Every year around this time I come up with a list of the 10 best new movies I've seen up to this point.
A word of warning: I haven’t seen every movie, just a bunch of them. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I had seen “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” it definitely would be on here, if it’s anywhere near as good as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was.
Also, I always remind everyone that we’re only halfway through the year. Ideally, my end-of-the-year list will look a lot different.
This year, however, I’m willing to bet that if “Past Lives” isn’t at the top of the year-end list, it’ll be hovering somewhere nearby. What a great movie.
And what a goofy list!
I look forward to seeing it change over the coming months. But these 10 will definitely do for now.
10. ‘Air’
If it seems a little weird to make a movie about signing Michael Jordan to Nike while showing only the back of Jordan’s head, well, yeah. But Matt Damon and Ben Affleck make it work. It’s the chase that’s at the heart of this film — that and a towering performance by Viola Davis (and a really good one by Jason Bateman). Damon directs, something he’s good at, and people don’t give him enough credit for.
Where to watch: In theaters and streaming on Prime Video.
9. ‘BlackBerry’
Ah, what might have been. Matt Johnson’s fictional take on the world’s first smartphone is an encyclopedia of missed chances, bad decisions and ballooning egos. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton give excellent performances (Howerton is unrecognizable), as does Johnson. They never saw the iPhone coming, even after it arrived.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video, Apple TV+ and other platforms.
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8. ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’
David Guggenheim’s powerful documentary is at its best when he simply trains the camera on Fox and lets him talk — about his life, his career and his ongoing struggles with Parkinson’s disease. It’s easy to forget how immensely popular he was during the “Family Ties”/“Back to the Future” era. His openness and blunt realities are striking — and moving. It's why he was a star then, and why he’s still one now.
Where to watch: Stream on Apple TV+.
7. ‘The Blackening’
Riffing on the horror movie trope that the Black character always dies first, Tim Story’s film asks what happens if all the characters are Black? It’s a smart, self-aware horror comedy about someone stalking a group of friends gathered for a weekend at a cabin in the woods. Look for references to “Saw,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Shining” and more.
Where to watch: In theaters.
6. ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’
This isn’t the best movie on this list, but it is the one I could watch the most times in one sitting. Basically, it’s just Keanu Reeves being Keanu Reeves, only more so, killing his way through the ever-deepening weirdness of the franchise’s mythology. Which is enough all by itself. But add Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada and Rina Sawayama and I could watch all night. Oh, one thing: It’s a little, ahem, violent.
Where to watch: In theaters or rent on Prime Video and other platforms.
5. ‘Showing Up’
This is one of those movies where some people might complain that nothing is going on, when in fact everything is. Michelle Williams is brilliant as a not-famous sculptor trying to get her work together for a gallery show. Real life constantly gets in the way. It’s a fascinating look at what it takes to make art — not just in terms of talent and effort, but in trying to live your life while you’re creating.
Where to watch: In theaters.
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4. ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’
I’m as surprised as you are. Kelly Fremon Craig brings Judy Blume’s classic novel to delightful life, with the assistance of a knockout performance by Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret. She’s so genuine, as is the story. It seems like real stuff happening to real kids — which is extraordinarily difficult to make happen on film. Rachel McAdams deserves a shoutout as Margaret’s mother, as well.
How to watch: Rent on Prime Video, Apple TV+ and other platforms.
3. ‘Asteroid City’
If you like Wes Anderson films, you’ll agree. If you don’t? Well … The cast basically consists of All Famous People, who find themselves stranded in the town of the title, having arrived for an annual Junior Stargazers and Space Cadets convention after a real alien pays the place a visit. It’s supposed to be a TV show of a never-produced play; it’s really a look at the frustrations and triumphs of creating art, and what a miracle it is when it ever gets created at all.
How to watch: In theaters.
2. ‘Linoleum’
I would not have predicted that Jim Gaffigan starring in an exceedingly strange sci-fi drama would be the second-best movie of the year so far, but what a wonderful surprise this movie is. Gaffigan plays both the fading star of a kids’ TV-science show and the hotshot former astronaut come to replace him. By the time it’s done, Colin West’s film will have delved into questions of time, reality and identity. Happily, he doesn’t get bogged down in the answers.
How to watch: Stream on Hulu.
1. ‘Past Lives’
Celine Song’s feature debut (!) is a near-perfect examination of a relationship that wasn’t, or at least hasn’t been so far. Greta Lee gives the performance of the year as a playwright who moved from South Korea to Canada to the U.S. John Magaro is her husband, a writer. Teo Yoo is the grown-up version of the little boy she left behind so many years ago. They reunite on Facebook for a time. Years later, he comes to New York to visit. Song explores the intricacies of that visit and its effects on everyone involved. All of the performances are good, but Lee’s tightly controlled portrayal is astounding — especially when she lets go.
How to watch: In theaters.
Reach Goodykoontz atbill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook:facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter:@goodyk.
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