An annual tradition, Solzy at the Movies presents the Solzy Awards for 2019 as a way of honoring the best achievements this year in film.

When it comes to the Solzy Awards, my criteria are the same as the Oscars with the traditional 7-day minimum release in Los Angeles and New York.  Basically, it isn’t eligible if I don’t have a way of seeing it before the end of the year.  My first-watch viewings this year were well over 350 films.  To be fair, some of those films are classics that I just saw for the first time in 2019.  However, these awards are strictly for new releases.

Once again, I am picking my top 25 films and top comedies.  None of these include the documentaries because I’ve already awarded those.  The awards I issue today are strictly for narrative features only.  What follows are my acting awards–split into drama comedy. Outside of Rocketman, there weren’t enough musicals to warrant a musical category.  Both Wild Rose and Teen Spirit are music-driven.

Below the main awards, I’ll be honoring the best films and performances that screened at film festivals.  These awards honor the films that haven’t been distributed yet.

The Solzy Awards for 2019

Top 25 Narrative Features

1. Knives Out
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. 1917
4. Booksmart
5. Avengers: Endgame
6. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
7. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8. Long Shot
9. Bombshell
10. Ford V Ferrari
11. Marriage Story
12. Captain Marvel
13. Brittany Runs A Marathon
14. Blinded by the Light
15. Greener Grass
16. Late Night
17. Little Woods
18. Little Monsters
19. Wild Rose
20. Fast Color
21. Parasite
22. The Irishman
23. Rust Creek
24. Uncut Gems
25. The Two Popes

Honorable Mentions

1. The Report
2. The Farewell
3. And Then There Was Eve
4. Frozen 2
5. Little Women
6. Spider-Man: Far From Home
7. The Lighthouse
8. Rocketman
9. The Souvenir
10. Plus One
11. Good Boys
12. Dolemite Is My Name

Top 12 Comedy Features

1. Knives Out
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Booksmart
4. Long Shot
5. Brittany Runs A Marathon
6. Greener Grass
7. Late Night
8. Little Monsters
9. The Farewell
10. Plus One
11. Good Boys
12. Dolemite Is My Name

Best Documentary Features
Please see my Documentary Awards

DRAMA
Best Actor:  Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Runner-up: Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems)
Best Actress:  Charlize Theron, Bombshell (Runner-ups: Alfre Woodard, Clemency; Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose)
Best Supporting Actor:  Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Runner-up: Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood)
Best Supporting Actress:  Laura Dern, Marriage Story (Runner-up: Margot Robbie, Bombshell)

COMEDY
Best Actor:  Daniel Craig, Knives Out (Runner-ups: Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name; Seth Rogen, Long Shot)
Best Actress:  Charlize Theron, Long Shot (Runner-ups: Ana De Armas, Knives Out; Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart; Jillian Bell, Brittany Runs A Marathon)
Best Supporting Actor:  Chris Evans, Knives Out
Best Supporting Actress:  Billie Lourd, Booksmart (Runner-up: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit)

Best Director:  Rian Johnson, Knives Out (Runner-ups: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit; Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story; Olivia Wilde, Booksmart)

BEST FIRST FEATURES
Booksmart
Brittany Runs A Marathon
Little Woods
Greener Grass
And Then There Was Eve

Best Original Song
“Glasgow,” Wild Rose (Runner-up: “Show Yourself, Frozen 2)

Best Action Film
Avengers: Endgame

Best Comic Book Film
Avengers: Endgame

Best Drama
1917

Best Comedy
Knives Out

Best Mystery Comedy
Knives Out

Best Romantic Comedy
Long Shot (Runner-up: Plus One)

Best Comedy That We’ll Be Talking About In 10 Years
Booksmart

Best Foreign Language Film
Parasite (Runner-up: Incitement)

Best Musical or Music-Driven Film (Tie)
Wild Rose, Blinded by the Light

Best Animated Feature
Frozen 2 (Runner Up: Toy Story 4)

Best Live Action Short
Please see my Short Film Awards

Best Unreleased Film That I Saw At A Film Festival
To The Stars
Runner Ups: The Vast of Night, The Garden Left Behind, Bit, Saint Frances, Sea Fever, Olympic Dreams

Best Acting Performances in Festival Films Not Yet Released

• Nicole Maines, Bit
• Carlie Guevara, The Garden Left Behind
• Anna Akana, Go Back to China
• Beanie Feldstein, How To Build A Girl
• Kelly O’Sullivan, Saint Frances
• Hermoine Corfield, Sea Fever
• Kara Hayward, To The Stars
• Liana Liberato, To The Stars
• Sierra McCormick, The Vast of Night

Best Supporting Acting Performances in Festival Films Not Yet Released

• Jordana Spiro, To The Stars
• Tony Hale, To The Stars
• Barry Keoghan, Calm With Horses

Most Likely To Be In Everything:  Jim Gaffigan

Worst Films of the Year

1. Cats
2. The Fanatic
3. The Clown Movie
4. Euphoria (NOT THE TV SERIES ON HBO)
5. Velvet Buzzsaw