My Top 10 Movies of 2019

Last year at this time, I wrote the following statement:

"Aside from the handful of event releases (most of which came from Disney, whose utter dominance over the marketplace isn't being talked about as much as it should be), the heat has waned from theatrical movie-going."

In 2019, this was even more so. It was impossible not to talk about the giant mouse in the room. Check Box Office Mojo and the results are staggering; seven of the year's top 10 moneymakers were released by Disney or one of its subsidiaries (eight if you count Spiderman: Far From Home, which is part of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe but released under Sony).

I'm far from alone in worrying about one company having this much power, even if they make solid  decisions with their properties more often than not. Even more worrying is the extreme outrage fans of superhero movies and franchise movies feel when someone dares to question the choke-hold these "theme park" movies have on the marketplace. Martin Scorsese found that out the hard way.

In 2019 (and throughout the decade for that matter), the franchise was king of the box office, and that's probably never going to change. With Avengers: Endgame and The Rise of Skywalker, there was an overpowering sense you absolutely needed to pay up and go early to avoid being left behind in social media conversations. With anything else? Not so much. Low and mid-budget dramas, comedies, and more grounded action movies still enjoy releases into theaters, and some of them still turn a profit, but they just don't generate the attendance they once did.

Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are the new frontier for those kinds of movies, and perhaps that's for the best. Hell, even Disney leaped into the streaming game with the launch of Disney+. There has to be a place for non-blockbusters to thrive, and streaming is it. With something like, say, The Irishman or Marriage Story, would you rather A) drive to a theater and pay for a ticket (and maybe concessions) at only a specific time of day, or B) watch them whenever you like at home on an increasingly more affordable home theater setup? No one outside of die-hard movie buffs is going for option A nowadays. 

Quality-wise, I consider this a very strong Top 10 and a vast improvement over 2018. No. 1 and No. 2 were so close that I flip-flopped back and forth many times before finally settling. As always, I present five runners-up in alphabetical order (consider them a tie for 11th place), followed by the Top 10 in reverse order, saving the best for last.

Runners-Up

Ad Astra: A lot of people who saw this found it too slow and boring, but as a fan of thoughtful science fiction, I was fascinated throughout. It uses space exploration as a means to look inward at human nature, and does it well.

Avengers: Endgame: Clumsy use of Captain Marvel aside, the whole of Endgame is a triumph, and it closes out the Thanos saga of the MCU in a very emotionally satisfying way. If only The Rise of Skywalker had done the same....

The Farewell: I may not have this as high as most, but Lulu Wang's The Farewell is too strong to ignore. A thoughtful family drama that addresses the way different cultures perceive life, death, and familial commitments, it's well worth seeking out.

Ford v Ferrari: This was a pleasant throwback: a prestige picture with great acting and strong characterization that still demands big-screen viewing for its thrilling racing sequences. It's hard to imagine anyone not being entertained.

Us: There's no sophomore slump for Jordan Peele. His brand of nerve-wracking horror and captivating social commentary is back for another scintillating round. Lupita Nyongo (pulling double duty as two characters) for Best Actress? Yes, please.

Top 10

10. Knives Out

This time around, director Rian Johnson is unlikely to polarize anyone. He has followed up his uber-divisive Star Wars entry, The Last Jedi, with an absolute blast of a murder mystery. Every member of this all-star cast shines brightly, and the various twists and turns are guaranteed to delight. I know I say this every year, but more original mainstream genre films like these, please.

9. Blinded by the Light

For a guaranteed pick-me-up, it was hard to do better in 2019. A coming-of-age story of a British Pakistani-Muslim teenager whose life is changed by the music of Bruce Springsteen, Blinded by the Light is an uplifting little gem that was sadly overlooked at the box office. Exploring similar themes of culture clash between parents and children as her better-known Bend it Like Beckham, director Gurinder Chadha cuts right to the heart with this one.

8. Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler: Oscar-worthy actor? Stranger things have happened this year. A gritty, anxiety-inducing thriller that would've been right at home in Martin Scorsese's repertoire, the Safdie Brothers knocked one out of the park. Uncut Gems is tense, uncomfortable, and not for everyone, but the adventurous moviegoer will be rewarded throughout, all the way to and through the improbable ending.

7. The Nightingale

Darker than Uncut Gems, this absorbing period thriller set in Tasmania circa 1825 generated a lot of controversy on the film festival circuit for its extreme depictions of rape and murder. For me, the cruelty of such scenes was entirely the point in showing the depths to which men in power will go to subjugate those they consider "beneath" them. But the movie still entertains in the ways a revenge-based road trip movie should. She's only made two films, but with The Babadook and now this, director Jennifer Kent is someone to watch for. 

6. Joker

As anyone who follows me on Facebook knows, I found the moral panic surrounding this movie to be one of the most idiotic controversies in years. But enough about that. Led by an astounding lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix, director Todd Phillips' Joker takes an iconic villain and fashions a pitch-black anti-hero character study. In the otherwise predictable realm of comic book movie universes, we've never seen anything like it. Its box office success shows we've only begun to scratch the surface of the unconventional directions we can take these characters.

5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino is back again on a Best Of movie list. But this time, he's toned down the violence in favor of comedy and thoughtful meditation on being a declining actor in a changing industry. Leonardo DiCaprio, as always, is fantastic, but Brad Pitt (playing the main character's stuntman) is the true highlight here. Rarely has a character been so easy to admire for his charm and swagger without descending into "asshole" territory. Tarantino's latest is a movie buff's paradise, and even those who don't fit that category should have one hell of a good time.

4. The Irishman

Martin Scorsese's mafia epic, clocking in at almost three-and-a-half hours, asks patience of the viewer early on, but stick with it as it builds and builds until it all culminates into a tale of immense power. Sit back and enjoy Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci operate on a level like you haven't seen them in ages. To date, this is the best movie released specifically for Netflix, and it's another bright feather in the cap of a legendary director.

3. Waves

Indie studio A24 has struck gold once again, this time with a phenomenally moving, beautifully shot family drama. Broken into two distinct pieces, Waves' structure may make it feel like it's two unrelated movies crammed into one, but I disagree. Both threads, when weaved together, form a complete drama. It's about insecurity, resentment, healing, and love. There are superficial similarities to the Oscar-winning Moonlight (a cast of black characters set in South Florida), but the similarities end there. As the world around us grows more bitter and nasty, a movie about forgiveness as powerful as this one hits a sweet spot so many of us crave.

2. 1917

Great films based on World War I are in vastly short supply when compared to their World War II brethren. But here is a new standard-bearer for cinema based on The Great War. Taking place during a time-sensitive mission embarked on by two British soldiers, Sam Mendes' jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring 1917 drops us deep into the heart of hell and strands us there for two hours. Shot in a manner that resembles a single take, the movie is by turns thrilling, emotional, and exhausting. See it on a large screen with the best sound system possible for maximum impact.

1. Parasite

This is the first time I have put a foreign film atop one of my year-end lists, and it's hard to think of a better candidate. Director Bong-hoon Jo (Snowpiecer, Okja) has hit a new high with an enthralling blast of a film that criss-crosses genres and rivets the attention from the first frame all the way to the end. The class struggle element of this movie is present and accounted for, but it never feels like a sermon. Instead, its themes only enhance the most entertaining time I've had in a movie theater all year. Just when you think you know where the story is headed.... you're probably wrong. Put aside any qualms you may have about watching anything in another language and see Parasite. It translates remarkably well, and it's the best movie of 2019.

My Top 10 Movies of 2018

2018 was such a roller-coaster ride that coming up with a few satisfactory paragraphs to introduce this list feels like climbing Mount Everest. But for what it's worth, I can try.....

Is the movie business as we've known it on life support? It's a question I've thought about all year long. Box office-wise, ticket sales went up in 2018, but much of the boost can be attributed to two mammoths (Black Panther and Infinity War) that outperformed everything from 2017. Aside from the handful of event releases (most of which came from Disney, whose utter dominance over the marketplace isn't being talked about as much as it should be), the heat has waned from theatrical movie-going. Search your average social media feed, and you'll discover far more attention being paid to the latest TV or streaming property than anything in theaters (consider the sheer volume of chatter about Netflix's Bird Box, which took me by surprise). In 2014, I bemoaned that movies' cultural dominance appeared on the wane. In 2018, I've reached the "acceptance" stage of grief.

At this time last year, I was overjoyed by the rise of MoviePass. Unfortunately, when I described it as  "seemingly too good to be true," it turned out to be exactly that. Poor planning and horrific mismanagement led to constantly changing terms and conditions as well as the company flat-out running out of money at one point during the summer. As such, I cancelled my subscription at the end of November and joined AMC-Stubs A List. It doesn't cover nearly as many theaters as MoviePass, but at $20 per month, it's significantly better than paying full price for each ticket. Nevertheless, in spite of MoviePass the company failing, the underlying concept succeeded. In order to compete with streaming, the theatrical experience needs a subscription plan. Otherwise, it will sink like an anvil in the next few years.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the one thing nearly every one entertainment outlet has talked about in 2018: representation. This year saw a sharp increase in representation from minority groups in front of and behind the camera. This is as it should be going forward; it is both welcome and long overdue. In addition, consider how diversity can give mainstream movie-going a boost, as the success of Black Panther and (to a lesser extent) Crazy Rich Asians can attest to. And while I have qualms with the recent trend in evaluating art for its morality more than anything else (best expressed in a magnificent New York Times piece by the Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic Wesley Morris), it can't be all bad if good art comes out of it.

Finally, I must note that this Top 10 is a little on the weak side. Many of them wouldn't have made the cut for 2017. Still, I highly recommend them all. Is your favorite missing? Oh well. Tough.

As always, I present five runners-up in alphabetical order (consider them a tie for 11th place), followed by the Top 10 in reverse order. Gotta save the best for last.

Runners-Up

First Reformed-- A slowly-moving but haunting tale of a priest slowly losing his mind to radicalism, this effort from the great Paul Schrader lit up the indie scene. Ethan Hawke has rarely been this good.

Green Book-- Yeah, a certain percentage of Twitter brought out their pitchforks for this one, but whatever. I still found it to be wonderfully enjoyable and more perceptive than many give it credit for.

Mission Impossible Fallout-- The M:I movies are fun in the moment but tend to quickly fade from memory. This one lingers more thanks to a tighter plot, better acting, and more memorable action sequences. For my money, it's the best of the series.

Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse-- It's a superhero tale that literally looks like a comic book come to life. Bold, freewheeling, and touching, this is the best screen adventure of your friendly neighborhood web-crawler since Sam Raimi's Spiderman 2.

Widows--  This came oh so close to #10 before being knocked off at the last moment. It's a heist film with all the twists one expects from the genre plus a can't-miss layer of female empowerment and political intrigue. Steve McQueen's first film since 12 Years a Slave was worth the five-year wait.

And the Top 10 proper....

10. If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins' follow-up to the Oscar-winning Moonlight is another beautifully filmed winner. Wonderfully nuanced and boasting a star-making turn from Kiki Layne (in her debut), this adaptation of James Baldwin's novel should satisfy just about everyone anticipating it. Its subject matter (an innocent black man thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit) is unquestionably political, but it doesn't feel like a sermon. You'd have to have a heart of lead not to feel for and connect with these characters.

9. Leave No Trace

Don't be fooled by the PG rating; this emotionally potent story of a father and daughter making the tough transition from living in the wilderness to a more "normal" society is as mature and thoughtful a tale as you're likely to find on screen in 2018. Exploring topics as diverse as the effects of PTSD and the rights of a child adjusting better than her father to the lifestyle transition, Leave No Trace lingers.

8. A Quiet Place

High-concept ideas like this (a whole movie where characters must be quiet to avoid alerting predatory creatures) can be something to behold when executed properly. Suspenseful, atmospheric, and always engaging, A Quiet Place is unquestionably the best horror movie of the year and another stellar entry in a rapidly ascending genre.

7. Searching

Make that two high-concept movies in a row that fire on all cylinders. At long last, someone has figured out how to depict the Internet on screen in what feels like a brand new cinematic language. The basic story, a mystery involving a father investigating his daughter's disappearance, is compelling enough on its own, but the movie's style of depicting all events through computer screens, FaceTime, and social media apps elevates it to something uniquely powerful. 

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Sure, it won't attain it's full power unless you're caught up on your Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes and their adventures. But if you are, prepare to be dazzled. Epic in scope and boasting one of the most charismatic, dangerous villains in superhero movie history, Infinity War delivers what fans have been eagerly awaiting for so long. For a mainstream action movie, it contains scenes of surprising emotional power and an ending that (regardless of how it holds up in future installments) packs a punch.

5. Black Panther

I thought about tying this movie with Infinity War, but I feel that Black Panther, by virtue of being a self-contained tale, deserves a slightly higher spot on its own. The hype and critical acclaim for this is entirely justified; this movie works in all the ways a solid action-adventure movie should while at the same time exploring deeper themes involving isolationism and class struggle. The fact that Black Panther finished atop the box office in 2018 illustrates how many mainstream movies, the superhero genre in particular, benefit greatly when kids of color see stories starring characters who look like them.

4. Eighth Grade

Teenager-centered movies rarely get better than this. Anchored by a phenomenal performance from Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade hits all the right notes, deftly balancing comedy and drama. It didn't play beyond the indie movie scene, but I think it's pretty accessible even for casual movie-goers. Whether you're male or female, you will see aspects of yourself in this story. In addition, this movie made me extraordinarily thankful I didn't go through my teenage years in the social media era.

3. The Hate U Give

Like Eighth Grade, this is another female-driven coming-of-age story, albeit containing far more extraordinary circumstances. Adapted from Angie Thomas' novel, The Hate U Give is unquestionably a cry against racial injustice, but much like If Beale Street Could Talk, it doesn't feel like an angry screed. The full range of characters and viewpoints on display is remarkable; the movie paints with shades of gray and lets its characters and their situations do the heavy lifting. It's a wonderful movie that sadly got lost in the shuffle of fourth-quarter big releases and awards contenders.

2. BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee hasn't made a joint this effective in a long time. His latest, based on a story so unbelievable you can't believe it's true, is enthralling from start to finish. Though it's set in the 1970s, the parallels between the issues of the day then and now are impossible to miss. With a high-energy approach and an impeccable sense of time and place, this one is meant to be seen and savored. And the coup de grace of course, is that gut-punch of a flash-forward ending. Disconnected from the previous events of the film but linked thematically, it's hard to think of a more fitting note to conclude on.

1. Blindspotting

My top three movies of 2018 all dealt with American racism in some form or another. As tempting as it may be, I'm not ranking them this way just to make a statement; these are the three that lodged in my mind and affected me more than other films in 2018. And Blindspotting stands tallest among them all. Starring Daveed Diggs (best known for playing Thomas Jefferson in "Hamilton") at the top of his game, this is one whirlwind of a film. It digs deep into the effects of gentrification, police brutality, and yes, privilege. It's the first feature-length film for director Carlos Lopez Estrada, but he balances the serious and powerful and the comically absurd with the skill of someone much more seasoned. This is a movie about serious issues that is nonetheless still tremendously entertaining. The climactic, rap-laden scene, while divisive for some, worked wonders for me. Though it's too low-profile to make so much as a scratch in awards season, I hope more people discover Blindspotting in the years to come. I crown it my No. 1 movie of 2018.

My Top 10 Movies of 2017

How should the whirlwind movie year of 2017 be remembered? Is it most notable for a miserable box office in terms of tickets sold (as of this writing, the fewest since 1992)? Or is it the year of the Harvey Weinstein fallout, the #MeToo movement, and the newfound questions about whether it's okay to "separate the artist from the art?" How about the year where non-Star Wars movies took a backseat to TV and streaming once and for all? Or maybe the year where Disney took its most dramatic step toward world domination with it's purchase of 20th Century Fox (Okay, I'm exaggerating here, but still....)? Yup, 2017 contained no shortage of juicy storylines in the industry. Maybe it will be best remembered like the political news cycle of 2017, a tsunami of spectacles we couldn't turn away from even when we wanted to.

But it's not all doom and gloom, far from it. 2017 counterbalanced all the chaos with several noteworthy positives. First and foremost, there was MoviePass, the seemingly too-good-to-be-true plan that allows you to see up to one theatrical release per day, all for a measly $10 per month. For a frequent moviegoer like me, it's a Godsend, and I couldn't be happier that it exists. Then there was the spreading of the wealth; nearly every month gave us at least one potential Top 10 contender. It's a wonderful thing for a movie buff to not have to wait until the final three months of the year for worthy films to arrive. And finally, 2017 saw the triumphant return of the "original film." Anyone who knows me knows I've been preaching "support original films" all year long in a sea of franchises. Marvel and Star Wars may be the safest moneymakers, but my Top 10 as well as the Runners-up are filled with both wildly creative, original properties as well as filmmakers taking fascinating risks with well-worn material.

Quality-wise, 2017 was so strong that crafting a list in the usual way became extremely difficult (and I mean that in a good way). As such, there is a tie at No. 10 because I couldn't bear to leave either film off. And I've expanded the Runners-Up pool from the usual five to seven. Consider these seven as a tie for 11th place. If your favorite is missing, that doesn't mean I disliked it. It's just that I reserve this list for my absolute favorites of the year. And in 2017, I allowed that pool of favorites to spread further than ever before.

As always, I present runners-up in alphabetical order, followed by the Top 10 in reverse order, saving the best for last.

Runners-Up (alphabetical order)

 Baby Driver-- It's a tremendously entertaining action/thriller with a fairly standard plot but immensely appealing characters and a style and groove all its own. What else can you expect from an auteur like Edgar Wright?

Get Out-- Jordan Peele scores big with his directorial debut, a devilishly clever mash-up of horror tropes and social commentary on modern-day racism. He's a fresh new voice to be reckoned with.

It-- Between It and the second season of Stranger Things, it was a nice year for kids versus monsters. This movie gave an electrifying jolt to the box office, the beleaguered history of Stephen King movies, and the horror genre as a whole.

mother!-- It's the definition of "love it or hate it." You've heard about the walk-outs and the "F" Cinemascore, but if you're an adventurous moviegoer with a taste for the wild and allegorical, Darren Aronofsky's latest is right up your alley.

Mudbound-- Netflix dove headfirst into the movie distribution pool in 2017, and this was one of their highlights. An honest and insightful tale of racism in the South post-WWII, Mudbound is by no means uplifting but it leaves an impact.

Okja-- And here's Netflix's other gem of the year. Ojka is a wonderfully told story that juggles comedy, drama, and an anti-slaughterhouse message all with ease.

Wonder Woman-- This was far and away the best movie in the DC Extended Universe so far (note: I haven't yet seen Justice League). Wonder Woman tore up the box office and reminded us what a conventional superhero movie could be if developed with care and feeling.

And now for the Top 10 proper (or should that be 11.... whatever)

10. Coco (tie)-- Sure, the kids may love the further adventures of Dory, Nemo, and Lightning McQueen the most, but Pixar is at its best when developing an original story, and Coco is an example of what the studio can do when fully on its game. It's visually stunning, its story touches the heart and the mind, and it handles themes of life and death in a way that will reach all audiences members regardless of age. And as a bonus, the plot takes a few late twists even I didn't anticipate. Coco isn't quite as affecting as Pixar's recent Inside Out, but it's damn close and deserves a spot on this list all the same.

10. The Post (tie)-- Like 2015's Spotlight, Steven Speilberg's The Post is a serious, prestige drama about journalists blowing open the story of a lifetime. In this case, it involves the titular Washington Post and the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. The process of putting together the story, the slippery ethical questions, the enormous stakes for all the players involved... Speilberg gives all of these elements their due and entertains the hell of out us while doing so. And last but not least, it provides us with a history lesson about the importance of journalism as a crucial check on a corrupt government in the hopes that we don't let history repeat itself.

9. Lady Bird-- For a while, Lady Bird held the record for most positive reviews on a 100% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes (before one negative review cut in at the last minute, but that's another story), and it's easy to see why. This movie is a delight. A coming-of-age story about a fairly ordinary person can be perceptive, funny, and deeply affecting in the right hands. Suffice it to say Greta Gerwig (in her directorial debut) has the right hands. And as for Saoirse Ronan, I wrote two years ago that Brooklyn represented her career high point. With Lady Bird, she's out-done herself yet again.

8. Molly's Game-- Yet another directorial debut makes my list, this time by screenwriter extraordinaire Aaron Sorkin. Based on the exploits of skier-turned-underground high-stakes poker manager Molly Bloom, Molly's Game is a relentless whirlwind of a bio-pic. It's a long movie, but the strength of Sorkin's rat-a-tat-tat dialogue and Jessica Chastain's stunning lead performance (plus a hopefully-not-ignored turn by Idris Elba) ensure your patience will never be tested. When it's over, you'll emerge exhausted but fulfilled.

7. Dunkirk-- Christopher Nolan's latest project is a radical departure from the rest of his filmography, but he's every bit at home with a war film as he is with science fiction or comic book heroes. Following three parallel sets of characters and circumstances within the battle of Dunkirk, Nolan generates tension and suspense aplenty, even as the PG-13 rating restricts the amount of graphic bloodshed. And while it's a compelling movie on a home theater setup, Dunkirk screams for a big-screen experience, preferably in 70MM IMAX where the "you are there" feeling is indescribable. 

6. The Florida Project-- It's a small movie with a big heart (and a stellar acting job by 6-year-old Brooklynn Prince), and it just kept growing on me the more I thought about it. A story of a mother and daughter living in a pastel-colored motel and scamming strangers for a living, The Florida Project is all about the power of perspective. It grounds itself in the point-of-view of young, carefree children before slowly pulling back to reveal a wider canvas and deeper issues. It also features some of the most beautiful, colorful cinematography of the year. The final scene, while admittedly jarring at first, works better the more one ruminates about what it means.

5. War for the Planet of the Apes-- For my money, this is the best movie the Planet of the Apes saga has ever produced. As an allegory of racial hatred and tribalism, it's as strong and pointed as ever, but it also scores a ton of mileage integrating elements from classic war movies like Apocalypse Now and The Bridge on the River Kwai. When summer blockbuster entertainment seeks to give us real substance and emotion in addition to spectacle and action, the results can be glorious, as seen here.

4. Logan-- It's a superhero movie unlike any we have seen so far. Focusing its story on an aging legend in the twilight of his life, Logan is about mortality and facing down the inevitable. It contains action and fights (albeit bloodier than anything we've seen in a Marvel property), but its melancholy tone and mature handling of its characters makes it stand out from the pack. While a part of me wishes more superhero movies would go this route, I think Logan works in large part because its approach is so rare. In their final performances as iconic characters we've known for more than a decade, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart have never been better.

3. The Shape of Water-- A love story between a mute woman and a fish-man creature, with all the sex that would imply? Set during 1960s Baltimore amid all the strife and social unrest that came with it? Crazier things have been put to film, but leave it to an auteur like Guillermo Del Toro to take a premise that could’ve been silly beyond words and slamming a home run with it. The Shape of Water's mood, visual style, and music delight throughout, and lead actress Sally Hawkins generates real emotion and empathy without a single word. If you can get past the weirdness of the premise (and there's no reason you shouldn't), you'll find one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of the year.

2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri-- Multi-layered drama is the order of the day in director Martin McDonaugh's latest. Three Billboards hooks us with a hot-button premise, that of a woman calling out a police force following the unsolved rape-and-murder of a teenage girl, and then it takes us on a dizzying ride through dark comedy, unexpected twists, and layers, layers, layers. It offers a dimension to certain types of people that some viewers may reject but does so with thoughtfulness and a final scene that can be interpreted in a myriad of different ways. Of all the high-profile Oscar contenders, Three Billboards stands out as the best.

1. Colossal-- This is by no means a safe or conventional choice for my No. 1 movie. But as we all know, 2017 was a very unconventional year. Why am I such a big fan of Colossal, which made no more than a tiny handful of critics' Top 10 lists? Part of it is its emotional impact; I cared about the main character and felt drawn into her struggle. Another part is the sheer originality and unpredictable story; I was fascinated by how the movie blends a high-concept idea (a giant monster mimicking a woman's movements) with very human themes about toxic relationships and emotional abuse (that gains even greater power in this post-Weinstein environment, I might add). And it’s as much an actors’ showcase as the high-profile Oscar contenders, boasting career-best work from Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. Colossal fared poorly at the box office, grossing only $4 million on a $15 million budget, but I could see it becoming a cult classic someday. “Support original films” has been my mantra in 2017, and while many movies took fresh approaches to genre material, none satisfied me as completely as Colossal.