Waves and 9 other great movies you missed in 2019

2 of 9

BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 29: Rooftop Films artistic director Dan Nuxoll, Writer and Director Laura Steinel and actress Taylor Schilling (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Rooftop Films) /

9. Family

Director: Laura Steinel

Main Cast: Taylor Schilling, Kate McKinnon, Allison Tolman, Brian Tyree Henry

Release Date: April 19

Box Office: $194,601 Worldwide

Streaming?: Starz, also available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Genre: Comedy/Drama

In Family, Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black) plays a businesswoman who has no desire to connect to the people around her. She reluctantly agrees to care for her niece for a night but that night ends up being expanded to a full week. Things go horribly wrong when her niece decides to run away to become a Juggalo.

The Juggalo angle seems to be a random one but it works very well for the movie and, at the end, there is a more in-depth breakdown of what it means to be a Juggalo and how it ties into the family theme of the movie. It’s a heartwarming movie that makes the most of its talented cast.

VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 06: Sam Claflin and Aisling Franciosi. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) /

8. The Nightingale

Director: Jennifer Kent

Main Cast: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman

Release Date: August 2

Box Office: $815,659 Worldwide

Streaming?: Hulu Exclusive

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) holds nothing back in this brutal story set in colonial Australia. In The Nightingale, Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Fall) plays an indentured servant who has everything that matters to her taken away by a British soldier. With nothing left to live for (in her eyes) she embarks on a journey for revenge with the help of an aboriginal guide played by Baykali Ganambarr.

The Nightingale is a difficult watch but if you are able to make it through the first 30 minutes it won’t get worse from there. The first 30 minutes serve to show us what Sam Claflin’s (The Hunger Games, Me Before You) Hawkins took from Clare and why she is so determined to get revenge. At the same time, there are a lot of beautiful moments and several comedic.

You can view the trailer for The Nightingale below:

The dynamic between Clare and Billy (the guide) is interesting because both see the British as the enemy but they don’t see eye-to-eye for the majority of the film. Despite the brutality, this is definitely a movie you want to have seen if you enjoy raw and unfiltered historical fare.

Home/Movies