Top 10 Most Diverse Films of 2019

And how they fared at the box office

Written by Li Lai

Other Top 10 Most Diverse Films: 2023 / 2022 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017

In keeping with tradition, here are Mediaversity Reviews’ Top 10 Most Diverse films of the year! For folks new to our publication, a quick rundown: We score movies based on metrics for gender parity and racial diversity, taking into account the representation of LGBTQ, adults over 60, disabilities, religions, and body diversity. (See our full methodology here.)

This is by no means an exhaustive list — we reviewed 51 of the 903 films that came out in theaters this year — and if we had all the bandwidth in the world, it would look a bit different. Great movies like The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Monos, or One Child Nation may not have been reviewed, but they champion fresh voices and we applaud them all the same.

Now, without further ado, here are Mediaversity’s Top 10 picks of the year!

10. The Weekend

Comedy-drama The Weekend feels quietly radical with its rendering of Black Millennials in roles we normally see reserved for white upper-middle-class characters.

Mediaversity Grade: A-
Production Budget: N/A
Worldwide Gross: N/A

Read the review

The Weekend is available on Hulu.

9. Vai

Vai amplifies Pacific Islander filmmaking with its slate of 9 directors, all of them indigenous women.

Mediaversity Grade: A
Production Budget: N/A
Worldwide Gross: $88K

Read the review

Vai is available on Amazon Prime.

8. Late Night

Late Night from Nisha Ganatra tackles workplace inequality in the TV industry, while never losing sight of its primary goal to entertain.

Mediaversity Grade: A
Production Budget: $4.0M
Worldwide Gross: $21.1M

Read the review

Late Night is available on Amazon Prime.

7. Parasite

In Parasite, director Joon-ho Bong interrogates economic inequality with a wild and uniquely South Korean tale.

Mediaversity Grade: A
Production Budget: $11.8M
Worldwide Gross: $254.7M

Read the review

Parasite is available on Hulu.

6. Hustlers

Lorene Scafaria’s adaptation of Hustlers hits a home run by centering women of color and making a wider allegory to capitalism in America.

Mediaversity Grade: A
Production Budget: $20.7M
Worldwide Gross: $150.5M

Read the review

Hustlers is available on Showtime.

5. The Farewell

Lulu Wang’s The Farewell explores the trauma of immigration while grounding its multi-generational Chinese story with universal truths about family and grief.

Mediaversity Grade: A+
Production Budget: $3.0M
Worldwide Gross: $20.1M

Read the review

The Farewell is available on Amazon Prime.

4. Clemency

Nigerian-American filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu takes aim at capital punishment in Clemency, teasing out incredible performances from Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge.

Mediaversity Grade: A+
Production Budget: N/A
Worldwide Gross: $365K

Read the review

Clemency is available on Hulu.

3. Us

Jordan Peele’s latest horror film Us not only centers Lupita Nyong’o, a Black woman with dark skin, but also makes allegories to systemic inequality in America.

Mediaversity Grade: A+
Production Budget: $20.0M
Worldwide Gross: $256.1M

Read the review

Us is available to watch on HBO Max.

2. Luce

The deeply layered thriller Luce can be unpacked from a thousand different angles, as director Julius Onah comments on gender, race, mental disability, and trans-racial adoption.

Mediaversity Grade: A+
Production Budget: N/A
Worldwide Gross: $2.3M

Read the review

Luce is available to watch on Hulu.

1. Atlantics

Mati Diop’s feature debut Atlantics turns Senegalese folklore into a genre-busting drama that centers women and showcases the plight of young men who face slim economic prospects

Mediaversity Grade: A+
Production Budget: N/A
Worldwide Gross: $408K

Read the review

Atlantics is available to watch on Netflix.

Sources: The Numbers and Box Office Mojo

Mediaversity Reviews grades TV & films on gender, race, LGBTQ, disability, and more. Follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, and Facebook to join the conversation!