We’re all about celebrating great movies, and in addition to our recent Best of 2018 year-end coverage, you’ll often see us exploring our love for older films too. That doesn’t mean, though, that we don’t like to look forward with excitement and high expectations for movies yet to come. Several hundred films will be released in 2019, and we wanted to winnow them down to the ones we’re most looking forward to seeing this year. A dozen of us voted, and when the smoke cleared we were left with 52 movies — some big, some small, all worth being jazzed about.
Here are our 52 most anticipated movies of 2019.
52. Uncut Gems (TBA)
The Safdie Brothers previous features have taught us one thing: filmmaking can still feel as dangerous and alive as it did when Larry Cohen was running around New York illegally shooting his independent epics. Using the essential ideas of exploitation and framing them around raw, emotional realism, their new film will take a giant step forward by having a cast filled with bona fide stars. Little is known of the plot outside of it being set in the “unscrupulous, fast-paced world of the New York City Diamond District”, but we do know that Uncut Gems will be produced by Martin Scorsese and star Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Judd Hirsch, and Eric Bogosian among others. Brace yourself for this one, folks. – Jacob Trussell
51. In the Tall Grass (TBA)
Of the horror of 2019, In the Tall Grass is the one I know the least about because it’s the one I want to know the least about. You may have heard that it’s about siblings who follow a distant cry coming from the titular, seemingly unending pasturage, but why ruin the sense of discovery with plot descriptors? We have incredibly capable guides in The Father (co-writer Stephen King), The Son (co-writer Joe Hill), and the Canadian Spirit (director Vincenzo Natali) whose track record for producing unique scares are unparalleled. And with Horror Matinee Idol Patrick Wilson in the lead role, how is In the Tall Grass NOT on your most anticipated of 2019? – Jacob
50. Depraved (TBA)
Along with Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma Entertainment, Larry Fessenden and his company Glass Eye Pix is one of the most well-respected staples of New York City genre filmmaking. From Habit to Beneath, Fessenden takes well-worn tropes and spins them in the way only a grizzled New Yorker could. What could ostensibly be seen as Fessenden’s attempt to reignite The Dark Universe (#TeamMummy), Depraved can also be referred to as Fessenden’s Frankenstein. Adjacent to the toxic sludge of the Gowanus Canal, a field surgeon suffering from PTSD concocts life out of discarded body parts in his Brooklyn based lab. While I want to make a joke about hipsters, gentrified Brooklyn, and already being the walking dead, if I know Larry’s work, he’ll have the satire in spades. – Jacob
49. Hobbs and Shaw (8/2)
The release of a new Fast and the Furious movie is an event to me. To me, this franchise is more exciting than Christmas, my birthday, and my annual Tinder date all rolled into one, and I can’t wait for this spin-off. Adding Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham to this ridiculous franchise was a stroke of testosterone-fueled genius, and while they weren’t a part of the family from the beginning, the chemistry between both actors is arguably the strongest since Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. This has all the makings of a top-notch buddy comedy with physics-defying action to complement the strange bedfellow relationship between the titular twosome. David Leitch in the director’s chair is a great appointment as well. – Kieran Fisher
48. Antlers (TBA)
Earlier this year, Guillermo Del Toro signed a deal with Fox Searchlight to develop horror and fantasy projects for the studio. The first of these is Antlers, a horror film directed by Scott Cooper and starring fan favorites Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. This would be an impressive array of talent for any film, but Antlers seems uniquely positioned to blend the talents of Del Toro and Cooper; the latter has spent the past few years directing contemporary and period westerns that focus on the violence man exhibit on the fringe of civilization. Throw in the prospect of bonafide leading roles from Russell and Plemons – two television standouts who have earned their moments in the spotlight a dozen times over – and Antlers is pretty damn close to my most-anticipated movie of 2019, collective Film School Rejects list be damned. – Matthew Monagle
47. Untitled Danny Boyle / Richard Curtis Film (6/28)
Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis don’t seem like the most congruous of collaborative filmmakers at first blush, but the idea of their collective musical movie is bonkers enough to work. The thought of Boyle bringing his own brand of acerbic humor and cutting drama to the whimsy of some Love Actually or About Time-adjacent script just fascinates. The cast is also one to watch. It’s a combination of relative up-and-comers like Himesh Patel and more seasoned rising stars such as Lily James (whose turn in the Mamma Mia! sequel is dazzling enough to warrant more musical outings, for sure). This untitled Boyle/Curtis project is bizarre but also very tempting. – Sheryl Oh
46. Boss Level (8/16)
It’s been a while since Joe Carnahan has directed a movie (five years to be exact), so thank fuck he’ll be back in 2019 with Boss Level, a mid-budget science fiction thriller starring Frank Grillo as a retired soldier stuck in a time loop. Helping or hindering him will be Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Michelle Yeoh, Ken Jeong, and Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Surely there has to be a beef-on-beef with Grillo vs Gronkowski, and that’ll be worth the ticket price alone. Also, Will Sasso is in it. – Charlie Brigden
45. Shazam! (4/5)
The DCEU got off to a shaky start, but it’s finally starting to gain some momentum and praise. Shazam! Will hopefully mark a continuation of their current hot streak, and I’m confident that it will. The plot revolves around the young Billy Batson who transforms into the titular giant do-gooder whenever the world needs saving. Adding some childlike wonder and fun to this cinematic universe isn’t a bad thing, and judging by the trailer, this could be DC’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ant-Man rolled into one. The movie looks like a goofy coming-of-age adventure with super-heroics thrown in for good measure. That’s a splendid combination. – Kieran
44. Missing Link (TBA)
Any Laika movie is going to be eagerly anticipated around this camp. That’s because the acclaimed animation studio has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting in the business having given us straight-up masterpieces like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings. Their latest looks like another winner, too. Missing Link follows an explorer who considers himself an expert on myths and monsters, but his peers don’t respect him or recognize his expertise. So, in a bid to prove himself, he accepts an assignment to find a legendary creature in America’s Pacific Northwest. A furry creature. Additionally, Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Zoe Saldana have lent their voice talents for this sure-to-be delightful adventure, so expect fun times ahead. – Kieran
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