MOVIES 2019 holds exceptional promise

Two things are true about 2019’s movies. The first is that, past January, no one knows what will happen. The second is that we can guess.

We do know that 2018 was a very good year for movies, and we know that very good years usually don’t exist in isolation. For example, 1973 was an exceptional year, too, but so were 1972 and 1974. It’s not as if everyone decides to do great work one year and then goes home. So we can expect more — though only time will tell whether we’re in the middle of one of those rare, precious pockets of exceptional creativity.

In any case, here are a few prospects that stand out with promising clarity in the crystal ball. “Cold War”: Joanna Kulig gets the showcase of a lifetime, as a turbulent Polish torch singer having an affair during the Cold War. In theaters in January.

“Cold Pursuit”: Liam Neeson is a nice park ranger, living in the snowy North, when the murder of his son turns him into a deadly vigilante in a cold pursuit to take down a vicious drug lord and everybody working for him. In theaters in February. “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”: Richard Linklater directs this story of a reclusive woman (Cate Blanchett) who goes missing. Kristen Wiig co-stars. In theaters in March.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”: Margot Robbie stars as doomed film star Sharon Tate, in this revisiting of the Manson family murders of 1969. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, this film is expected in theaters in July.

Untitled Mr. Rogers movie: In America, if you’ve lived a good life, they get Tom Hanks to play you in a movie. In this as-yet-untitled film scheduled for release in October, Hanks plays Fred Rogers, the beloved children’s TV show personality and star of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

“Star Wars: Episode IX”: The third trilogy concludes, and the fact that it concludes can be a very good thing, no matter what happens. Expected in theaters in December.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicle’s film critic. Email: mlasalle@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

Amazon Studios Joanna Kulig stars as a torch singer having a love affair in “Cold War,” one of several films that may be part of a period of outstanding creativity.