It’s best to go into Parasite, the latest piece of mind-fuckery from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, knowing as little as possible about the plot, a hilariously escalating series of con-jobs. The film excels as black comedy, and dares to say something darker and more personal about class than either Snowpiercer or Okja. That is to say that the themes are more complicated in this film, but that, as often happens when extra layers are introduced to an argument, those themes become more opaque. What we are left with, once the veneer of the film is torn off, is impotent rage.

When Breaking Bad ended in 2013, one mystery viewers were left with was the fate of Jesse Pinkman, the beaten and bruised sidekick of Walter White, meth kingpin and all around dickhead. Well, BB fans, wonder no more: El Camino is here to wrap up that loose end in a satisfying bow. Wonder at Jesse's resilience! Marvel at Badger and Skinny Pete's quips! Worry about Jesse's freedom, always in peril! El Camino serves as a satisfying coda to one of the most competent shows of the past 20 years. (Huell fans: sorry, there's no closure there. Maybe next time?)

Joker is not the film you think it is. It’s not a dangerous, male fantasy antihero thriller nor is it a deep character drama that elevates the genre of comic book films. For the most part, Joker is a film with a decent script elevated by phenomenal performances, especially Joaquin Phoenix’s. He manages to paper over the holes in the script with his physical acting and his manic, haunting laugh. The film stumbles when it connects back to its comic book mythos, but it is worth it for Phoenix’s performance alone. Ignore the film’s absurd discourse: watch it for Joaquin.

Renée Zellweger embodies the life of Judy Garland in this biopic based on the play, “End of the Rainbow.” The narrative focuses on the time surrounding her set of sold-out London shows, while dealing with a child custody battle with her ex-husband. A strong supporting cast (including Jessie Buckley, Michael Gambon, and Andy Nyman) round out this PG-13 affair in the vein of Walk the Line and Ray. While Judy barely scratches the surface at the depressing details of Garland’s life, its closing sequence brings tears to the eyes and reminds us that there is hope somewhere over the rainbow.

Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Bill Skarsgard (IT: Chapter Two) star as two lovers on the run who find themselves captives of a couple (Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan and The Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick) after breaking into their home. Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen imbue Villains with a dark comedic edge—from the mysterious child in the basement to the kooky personalities of the sadistic homeowners. This genre exercise relies on powerhouse acting to carry its occasionally uneven scenario to its bloody conclusion. Lastly, the “carwash” sequences between Skarsgard and Monroe are visual character-building examples of pure cinematic genius.

Brad Pitt delivers a masterfully restrained performance as Roy McBride, an astronaut living in his father’s shadow. When the US government requests McBride to communicate with his father near Neptune, he learns all is not as it seems. James Gray, who directed the awe-inspiring Lost City of Z, echoes the scope of 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, this story about daddy issues feels stretched thin. Audience members expecting an action-filled adventure may be disappointed in this methodical character study. Still, Ad Astra contains the most convincing space visuals I’ve seen to date. Experience in IMAX to get your money’s worth.

Based off a true story, Brittany Runs a Marathon tries to be equally inspiring and frank about self-perception. Jillian Bell carries the movie on her two feet (literally) as Brittany attempts to improve her health by jogging. But the movie gets a hamstring when trying to balance its tone. We’re initially drawn to Brittany’s comedic demeanor, but as she criticizes others about their weight, she loses some sympathy points. This is a delicate subject to address. Bell is commendable for a multifaceted performance and the filmmaker’s heart is in the right place, even if the film doesn’t fully come together.

Stephen King’s epic tale comes to a mostly satisfying conclusion, despite uneven storytelling. The near three-hour running time is packed with information, but clunky pacing fails to sustain suspense—especially when the adult-versions of the Loser Club split up to find their childhood tokens to use in a ritual to defeat IT. Overall, acting is strong across the board, although the teen actors from part one possessed a more organic chemistry. Despite reducing the final confrontation’s significance to slinging verbal insults to defeat IT, the film still manages to balance childhood nostalgia without being sappy and retain its emotional heart.

Sylvester Stallone goes Liam Neeson in this final(?) entry in the series. John Rambo now lives a quiet existence on his Arizona Ranch. His college-bound niece, Gabrielle, wants to confront her birth father in Mexico about why he abandoned her, but Rambo forbid her to go. She disobeys him, which leads to him trying to rescue her from a prostitution ring. While the climactic carnage on Rambo’s boobytrapped ranch will satisfy gorehounds, we sadly no longer know what our weary Vietnam vet represents anymore. An end credits montage of classic Rambo moments encourages you to revisit the previous films instead.

Of all of the recent deluge of “Scorsese-as-genre” films in the past few years (a genre that is even sub-linked to the comic book genre now, with the upcoming Joker), Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers stands above the crowd not only by offering a gender-twist on the Goodfellas formula, but in using those now well-worn techniques as ways of linking us not just to the flashy subculture of her characters, but to their interior lives, in a resonant way that not even Scorsese managed. Jennifer Lopez is at a career best, and having more fun than any actor on screen in 2019.