The Austin Chronicle Top 10 Films of 2019

Parasite takes the top slot in our critics’ year-end review

By Richard Whittaker, Fri., Dec. 20, 2019

Parasite

Well, this seals the deal: 2019 was the year that Austin formally fell in love with Bong Joon-ho. First the Alamo Drafthouse renames its flagship South Lamar location after him, now the seven regular members of The Austin Chronicle's film review team has selected his scathing social satire Parasite as their consensus film of the year.

Consensus is undoubtedly the word, as the Korean filmmaker's hilarious and incisive takedown of social climbing was the only film this year to make it onto every Chronicle critic's list (you can see all our individual and diverse selections below).

As Screens editor, let me take a moment to thank Marjorie Baumgarten, Steve Davis, Kimberley Jones, Josh Kupecki, Matthew Monagle, and Marc Savlov for all the late nights, short deadlines, cranky screener software, and for sharing their opinions and expertise on everything from the grandest blockbusters to the most unlikely indie underdogs. Make sure that you go online for even more categories, including ones for performances, screenplays, best director, and a special new slot for The Little Film That Could. This is our way to celebrate the most micro of microbudget, the most offbeat of visions, the films that came from the outer limits of cinema to deliver something truly unique. Find those plus our countdowns of the most-read reviews, Screens stories, and most eagerly awaited unreleased titles out of this year's festival circuit, at austinchronicle.com/screens.