2020 Pre-Oscar Ranking -- 131 Films

131 minutes before this year’s Oscars, here’s a ranking of the 131 films seen since last year’s Oscars. Next year, the count will be a lot lower. Freedom this summer, meals this fall, and Brody’s naps this winter made it possible, but it will surely be lower in the future.

[Note: Titles of films I've seen since the end-of-2019 ranking are 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝. Documentary Shorts [DS], Animated Shorts [AS], and Live Action Shorts [LAS] are identified by those initials.]

D: The Rolling Stones Story [2015]

D+: Cavalcade [1933]

C-: As Above So Below [2014], The Great Ziegfeld [1936], The Lion King [live action], Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench [2009]

C: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲 [𝗗𝗦], The King of Comedy [1982], Apollo 11

C+: 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗸𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗸𝗶 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 [𝗔𝗦], Crazy Stupid Love [2011], Raging Bull [1980], Uncut Gems, Waves

B-: 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 [𝗗𝗦], Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Women at War, 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁, 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

B: 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 [𝗟𝗔𝗦], 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 [𝗟𝗔𝗦], 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮-𝗖𝗵𝗮 [𝗗𝗦], 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 [𝗔𝗦], Gimme Shelter [1970], Song of the Sea [2014], Hereditary [2018], Mean Streets [1973], Casino [1995], Gangs of New York [2002], Frozen 2, Judy, Tea With the Dames [2018], Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Captain Marvel, Snowpiercer [2013], Jojo Rabbit, Western Stars, Ford v. Ferrari, Yesterday

B+: 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗠𝗮𝗻: 𝗙𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗢𝗸𝗷𝗮 [𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟳], Sunrise: The Story of Two Humans [1927], The Last Temptation of Christ [1987], Rocketman, 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸, 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀, 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆, Dolemite Is My Name, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, How to Train A Dragon [2010], Booksmart, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Beasts of No Nation [2015], Bombshell, Joker, Modern Times [1937], City Lights [1931], End of the Century, The Last Black Man in San Francisco

A-: 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆, 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗠𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗜 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲 (𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗔 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹) [𝗗𝗦], 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, Drive [2011], Paddington [2015], Paddington 2 [2018], Toy Story 4, The Mustang, Friends With Benefits [2011], You Can't Take It with You [1938], It Happened One Night [1934], Mutiny on the Bounty [1935], How to Train A Dragon 2 [2014], Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore [1974], Knives Out, Goodfellas [1990], Fruitvale Station [2013], The Life of Emile Zola [1937], How to Train A Dragon 3, Echo in the Canyon, The Irishman

A: 𝗡𝗲𝗳𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 [𝗟𝗔𝗦], 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄 [𝗟𝗔𝗦], 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 [𝗔𝗦], 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 [𝗗𝗦], Pain & Glory, Homemade, Shazam, Girl, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, Deadwood: The Movie, Honey Boy, Wild Rose, Gone With The Wind [1939], Queen & Slim, Dark Waters, The Two Popes, Taxi Driver [1976], The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Biggest Little Farm, Maiden, Avengers: Endgame, Us

A+: 𝗟𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀, Metropolis [1927], M [1931], Crossfire Hurricane [2015], Pavarotti, 1917, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Marriage Story, The Lighthouse, Parasite, The Rider [2017], 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝟭𝟮 [𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯], Luce, The Farewell, 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮, Blinded by the Light

2019 End-of-Year Ranking -- 97 Films

2019 will forever be defined by the birth of my son. It was the first, second, and third most important thing this year. Coming in fourth, though, was the realization that I could still hold on to films. I was able to do so by binging a bunch the summer before he was born and linking a bunch with meals after he was born. The strategy of rotating shifts Hark and I used gave Brody the time he needed with both of us. In turn, Hark got to preserve his YouTube campaigns, and I got to preserve this list.

I’m sure the list will be shorter in the future, but for now, here are the 97 movies I saw this year...

D: The Rolling Stones Story [2015]

D+: Cavalcade [1933]

C-: As Above So Below [2014], The Great Ziegfeld [1936], The Lion King [live action], Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench [2009]

C: The King of Comedy [1982], Apollo 11

C+: Crazy Stupid Love [2011], Raging Bull [1980], Uncut Gems, Waves

B-: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Women at War

B: Gimme Shelter [1970], Song of the Sea [2014], Hereditary [2018], Mean Streets [1973], Casino [1995], Gangs of New York [2002], Frozen 2, Judy, Tea With the Dames [2018], Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Captain Marvel, Snowpiercer [2013], Jojo Rabbit, Western Stars, Ford v. Ferrari, Yesterday

B+: Spider-Man: Far From Home, Okja [2017], Sunrise: The Story of Two Humans [1927], The Last Temptation of Christ [1987], Rocketman, Dolemite Is My Name, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, How to Train A Dragon [2010], Booksmart, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Beasts of No Nation [2015], Bombshell, Joker, Modern Times [1937], City Lights [1931], End of the Century, The Last Black Man in San Francisco

A-: Drive [2011], Paddington [2015], Paddington 2 [2018], Toy Story 4, The Mustang, Friends With Benefits [2011], You Can't Take It with You [1938], It Happened One Night [1934], Mutiny on the Bounty [1935], How to Train A Dragon 2 [2014], Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore [1974], Knives Out, Goodfellas [1990], Fruitvale Station [2013], The Life of Emile Zola [1937], How to Train A Dragon 3, Echo in the Canyon, The Irishman

A: Pain & Glory, Homemade, Shazam, Girl, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, Deadwood: The Movie, Wild Rose, Gone With The Wind [1939], Queen & Slim, Dark Waters, The Two Popes, Taxi Driver [1976], The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Biggest Little Farm, Maiden, Avengers: Endgame, Us

A+: Metropolis [1927], M [1931], Crossfire Hurricane [2015], Pavarotti, 1917, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Marriage Story, The Lighthouse, Parasite, The Rider [2017], Luce, The Farewell, Blinded by the Light