59 Best Movies & Shows Released in 2019 (Page 3)

A Cuban-American revival of the Norman Lear series from the '70s and '80s, this relatively short-lived version of One Day at a Time was once the sweetest show on TV, especially in a landscape populated by prestige dramas and gritty genre fare. In its empathetic approach towards a wide range of subject matter—racism, mental illness, gender identity, unconventional family structures—the series places a premium on communication and acceptance. Which isn't to say that the show doesn't have its fair share of amusing misunderstandings and conflicts, mostly between independent single mom Penélope (Justina Machado) and the flamboyant abuela Lydia (Rita Moreno). But perhaps most impressive about One Day at a Time is how it breathes new life into the three-wall sitcom format with a live studio audience—enhancing the show's most emotional moments either through the live viewers' bated breath or their eruption of applause.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Actor: Isabella Gomez, Justina Machado, Marcel Ruiz, Rita Moreno, Stephen Tobolowsky, Todd Grinnell

Rating: TV-PG

This is an easy and funny Canadian TV show about a Korean store owner in Toronto.

He completely lacks awareness of modern gender, sexual orientation, and race issues - yet his good nature redeems him. In the first episode he is confronted for saying something homophobic, but replies by pretending he has an ongoing 15% “gay discount” (except he decides who’s gay or not by looking at them).

There are many other interesting themes, such as his daughter being pressured to find a “cool Christian Korean boyfriend” and her insisting that those words don’t go together.

Kim's Convenience is about the Korean-Canadian experience, but it also feels geared towards a Korean-Canadian audience. It’s authentic, refreshing, and most importantly, funny.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Andrea Bang, Andrew Phung, Jean Yoon, Nicole Power, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Simu Liu

Rating: TV-14

An eccentric billionaire. A freakishly strong character who is ashamed of his strength. A Captain America-esque leader. An old mentor in the form of a wise talking monkey. You guessed it; The Umbrella Academy is about superheroes.

One fateful day in 1989 many women across the globe give birth at the same time, but at the start of that day, none of them were pregnant. The eccentric billionaire adopts a number of these children to form The Umbrella Academy, a collective similar to X-Men or The Avengers. Except, because they are all kind of related, this show is about their family dynamic as much as it is about their superpowers.

The Umbrella Academy is an entertaining story of superheroes that is rarely original but always enjoyable. Ellen Page plays one of the kids (the black sheep of the family who has no superpowers), and she’s a joy to watch.

And substantial bonus: Mary J. Blige (!) plays a hitman.

Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Adam Godley, Aidan Gallagher, Cameron Britton, Cameron Brodeur, Colm Feore, David Castañeda, David Castañeda, Eden Cupid, Ellen Page, Elliot Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Génesis Rodríguez, Justin H. Min, Mary J. Blige, Ritu Arya, Robert Sheehan, Tom Hopper

Rating: TV-14

This is an thrilling BBC/Netflix show and a Yakuza drama that takes place between Tokyo and London. About half of the dialogue is in Japanese and the other half is in English.

Yakuza families are no longer at peace when a boss’s nephew is assassinated in London. Trying to bring the culprit in without interference from the British police, a Tokyo detective is sent to the UK to try to find him. 

There is an undeniable appeal to seeing the world of yakuza unfold, but the show’s title, which translates to Duty/Shame is a reference to the detective’s own personal conflict: the suspected murderer he’s looking for is his brother. Ouu.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Anna Sawai, Aoi Okuyama, Charlie Creed-Miles, Jamie Draven, Katsuya, Kelly Macdonald, Masahiro Motoki, Mitsuko Oka, Sophia Brown, Takehiro Hira, Togo Igawa, Tony Pitts, Will Sharpe, Yoshiki Minato, Yosuke Kubozuka, Yuko Nakamura

Rating: N/A

The episodes of Midnight Diner are just as heartwarming and assorted as the dishes the restauranteur known only as Master prepares for his customers. Much like short stories, they each have their standalone arc and specific conflict, but they all share the same connection: they take place in this diner, which is open only from midnight until early morning, and they follow the lives of everyday Tokyo citizens. There's a broadcaster who seeks the warmth of tan-men after a busy day of work, a has-been comedian who steals his rival comic's corndog, and a realtor who orders pork cutlets to win over lovers. They are mundane and relatable stories told with gentleness and depth, and ingeniously, they all go back to the dish of the day served at Master's diner. For his part, Master helps these characters figure out more than just their orders by doling out advice in his own stoic yet sage way. 

It's sort of like miso soup for the soul in that way; heartwarming and comforting, best served on a cold night.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ah-sung Ko, Asako Kobayashi, Bsaku Sato, Hirofumi Arai, Joe Odagiri, Junko Miyashita, Kaoru Kobayashi, Ken Mitsuishi, Kimiko Yo, Ko A-sung, Koen Kondo, Kosuke Toyohara, Kotaro Shiga, Mamiko Itoh, Mansaku Fuwa, Mikako Tabe, Mitsuru Hirata, Reiko Kataoka, Risa Sudou, Shohei Uno, Takashi Yamanaka, Tamae Ando, Tamaki Ogawa, Toru Kazama, Toshiki Ayata, Yoshinori Okada, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Yuma Yamoto, Yutaka Matsushige

Rating: TV-14

Far more self-aware than one might think, Dear White People isn't just a progressive comedy that puts its politics front and center—it's also heavily critical of its own so-called "woke" characters and their hypocrisy, but never in a cruel way that betrays its own beliefs. It's a show all about the contradictions of existing as Black in America, especially within a prestigious institution that claims to take pride in its diversity while asking its students to compromise on parts of their identity. And all of this is done with impeccable style, a rapid pace that actually enhances the comedy, and a large cast of well-written characters who intersect in fascinating ways.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Antoinette Robertson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Brandon P. Bell, DeRon Horton, Giancarlo Esposito, John Patrick Amedori, Kyle Gallner, Logan Browning, Marque Richardson, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Tyler James Williams

Director: Justin Simien

Rating: R, TV-MA