- Rotten Tomatoes provided Insider with critic score data for movies reviewed in 2019.
- “Chained for Life,” “One Cut of the Dead,” and “The Chambermaid (La Camarista)” were among the highest-rated movies, earning scores of 100%.
- With a 4% score, “Mary” was deemed the worst movie of the year so far.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Using critic score data provided by Rotten Tomatoes, Insider rounded up this year’s best and worst films. Only three movies have recieved a perfect score of 100% positive reviews, while a thriller movie called “Mary” is (so far) the worst film of 2019 with just a 4% score.
Keep reading to see the top 10 and bottom 10 movies of 2019 so far, according to critics.
BEST: “Chained for Life” — 100%
Synopsis: “A beautiful actress struggles to connect with her disfigured co-star on the set of a European auteur’s English-language debut. Through pitch-black satire, ‘Chained for Life’ examines the treatment of disability on screen and on set.”
Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score: 100%
Critics' consensus: Darkly funny and impressively ambitious, "Chained for Life" is as unpredictable as it is original.
"One Cut of the Dead" — 100%
Synopsis: "A cast of relative unknowns, a brilliantly disguised low budget and an epic, 37-minute opening single take makes Shin'ichirô Ueda's feature debut a bright, breezy and laugh-out-loud hilarious zombie comedy. A film crew is shooting a zombie horror flick in an abandoned water filtration plant, allegedly used for human experiments by the military. Just as the director browbeats his actors and demands more special effects blood, a real zombie apocalypse erupts, much to his auteur delight."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 100%
Critics' consensus: Brainy and bloody in equal measure, "One Cut of the Dead" reanimates the moribund zombie genre with a refreshing blend of formal daring and clever satire.
"The Chambermaid (La Camarista)" — 100%
Synopsis: "Eve, a young chambermaid at a luxurious Mexico City hotel, confronts the monotony of long workdays with quiet examinations of forgotten belongings and budding friendships that nourish her newfound and determined dream for a better life."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 100%
Critics' consensus: "The Chambermaid (La Camarista)" uses one woman's experiences to take audiences inside a life - and a culture - that's as bracingly unique as it is hauntingly relatable.
"The Farewell"— 99%
Synopsis: "The film follows a Chinese family who, when they discover their beloved Grandmother has only a short while left to live, decide to keep her in the dark and schedule an impromptu wedding to gather before she passes. Billi, feeling like a fish out of water in her home country, struggles with the family's decision to hide the truth from her grandmother."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 99%
Critics' consensus: "The Farewell" deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
"Parasite (Gisaengchung)" — 99%
Synopsis: "Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 99%
Critics' consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, "Parasite" finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.
"Apollo 11" — 99%
Synopsis: "'Apollo 11' is a cinematic space event film fifty years in the making. Featuring never-before-seen large-format film footage of one of humanity's greatest accomplishments.."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 99%
Critics' consensus: Edifying and inspiring in equal measure, "Apollo 11" uses artfully repurposed archival footage to send audiences soaring back to a pivotal time in American history.
"Ash is the Purest White" — 99%
Synopsis: "A tragicomedy initially set in the jianghu-criminal underworld-setting, 'Ash is the Purest White' is less a gangster movie than a melodrama. With a three-part structure, it begins by following the quick-witted Qiao (Tao Zhao) and her mobster boyfriend Bin (Fan Liao) as they stake out their turf against rivals and upstarts in 2001 postindustrial Datong before expanding out into an epic narrative of how abstract forces shape individual lives."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 99%
Critics' consensus: "Ash Is Purest White" finds writer-director Zhangke Jia revisiting familiar themes while continuing to observe modern Chinese society with an urgent, empathetic eye.
"Amazing Grace" — 99%
Synopsis: "Concert footage from 1972 of Aretha Franklin performing songs from the best-selling gospel album at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score:
Critics' consensus: Brilliantly capturing a remarkable performer near the peak of her prodigious power, "Amazing Grace" is a thrilling must-watch documentary for Aretha Franklin fans.
"Honeyland" — 99%
Synopsis: "Nestled in an isolated mountain region deep within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova lives with her ailing mother in a village without roads, electricity or running water. She's the last in a long line of Macedonian wild beekeepers, eking out a living farming honey in small batches to be sold in the closest city - a mere four hours' walk away."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 99%
Critics' consensus: "Honeyland" uses life in a remote village to offer an eye-opening perspective on experiences that should resonate even for audiences halfway around the world.
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" — 98%
Synopsis: "France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing Héloïse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and attraction grow as they share Héloïse's first moments of freedom. Héloïse's portrait soon becomes a collaborative act of and testament to their love."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 98%
Critics' consensus: A singularly rich period piece, "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
WORST: "Mary" — 4%
Synopsis: "David is a struggling blue-collar captain looking to make a better life for his family. Strangely drawn to an abandoned ship that is up for auction, David impulsively buys the boat, believing it will be his family's ticket to happiness and prosperity. But soon after they embark on their maiden journey, strange and frightening events begin to terrorize David and his family, causing them to turn on one another and doubt their own sanity."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 4%
Critics' consensus: Misguided from stem to stern, "Mary" wastes the talents of an outstanding cast - and makes a soggy mess of its supernatural horror story.
"Jacob's Ladder" — 5%
Synopsis: "After the death of his brother in Afghanistan, Jacob Singer is finally getting his life back together. He has a beautiful wife, a new born child and a successful career as surgeon in a VA hospital. When a stranger approaches him and tells him that his brother is actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets, Jacob's life starts to unravel."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 5%
Critics' consensus: N/A
"Replicas" — 9%
Synopsis: "After a car accident kills his family, a daring synthetic biologist (Reeves) will stop at nothing to bring them back, even if it means pitting himself against a government-controlled laboratory, a police task force, and the physical laws of science."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 9%
Critics' consensus: Equal parts plot holes and unintentional laughs, "Replicas" is a ponderously lame sci-fi outing that isn't even bad enough to be so bad it's good.
"The Professor" — 10%
Synopsis: "Richard, a buttoned-down college lecturer who, after learning he has six months to live, transforms into a rebellious party animal. To the shock of his wife and school chancellor - and the delight of his students- Richard leads a hilarious crusade against authority and hypocrisy in this dark comedy costarring Zoey Deutch."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 10%
Critics' consensus: A muddled story populated with thinly written characters and arranged around a misguided Johnny Depp performance, "The Professor" fails early and often.
"Jexi" — 11%
Synopsis: "Phil has a major dependency issue - he's addicted to his phone. He has no friends, he has a job writing pop culture 'Top 10' lists, and his love life is non-existent. But his Facebook status is about to change. When he is forced to upgrade his phone, the latest model comes with an unexpected feature ... Jexi - an A.I. life coach, virtual assistant and cheerleader."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 11%
Critics' consensus: It's hard to tell whether the lack of laughs in "Jexi" is a bug or a feature, but this AI rom-com is sorely in need of an OS update.
"A Madea Family Funeral" — 12%
Synopsis: "A joyous family reunion turns into a hilarious nightmare as Madea and the crew travel to backwoods Georgia and unexpectedly plan a funeral, which threatens to reveal sordid family secrets."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 12%
Critics' consensus: A lackluster conclusion to Tyler Perry's long-running franchise, "A Madea Family Funeral" proves saying goodbye can be painful for all the wrong reasons.
"An Acceptable Loss" — 13%
Synopsis: "She was the ultimate patriot. Now, what she knows could bring down the government. Libby Lamm is a former top national security advisor who, while working with Rachel Burke, a ruthless, steely-willed political veteran, signed off on a controversial military action that was supposed to end the war on terror. The problem: thousands died under false pretenses."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 13%
Critics' consensus: "An Acceptable Loss" attempts a political thriller approach to a serious issue, but ends up sacrificing thrills - as well as a satisfying story - in the bargain.
"The Hustle" — 14%
Synopsis: "Josephine Chesterfield is a glamorous, seductive Brit with a sprawling home in Beaumont-sur-Mer and a penchant for defrauding gullible wealthy men from all corners of the world. Into her well-ordered, meticulously moneyed world bursts Penny Rust, an Aussie who is as free-form and fun-loving as Josephine is calculated and cunning."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 14%
Critics' consensus: "The Hustle's" stars might make an effective comedy team in a different setting, but this gender-flipped remake of a remake adds little beyond its feminine twist.
"Night Hunter (Nomis)" — 15%
Synopsis: "A weathered lieutenant, his police force, and a local vigilante are all caught up in a dangerous scheme involving a recently arrested, troubled man who's linked to years of female abductions and murders."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 15%
Critics' consensus: Contrived and cliched, "Night Hunter" wastes a solid cast in pursuit of action-adventure thrills that stubbornly refuse to materialize.
"A Score to Settle" — 15%
Synopsis: "Diagnosed with a fatal condition, Frankie Carver is released from prison after serving 19 years of hard time. With only a short time left to live, Frankie must desperately try to make amends with the son he left behind while he plots a bloody course of revenge - tracking down his old gang to make them pay one by one."
Rotten Tomatoes critics' score: 15%
Critics' consensus: N/A