Every year, there are a handful of characters that escape the cineplexes and become ingrained in the pop culture zeitgeist. For 2019, that served as a prevalent way to escape the dreary real world. The following is a list of 20 characters that not only made films great, but captured our interests and became icons in their own right. The only rule behind this list is that these characters were introduced to audiences for the first time this year in a cinematic form. Beyond that, the field is open to whoever wants to leave an impression on audiences and give them something to think about for years to come.
Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) in The Lighthouse
Who wouldn't take a job to break from the monotony of life? For Winslow, this means working at a Lighthouse with a cantankerous man who talks like a pirate and farts every time he moves a joint. The journey into madness is one that becomes incoherent the further along it goes, but it provides Pattinson with a chance to give a performance for the ages. What he does here is some of his most profane acting choices to date, managing to drink his weight in booze, canoodle with a mermaid, and do everything short of murder. If Pattinson ever gives a performance more daring, he may have to wind up in the looney bin. Come for Winslow's powerful freakout scenes, stay for the total insanity. It's a character that's barely holding it together, and you can't help but love the experience of man trying to stay sane in a losing battle.
Adelaide Wilson/Red (Lupita Nyong'o) in Us
It has been a long time since Lupita Nyong'o gave a performance this exciting and bold. For Jordan Peele's follow-up to the phenomenal Get Out, she takes on a dual role of women thrown into unlikely situations. While her performance of Adelaide is compelling in its subtle ability to be a little offkey from normalcy, it's the performance of Red that confirms her charisma. With a raspy voice and eyes that look to be hollowed out from desperation, she gives one of the most haunting roles of the year, managing to make everything into a bigger commentary on social differences and how the lower class can be neglected and turned into monsters. In a time where horror icons are tough to come by, Peele has come up with one of the most thrilling, engrossing roles in years.
Forky (Toby Huss) in Toy Story 4
Just when it seemed like the Toy Story franchise had run its course, they came up with a way to challenge sentience with no more than a plastic spork, a popsicle stick, and various other pieces you'd pull from the trash. Forky is a masterpiece of existentialism, managing to be both a great comedic folly for kids as well as a reminder of some people's inherent desire to not live. What does it mean to be alive? In some ways, Toy Story 4 is Pixar's "Frankenstein," managing to comment on the idea of creation and what it means to use your power responsibly. Forky is so beloved that he even got a Disney+ show where he questions life's many wonders. He remains an abstract painting of a character, but he's also one of the essential proofs of Pixar's ability to transcend age groups with humor and deeper thought.
Frank Sheeran (Robert de Niro) in The Irishman
While this is far from the first time that Robert de Niro has put on the shoes of a gangster movie, there's still nothing in his career that matches his ferocity and heartbreak here. Over the course of 3.5 hours, he manages to create a full story of a bodyguard who comes to betray Jimmy Hoffa and outlive his enemies. In the process, he wonders if he should feel remorse for his actions, not really able to convey it in a way that is human, tearing apart important relationships in the process. De Niro may still be one of the greatest living actors with a catalog of stone-cold masterpieces, but it's been many decades since he's been this good, even under the storied use of de-aging make-up. Nothing holds him back from giving a role that shows the follies of youth informing the bitterness of aging. It's the role that only he and Scorsese could pull off this gracefully.
Sam (Andrew Garfield) in Under the Silver Lake
In some ways, the botched release of this A24 movie is the most fitting way for David Robert Mitchell's latest film to be born. The story largely doesn't make sense, leading down a path of clues that answer one question and open up five, creating the ultimate tease for the paranoid conspiracy theorist. The Southern California tale is rich with these moments that are swirling together, asking the audience if answers really are what matters. What sells it is Andrew Garfield's delightful performance, managing to reflect confidence and confusion in equal measure as he serves as a borderline creep. By the end, it's not a story with a convenient payoff in terms of plot, but by the end, it's the journey of Sam's lack of ability to be a fully functioning adult. It's a frustrating film, but those who love the mysteries of life (and dog killers), this is a pretty great ride.
Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Spider-Man: Far From Home
What is there for Marvel to offer in a post-Endgame world? There has only been one film so far, but it has delivered one of their most interesting supervillains in quite some time. Mysterio has the charisma of a tech giant and uses media to control the way that he's perceived. It's the quintessential superhero take on the "fake news" phenomenon, and it allows the Spider-Man sequel to go in some crazy directions. Luckily it is improved by Gyllenhaal's ability to be a smarmy jerk while also seeming like the nicest guy in the world. If Marvel has any foes with as much of a character dynamic as this, then Phase 4 looks to be in good hands.
Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) in Her Smell
One of the most underrated actresses of the past decade is Elisabeth Moss, whose post-Mad Men career has featured an exciting mix of TV projects (Top of the Lake, The Handmaid's Tale) and films that show her exploring a more cerebral side. However, she hasn't found a role as gripping and nuanced as Becky Something. The first act is the ultimate endurance test as Becky suffers a breakdown that feels insufferably long, the sound dropping out and creating a claustrophobic sense of chaos. It has an interminable quality that will turn some off, but those who do will miss the payoff in the second half. It becomes a sweet look at recovery and forgiveness, showing that the rebel can grow into a functioning adult who is capable of love and joy. It's a role that defines just how much Moss has to offer to the film community. One can only hope this leads to bigger, bolder roles as well.
Moondog (Matthew McConaughey) in The Beach Bum
While the McConaissance may be over, one can't help but feel like The Beach Bum is the after-party that we've been waiting for. The booze-and-weed soaked film finds the actor turning in a performance that plays almost too well into his laidback JK Livin' persona as he becomes a poet laureate for trashy poetry and breaks out of rehab while dressed (unconvincingly) as a woman. It's the surreal and weird comedy that gets by on his stupid, goofy grin as he wanders through the beaches of Florida, looking for anyone wanting to have a good time. Even if Matthew McConaughey hasn't been seen like this before, it feels like it's the only way he was ever supposed to be seen. It's delightfully pointless as he delivers his Great American Novel at the end of the film, revealing that all you need to do is have a good time. Amen.
Shazam (Zachary Levi) in Shazam!
For the most part, superhero movies in 2019 were obsessed with being dark and boring. That's partially what makes Shazam! the perfect antidote. While it has a dark fantasy quality reminiscent of 90's family films, it goes for the goofball charm with one of Zachary Levi's finest performances to date as a kid in a superhero's body. He's a hero who's just as excited about his powers as you are, and there's something undeniable about watching him slowly discover the difference between right and wrong. As a story of a foster child learning to belong in the world, it also has a sweet subtext that helps to make this into one of the most densely layered films to ever feature superheroes sneaking kids into strip clubs that you'll ever see. It's funny and the doe-eyed quality of Levi only makes this the much-needed superhero film in a time when everything else is being taken too seriously.
Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) in Hustlers
After a decade in the spotlight making pop music and romantic comedies, Jennifer Lopez is finally being taken seriously for a film that finds her dancing up and down a pole. No, it's not some tacky, exploitative joke. It's the origins of her career-best performance of a woman who recruits a bunch of women to rob the wealthy clients of their club. It's the crime comedy that is about female friendship, managing to parody the male gaze by showing women using their power for personal good. Why do it? There's so much economic strife in these characters' lives that to see them have a little bit of glory feels all the sweeter. It's a film that covers the economic collapse of the late 2000s in a way that doesn't victimize those most impacted by it. If anything, it asks why those with power deserve it at all. It's also a bonding movie with so much personal relationship drama that it becomes sweet by the end, even as things don't go according to plan.
Dani (Florence Pugh) in Midsommar
For Ari Aster's sophomore film, he chose to do something uncommon: he shot a horror film in broad daylight in the middle of a Swedish mountain. What results is the familiar blend of haunting imagery overwhelming the viewers as he fills the frame with symbolism. However, what makes it all go down easily is Florence Pugh's great performance. As a woman whose family had recently died in a horrific act of suicide, she is a woman trying to come to terms with grief as her boyfriend fails to sympathize with her. Her journey through Midsommar is one that becomes personal, finding moments reflecting on death that find the actress giving on of many great 2019 performances. By the end, a simple smile becomes a giant achievement, and the film becomes something more profound than initially expected.
Missing Link (Zach Galifianakis) in Missing Link
Once again Laika Studios delivers a magnificent piece of family entertainment with visual awe. It's an adventure film reminiscent of other films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and features one of the great buddy pairs of the year. What makes Missing Link a particularly exciting character is that he's a super-intelligent animal who serves as the link between animal and man. He can write and talk, and his journey to find his home becomes a journey full of slapstick and espionage that may be Laika's most streamlined film to date. However, the film becomes something bolder in the second act when Missing Link (who names himself Susan) admits the fault of being one of the last of his kind. What is there to live for if you don't have a family? It's a sad point that buds to something more heartfelt and sweet by the end. Still, if Missing Link only has achieved one thing by the film's end, it's being one of the most delightful fish out of water archetypes in any family film of the past few years. He may not seem like he belongs, but that's part of the film's great revelation that he does.
Dick Long (Daniel Scheinert) in The Death of Dick Long
Clocking in at the shortest runtime on this list is Dick Long. He's your stupid friend that you get drunk with and shoot pyrotechnics off with while finding other dumb ways to keep the night going. The only issue is: what happens when you find something so stupid and embarrassing that it kills him? The film surrounds his friends trying to hide the truth, leading to a hilarious dark parody of paranoia thrillers where the truth is hidden for the biggest impact possible. The answer is uncomfortable and may turn many off. However, Dick Long's death is maybe the most profound commentary on death that has been discussing in the film for some time. Should somebody die in a stupid and preventable way deserve to be mourned? It's the dramatic subtext that is thought of within the absurdity, creating one of the most surreal tones of the year. It's funny and sad, but it's also bold in a way that only a few films before have thought it was a good idea to explore.
Billi (Awkwafina) in The Farewell
Death is a bit of a complicated manner no matter where you live. In the case of Lulu Wang's piercing drama, she explores the impact on a family enjoying the perceived final days of Nai Nai. They can't tell her, for they need to carry the burden of the sadness for her. At the center is one of Awkwafina's finest performances so far as Billi, a young woman with her life ahead of her as she tries to process the grief and enjoy the moment at the same time. It's a complicated performance where emotions clash constantly. Wang manages to make the film work as a clash of many ideals, such as mourning and joy, American and Asian ideals, and the idea of an artist who can't express herself. There's so much to this role that makes it one of the essential family dramas of the year, and reflects sadness in a joyful and candid way not often seen on film.
Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) in Jojo Rabbit
Imagine if somebody made Harvey into a satire about Nazism through the eyes of a boy and his imaginary friend Hitler. That's the gist of what Taika Waititi was going for with this film. While there's plenty of fun jabs at how ignorant racism can be, the heart of the film is about a boy who is bullied into hatred, doing his best to live up to that image. What the film gets to is that these are just ideas and not the right way to live, allowing the character to slowly discover on his own what value empathy can have on the world. It's a great performance full of schoolyard taunting that brings to light just how fickle things can be. It's a fun role that escapes the dark waters in surprising ways, allowing the satire to work in between the humor and darkness that forms throughout.
Alita (Rosa Salazar) in Alita: Battle Angel
After a long road to a theatrical release, this cinematic adaptation of the anime delivered one of the most delightfully weird stories of the year. There are fictional sports reminiscent of Rollerball, and there's plenty of murdering of robots throughout. It's the existential action film so full of dazzling imagery that is hard to ignore. Luckily the central character of Alita, herself sporting distinct eyes, is a look into what it means to be alive as she comes to terms with her creator and tries to form her own independence. It's a crazy film that manages to mix the insanity of late-stage Robert Rodriguez films and the wit of James Cameron's script. The results speak for themselves and serve as one of the more audacious, original blockbusters of the year.
Charlie (Adam Driver) in Marriage Story
In what is shaping up to be a banner year for Adam Driver, one film looks to stand out above the rest. This is the drama of a couple separating finds the heart of what it means to fall in and out of love with each other not only personally but through the harsh legal system. What comes to tear them apart isn't anything that one does to the other, but how they have to bend to the wills of a system that wants them to appear a certain way. It's difficult and finds them forgetting what it meant to feel that passion. For Driver, that shows up in small ways as he slowly falls apart, finding his behavior becoming self-destructive and depressing. There are moments here that serve as some of the actor's finest moments, managing to capture frustration in its rawest form. By the time he sings Sondheim, he has been through hell and you believe every note he sings. This is a defining role that is hard to forget after it's been seen.
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
There is a lot of commentary about artists growing old in Quentin Tarantino's presumed penultimate film. Still, nothing compares to the symbolism of Rick Dalton: an actor of TV westerns who may be on his way out when he sees Sharon Stone come into town. It's a brutal comedy about becoming irrelevant, and Leonardo DiCaprio captures it with such raw honesty that feels pitted deep in his stomach. The actor has been a public figure for almost 25 years, and it makes sense to see him freak out and try to pep himself up. No matter what fiction is there, there's more truth in it. There's a good chance that DiCaprio really feels this way about his career, and it may serve as his feeling on the verge of becoming an elder statesman for the medium.
Kim Ki-Taek (Kang-ho Song) in Parasite
One of the best films of the year involves nothing more than a house that's layered literally and metaphorically. In this case, it's to help distinguish between the various classes in society, who all fight to be on the top to avoid being washed into the gutter, out of sight and out of mind. One family tries to get there through the gig economy approach, believing that they're free of the typical 9-to-5 lifestyle. The head of the household, Kim, is a man who knows how to cheat the system and fraternize in a way that works to his family's advantage. By the end, you understand his desperation, and it all becomes a madness that is reflective of society's shortcomings. It's humorous, but sadly true as well as everyone fights for their chance at glory. Some get out alive, but others suffer from this feeling that never goes away.
Goose in Captain Marvel
Early in 2019, Captain Marvel taught audiences that there was more to Marvel than what was known. In a story full of mind-bending characters and ideas, there was one that stole the show more often than not: Goose. His outward appearance is that of a cute orange tabby who you'd let crawl on your lap and purr. However, those who make it to the third act will be aware that Goose is an alien species called Flerken, who have the ability to eat worlds with tentacles that pop out of its mouth. Yes, it's a gruesome image coming out of such a cute creature, but it's part of the charm of one of the cutest, most interesting animal sidekicks that Marvel has produced yet. Hopefully, there's a lot more of this cute little bugger in the near future.
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