The Farewell – Ad Astra – The Last Black Man in San Francisco – For Sama – Us – Atlantics – Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

2019: World Premieres
2019: U.S. Releases
2019: My Oscar Ballot
2019: Cannes Festival
2019: Chicago Festival

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The Movies of 2019: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating

Full Listing of Films Screened

⑤ Indispensable to film fans, even if it's flawed
American Factory Dirs. Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert. Documentary about Ohio plant A–
Atlantics Dir. Mati Diop. Mame Bineta Sane, Ibrahima Traoré, Babacar Sylla A
Beanpole Dir. Kantemir Balagov. Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Vasilisa Perelygina B–
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Dir. Marielle Heller. Matthew Rhys A
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Dirs. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers,
      Kathleen Hepburn. Violet Nelson, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Jay Cardinal Villeneuve A–
Burning Cane Dir. Phillip Youmans. Karen Kaia Livers, Wendell Pierce B+
By the Grace of God Dir. François Ozon. Melvil Poupaud, Denis Ménochet A–
The Cave Dir. Feras Fayyad. Documentary about underground Syrian hospital A
The Edge of Democracy Dir. Petra Costa. Documentary about Brazilian politics B+
End of the Century Dir. Lucio Castro. Juan Barberini, Roman Pujol, Mía Maestro A–
Fire Will Come Dir. Oliver Laxe. Amador Arias, Benedicta Sánchez, Inazio Abrao B+
For Sama Dirs. Waad Al-Khateab, Edward Watts. Documentary about warfare in Syria A–
Honeyland Dirs. Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov. Documentary about a beekeeper A–
The Irishman Dir. Martin Scorsese. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci A–
Just 6.5 Dir. Saeed Roustayi. Peyman Moaadi, Navid Mohammadzadeh, Houman Kiai A
Little Women Dir. Greta Gerwig. Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson B+
Midnight Traveler Dir. Hassan Fazili. Documentary about filmmaker in exile A–
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Leonardo DiCaprio B–
The Orphanage Dir. Shahrbanoo Sadat. Qodratollah Qadiri, Masihullah Feraji A–
Pain & Glory Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Antonio Banderas, Asier Flores, Penélope Cruz B+
Parasite Dir. Bong Joon-ho. Choi Woo-sik, Park So-dam, Song Kang-ho A–
Portrait of a Lady on Fire Dir. Céline Sciamma. Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel A–
Synonyms Dir. Nadav Lapid. Tom Mercier, Louise Chevillotte, Quentin Dolmaire B+
Waves Dir. Trey Edward Shults. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown A–
What We Left Unfinished Dir. Mariam Ghani. Documentary about Afghan films A–
The Wild Goose Lake Dir. Diao Yinan. Hu Ge, Kwei Lun-Mei, Liao Fan, Qi Liang A–
Zombi Child Dir. Bertrand Bonello. Louise Labeque, Wislanda Louimat B+

④ Good or bad, this is risky and original work
Ad Astra Dir. James Gray. Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler B+
The Assistant Dir. Kitty Green. Julia Garner, Jon Orsini, Noah Robbins B+
Babyteeth Dir. Shannon Murphy. Eliza Scanlan, Toby Wallace, Essie Davis A–
Clemency Dir. Chinonye Chukwu. Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Wendell Pierce B+
Dark Waters Dir. Todd Haynes. Mark Ruffalo, Bill Camp, Anne Hathaway A–
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops Dir. Jenifer McShane. Documentary about retraining police B+
The Fever Dir. Maya Da-Rin. Regis Myrupu, Rosa Peixoto, Lourinelson Vladmir B+
Filmfarsi Dir. Ehsan Khoshbakht. Documentary about pre-1979 Iranain cinema B–
Gaza Dirs. Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell. Documentary about life in disputed land B+
Ghost Tropic Dir. Bas Devos. Saadia Bentaïeb, Nora Dari, Stefan Gota, Guy Dermil A–
A Girl Missing Dir. Kôji Fukada. Mariko Tsutsui, Mikako Ichikawa, Sôsuke Ikematsu A–
A Hidden Life Dir. Terrence Malick. August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Franz Rogowski C+
High Flying Bird Dir. Steven Soderbergh. André Holland, Zazi Beetz, Melvin Gregg B
Honey Boy Dir. Alma Har'el. Noah Jupe, Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges B
Hustlers Dir. Lorene Scafaria. Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer B+
I Was at Home, But... Dir. Angela Schanelec. Maren Eggert, Jakob Lassalle, Clara Möller B
Joker Dir. Todd Phillips. Joaquin Phoenix, Frances Conroy, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz B
The Last Black Man in San Francisco Dir. Joe Talbot. Jimmie Fails B+
Liberté Dir. Albert Serra. Baptiste Pinteaux, Helmut Berger, Marc Susini, Lluís Serat B
The Lighthouse Dir. Robert Eggers. Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman B–
La Llorona Dir. Jayro Bustamante. Margarita Kenéfic, María Mercedes Coroy B+
Love Child Dir. Eva Mulvad. Documentary about Iranian family seeking asylum B+
Monos Dir. Alejandro Landes. Sofia Buenaventura, Julian Giraldo, Moisés Arias B
Mother Dir. Kristof Bilsen. Documentary about memory care nurses in Thailand A–
One Child Nation Dirs. Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang. Documentary about China B
The Painted Bird Dir. Václav Marhoul. Petr Kotlár, Nina Shunevych, Alla Sokolova A–
Queen & Slim Dir. Melina Matsoukas. Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith B
Song without a Name Dir. Melina Léon. Pamela Mendoza, Tommy Párraga, Lucio Rojas B+
The Souvenir Dir. Joanna Hogg. Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton B
Swarm Season Dir. Sarah Christman. Documentary about Hawaiian beekeepers B
The Teacher Dir. Chen Ming-Lang. Oscar Chiu, Sam Chang, Winnie Chang, He Zi-Hua B–
A Thief's Daughter Dir. Belén Funes. Greta Fernández, Eduard Fernández A–
Tremors Dir. Jayro Bustamante. Juan Pablo Olyslager, Mauricio Armas Zebadúa B+
The Twentieth Century Dir. Matthew Rankin. Dan Beirne, Brent Skagford B+
Unsettled Dir. Tom Shepard. Documentary about LGBTQ people seeking asylum abroad B
Us Dir. Jordan Peele. Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph B
Vitalina Varela Dir. Pedro Costa. Vitalina Varela, Ventura, Manuel Tavares Almeida B
The Wind: A Documentary Thriller Dir. Michał Bielawski. Documentary B+

③ Try to make time, but don't cry if you miss it
The Blonde One Dir. Marco Berger. Gaston Re, Alfonso Barón, Melissa Falter B+
Bombay Rose Dir. Gitanjali Rao. Voices of Cyli Khare, Amit Deondi, Gargi Shitole B
Carmilla Dir. Emily Harris. Hannah Rae, Devrim Lingnau, Jessica Raine B
Chained Dir. Yaron Shani. Eran Naim, Stav Almagor, Stav Patay, Asher Ayalon B
The Cordillera of Dreams Dir. Patricio Guzmán. Documentary about Chilean Andes B
Corpus Christi Dir. Jan Komasa. Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna B
Deerskin Dir. Quentin Dupieux. Jean Dujardin, Adèle Haenel, Albert Delpy B
Digitalkarma Dirs. Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi. Documentary about Bangladeshi girl B
Dolemite Is My Name Dir. Craig Brewer. Eddie Murphy, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson B
The Farewell Dir. Lulu Wang. Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma, Chen Han C+
The Father Dirs. Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov. Ivan Barnev, Ivan Savov B
The First Rainbow Coalition Dir. Ray Santisteban. Documentary about radicals B–
Gatwick: The Last Chance Hotel Dir. Jason Byrne. Documentary about a hotel B
Gay Chorus Deep South Dir. David Charles Rodrigues. Documentary about a choir B–
Harriet Dir. Kasi Lemmons. Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Janelle Monaé C+
The Hypnotist Dir. Arthur Franck. Documentary about hypnotist Olliver Hawk C+
I Lost My Body Dir. Jérémy Clapin. Voices of Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois C+
Instinct Dir. Halina Reijn. Carice van Houten, Marwan Kenzari, Marie-Mae van Zuilen B
It Must Be Heaven Dir. Elia Suleiman. Elia Suleiman, Grégoire Colin, Ali Suliman B
Ivana the Terrible Dir. Ivana Mladenović. Ivana Mladenović, Gordana Mladenović B
Judy Dir. Rupert Goold. Renée Zellweger, Darci Shaw, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock C–
The Kingmaker Dir. Lauren Greenfield. Documentary about Imelda Marcos C+
Knives Out Dir. Rian Johnson. Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer B
The Last Autumn Dir. Yrsa Roca Fanberg. Documentary about rural Icelandic farmers B
The Laundromat Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas C
Let There Be Light Dir. Marko Skop. Milan Ondrík, Frantisek Beles, Zuzana Konecná B
Long Shot Dir. Jonathan Levine. Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, June Diane Raphael B–
Ma Dir. Tate Taylor. Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller B–
Marriage Story Dir. Noah Baumbach. Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern C
Maternal Dir. Maura Delpero. Agustina Malale, Lidiya Liberman, Denise Carrizo B
Midnight Family Dir. Luke Lorentzen. Documentary about Mexican ambulance crew B
Midsommar Dir. Ari Aster. Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren C
Les Misérables Dir. Ladj Ly. Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djibril Zonga B
Our Mothers Dir. César Diaz. Armando Espitia, Aurelia Caal, Emma Dib C+
Port Authority Dir. Danielle Lessovitz. Fionn Whitehead, Leyna Bloom, McCaul Lombardi C
Richard Jewell Dir. Clint Eastwood. Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates B–
Seahorse Dir. Jeanie Finlay. Documentary about a pregnant transgender man B
Sequin in a Blue Room Dir. Samuel Van Grinsven. Conor Leach, Ed Wightman B
Spider Dir. Andrés Wood. Mercedes Morán, Felipe Armas, Marcelo Alonso B–
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Dir. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Documentary B–
Toy Story 4 Dir. Josh Cooley. Voices of Tom Hanks, Annie Potts, Christina Hendricks B
Uncut Gems Dirs. Josh and Benny Safdie. Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield C+
Waiting for the Carnival Dir. Marcelo Gomes. Documentary about northern Brazil B+
Where'd You Go, Bernadette Dir. Richard Linklater. Cate Blanchett, Emma Nelson C
The Whistlers Dir. Corneliu Porumboiu. Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon, Rodica Lazăr B

② Even if it's good, it's hardly groundbreaking
1917 Dir. Sam Mendes. George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth C+
Abou Leila Dir. Amin Sidi-Boumédiène. Slimane Benouari, Lyès Salem, Azouz Abdelkader C
Adam Dir. Maryam Touzani. Nisrin Erradi, Lubna Azabal, Douae Belkhaouda B
And Then We Danced Dir. Levan Akin. Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili B–
The Beach Bum Dir. Harmony Korine. Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher C
Bombshell Dir. Jay Roach. Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman C
Booksmart Dir. Olivia Wilde. Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Skyler Gisondo C+
The County Dir. Grímur Hákonarson. Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Hinrik Ólafsson B–
The Dead Don't Die Dir. Jim Jarmusch. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny C–
Don't Look Down Dirs. Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau. Manika Auxire C
Ford v Ferrari Dir. James Mangold. Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts C+
Frankie Dir. Ira Sachs. Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson, Marisa Tomei, Jérémie Renier C
The Hottest August Dir. Brett Story. Documentary about modern New Yorkers C+
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Dir. Dean DeBlois B–
Irving Park Dir. Panagiotis Evangelidis. Documentary about BDSM household B–
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway Dir. Miguel Llansó. Daniel Tadesse B
Jojo Rabbit Dir. Taika Waititi. Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie D+
Just Mercy Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton. Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rafe Spall C–
Late Night Dir. Nisha Ganatra. Mindy Kaling, Emma Thompson, Reid Scott C–
Little Dir. Tina Gordon. Issa Rae, Marsai Martin, Regina Hall, Tone Bell, Justin Hartley C+
Little Joe Dir. Jessica Hausner. Emily Beecham, Kit Connor, Ben Whishaw, Kerry Fox D
Luce Dir. Julius Onah. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth D+
Matthias & Maxime Dir. Xavier Dolan. Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas, Xavier Dolan C–
Missing Link Dir. Chris Butler. Voices of Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis B–
Mo Dir. Radu Dragomir. Dana Rogoz, Mădălina Craiu, Răzvan Vasilescu, Ştefan Mihai C–
Motherless Brooklyn Dir. Edward Norton. Edward Norton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw D–
The Mustang Dir. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruce Dern C+
Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin Dir. Werner Herzog. Documentary B–
The Prince Dir. Sebastián Muñoz. Juan Carlos Maldonado, Alberto Castro B–
Redoubt Dir. Matthew Barney. Anette Wachter, Matthew Barney, K.J. Holmes C+
The Report Dir. Scott Z. Burns. Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm D+
Rocketman Dir. Dexter Fletcher. Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden C+
Serenity Dir. Steven Knight. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong F
Star Wars, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Dir. J.J. Abrams. Daisy Ridley C+
The Two Popes Dir. Fernando Meirelles. Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins C–
The Vast of Night Dir. Andrew Patterson. Jake Horowitz, Sierra McCormick C+
The Warden Dir. Nima Javidi. Navid Mohammedzadeh, Parinaz Izadyar, Mani Haghighi C+

① Low ambition, little originality, easy to forget
Adoration Dir. Fabrice du Welz. Thomas Gioria, Fantine Harduin, Anaël Snoek C–
Cats Dir. Tom Hooper. Francesca Hayward, Robbie Fairchild, Judi Dench, Idris Elba F
Cousins Dirs. Thiago Cazado, Mauro Carvalho. Paulo Sousa, Thiago Cavado C+
Klaus Dir. Sergio Pablos. Voices of Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones C–
Nevrland Dir. Gregor Schmidinger. Simon Frühwirth, Paul Forman, Josef Hader D+
Orpheus' Song Dir. Tor Iben. Sascha Weingarten, Julien Lickert, Henry Morales D
Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral Dir. Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry D