From 'Episode IX' to 'The Irishman': 2019 movies I can't wait to see

I am still coming down from the high of Us, one of my favorite movies that I've seen in a long time, and barring something mind-blowing, likely my number one movie of 2019. That being said, there is a hell of a lot of upcoming movies on this year's slate that I am looking forward to.

There will be the return of a couple of my favorite auteurs -- Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, the dramatic conclusion to the latest Star Wars trilogy and then a lot of could-be masterpieces like Todd Phillips' Joker, which promises to be, if nothing else, one of the more unconventional comic book movies of recent memory.

It's going to be an interesting year I think -- and although it's become popular to pooh-pooh the awards fare year after year (has there been any universally beloved movie in the last decade?) -- I've been fairly encouraged by the state of cinema right now.

For sure, the reboots and adaptations can be overwhelming -- but there is some terrific genre stuff happening right now, particularly in horror, that cannot be denied.

Here are the top 10 films I can't wait to see for the rest of this year:

Gemini Man - Will Smith has long been vying for the perfect comeback vehicle -- and this mysterious Ang Lee film stands a better chance of resurrecting his reputation as an A-lister than Aladdin will. Very little is know about this film other than Smith will be playing an assassin on the hunt for a younger clone of himself. Lee's has show a facility with technical wizardry before (with Life of Pi) and arguably Smith's best on-screen acting was mostly by himself in the film I Am Legend, so this may be a home run.

Hobbs & Shaw - The most dumb fun parts of the Fast & Furious films have finally been cut loose and provided with a vehicle to do what they do best -- show off their guns and quip while they're doing it. It's hard to imagine an old school action film like this missing the mark, it almost feels like a victory lap for The Rock and Statham who have, in middle age, supplanted Stallone and Schwarzenegger as the most reliably badass action movie stars of the era.

The Dead Don't Die

It: Chapter Two - The first big-screen It adaptation surprised everyone by becoming a behemoth blockbuster (and it was well-received critically too). The curious thing will be how well the filmmakers pull off the second half of this story (which I thought was the weaker part of the iconic TV movie version). They've assembling a great cast, including Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy -- but I'm curious if they can still make the clown scary a second time around.

John Wick 3 - John Wick 2 was that rare sequel that may have even improved upon its original, it certainly expanded the universe of elite hitman and further developed (as much as movies like this can) the titular hero, played deftly by Keanu Reeves. This third installment seems even bigger and bolder, with Halle Berry joining the fun and a sequence on horseback that looks to be a new classic.

The Dead Don't Die - Director Jim Jarmusch's deadpan style isn't everyone's cup of tea, heck it isn't always mine, and so this zombie comedy will most likely not be a crowd pleaser. But he has assembled a killer cast (including some of his regulars: Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton) and has demonstrated before (with Only Lovers Left Alive) that he brings a sophisticated and creative eye to well-worn horror cliches and concepts.

High Life - The trailer for this one is a stunner. It doesn't give away much but it definitely has some Alien meets Under the Skin vibes. Robert Pattison, who has been on a real hot streak as an actor looks compelling here as does Juliette Binoche is what looks to be a scary, erotic, thinking man/woman's sci-movie. If the reviews are good (and the early ones appear to be), I will be all about this one.

Midsommar - The second feature film from Ari Aster, the director of Hereditary has real Wicker Man vibes (the good version, not the Nicolas Cage) one. It appears to be set amid some kind of a cultish atmosphere is bright, sunny settings that somehow manage to still be ominous. This one has another strong trailer that doesn't give away too much but shows just enough to suggest it could be another genre masterpiece.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Every Tarantino fan is salivating over this one. I think we'd all love to see his take on the 60's. This is also DiCaprio's first film in four years -- so it's exciting to see him working again, and this feels like a real homecoming for its embattled director. Hopefully, it can live up to all the hype and anticipation. Certainly the trailer makes it look quite fun and suggests that Sharon Tate murder subplot is just that.

The Irishman - So this movie was on my list last year, when it was expected to come out and be a major Oscar player but now it's been pushed to this year and who knows what it's fate will be -- it's also a Netflix movie, so the distribution will likely be a mess -- BUT -- and this is a big but, it's DeNiro reuniting with Scorsese for the first time since Casino, it's Scorsese's first pairing with Pacino ever and it'll be the triumphant return of Joe Pesci who will all be playing a range of ages thanks to state-of-the-art de-agifying technology that has sent the budget skyrocketing. But if Scorsese pulls it off, it could be a stone cold classic.

Episode IX - This should surprise no one. The Force Awakens was a game changer -- the best Star Wars film in over 30 years which resurrected beloved heroes and introduced some great new ones. The Last Jedi, for me, was nearly its equal, but clearly divided a lot of fans, which means this final installment (which is still untitled) has a huge burden on its shoulders. How will Carrie Fisher's storyline be resolved? How will really any of it end is a huge mystery -- which come to think of it, is pretty cool. It'd be kind of lame if this all just culminated in a light saber fight between Rey and Kylo. But only time will tell.