Summer is beginning to fall with such promised hits like A24’s “The Souvenir” and “Booksmart”. Don’t worry. I will not exclude the blockbusters “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Gosh, do they look so amazing. But let’s not forget the most important aspect of the year, ladies and gentlemen, the best films of the first-third of 2019.

This first-third brought so much phenomenal pieces of art and some extremely underrated and treasuring gems (Yes. “The Kid Who Would Be King” can truly count.) to remember. That is what my top 5 is going to represent on this list.

5. Amazing Grace

This is a miraculous and soul-shaking concert film that I don’t think anyone will get throughout the next ten years. It also proves that Aretha Franklin is arguably the greatest vocalist of all time and will never be touched. “Amazing Grace” touches on the making of the concert film of the same name back in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church with the James Cleveland choir. Unfortunately, it didn’t get it’s proper release because of massive technical issues transferring from church to television. Aretha throughout her life sued many film festivals back in 2011 and 2015 to release the film because of those issues. Thankfully, after Aretha’s traumatic death, an “amazing” independent company called NEON (of great documentaries like “Three Identical Strangers” and “Apollo 11”) finally financed the film by agreement of Aretha’s family. Aretha’s vocals soar in very high heights when it comes to musical cues like the titular “Amazing Grace” and “Never Grow Old” that feels like you believe that god is alive and well. There are many times that even James Cleveland himself rightfully tears up during at high points when Aretha sings because she is that immaculate at singing. The music after nearly 50 years still lives up with its essential funky grooves produced by Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler. Anyone who is a classic music enthusiast like me should go out and witness this masterful concert documentary.

4. The Mustang

Throughout the past two years or so, I noticed that horse films can have glorifying and memorable character studies. “The Mustang” is one of those films that proves my statement. Ronan (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a deeply apologetic prisoner who was convicted a crime by murdering a mother in 2006. Meanwhile, he is soon released from prison to encounter a horse program with truly wild mustangs abound. Bruce Dern plays a long-lived trainer where he not just trains the horses, but also trains the humans how to both love and adjust to the horses. Ronan is soon worthy to proceed into the program. Now, there is one scenario Ronan has to face where he has to adjust to the mustang’s attitude and personality. It is completely depressing that both Matthias Schoenaerts and Bruce Dern are not getting the awards attention they deserve. Both actors’ chemistry is just earth-gratifying to behold. Ronan is also one of those characters whom you feel the most connection and gratitude to. In addition, there is one scene involving him and her girlfriend about him trying to reveal the crime he committed many years back. It is a true contender for the most hard-to-watch scene of the year. Bruce Dern on the other hand plays such a great trainer whose personality feels like a teacher I had at my high school. This can be viewed as a wondrous triple-feature with “Lean on Pete” and “The Rider” as really deep character studies with horses.

3. Fighting with My Family

Stephen Merchant transitioned the wrestling movie genre to huger and incomparable heights when it comes to something like “Fighting with My Family” It is such a magnificent film about thinking how you look as your perspective as a developing wrestler and how your look matters to others. This film tells the story about Paige (Florence Pugh), a passionate young woman who is familiar with the atmosphere of wrestling from her parents’ (Lena Headey, Nick Frost) independently-owned wrestling arena. Meanwhile, a (fictional) WWE coach by the name of Hutch Morgan (Vince Vaughn) watched one of Paige’s family matches and he claims that both Paige and her brother Zak (Jack Lowden) are deemed worthy by the WWE during a phone call. After Paige and Zak go through training, Hutch only has to choose two people out of a bunch to advance to training for the WWE. Hutch chooses Paige which means that she unfortunately left alone by herself whilst feeling horrendous about leaving Zak alone. The film develops such a tough scenario for Paige where she has a hard time fitting in with other female wrestlers as well as being isolated with Zak. Paige’s story to becoming one of the best female wrestlers in the business is beyond inspiring. Stephen Merchant’s cast doesn’t feel wasted one single bit (Merchant has a hysterical part in the film, too). Florence Pugh is becoming one of the best actresses working today proving that she can play a promised wrestler after playing a period-piece film like “Lady Macbeth”. Vince Vaughn as Hutch Morgan has got to be one of the best coaches in sports film history. He just feels like a tough critic, but a hilarious person, which ultimately makes him very multi-dimensional like his role in “Hacksaw Ridge” as the sergeant. Without a question, the most relatable aspect about the film are Paige’s parents played by Nick Frost and Lena Headey. They feel like your parents that you want to hug since they are deserved in your life. Every aspect of this film feels nearly flawless to be one of the best sports films in recent memory. Maybe even this generation’s “Million Dollar Baby”.

2. Avengers: Endgame

I do not think in the future that there will be a 22-film saga that feels anticipated or epic like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige should deserve a massive round of applause for giving such memorable characters like Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor to cheer uproariously for throughout the saga. In addition, Thanos should be considered by the American Film Institute as one of cinema’s greatest villains. Without any spoilers, the film takes place right after “Infinity War” where half of the Avengers have been dusted by Thanos. The Avengers themselves must time-travel back to planet Titan where the event occurred back in “Infinity War” to make a last stand to defeat Thanos once and for all. All I have to say is that Anthony & Joe Russo have made both this and “Infinity War” miraculous superhero epics that will be remembered from so many ages to come. No one like Anthony & Joe Russo can ever blend comedy and drama so ingenuous and creative. This is one of those rare and bold instances that I actually cheered during a screening with hundreds of people at an IMAX theater. Speaking of IMAX, it is the best format to see an MCU film in and then some because the cinematography shots by Trent Opaloch where you see the glistening universes of Titan and New York is just plain mesmerizing. Also, this film desperately needs Oscar consideration for both Best Motion Picture and for Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark. Without any spoilers once again, he is exuberantly out-of-character in “Endgame” where in the previous movies, he is usually cool and ready to take a superhero into another horizon like Peter Parker. Like I said in one of my tweets on Twitter, James Cameron is ready to have the gigantic toddler fit in the world when “Avengers: Endgame” is going to be the highest-grossing movie of all time. It deserves every single inch.

1. Hotel Mumbai

Going into this film, I was expecting a biopic like last year’s “Beirut” starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike, where it tried to be something like Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” and “Captain Phillips”, but it just didn’t work. Wonder why I mentioned that film? Bleecker Street. Once in a while, they release a biopic like this that might be powerful like “Deepwater Horizon”. I was expecting that with “Hotel Mumbai”. Let me tell you this. I was completely wrong. “Hotel Mumbai” not only implores people as an important watch, but comes off as a triumphant, hard-to-watch masterpiece if Peter Berg (“Deepwater Horizon”, “Patriot’s Day”) made this before the disaster that was “Mile 22”. It is one of those rare disaster films that make you feel like you are there in those horrific, disastrous times. The film addresses the tragic events at Mumbai taken place at the Taj Mahal Hotel, a beautiful-looking building at the time where it can be beyond hoity-toity in terms of price. This attack leads to ten terrorists managed by a man titled the Bull where they plan to launch a planned assault against 12 places across the city of Mumbai. Like “Avengers: Endgame”, this film desperately needs Oscar consideration including for its intensely gripping cinematography by Nick Remy Matthews where it looks like something released from the late ’70’s like “Midnight Express”. This film also has to have one of the most love-to-hate villains ever distributed on film in recent times whom would be the terrorists themselves. You want them to be dead that they can be compared to the scum of the earth. From the main actors, I did not expect Armie Hammer to pull off such a heavy and emotional role as the husband David where his resume includes mostly down-to-earth characters like “Call Me By Your Name”. Pretty much everyone in this film even with Dev Patel and Jason Isaacs deliver their greatest A-game in their careers where they feel like they are in their own characters. For sure, by the end of the year, this will be a truly strong contender for the best movie of 2019.

Thanks for reading this list of my five best films of this year so far! I of course hope you enjoyed reading this long article about amazing films people need to witness in 2019. Stay tuned for my five worst films of 2019 as usual! Always be positive and dare yourself to see the absolute best, not the absolute worst.