The 52 Most Anticipated Movies of 2019

The most anticipated movies of 2019 include new films from Jordan Peele, Kelly Reichardt, Rian Johnson, Dee Rees, Stephen King, Lena Waithe, Martin Scorsese, and many more.
Most Anticipated Movies

22. New Mutants (8/2)

Son of a bitch we should have SEEN this movie already! My rage for the never-ending push-back of Josh Boone’s The New Mutants, while ruining a few great pitches I had out to magazines, actually does inspire some faith. The re-shoots and delays say to me that despite how messy the film may have been at the top of 2018, there’s still a great movie worth saving in The New Mutants. I mean, do you even remember how exciting that first trailer was? Above all else, The New Mutants does something that few other Marvel films do: it generates appeal outside of its typical fan base. In this case, horror fans who may not subscribe to Disney’s family-friendly adventures. And as someone who appreciates, but doesn’t love, the last decade of capes and tights filmmaking, I’m very much ready to love the teen horror of The New Mutants. – Jacob

21. Glass (1/18)

You know it, I know it — M. Night  Shyamalan‘s Unbreakable is not only his best film but also one hell of a superhero movie. Split isn’t nearly as good, but it introduced an engaging villain in James McAvoy‘s Crumb and ended with a brief tease that the two films shared a universe. And now the next chapter is bringing McAvoy, Bruce Willis, and Samuel L. Jackson‘s Glass together in what promises to be another superhero gem. Willis will be facing off against a genius and a monster, and we are here for it. – Rob

20. Avengers: Endgame (4/26)

As promised by the end credits of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos returns. We were all tricked by that last movie. We thought we were watching another heroic mashup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Look at Thor assembling a new god-killer weapon! Yay! The Guardians of the Galaxy are finally meeting Tony Stark and Peter Parker! Woo-Hoo! Jump for joy as half of your favorites obliterate into dust. Whaaaa? Yeah, no. We all got played by The Mad Titan and his finger-snapping, soul-crushing Gauntlet. While the logical corners of our brain were fully aware that Kevin Feige would never slaughter Black Panther or Spider-Man when there are still several billions of dollars to be collected in their respected franchises, our irrational, emotional hearts were crushed. We need to know how our favorite spandexed Avengers resurrect our other favorite spandexed Avengers, and we are desperate to wipe that smug smile off Thanos’ face. Jerk. – Brad

19. The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (1/18)

Members of a small militia unit gather in the dead of night after a police shooting to determine who among them perpetrated the killing, and while the film’s focus is the dialogue between them it’s never less than intense, captivating, and suspenseful. Writer/director Henry Dunham‘s film is a pressure cooker of conflicting motivations, red herrings, and conversation-starters, and he has a stellar cast of supporting players bringing it to life including James Badge Dale, Chris Mulkey, Gene Jones, and others. It’s fantastic, but even if you come out not loving it you’ll still be left with plenty to chew on. – Rob

18. Brightburn (5/24)

It’s such a simple tweak, but the setup here — a baby lands on Earth from the stars above and grows to reveal special powers — is just a brilliant riff on the Superman origin story. The child here is no superhero, and that turn of our expectations from the norm to the horrific has us incredibly excited. James Gunn‘s producing while David Yarovesky (The Hive) directs and Elizabeth Banks takes the lead as an adoptive mother discovering she’s welcomed more than she bargained for. It may turn out as little more than a sci-fi spin on The Omen, but we’ll take it. – Rob

17. The Irishman (TBA)

It’s Joe Pesci‘s return to film. It’s Martin Scorsese‘s return to the crime genre. It’s Al Pacino‘s first collaboration with one of Hollywood’s greatest directors. It’s the industry’s biggest gambit in digital de-aging. Oh, and in case you missed the million-plus articles about this over the years, it’s Netflix announcing its intention to be a major player in award season. There’s no shortage of reasons to see The Irishman on screens big or small this year; even after eight years of excruciating hype for the film, there’s no reason to doubt that Scorsese and company will do this passion project justice. – Matthew

16. Men in Black International (6/14)

For Thor: Ragnarok fans and anyone who’s calling this year #20-bi-teen, the Men in Black International trailer drop was a big deal. Regardless of your investment level in past Men in Black movies, this iteration, which features Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth rocking the signature suits and sunglasses, aims to please. Directed by F. Gary Gray and presented as an adventure that’s cooler and less corny than the original (the trailer somehow successfully employs Fergie’s “London Bridge” in 2018, for goodness’ sake), MIB: International seems like it could be a revitalizing chapter for a tired franchise. – Val

15. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (5/31)

Gareth Edwards’ 2014 reboot of Japan’s favorite giant monster franchise was a successful and thoroughly enjoyable attempt to make Big G a force in the West. This sequel from Trick r’ Treat and Krampus helmer Michael Dougherty, however, looks like a bigger and better beast. For a start, G will be joined by a bunch of old friends and foes from Toho’s iconic monster-verse for one colossal smackdown. Then there’s the fact Dougherty is overseeing proceedings, which is reassuring as he has a proven track record when it comes to delivering monster movies that contain a perfect blend of fun, excitement, darkness, and danger. If this lives up to its potential then this could be the first American Godzilla movie to compete with its Japanese counterparts in terms of sheer excellence. – Kieran

14. The Dead Don’t Die (TBA)

Jim Jarmusch + Bill Murray + Zombies = Yes. We do not know much in terms of plot, but do we really need any more information besides this epic pairing of talent and concept? Oh, you do? Well, how about the rest of the cast being filled out with Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Selena Gomez, Caleb Landry Jones, Chloë Sevigny, and Danny Glover. Jarmusch does not make genre films that appeal to mass audiences, but when he does dip into vampires (Only Lovers Left Alive) or westerns (Dead Man) they are incredibly unique explorations for the equally twisted to enjoy. – Brad

13. Spider-Man: Far from Home (7/5)

Bounding back into theaters just a few months after his particles will be presumably reassembled during the climax of Avengers: Endgame, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man returns to bust heads and rattle off a flurry of quips in the process. Half the excitement around this sequel surrounds the inclusion of Jake Gyllenhaal as the villainous Mysterio and he gosh-darn better be sporting that fishbowl helmet at some point in the film or I will riot. Director Jon Watts already revitalized The Vulture in Homecoming, so there is no reason he couldn’t take the goofiest baddie in comic book history and transform him into the goofiest badass in comic book movie history. Plus, we’re still aching to learn how J.B. Smoove fits into all these shenanigans. – Brad


Previous 4 of 5 Next

Film School Rejects: An author similar to Hydra. Its articles have many authors. It has many heads. Please don’t cut off any of its heads, we’re trying to work here.