Wow. Finally. A solid month of cinema. Like shining beacons of hope, taking the shape of Earth’s mightiest heroes or a little boy from the mid-90s transforming into the great wizard, Shazam – April has managed to offer a brighter future ahead for 2019. Like revived pets or a burning demon – a few missing links – rising from the dead, April has resurrected this dying year from the ashes of previous months. I don’t know about you, but April has restored my hope that 2019 may not be the downward spiral that, well, to put it plainly, 2018 was.
#8 Hellboy (Kingdom of the Criminally Dull…)
A rather exhausting, uninspired mess, that only really finds salvation in David Harbour’s rendition of the titular demon, but otherwise locates no real focus within its madness.
#7 Pet Sematary (A CRUSADE!!)
A spooky rendition of the Stephen King classic, faithful in tone and mood; although superbly altering its story, pacing issues arose as escalation varied.
#6 Shazam! (A CRUSADE!!)
An extremely well played move from DC’s corner, combining the heart with the humour to thrill audiences in a charming tale of one’s literal and figurative coming-of-age; only falling short due to structural and pacing issues.
#5 The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (A CRUSADE!!)
A Terry Gilliam flavoured epic built strongly on the foundations of its notorious development hell to deliver a satirical, but shaky, blast of surrealist buddy comedy antics.
#4 Missing Link (A CRUSADE!!)
A missing link in the world of animated filmmaking, bridging the gap between imagination and intellect despite minor character problems, the film inherently highlights some of the best elements of Laika.
#3 Avengers: Endgame (Lost Art)
A rewarding love letter to a decade of filmmaking; paying homage, in such spectacular and epic fashion, to the heroes of the hour, both in front of the camera, behind it and within the audiences.
#2 Mid90s (Lost Art)
A new leaf for Jonah Hill, who brings forth a nostalgia-brimming, intimate insight into a select youth and culture that powerfully rings true of sentimental moments unsheathed exclusively from a bracket of time we would all care to revisit.
#1 Burning (Lost Art)
A slow burning, phenomenal execution of narrative atmosphere where the combination of all rarely perfect technicalities amassed for a classic in the making.
Image Sources:
- Lawson, R 2019, Avengers: Endgame Delivers a Rich and Rewarding Conclusion, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast, viewed 26 April 2019, <https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/04/avengers-endgame-review> (Featured Image)
