“The Charlize Theron‘s transformation into Megyn Kelly in Bombshell is incredible.”
“Adam Sandler does his best work in Uncut Gems, but he’s not getting a Best Actor Oscar nomination.”
“Florence Pugh will be the breakout of Little Women, no offense to Emma Watson.”
“Cats can’t be that awful, right?”
There, now you know exactly how to steer the awkward conversational banter during all your upcoming holiday parties. After all, eggnog is good, but nothing beats the thrill of unwrapping the brightest, biggest and best movies of the year.
Despite a lack of comic-book superheroes or Joker-like villains, the 2019 crop promises to put the cap on what’s already been a record-breaking year at the box office. Thought Avengers: End Game was eagerly anticipated? Star Wars fans have waited for a proper, Ewok-less conclusion to the Luke Skywalker saga since Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. was a teenager. And you must admit that the thought of Taylor Swift collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new song for the Cats musical is, well, cinematic catnip. That’s not the only special delivery coming your way: The holiday season also marks the last wave of Oscar-worthy contenders before nominations are announced on January 13. And, yes, Theron’s performance is truly worthy of gold.
Many of these entries have been circulating on the film festival circuit since September, enabling the buzz to build to a deafening roar. Others won’t be screened until the first snowfall. But they’re all primed for glory. Here’s the story and the scoop on 15 favorites. Let it show!