Was 2019 the Best Movie Year of the Decade? Plus: 'The Rise of Skywalker' Aftermath. | The Oscars Show

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019

Amanda's verdict: it's not a good movie, with no stakes and no real respect for how plotting works, though she says she wasn't mad about it, exactly. Sean was really disappointed, and pins the movie's fan-service panic on Kathleen Kennedy needing to land safely between $1 and $1.5 billion. Both flag it as a direct retreat from 'The Last Jedi' backlash, with Chris Terrio erasing Rian Johnson's 'Rey is nobody' twist by making her Palpatine's granddaughter. It scored a B+ CinemaScore, the franchise's lowest since the prequels, and is trailing 'The Last Jedi' at the box office. Amanda still liked where they landed Rey by the end, even if the plane took two hours to get there.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2017

The film 'Rise of Skywalker' is reacting against. Sean and Amanda trace how its polarized reception, and the vitriol aimed at Kelly Marie Tran, pushed J.J. Abrams and Disney to retrofit most of what Rian Johnson did.

Knives Out 2019

Rian Johnson's other 2019 movie, a genuine hit past the $100 million mark while 'Rise of Skywalker' online discourse rages around him. Sean says he's earned the right not to gloat.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015

The Abrams film that restarted the saga; Amanda notes it's the reason he was back in the director's chair to close it out.

Solo: A Star Wars Story 2018

Cited as the franchise's box-office stumble.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2016

The counterexample: it did very well, though Sean says the production was famously rocky.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Amanda's Hark is aimed at the Kylo Ren-Rey kiss, which she calls the most offensive thing she's seen in the movies this year. Her case: Rey spent the trilogy as a Jedi who wasn't defined by a romance, and a psychic Force bond didn't need to end in a soft kiss to mean something.

American Factory 2019

His own production company made it, which Sean flags as not cool; it's the presumed Best Documentary front-runner.

Amazing Grace 2018

Apollo 11 2019

The space documentary Amanda loved earlier this year; Sean can't picture watching it anywhere but a big screen.

Ash Is Purest White 2018

Atlantics 2019

Small and brilliant, per Sean, alongside 'Diane.'

Birds of Passage 2018

Booksmart 2019

Diane 2019

The Farewell 2019

Ford v Ferrari 2019

Sean's read: an easy one for a dad to enjoy.

The Irishman 2019

Just Mercy 2019

A civically minded film, per Sean, about a big idea Obama clearly cares about.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco 2019

Little Women 2019

Marriage Story 2019

Sean confirms Barack and Michelle watched it together.

Parasite 2019

The Souvenir 2019

Amanda's guess: Obama has two daughters in college, so he has empathy for the film's dating-a-heroin-addict plot.

Transit 2018

Booksmart 2019

Sean revisited it and found it less rewatchable than he remembered, not as much fun, and argues it should've gone to Netflix instead of a wide release that ultimately bricked.

Mulan 2020

Sean and Amanda admit they're too old for it; a Ringer colleague calls it the most important Disney movie of all time.

Onward 2020

Not based on prior IP like 'Toy Story 4,' so its success isn't guaranteed.

Soul 2020

Same caveat as 'Onward' -- original Pixar, no built-in guarantee.

Black Widow 2021

Sean's already seen the trailer and wants less Taskmaster, more Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz.

Eternals 2021

Angelina Jolie is in it, which Amanda didn't realize.

Artemis Fowl 2020

Jungle Cruise 2021

Sean's real contribution: he loved the actual Disneyland ride in 1993.

The New Mutants 2020

Shot 18 months earlier and still unreleased, which worries Sean.

The Woman in the Window 2021

A tough trailer, per Sean; he's read the source novel and won't recommend it, and flags the author's since-exposed backstory.

Free Guy 2021

Ryan Reynolds as a video-game background character who becomes self-aware; Sean's a sucker for Reynolds.

Death on the Nile 2022

The Last Duel 2021

Sean's most excited pick on the slate: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reuniting, directed by Ridley Scott.

Raya and the Last Dragon 2021

West Side Story 2021

Steven Spielberg's, set for a Christmas Day slot.

Cats 2019

A world-historical failure, per Sean -- Deadline pegged the loss at a minimum of $71 million, and both hosts marvel at the reshoot-the-fur-technology saga.

Little Women 2019

A great opening weekend, $30 million over the Christmas holiday.

Jumanji: The Next Level 2019

Barely discussed on the show all year, but quietly making a lot of money.

Uncut Gems 2019

Broke A24's opening-weekend box office record. Sean floats an Uncut Gems Oscar run; Amanda notes not everyone will take their parents to see it.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019

Sean's shorthand for it all year: "the Tarantino movie." One of the five films he says could actually win Best Picture and that you'd recommend to a stranger on the street.

The Irishman 2019

"The Scorsese movie," part of Sean's five-way Best Picture case.

Parasite 2019

"The Bong Joon-ho movie" -- in the head-to-head game, Amanda takes it over 'Okja' without hesitation.

Uncut Gems 2019

Little Women 2019

Midsommar 2019

Part of the deep A24 bench Sean loved this year.

The Lighthouse 2019

Waves 2019

Us 2019

In the head-to-head game, Amanda takes Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' over this one.

The Souvenir 2019

Ford v Ferrari 2019

Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019

Sean says they barely talked about it this year.

Hustlers 2019

Knives Out 2019

Sean admits they never even said its name on the show until now.