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!
Updated 8/19: Good Boys, Angry Birds 2, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Blinded by the Light, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
#54
Adjusted Score: 20.465%
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: Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway have winning chemistry as a pair of con artists plying their trade in a stunning...
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#53
Adjusted Score: 29.125%
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: Based on the Vertigo comic book series from DC Entertainment, the film stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and...
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#52
Adjusted Score: 35.93%
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 always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they...
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#51
Adjusted Score: 39.57%
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: In DARK PHOENIX, the X-MEN face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a...
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#50
Adjusted Score: 29.91%
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, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than...
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#49
Adjusted Score: 32.793%
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 Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of...
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#48
Adjusted Score: 33.672%
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: When a young married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) buys their dream house in the Napa Valley, they think...
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#47
Adjusted Score: 36.789%
Critics Consensus: Decades removed from the original, this multi-generational Shaft struggles to keep its characters interesting -- or anything other than uncomfortably outdated.
Synopsis: "Shaft" is the next chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block....
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#46
Adjusted Score: 37.063%
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: POMS is an uplifting comedy about Martha (played by Diane Keaton), a woman who moves into a retirement community and...
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#45
Adjusted Score: 35.168%
Critics Consensus: El Chicano represents a step forward for representation in superhero cinema -- unfortunately, its clichéd story is nothing more than ordinary.
Synopsis: When L.A.P.D. Detective Diego Hernandez is assigned a career-making case investigating a vicious cartel, he uncovers links to his brother's...
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#44
Adjusted Score: 55.996%
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: The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery...
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#43
Adjusted Score: 52.258%
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: When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be...
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#42
Adjusted Score: 46.281%
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: Based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is a heartfelt tale narrated...
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#41
Adjusted Score: 52.957%
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: Based on the runaway bestseller, Where'd You Go, Bernadette is an inspiring comedy about Bernadette Fox (Academy Award winner Cate...
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#40
Adjusted Score: 52.012%
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 (voiced again by Josh Gad) is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his "boy," Ethan (Dennis...
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#39
Adjusted Score: 52.047%
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: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged follows the diving adventure of four teenage girls (Corinne Foxx, Sistine Stallone, Sophie Nélisse, and Brianne...
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#38
Adjusted Score: 54.926%
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 day amidst the fervor...
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#37
Adjusted Score: 59.496%
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: TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the renowned author's life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow...
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#36
Adjusted Score: 71.449%
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: From Disney Live Action, director Jon Favreau's all-new "The Lion King" journeys to the African savanna where a future king...
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#35
Adjusted Score: 62.547%
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: Oscar (R) winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town....
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#34
Adjusted Score: 65.594%
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: The greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb...
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#33
Adjusted Score: 60.301%
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 (Aldis Hodge), an All-American high school football star committed to USC who finds...
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#32
Adjusted Score: 65.75%
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: What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved...
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#31
Adjusted Score: 73.621%
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: A street rat frees a genie from a lamp, granting all of his wishes and transforming himself into a charming...
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#30
Adjusted Score: 65.516%
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: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 will follow summer 2016's blockbuster about the lives our pets lead after we leave...
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#29
Adjusted Score: 77.59%
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 (Himesh Patel, BBC's Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame...
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#28
Adjusted Score: 72.395%
Critics Consensus: Child's Play updates an '80s horror icon for the Internet of Things era, with predictably gruesome -- and generally entertaining -- results.
Synopsis: A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic, Child's Play follows Karen (Aubrey Plaza), a single mother who gifts her...
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#27
Adjusted Score: 71.297%
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: Ralph Fiennes' THE WHITE CROW was inspired by the book Rudolf Nureyev: The Life by Julie Kavanaugh. The drama charts...
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#26
Adjusted Score: 73.496%
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, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked...
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#25
Adjusted Score: 81.59%
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: Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Jason...
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#24
Adjusted Score: 81.422%
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: The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 76.5%
Critics Consensus: Impressively cast and beautifully filmed, All Is True takes an elegiac look at Shakespeare's final days.
Synopsis: The year is 1613, Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his renowned...
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#22
Adjusted Score: 77.57%
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: The flightless angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 86.598%
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: After being invited to his first kissing party, 12-year-old Max (Room's Jacob Tremblay) is panicking because he doesn't know how...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 89.887%
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: It's l968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind... but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 92.457%
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: Legendary late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her only female staff writer. Originally intended...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 93.762%
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 (Seth Rogen) is a gifted and free-spirited journalist with an affinity for trouble. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 87.922%
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 hometown, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) ignores evacuation orders to search for her missing father...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 88.195%
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 with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 90.856%
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: THE NIGHTINGALE is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 98.149%
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: Dani and Christian are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart. But after a...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 107.817%
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: Quentin Tarantino's ninth feature film is a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 94.297%
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: Juliette Binoche and Guillame Canet reunite with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas for this wry, slyly seductive tale of sex, lies,...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 105.469%
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: ROCKETMAN is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John's breakthrough years. The film follows the...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 99.004%
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: 1987. When music fanatic Javed discovers the illustrious back catalogue of The Boss his world is turned upside down; already...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 105.25%
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: In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick (Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 109.719%
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 returns in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the next chapter of the Spider-Man: Homecoming series! Our friendly neighborhood Super...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 99.973%
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 Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 100.531%
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: WILD ROSE tells the complicated story of Rose-Lynn, a woman on a quest to become a country music star, while...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 117.528%
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 grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 99.57%
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: Little Woods, North Dakota, a fracking boomtown well beyond its prime. Ollie is trying to survive the last few days...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 111.996%
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: The story follows Dever and Feldstein's characters, two academic superstars and best friends who, on the eve of their high...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 116.16%
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 (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is...
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#1
Adjusted Score: 109.223%
Critics Consensus: The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
Synopsis: The film follows a Chinese family who, when they discover their beloved Grandmother has only a short while left to...
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