The usual disclaimer applies as we move on to our ‘worst of’ list – we tend to avoid many of the films that you’d expect to see in these lists so these films are probably higher quality than some films that were out this year (*cough* ‘Cats‘ *cough*, but these are all to be avoided nonetheless…!

Here are our least favourite films of 2019…

5. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

The ‘rebooted’ ‘X-Men’ series had started so well with ‘First Class‘ and ‘Days of Future Past‘, but ‘Apocalypse‘ stumbled and then we have ‘Dark Phoenix‘, which is just terrible. Sophie Turner isn’t a good enough lead to begin with, but the rest of the film is a mess and it feels like one of those films where no one wants to be there, with even reliable performers like Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence essentially phoning it in.

4. Out of Blue

‘Out of Blue‘ is one of those films that thinks it’s cleverer than it is, a perplexing neo-noir based on a mysterious Martin Amis novel. It begins with a death which could be murder or suicide, then gets weirder from there with Patricia Clarkson’s detective at the centre trying to make sense of it all. She is very good, but the film is not and it’s ultimately a very frustrating watch.

3. Welcome to Marwen

‘Welcome to Marwen‘ is one of those films that just doesn’t work, tonally all over the place and never managing to achieve the pathos it’s ambitious story is aiming for. An odd mix of motion capture fantasy and a tale of someone coping with trauma, ‘Welcome to Marwen‘ is a film best avoided.

2. The Goldfinch

Based on a critically acclaimed bestseller, ‘The Goldfinch‘ on paper would seem to have everything going for it, so I was surprised that the film was as bad as it was. Whether the filmmakers or the source material is to blame for this slow, ponderous mess, I don’t know nor really care, but this is a really bad, clunky drama that I really, really disliked.

1. Serenity

If you’re going to watch any film on this list, make it this one. Not because it’s good, but because it’s at least a degree of fun in just how sheer batshit crazy it all is! Matthew McConaughey plays a fisherman in search of a large tuna, when his ex-wife hires him to kill her current husband, and believe it or not, this outline is the least crazy thing about this film. It has to be seen to be believed, but don’t expect it to be good!

Narrowly avoiding this list: Godzilla: King of the Monsters, The Dead Don’t Die