While the summer months should be spent outside enjoying the sun and getting a tan, others like watching movies. Anyhow, here is a brief review and ranking of all of the films I have watched this summer. It’s worth noting that such a variety of films are difficult to compare, so this is a blunt instrument. On a different day, they would’ve been ranked differently. Also, most of the films I watched were of high calibre and I’d have no trouble recommending at least the top 20 of them. If your favourite film isn’t near the top of the list, that’s more to the testament of the other films that anything against yours. There are some early summer films that I didn’t add to the list as I only started it in Mid June/ Early July (Sorry Toy Story 4) and some Summer Films I haven’t yet seen (Sorry OUATIH).

[N] – Netflix UK, [A] – Amazon Prime Video UK, [C] – Cinema release, [D] – DVD/Other release, [*] – Not first viewing, (F) – Foreign language film.

28. Lion King (2019): One of the most disappointing films I’ve seen this year. Plagued with voicing and script issues and the realistic graphics didn’t work as the animals couldn’t portray emotion. An all around disappointing cash grab. [C] – (See full review)

27. Yesterday (2019): The one where everyone forgets the Beatles. With cameos from Ed Sheeran and James Corden, this film is about as good as you expect. Your typical romcom with cliches galore and jokes repeated way to many times, this might be your dad’s favourite film of the year. [C] – (See full review)

26. Masaan (2015): Masaan is a Bollywood film about love, gender and economic privilege. Featuring two sad stories, which intertwine within one another, it just never really quite gets going. If you want a better Bollywood film, watch Raazi on Prime Video. [N] (F)

25. Keanu (2016): The first film written by and starring Jordan Peele was certainly not the best. A recently split up man finds a kitten at his door. When it’s stolen, he and Michael Key pretend to be drug dealers to get it back. The chemistry between Key and Peele is great, but some of the jokes fall flat as it feels like a 100 minute long attempt at a 3 minute sketch. They don’t quite work out who their audience is meant to be either. [N]

24. And Breathe Normally (2018): I’m not sure why I haven’t properly engaged the two highly acclaimed Icelandic films I’ve watched this year (Also see Woman at War). Part of me thinks it’s to do with the drab lighting. The story is about how a border guard in poverty sees her life intertwine with an illegal immigrant who she detained and it just doesn’t quite get going. [N] (F)

23. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Light hearted watch, but way too much space prelude makes it tough to follow. It doesn’t quite have the same established level of humour without the rest of the Avengers Endgame cast. [N]

22. Inception (2010): The one where Leo dreamed a dream. Its a solid Christopher Nolan film (so it’s going to be good). However, as with a CN film, it’s very confusing and full of plot holes. While Di Caprio makes you feel empathy, you don’t feel sympathy as he hides behind his usual level of smugness. Good, but not as good as I was promised. [N]

21. Fargo (1996): The one with the botched up hostage. A dark comedy by the Coen brothers, Fargo is a “true story” about a fake hostage situation gone wrong. The story is bizarre, as are most of the characters with over exaggerated accents. Frances McDormand is great as the police officer, but William Macy is the stand out actor. Fairly good fun [A].

20. Batman Begins (2005): The first of the Bale/Nolan trilogy is just a bit of a cliche. While it has a more serious and interesting feel than most Marvel films, it still has too many predictable plot twists. The combat scenes are a bit choppy making them tough to follow. [D]