Summer Movie Scorecard 2019
Welcome to the Summer Movie Scorecard for 2019, where we weekly rank the biggest and buzz-worthy by Tomatometer! Just a wide release (600+ theaters) and/or 80 critics reviews gets you on the list – beginning with movies released from April 26 and onward. Why then? Because that’s when Avengers: Endgame came out, kicking off the summer slate. Yes, Disney even controls the seasons now.
By the time August closes, we’ll have seen the likes of superheroes (Dark Phoenix, Spider-Man: Far From Home), horror hopefuls (Child’s Play, Annabelle Comes Home, Midsommar), action blockbusters (Hobbs & Shaw, Men in Black International, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), new stuff from Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and Richard Linklater (Where’d You Go, Bernadette), and plenty in family-friendly fare (Toy Story 4, Dora and the Lost City of Gold).
Check back as we update with the best 2019 movies of the summer (and the worst) every week and see where your favorites rank! —Alex Vo
Updated 8/26: Angel Has Fallen, Overcomer, Ready or Not
#57
Adjusted Score: 21572%
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.
Synopsis: Josephine Chesterfield is a glamorous, seductive British woman who has a penchant for defrauding gullible men out of their money....
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#56
Adjusted Score: 35983%
Critics Consensus: With three talented leads struggling to prop up a sagging story, The Kitchen is a jumbled crime thriller in urgent need of some heavy-duty renovation.
Synopsis: Between 8th Ave. and the Hudson River, the Irish mafia runs 20 blocks of a tough New York City neighborhood...
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#55
Adjusted Score: 39740%
Critics Consensus: Amiable yet forgettable, MiB International grinds its stars' substantial chemistry through the gears of a franchise running low on reasons to continue.
Synopsis: The Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe but so have the villains of the universe. To keep...
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#54
Adjusted Score: 42545%
Critics Consensus: Dark Phoenix ends an era of the X-Men franchise by taking a second stab at adapting a classic comics arc -- with deeply disappointing results.
Synopsis: The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe when one of their own, Jean Grey, starts to spiral out...
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#53
Adjusted Score: 33869%
Critics Consensus: Very young viewers may be entertained by UglyDolls -- if only because they're less likely to recognize the many familiar elements in its affirmative yet formulaic story.
Synopsis: In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weirdness is celebrated, strangeness is special and beauty is embraced as more than...
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#52
Adjusted Score: 39821%
Critics Consensus: The Intruder might appeal to fans of shout-at-the-screen cinema, but this thriller's ludicrous plot robs it of suspense -- and undermines Dennis Quaid's suitably over-the-top performance.
Synopsis: Scott and Annie Russell couldn't be happier after buying their dream home from a mysterious and lonely widower named Charlie...
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#51
Adjusted Score: 37085%
Critics Consensus: Anna finds writer-director Luc Besson squarely in his wheelhouse, but fans of this variety of stylized action have seen it all done before -- and better.
Synopsis: Beneath a woman's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of...
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#50
Adjusted Score: 40221%
Critics Consensus: Decades removed from the original, this multi-generational Shaft struggles to keep its characters interesting -- or anything other than uncomfortably outdated.
Synopsis: John Shaft Jr. may be an FBI cyber security expert, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend's untimely...
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#49
Adjusted Score: 39814%
Critics Consensus: While the cast is something to cheer about, Poms squanders its talented stars on a clichéd comedy that disrespects the demographic it's trying to celebrate.
Synopsis: Martha is an introverted woman who moves to a retirement community that has shuffleboard, golf, bowling and other activities. Hoping...
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#48
Adjusted Score: 40471%
Critics Consensus: El Chicano represents a step forward for representation in superhero cinema -- unfortunately, its clichéd story is nothing more than ordinary.
Synopsis: When LAPD Detective Diego Hernandez is assigned a career-making case investigating a vicious cartel, he uncovers links to his brother's...
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#47
Adjusted Score: 56130%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: High school basketball coach John Harrison and his team face an uncertain future when their town's largest manufacturing plant shuts...
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#46
Adjusted Score: 47633%
Critics Consensus: Cut from the same rough cloth as its predecessors, Angel Has Fallen rounds out a mostly forgettable action trilogy in fittingly mediocre fashion.
Synopsis: Authorities take Secret Service agent Mike Banning into custody for the failed assassination attempt of U.S. President Allan Trumbull. After...
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#45
Adjusted Score: 60647%
Critics Consensus: Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers spectacular kaiju action -- and reaffirms that cutting-edge effects are still no substitute for a good story.
Synopsis: Members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides...
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#44
Adjusted Score: 54819%
Critics Consensus: Though it makes a strong case for future collaborations between Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista, Stuber fails to mesh its contrasting genres, settling for an overtly violent, mildly entertaining diversion that's far from a five-star ride.
Synopsis: A quick-tempered cop who's recovering from eye surgery recruits a mild-mannered Uber driver to help him catch the heroin dealer...
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#43
Adjusted Score: 49715%
Critics Consensus: Its heartstring-tugging overtures may be difficult for dog lovers to resist, but The Art of Racing in the Rain is sentimental and contrived.
Synopsis: Denny Swift is a Formula One race car driver who understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also...
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#42
Adjusted Score: 59914%
Critics Consensus: Where'd You Go, Bernadette offers dispiriting proof that a talented director, bestselling source material, and terrific cast can add up to far less than the sum of their parts.
Synopsis: Former architect Bernadette Fox seems to have it all -- a beautiful home in Seattle, a successful and loving husband,...
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#41
Adjusted Score: 56814%
Critics Consensus: A Dog's Journey is as sentimental as one might expect, but even cynical viewers may find their ability to resist shedding a tear stretched to the puppermost limit.
Synopsis: Bailey is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his boy, Ethan and Ethan's wife Hannah. He even...
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#40
Adjusted Score: 48869%
Critics Consensus: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged may not be as ruthlessly efficient as its finned villains, but fans of shark peril thrillers should find it just chummy enough.
Synopsis: Four teenage divers discover that the sunken ruins of a Mayan city are also a hunting ground for deadly great...
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#39
Adjusted Score: 56876%
Critics Consensus: The Sun Is Also a Star has a pair of easy-to-love leads, but tests the audience's affection with a storyline that strains credulity past the breaking point.
Synopsis: College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet -- and fall for each other -- over one magical...
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#38
Adjusted Score: 61083%
Critics Consensus: Tolkien has the period trappings and strong performances of a worthy biopic, but lacks the imagination required to truly do its subject justice.
Synopsis: As a young student, J.R.R. Tolkien finds love, friendship and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts. Their brotherhood...
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#37
Adjusted Score: 74350%
Critics Consensus: While it can take pride in its visual achievements,The Lion King is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved--though for some fans that may just be enough.
Synopsis: Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But...
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#36
Ma (2019)
55%
Adjusted Score: 65976%
Critics Consensus: Octavia Spencer's performance overpowers many of Ma's flaws, but uneven pacing and a labored story keep this thriller from fully realizing its unhinged potential.
Synopsis: A lonely middle-aged woman befriends some teenagers and decides to let them party in the basement of her home. But...
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#35
Adjusted Score: 70800%
Critics Consensus: The Dead Don't Die dabbles with tones and themes to varying degrees of success, but sharp wit and a strong cast make this a zom-com with enough brains to consume.
Synopsis: In the sleepy small town of Centerville, something is not quite right. The moon hangs large and low in the...
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#34
Adjusted Score: 67474%
Critics Consensus: Although Brightburn doesn't fully deliver on the pitch-black promise of its setup, it's still enough to offer a diverting subversion of the superhero genre.
Synopsis: After a difficult struggle with fertility, Tori Breyer's dreams of motherhood come true with the arrival of a mysterious baby...
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#33
Adjusted Score: 77713%
Critics Consensus: Aladdin retells its classic source material's story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original.
Synopsis: Aladdin is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah. While visiting...
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#32
Adjusted Score: 67237%
Critics Consensus: While it remains a reasonably inspiring drama, Brian Banks might have presented a more complex or fully realized version of the real-life story it dramatizes.
Synopsis: The inspirational true story of Brian Banks, an all-American high school football star who finds his life upended when he's...
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#31
Adjusted Score: 68123%
Critics Consensus: The Secret Life of Pets 2 doesn't teach its animated stars any new narrative tricks -- but for fans of the original, this funny, energetic sequel should still satisfy.
Synopsis: Explore the emotional lives of pets and the deep bond between them and the families that love them as Max,...
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#30
Adjusted Score: 82482%
Critics Consensus: Yesterday may fall short of fab, but the end result is still a sweetly charming fantasy with an intriguing -- albeit somewhat under-explored -- premise.
Synopsis: Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the...
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#29
Adjusted Score: 74528%
Critics Consensus: Child's Play updates an '80s horror icon for the Internet of Things era, with predictably gruesome -- and generally entertaining -- results.
Synopsis: After moving to a new city, young Andy Barclay receives a special present from his mother -- a seemingly innocent...
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#28
Adjusted Score: 74947%
Critics Consensus: The White Crow lacks the nimble grace of its subject, but as a reasonably diverting primer on a pivotal period in the life of a brilliant artist, it just about sticks the landing.
Synopsis: Young Rudolf Nureyev becomes a top ballet dancer in Russia, but a life-changing visit to Paris soon makes him seek...
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#27
Adjusted Score: 74698%
Critics Consensus: Fun for fans even if it isn't as frightening as some of its predecessors, Annabelle Comes Home suggests there's still some life left in the Conjuring franchise.
Synopsis: Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren lock the possessed doll in the...
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#26
Adjusted Score: 85139%
Critics Consensus: Hobbs & Shaw doesn't rev as high as the franchise's best installments, but gets decent mileage out of its well-matched stars and over-the-top action sequences.
Synopsis: Brixton Lorr is a cybernetically enhanced soldier who possesses superhuman strength, a brilliant mind and a lethal pathogen that could...
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#25
Adjusted Score: 84740%
Critics Consensus: Pokémon Detective Pikachu may not take its wonderfully bizarre premise as far as it could have, but this offbeat adaptation should catch most -- if not all -- of the franchise's fans.
Synopsis: Ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son, Tim, to find out what happened. Aiding in the...
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#24
Adjusted Score: 80357%
Critics Consensus: Impressively cast and beautifully filmed, All Is True takes an elegiac look at Shakespeare's final days.
Synopsis: The year is 1613, and Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 77101%
Critics Consensus: Like its non-aerodynamic title characters, The Angry Birds Movie 2 takes improbable yet delightfully entertaining flight, landing humorous hits along the way.
Synopsis: Red, Chuck, Bomb and the rest of their feathered friends are surprised when a green pig suggests that they put...
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#22
Adjusted Score: 90151%
Critics Consensus: Like the bestselling series of books that inspired it, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark opens a creepy gateway into horror for younger genre enthusiasts.
Synopsis: The shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large in the small town of Mill Valley for generations. It's in...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 93823%
Critics Consensus: Good Boys is undermined by an eagerness to repeatedly indulge in profane humor, but its appealing cast and ultimately thoughtful message often shine through.
Synopsis: Invited to his first kissing party, 12-year-old Max asks his best friends Lucas and Thor for some much-needed help on...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 95849%
Critics Consensus: Smart, timely, and brought to life by a terrific cast, Late Night is a workplace comedy with a lot of heart -- and just as many laughs.
Synopsis: A late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her first and only female staff writer....
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#19
Adjusted Score: 94864%
Critics Consensus: An action-packed creature feature that's fast, terrifying, and benefits greatly from a completely game Kaya Scodelario, Crawl is a fun throw-back with just enough self-awareness to work.
Synopsis: When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father,...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 98183%
Critics Consensus: A sharp and deceptively layered comedy that's further fueled by the odd couple chemistry of its leads, this Long Shot largely hits its marks.
Synopsis: Fred Flarsky is a gifted and free-spirited journalist who has a knack for getting into trouble. Charlotte Field is one...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 92730%
Critics Consensus: Led by a winning performance from Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly adventure that retains its source material's youthful spirit.
Synopsis: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle, nothing could prepare Dora for her most dangerous adventure yet --...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 104894%
Critics Consensus: Ambitious, impressively crafted, and above all unsettling, Midsommar further proves writer-director Ari Aster is a horror auteur to be reckoned with.
Synopsis: A young American couple, their relationship foundering, travel to a fabled Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly pastoral paradise transforms...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 100122%
Critics Consensus: The Nightingale definitely isn't for all tastes, but writer-director Jennifer Kent taps into a rich vein of palpable rage to tell a war story that leaves a bruising impact.
Synopsis: Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 117465%
Critics Consensus: Thrillingly unrestrained yet solidly crafted, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tempers Tarantino's provocative impulses with the clarity of a mature filmmaker's vision.
Synopsis: Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 105967%
Critics Consensus: Smart, subversive, and darkly funny, Ready or Not is a crowd-pleasing horror film with giddily entertaining bite.
Synopsis: Grace couldn't be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family's luxurious estate. There's just one...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 93946%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and sharply written, Non-Fiction finds writer-director Olivier Assayas working in a comedic vein that channels classic forebears while remaining utterly fresh.
Synopsis: Alain is in his 40s and runs a famous publishing house which publishes novels by his friend Léonard, a bohemian...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 102606%
Critics Consensus: Like a life-affirming rock anthem, Blinded by the Light hits familiar chords with confidence and flair, building to a conclusion that leaves audiences cheering for an encore.
Synopsis: Javed is a Pakistani teenager who experiences racial and economic turmoil while living in Luton, England, in 1987. He writes...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 110385%
Critics Consensus: It's going to be a long, long time before a rock biopic manages to capture the highs and lows of an artist's life like Rocketman.
Synopsis: Young Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John and collaborates with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of the...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 107922%
Critics Consensus: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum reloads for another hard-hitting round of the brilliantly choreographed, over-the-top action that fans of the franchise demand.
Synopsis: After gunning down a member of the High Table -- the shadowy international assassin's guild -- legendary hit man John...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 115574%
Critics Consensus: A breezily unpredictable blend of teen romance and superhero action, Spider-Man: Far from Home stylishly sets the stage for the next era of the MCU.
Synopsis: Peter Parker's relaxing European vacation takes an unexpected turn when Nick Fury shows up in his hotel room to recruit...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 103922%
Critics Consensus: An affecting story powerfully told, The Last Black Man in San Francisco immediately establishes director Joe Talbot as a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: Jimmie and his best friend Mont try to reclaim the house built by Jimmie's grandfather, launching them on a poignant...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 102474%
Critics Consensus: There's no shortage of star-is-born stories, but Wild Rose proves they can still be thoroughly entertaining -- and marks its own transcendent moment for lead Jessie Buckley.
Synopsis: Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 123899%
Critics Consensus: Exciting, entertaining, and emotionally impactful, Avengers: Endgame does whatever it takes to deliver a satisfying finale to Marvel's epic Infinity Saga.
Synopsis: The fourth installment in the Avengers saga is the culmination of 22 interconnected Marvel films and the climax of a...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 99885%
Critics Consensus: Led by standout work from Tessa Thompson, Little Woods tells a grimly absorbing tale that marks a commendable debut for writer-director Nia DaCosta.
Synopsis: In North Dakota, two estranged sisters are driven to extremes when their mother dies, leaving them with one week to...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 116434%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.
Synopsis: Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 121631%
Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, funny, and beautifully animated, Toy Story 4 manages the unlikely feat of extending -- and perhaps concluding -- a practically perfect animated saga.
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy...
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#1
Adjusted Score: 115531%
Critics Consensus: The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
Synopsis: Billi's family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch...
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64%
78%
