Top 10 Movies of SXSW 2019
SXSW is done and I’m still recovering from the many hangovers I experienced that week. During my first year in attendance as press, I managed to see (once again) way too many movies -- more than I could handle. That said, there wasn’t anything that I saw at the festival that I hated. I think there was only one film that I found mediocre at best, but everything else managed to range from solid to some of the strongest films of the year. Here are the top 10 best movies I saw during SXSW ‘19.
10. Villains
Bill Skarsgard is shaping up to be one of my favorite actors working in the business today and this dark comedy solidifies it. Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen provide such an original and comically stylish approach to this insane premise. It may run too long, but the entire cast is on their A-game. It’s hilarious and so tense that you can’t quit to catch a breath.
9) Teen Spirit
Max Minghella directed and wrote a movie and it’s hella solid. The film is a coming-of-age, rise-to-stardom story of this Polish girl competing in a X Factor-type competition and it’s very relatable through Violet’s journey. She is the audience’s avatar and approaches each scenario with such caution and hesitation that it connects deep to what our reaction would be if we were in her shoes-- overwhelmed by it all. Also, Elle Fanning has the voice of an angel? What?
8) Pet Sematary
Uneven in tone, but unnerving in story, Pet Sematary continues the streak of decent King adaptations by providing tension, humor, great performances, and a strong, tight narrative. This makes it one of the better Stephen King feature adaptations of the past decade.
7) Olympic Dreams
Remember how Terrence Malick would do experiential films and how stuck-up they would be? Well, apply the same format he used in Song to Song to this, and you have a genuinely touching drama primarily bolstered by the setting and the actors. Olympic athlete/writer Alexi Pappas and director Jeremy Teicher take their audiences to the Winter Olympics as we follow a 22-year-old athlete forming a romance with a 37-year-old nurse, portrayed by a charming Nick Kroll. The age gap may come across as bothersome, but the approach both performers take makes it both heartfelt and romantic. Considering how there wasn’t much of a full script, the film accomplishes a lot and doesn’t even need a medal to price it.
Given its very detailed and exciting premise, director and co-screenwriter Lynn Shelton provides a rather laidback comedy. While it may sound disappointing that not much goes on, it’s still enjoyable and fun to witness, mostly due to the four central leads’ performances, how they’re characterized and Shelton’s ability to let them emit the energy that most comedies don’t.
5) Yes, God, Yes
Based on the short of the same name, this coming-of-age comedy is a heavily relatable story about a girl’s sexual awakening in the midst of her religious upbringing, and having to face the guilt and pressures because of it while rumors are passed around. Think Big Mouth but in a religious setting, which personally is more relatable than Big Mouth itself. Natalia Dyer delivers a hilarious central performance and proves she can command the screen without even having to say a word.
4) Mickey and the Bear
The majority of the films at SXSW managed to put a smile on my face. Annabelle Attanasio’s directorial debut, on the other hand, wrecked me... as in emotionally wrecked me. After a streak of humorous features, I did need a good ol’ emotional breakdown. Camila Morrone portrays the strong titular character who is stuck in a terrible situation having to take care of her war vet deadbeat father, played by an incredible James Badge Dale, and you witness her trying to navigate finding freedom and happiness no matter what it takes. The cinematography is beautiful while the story is poignant, grounded and rings so true to reality. Also, Camila Morrone is gonna conquer Hollywood. We’re literally the same age and this is her second feature!! I can’t wait to see the work she does going forward as an actress and also Attanasio as a filmmaker.
3) The Peanut Butter Falcon
The buddy-comedy formula narrative has recently had a weak following, lacking any nuance or inventiveness. Yet, The Peanut Butter Falcon swooped in and charmed my pants off. Set in one of the cruelest parts of the country, a kid with Down syndrome named Eric wants to become a wrestling star and runs away from the retirement home where he is placed. He forms a brotherly bond with a fisherman caught in bad waters and throughout you see this friendship grow as they travel to Florida. Revitalizing the buddy-comedy genre with this welcoming representation of the lead, this is one of the most charming comedies you’ll ever see.
2) The Art of Self-Defense
Jesse Eisenberg has always done neurotic and awkward in his career. This role is not just significantly different, but one of the best in his resume. In Riley Stearns’ sophomore feature, you are immersed in this deadpan world of toxic masculinity that is violent, dark and funny as hell. Full of very thought-provoking themes of the meaning of man, gender relations and masculinity set in its own little world, The Art of Self-Defense is a hilarious dark comedy with enough wit and brain to leave a long-lasting impact.
1) Booksmart
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut was one of the first movies I saw at the festival and it made a long-lasting impact that I still feel to this day. This raunchy teen comedy is as uproariously funny as it is heartwarmingly charming. Each set piece has its own style and each performer shines and exhibits their comedic talent, especially Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever and Billie “scene-stealing” Lourd. This movie powerfully expresses how simple a raunchy comedy can be done without having to aim for juvenile and derivative humor. I love this movie. I still can’t stop thinking about it and will be advocating for it all the way until its release.
I may not abide by a letter ranking, but Booksmart gets an A in my book of 2019.
