My Top 5 TV Shows of 2019

Crikey, would you look at the date? 2019 is almost over and that can only mean one thing - it's time to recap the best that TV and streaming had to offer throughout the year.

My Top 10 Films of 2019

With 2019 drawing to a close, it's time to look back at the year that was and reflect on some of my favourite films from the past 12 months.

My 2019 Movie Soundtrack Playlist

Every December I take a look back at the year that was and cherry pick some musical highlights, whether they be soaring orchestral scores or licensed tracks that have been inserted into films to great effect.

Four TV shows found their way into the playlist this year, with the first season of Watchmen, The Mandalorian and Succession, as well as the final season of Game of Thrones, all featuring some brilliant pieces of music from the likes of Ramin Djawadi, Nicholas Britell and Ludwig Goransson. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score for Watchmen is the pick of the bunch.

Meanwhile, Alan Silvestri's score for Avengers: Endgame was a suitably sweeping and bombastic affair, with tracks like 'Portals' and 'Main on End' capturing the scope and spectacle of Marvel's huge finale.

John Williams graced The Rise of Skywalker with his presence, and pieces of music like 'The Force Is With You' and 'A New Home' beautifully mixed existing themes, such as 'Rey's Theme', with the new.

I've also included a handful of my favourite 'needle drops' of the year, such as Hustlers' use of Britney Spears, Nirvana popping up in Captain Marvel and Booksmart's eclectic soundtrack, which featured Run the Jewels and Lizzo. And who can forget Quentin Tarantino's authentic mix of rock n' roll music and radio ads to soundtrack his homage to the Swinging Sixties, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

By no means a comprehensive list, feel free to let me know some of your favourite film soundtracks from 2019 and I can add them to the playlist in Spotify.

Film Review: The Report

A procedural drama that recounts the US Senate's investigation of Iraq War era misdeeds conducted by the CIA, Scott Z Burns' film The Report is a stern and rigorous piece that lacks swagger or emotion.

Film Review: Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker

The Skywalker saga lurches to a disappointing and disjointed conclusion in JJ Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Film Review: Jumanji – The Next Level

The gang is back and the game has changed in Jumanji: The Next Level.

Film Review: 6 Underground

Strap in for utter Bayhem in Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds' globe-trotting action thriller, 6 Underground.

Film Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

Director Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is a tender yarn about the importance of empathy and understanding amidst familial turmoil and tragedy.

Film Review: Marriage Story

Netflix pulls out the big guns for a big awards season release, with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern and Merritt Weaver starring in Noah Baumbach's terrific Marriage Story.

Film Review: 1917

British filmmaker Sam Mendes serves as both writer and director on 1917, an audacious war film that is a technical marvel with a hefty emotional wallop for good measure.