If you haven’t caught on to the cultural phenomenon that is the Marvel Cinematic universe, you may have been living under a rock. Avengers: Endgame is a heart breaking, adrenaline filled cosmic opera. It is by far the best drama of 2019. To truly enjoy this film, you have to have seen the previous installments.

A casual movie goer or first timer for Marvel can not appreciate the payoff this masterpiece provides. They will be confused, many lines of dialogue will go over their heads, and they’ll probably annoy you with questions. Avengers: Infinity War is a required watch to understand the plot. So go watch that first!

All of the cast members, big, small, minor, or insignificant return to play their roles from previous Marvel films. Too many to name so I’ll just say everyone and their mama is in this film. Hell you might even be in it. Yeah it’s serious! The story picks up after a universal terrorist attack devastated half the Earth’s population.

Superheroes from worlds over gather to come up with a plan to reverse what was done. The odds are stacked against them in every way possible. Events unfold in ways you don’t expect. Many of the characters have changed for the worse and we get to witness that. Avengers: Endgame really examines the trauma heroes face in their line of work. It also inspires, restores hope, has genuinely humorous moments, and ties up over a decade of storytelling. It’s not perfect and can get a bit messy but earns a 9.5 out of 10.