It’s been said a million times and is fairly obvious, but filmmakers are some of the biggest fans of movies in the world. Why else would you choose to devote your life to an artistic medium unless you are a huge fan of others’ works? Well, thankfully, IndieWire has collected the opinions of a variety of filmmakers about which films make their Best of 2019. And as you might expect from an eclectic list such as this, there are some true surprises.
Out of the dozens of people included in the piece, there is plenty of love for films like “Parasite,” “Marriage Story,” and “Uncut Gems,” amongst the various other projects that are dominating the awards season conversation. But really, it’s fun to go through the list and find some stand-out picks that might raise an eyebrow or two.
Perhaps the most shocking is Luca Guadagnino that put “Death Stranding” at the top of his list of favorite 2019 films. Why is this surprising? Well, “Death Stranding” isn’t a film, per se. It’s a new video game that can be played on Sony’s PS4. However, this isn’t your typical shoot’em up game. “Death Stranding” credits include Hideo Kojima as Director (as well as co-writer) and a cast that includes Norman Reedus, Margaret Qualley, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Troy Baker, Guillermo del Toro, and Nicolas Winding Refn. So, yeah it’s basically a film with a few interactive moments.
Another surprise, not so much in the film itself (as it’s consistently been championed by many writers in our staff), is “Monos.” No less than a half dozen of the folks polled included “Monos” amongst their very favorite films of 2019. Unfortunately, considering the film’s incredibly short run in theaters this year, many film fans missed the opportunity to check it out on the big screen. Thankfully, it’s on digital and can be purchased now. So, trust the word of filmmakers like Ana Lily Amirpour, Guillermo del Toro, and Paul Schrader and make sure “Monos” is at the top of your must-see list.
READ MORE: The Best TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2019
And speaking of Schrader, the “First Reformed” filmmaker included another surprising entry to his list of the best films of the year — “Watchmen” episode 6. Now, for those that have seen the series, it’s obvious that Episode 6 of the HBO drama is one of the very best episodes of TV in 2019, but its self-contained story could easily have been extended to feature-length. We won’t go into spoilers, but Schrader isn’t alone thinking this hour of TV stands up to the very best films of the year.
You can read the lists from all the filmmakers over on IndieWire.
