enjoy the big screen in its fullness! 

Tuesday 31 December 2019

My 2019 Movies Ranking

- The Year of the Whodunit.

I'm back again!

Yes, it has been ages since I wrote anything here but I did my best to not break this yearly series where I rank the movies of the year that I have seen in my own preferred order.

This order is based on the following:

The movie's plot, how compelling it is, the wow/entertainment factor, whether or not it meets my expectations and how rewarding the viewing experience is.

So I saw 60 2019 movies this year and this is how they fare against one another.


The Year of the Whodunit and Black Actors Not Catching a Break


60 to 51:


60. The Fanatic

Do.Not.Watch. A The Fan wannabe. John Travolta’s career might just be dead and gone after this and following the abysmal performance of last year’s Gotti.


59. Triple Frontier (Netflix)

This one pain me gaaan! A case of very good marketing but for a poor product, albeit with great cinematography. An ensemble cast of TV/films’ fine, muscled B-actors were unable to lift the movie from off the ground for me. I mean the level of greed displayed! And we are supposed to believe that these guys were decorated professionals? Poor plot, poor acting by Ben Affleck and co as the whole thing was very unconvincing.



58. Primal

I really wanted to give Nicholas Cage one more chance but no, he didn’t want it. At this point we can agree that he is the king of B-movies. Primal started quite well with a convincing premise but it all went to hell in the second act. And honestly, I was too distracted by Famke Jansen’s face; I mean what did she do to her beautiful face?


57. Rambo: The Last Blood

Sigh! I was really amped for this. John Rambo on the big screen again?! Hell yeah! I’m willing to bet that every male between the ages of 35 and 55 was as well. But I must say that Last Blood was a weak movie with a poor script (co-written by Sylvester Stallone), poor props, poor acting, poor everything!!! There are a thousand and one ways one could have written a plausible script for another Rambo film and they came up with this?! However, it made a profit at the box office thanks to the power of the franchise.


56. Us

I hate gimmicks in film more than anything and this was one. Us was a huge letdown and I had great expectations for Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort following 2017’s excellent Get Out (Ranked No. 1 in my 2017 list). It made no sense and seemed to come out of one of Mr. Peele’s nightmares, you know the ones that don’t make any sense but are just all over the place, albeit scary? Yes, it was one of those. The soundtrack and score were the only redeeming factor. I dislike Us.

PS: I am still waiting for someone to explain the film to me.


55. Oh Ramona! (Netflix)

For me it is all about expectations and I did not expect so much from this. I just wanted a laugh and I got one or two out of it. Shitty ending and a waste of anyone’s time to be honest.


54. What Men Want

A role-reversal of the hit What Women Want, what could go wrong? I mean in the era of #MeToo it was an opportunity to set things straight in the workplace. But no, it was stupidly tepid, unintelligent, clichéd, rather crude and not in a fun way. The scriptwriters should be pilloried. I found Tracy Morgan’s acting distractingly subpar and Aldis Hodge (Leverage) shows why the big screen is not for him. As for Taraji, I understand that good roles and scripts are hard to come by but she really really really needs to be more circumspect so her career does not take a hit. Erykah Badu did do well as a weird “shawoman” whose potion Taraji’s sports agent drinks that eventually gives her the mind reading powers.


53. Point Blank (Netflix)

Blink. Blink. I do not remember this film. Blink. Oh yeah! I remember! The one with Falcon and Crossbones and where Falcon is a nurse whose pregnant wife is kidnapped by Crossbones’ brother so that Falcon can help Crossbones do some dangerous stuff to help clear his name and they all become friends along the way or something like that. No. Frank Grillo, we understand but Anthony Mackie needs to do better.


52. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I was going to write some stuff but no need. Meh.



51. MA.
  • Blumhouse Productions.
  • Academy and Golden Globe Awards winner, Octavia Spencer.
  • Hot-smoking Luke Evans (wink, wink).
  • Fantastic actress Juliette Lewis.
  • Great premise and story.
  • Fell flat.
  • Annoying at certain points.
  • Huge disappointment



50 to 41:

50. Lionheart (Netflix)
The lowest ranked Nigerian movie on this list. Please read my review here.


49. Glass

Mscheeeew!!! We all got amped up for nothing. Midway through it was obvious that Mr. Shyamalan was tired of the franchise and just wrote a script to bring his “trilogy” to an end. Great acting again by James McAvoy as The Horde but we fear the it was overshadowed by this meh movie.


48. Gemini Man

This movie belongs to the 1980s. Don’t believe me? Look at the title again. The script co-written by Game of Thrones scriptwriter (cough) David Benioff is another indication. The whole hullabaloo about waiting for years until the technology was available before Gemini Man could be made was just hogwash. Hello? CGI? De-aging effects? Jaden Smith? Ultimately when both Ang Lee’s (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi, Hulk) and Will Smith’s career stories are told, it will be a tale of swinging pendulums.


47. Hustlers
I don’t know what I was expecting but I really did not get the hype. Hustlers was basic and it ranks this high as a result of it being better than the ones below it.


46. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

I was warned but I just had to see it. Following X-Men: Apocalypse, I steeled my mind to not be disappointed but Simon Kinberg took this beloved X-Men story arc and burnt it to ash. Not even Sophie Turner’s rising star power could help it. I almost feel sorry for Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and co. because they do not deserve this. I really hope Disney reboots this franchise as it is toe-for-toe a much better superhero team than the puny Avengers.
PS: No one should blame Marvel/Disney for “changing” the genre because it is not always about the budget; it is about a good storyline, great execution and all-around entertainment. Just ask the guys at Sony who made Venom.


45. Wonder Woman: Bloodlines

The only animated feature I saw this year but what is going on at the animated movies division at Warner Bros? Once the envy of their peers, the last few efforts have been horribly misguided and lukewarm… The Killing Joke? Batman Samurai? One would think a Wonder Woman feature would be untouchable but alas. I must confess I fast forwarded a few scenes.


44. 6 Underground

Anybody that says 6 underground is a good movie does not know what a good movie is! I mean! Come on! Another case of false advertising (I see you Netflix), it is a shoddy fest of explosions and lots of loud talking by every member of the cast except maybe Corey Hawkins’ character. I should have expected that a combination of Ryan Reynolds and Michael Bay would be this explosive but not this terrible. The editor and props guys should not have received a salary as the crash test dummies were clearly visible as stand ins for the humans in every explosion scene. And please what was with the disintegration of every car involved in a collision?!!! Small collision, BOOM!!!!! the car must catch fire and explode!!! Ah ahn, they did not even fear God small. Very unintelligent and insipid.

I don’t know what I was expecting but I really did not get the hype. Hustlers was basic and it ranks this high as a result of it being better than the ones below it.


43. Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel was boring and probably the worst Avengers film (certainly in phase 3) ever made. It only made so much money at the box office ($1.1bn) because it was pivotal to the events in Avengers: Endgame the most anticipated Marvel movie of all time.


42. Hobbs and Shaw

This was a quick cash grab to be honest and for me, it did nothing for the Fast and Furious franchise. Everything looked forced, the banter among the characters, the effects, the feel-good family thing where Hobbs’ character goes back home, Idris Elba’s characters’ villainous reason for his “destroy the world to save the world” mission, Ryan Reynolds (again?!), plus Kevin Hart?!! Urgh!! Just shoot me now!


41. Zombieland: Double Tap

An unnecessary sequel in my opinion as there was absolutely no value add to the storyline. It was very lazy thinking, writing and acting as the great actors that featured in it could have done their scenes in their sleep and with one arm tied behind their backs. Sony just wanted a few extra bucks this year, that’s all. It was good to see Luke Wilson and the beautiful Rosario Dawson again on the big screen though.



40 to 31...

40. Sextuplets



Marlon Wayans pulls an Eddie Murphy in this light hearted fare. Soon-to-be father, Alan who was adopted seeks a reconnection with his birth mother then finds out that he is part of a sextuplet separated at birth. He goes on the road to find them resulting in sheer hilarity as his siblings are as different from one another as possible. This was entertaining in a way only Marlon Wayans can provide.


39.Juanita (Netflix)

We all want Alfre Woodard to win an Academy Award and Juanita showed a bit of why we think she is deserving. A middle-aged mother of three grown kids, whose dreams consist of shenanigans with Blair Underwood, picks up her bags and relocates to Montana to try to live her best life. I liked the characters and its earthiness.


38. Living in Bondage: Breaking Free


Loads of hype as only Nigerians can. Marking Ramsey Nuoah’s directorial debut, the sequel to the classic Nollywood film was very well done with respect to pacing, cinematography, editing, props etc. but for me the story and its believability were not very well translated to the big screen. I had challenges with feeling whatever conflict that the characters were supposedly feeling. Were they really “living in bondage”? Really? However, I did like the twists at the end of the film and maybe a different ending would have been better. Now, I wonder if they considered letting Nnamdi die? Did they test different audiences? We may never know.


37. I Am Mother


AI voices will always be a thing for me. A mind game that keeps you guessing as you follow the happenings in the bunker. It reminded me of Tau. Watch alone, at night, with the lights off. :D


36. Angel Has Fallen

You know I really loved Olympus and London but Angel was the worst. So Secret Service dude that saved the life of the previous president on THREE occasions against impossible odds, is now the main suspect in the attempted assassination of the new president/former vice president. Why and how everyone readily believes that Mike Bannon is guilty without an iota of doubt, beat me the entire time I watched the movie. It had a great opening i.e. the assassination attempt but after that it just went into clichéd false accusation, man on the run trope. My love for Gerard Butler (as some of you might know) is what makes it rank this high.


35. Knives Out


Captain von Trapp, James Bond, Captain America and General Zod all live in the same village as Miss Marple. I LOVE WHODUNITS, I love Daniel Craig, I love Chris Evans. So, Knives Out started great looking all Victorian in modern America and ish, then I hear Daniel Craig speak as his character Benoit Blanc (a Hercule Poirot-esque detective) and lose it! I lose it and I don’t get it back the entirety of the movie. That accent was very distracting and affected my assimilation of what was going on. In the end, despite the ensemble cast’s (Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans), great acting, this murder mystery has the least satisfying reveal I have ever come across. Even Matlock reveals were loads better! I don’t think that it made sense and Marta’s vomiting was always going to be some sort of deus ex machina. Although Knives Out is critically acclaimed, I think Rian Johnson could have done a better job.


34. Line of Duty


I like Aaron Eckhart as he seems like such a trooper to me! Line of Duty is the trope of all tropes: fallen cop has to race against time with smart talking civilian in tow to thwart the murderous intentions of a crazy domestic terrorist who has kidnapped the police chief’s daughter and buried her somewhere in a timed water tomb to avenge the death of someone close to him. I’m sure you got that. But what I also like about the film is the spotlight on social media, trending and citizen journalism. A feel-good watch.


33. Your Excellency


Funke Akindele’s directorial debut was a delightful watch. It was a simple but well portrayed spoof of the recent and current Nigerian socio-political and media landscape. It takes hearty and open digs at political party chieftains, dancing senators, perennial contestants, the not-too-young-to-run candidates, bloggers, slay queens, one-hit singers/musicians, reality TV shows and even Donald Trump!! It is a movie with heart and one thing I particular liked about it was how it was able to handle scale in a believable manner i.e. the world building and its believability, the national fervor was believable, the party rallies, the social media effect and more. A feel-good holiday movie if there ever was one.


32. Jumanji: The Next Level

Enjoyable but the “sequel” was not as good as the first one. Still kudos to Jack Black as he constantly amazes me with his acting skills.


31. The Bling Lagosians


I was expecting a mess with that title but I was delightfully surprised! I was entertained and impressed with the story, the acting, particularly Elvina Ibru’s acting. This Bolanle Austen-Peters vehicle, through the Holloways, tries to show us that the rich do also cry and have their struggles whether real or imagined, in fact they are just like the rest of us with fake friends, business downturns, infidelity, vanity and just plain old bad luck. I felt everything and it was a fun and warm ride.


Halfway mark is:
30. Always Be My Maybe


Now the Top 20s!


29. Alita Battle Angel

I’m torn by Alita as it had a great premise based on the manga but it was not as satisfying as one would have liked.


28. Terminator: Dark Fate

The return of Sarah Connor! Dark Fate explores an alternate timeline of events taking off from Judgement Day. We see a refreshing return to the first two films in the franchise, with director Tim Miller (Deadpool) at the helm and James Cameron producing. Featuring three strong female leads, one of whom is a minority, the hunt is on in form of a Rev-9, a new advanced Terminator who is sent back in time to kill a new target, Daniella Ramos who replaces John Connor as the new hope in the future, ably defended by Grace, a human cyborg also from the future and an aged Sarah Connor who is still as bad ass as she was in T2. I loved the action sequences, the effects, the plot etc. However, Dark Fate sadly bombed at the box office and I suspect it had something to do with franchise fatigue, the retcon of John Connor in favour of a minority female, its strong female leads and the guns… loads of them. Also, the reason to protect Dani is not as strong as I would have liked it to be. But I need the team to not be discouraged because some of us need the franchise to live on!


27. ANNA


Luc Beeson is back beeeches!!! Hehehe! A bit similar to 2018’s Red Sparrow, Anna is a model by day and a KGB assassin by night having been made an offer she could not refuse. She is then used as a pawn between the sparring American CIA and her KGB bosses to one-up the other. Everyone falls in love with her along the way, her handlers, her targets and the audience. Anna stars Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy and the lovely Helen Mirren.


26. The Irishman (Netflix)


Acclaimed director, Martin Scorsese does what he knows how to do best. The Irishman (I Heard You Paint Houses) based on a supposedly true story of truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), his rise through the workers’ union and his involvement in organized crime, told through his meeting and eventual strong relationships with mob boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and the legendary Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Strong acting everywhere and my only serious grouse with the movie is its length coming in at 3 hours, 30 mins.
Fun Facts: Al Pacino had never featured in a Martin Scorsese film until The Irishman. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have appeared in 4 movies together, 3 if we are being technically correct. Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro have appeared in 7 movies together, 4 of them directed by Martin Scorsese.


25. Midway


The Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) film, with an ensemble cast of square jawed white Americans among others, captures the unbelievable odds, intelligence, daring, spirit, losses and crazy luck that characterized America’s entry into World War 2, following the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese and their first major battle in the Pacific theatre. Realistic and one gets a glimpse of the origins of why America had to become a world power.


24. Crawl


A hurricane. Florida. Trapped. 50 CGI alligators. What’s not to love in this B-looking movie?


23. Luce


Luce. Luce. Luce. I am still struggling with this movie and what it is trying to say. I am also still trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth in very specific situations and in general. Luce is the story of an Eritrean boy who is adopted by loving American couple, his translation into a poster teenager for black boys in white America and whether or not he really is what he seems to be. A must watch with Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Kelvin Harrison Jr.


22. American Son


I knew this was originally a play (Christopher Demos-Brown) from the very first minute. The entire film is a series of conversations between and among the characters and speaks to what it is like for a young black man in America and their parents. So, Kerry Washington’s bi-racial son (read: black) many hours earlier has stormed off into the night and she reports this at their local police station and is treated in a very patronizing manner by the on-duty officer who thinks she is overreacting. After a series of Q&As she resists the officer’s attempts to profile her and her son as she is a psychology professor as well. Her husband who incidentally is an FBI agent turns up and the drama continues and we get a glimpse into their strained relationship. In the end, the objective is to locate their son safely given the danger that comes with being a black boy in America. Lots of lip quivering by Kerry Washington but the delivery is on point and all the actors find the balance between stage and screen and we are moved.


21. The Laundromat (Netflix)

Based on the real events of the Panama Papers scandal, The Laundromat is a series of quirky, lighthearted, interconnected tales that try to highlight how international money laundering through the establishment of shell companies is carried out by law firms, in this case, Mossack Fonseca. Featuring an ensemble cast of Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, David Schwimmer, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sharon Stone, James Cromwell, Robert Patrick and Rosalind Chao.


20. Fractured


Shutter Island meets Abandoned. Fractured was thrilling enough for me, not so much of a gimmick and kept me guessing right until the very end. Sam Worthington gives a great performance and although this has been done in one form or the other it was still worth my time and another watch.


The Golden Teens:


19. Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler tries his hands at yet another drama. I will give credit where it is due and yes Mr. Sandler can act. Some comedians eventually make great drama actors and he is well on his way. A series of unfortunate events plague a New York jeweller who seems to be having a midlife crisis: his wife is about to leave him; he owes a lot of money to his brother in law and other loan sharks and has a serious gambling problem. A rare black opal is the key to his redemption and if he can manipulate one or two people, he will be fine, or will he?

If you can get past the very annoying score and music, Uncut Gems is a good watch.


18. High Flying Bird (Netflix)

Great everything: cinematography, script, dialogue, acting, directing and editing. I think this should be a new genre of filmmaking or something. It was too neat. High Flying Bird is the story of New York sports agent (again?) Ray who is in the middle of a lock out; with him and his agency losing clients and money he turns the game on its head in a bid to survive. High Flying Bird stars Andre Holland, Zazie Beets, Zachary Quinto and the legendary Bill Duke.
Fun fact: Multiple award-winning director, Steven Soderbergh shot this using an iPhone 8.


17. Jexi

Literally the last 2019 movie I watched. Featuring a virtual assistant gone slightly rogue, Jexi was a load of laughs. The premise although not entirely original, is apt for this age of smart phone addiction and dependence on virtual assistants. There are similarities between it and the “Marti” episode of anthology horror series Creeped Out. Adam DeVine (who reminds me a lot of Jack Black) as Phil delivers with just the right amounts of everything in his acting and makes us like him without overdoing it. Michael Pena nailed it as Phil’s millennial boss and Wanda Sykes gave me joy.


16. Highway Men (Netflix)

Gruff, taciturn ex-Texas Ranger, Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) is called back out of retirement to hunt the serial killing duo, Bonnie and Clyde. He recruits his former deputy Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson) to help him on this painstaking and deadly mission. Based on a true story.
Fun fact: Kevin Costner has now played two characters named Frank – Farmer and Hamer.



15. Murder Mystery (Netflix)


Someone should let Rain Johnson know that this is how you write a proper whodunit! Thank you, James Vanderbilt.  Murder Mystery is a load of laughs and the duo of Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston show us why they are consistently one of comedy’s top talents and with the right script, can shine brightly. Murder Mystery has its own ensemble cast featuring Luke Evans, Terrence Stamp (General Zod again?!!), Gemma Arteton, John Kani and more.
Fun Fact: Murder Mystery was one of the top streamed movies for 2019 on Netflix across several regions. Can’t wait for the inevitable sequel.


14. Escape Room


One of the surprise hits of 2019, making $155m on a budget of $9m, Escape Room is a psychological thriller/horror story that shows us the experiences of six strangers who answer the call to take part in a fun game where puzzles are solved in order to escape from a room they have been trapped in. Well, it is all fun and games until they realize that they are playing for real i.e. life and death and will surely die should they not figure out how to escape the series of rooms set up for them. One by one they drop off but the real mystery is why they were invited in the first place and who is behind it all.


13. Long Shot


Years later, a teenage boy’s babysitter is the US secretary of state. Teenage boy quits his job as a columnist as his views are not in line with those of the owner of the media group that has just acquired his employer. He reunites with his babysitter at an event and eventually lands a job as her speech writer as she thinks his honest earnest views will help her as she runs for president, or will they?

This is one Seth Rogen film that I really like. It is not the usual Rogen fare, it is smart, honest and the best 2019 comedy that I saw. The on-screen chemistry with Charlize Theron? Gold.  Other stars include O’Shea Jackson Jr., Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgard and Lisa Kudrow.


12. Marriage Story


Written, produced and directed by Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story is the story of a Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) Barber’s divorce. From counselling to mediation to divorce lawyers, this East Coast vs. West Coast battle rages on with their son and Nicole’s family caught in the middle, both parties unravelling despite their seeming appreciation of each other. Charlie does not understand why and Nicole does not understand why Charlie does not understand why. Featuring a great monologue by Nicole’s lawyer played by Laura Dern and another not-so-silly dialogue between Kylo Ren and Black Widow Charlie and Nicole. A solid film.


11. The Professor

Johnny Depp delivers in this smart, mature and simple comedy drama about a college English professor, who upon learning that he has terminal cancer changes small things about his already cliched life on campus. You will fall in love with Mr. Depp all over again, forget what the critics say.



10. Dolemite is My Name (Netflix)


Eddie Murphy is back like he never left! Based on the true story of black American pop culture icon and phenomenon, Rudy Ray Moore, Dolemite is My Name captures Rudy’s somewhat late entry into the world of comedy circuits and the blaxploitation big screen told in an efficient manner. This has the best pacing of any film I have seen this year and its near 2 hour run time is quite enjoyable. Kudos to director, Craig Brewer. Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, Keehan-Michael Key, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Craig Robinson, Wesley Snipes and co. show us that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and chase your dreams.


9. Polar (Netflix)


Duncan Vizla aka The Black Kaiser, a professional hitman is 14 days away from retirement and winding down when he is ostensibly called in for one last job by his employer – Damocles – who in reality want to kill him in order not to pay him his pensions benefits thus saving cost (yes, you read that right!) However, the team of colourful, young assassins sent in by Damocles CEO, Mr. Blut, to kill Duncan are having a hard time tracking him down as he lives a quiet life in an undisclosed snowy town.

Polar’s plot was great, pacing very good and though all the colourful characters might be a bit outlandish for some, it is all rather solid and finds sound footing between camp, entertainment and what movies adapted from comics can be.

You can read my review of Polar here.


8. Avengers: EndGame


A somewhat fitting end to the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU. We waited for it for a whole year and we were very well rewarded, although the time travel plot shenanigans were a stretch it was a great joy to see everyone back from the Blip and take on the mighty philosopher Thanos. Every major character had their time in the spotlight (except The Hulk once again) and the take-ons between Thanos, Iron Man, Cap, Thor and the other Cap (whom we expected a whole lot more from) were worth waiting for and excellently delivered. A sad and teary farewell to the man that begun the franchise was apt and the series was ably put to bed. Thank you, Kevin Feige, Messrs. Russo et al for a wonderful and mostly excellent experience. EndGame made $2.79bn at the box office.


7. Ford v Ferrari


In the current world of comic book based cinematic blockbusters, I find that good dramas have to be either very excellent, backed by some big bucks, great actors or released on non-competitive weekends to thrive. Ford v Ferrari is great dramatic cinema. Period. Well told, well expressed, fantastically acted and with the right kind of near larger-than-life characters of men who were men. I swear, I could recognize mirrors of people I have met in corporate Nigeria. Christian Bale in my opinion is the best dramatic actor of his generation and he shines and smells like burning rubber in this biopic retelling of the competition between Ford and Ferrari and the men that helped Ford take a seat at the table of race car manufacturers.


6. The Good Liar


I love Dame Helen Mirren and I want to marry her. She shines alongside Sir Ian McKellen as this legendary English acting duo slowly take a simple movie about an old conman looking for a final score to heights of dramatic tension. Will Roy Courtnay succeed in conning unassuming widow, Betty of her money? Is Betty really oblivious to the old geezer’s true intentions? Watch and discover the twist at the end of the tale. Also starring Russel Tovey, Jim Carter, Mark Lewis Jones and Johannes Hauker Johannesson.



5. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum


John Wick Baby!!!! Baba Yiga is back with a vengeance…sorry he is really just trying to survive a $14million bounty placed on his head by The High Table. Discover the origins of Jonathan Wick, born Jardani Jovonovich and take a ride through the streets and gutters of New York (who knew New York was the world’s capital of assassins?!!), the sands of Morocco and then back to the rooftops and tunnels of New York. John Wick 3’s one flaw is its timeline: I mean how quickly can a boat get to Casablanca from New York and back? And we all laughed at The Dark Knight Rises. Smh. But hey, this is John Wick we’re talking about here. The action is over the top and we love it! Attack Dobermans, human pincushions, broken bones, knives and guns everywhere!!! We screamed in shock, horror, hilarity and ecstasy with every subsequent shot. This is why cinema theatres were created and we cannot wait for part 4!


4. Parasite

Meet the poor Kims, who systematically and wickedly supplant and then ingratiate better or fraudulent versions of themselves into the service of the wealthy Parks. Things go well for a while and then they don’t.

What can one say about Parasite? Hmmm! This thought-provoking Korean tale of supplanting and domestic fraud explores themes of classism, cycle of poverty, impostor syndrome and domesticity. As per usual, the cinematography is perfect, the acting operatic and the story is just bananas. I have never seen a dull Korean film; they are very tastefully made as a serious and deliberate art form.
Parasite is the first Korean film to win the coveted Palme d'Or, and with a unanimous vote at that. It is also lined up to win the Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.


3. Spider-Man: Far From Home


Brilliant, balanced, smart, fun, and the most entertaining (comic-book) film of the year, Far from Home reminded us of what Spider-Man means to us all. A far better outing for Tom Holland than Homecoming, this might be the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. The Tony Stark/Iron Man adoration got on my nerves a little bit but I got over it. Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio was perfect. I think the EU needs to pay Marvel Studios some hard Euros for this.



2. When They See Us


I started crying 30 minutes into it, the first of many tears shed. And yes, When They See Us gets to be on this list. If you have watched it, you will understand why it is ranked No. 2 on my list. If you have not, go see it, it is available on Netflix.

Great work by Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro and the other producers, fantastic acting by everyone especially Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) as Korey Wise one of the Central Park Five.


1.       Joker


When I heard that a Joker origin film was being made, I had little or no expectations. I mean, in the comic-book movies sector and indeed outside of it, Marvel was the juggernaut king with the last few efforts of DC, save for Wonder Woman, falling flat. A Joker movie and not the promised Batfleck series? Ok oh.

In addition, fears were springing up that the movie’s premise and plot was an apology for and would embolden certain young men towards carrying out crimes so I was not holding my breath.  But the reviews rolled in and the near consensus that this was a brilliant piece of film making reached me so I decided to check it out. My God!!! Joker is a simple masterclass in storytelling using film as its medium. Forget all you know about Joker’s origins, forget all you have read for Joker is a perfect character study as I have ever seen. It skims, it circles, it dives off a cliff in a perfect 10.

PS: Joaquin Phoenix is a beast of an actor and deserves an Oscar for this. If he does not get one, we are going to riot. 

PSS: Todd Phillips also deserves an Oscar for best screenplay or directing. If he does not get one, we are going to riot.



So that's it! Agree or disagree? Leave a comment and please share if it has been worth your while.

May 2020 bring with it a cinematic year like never before!