THE YEAR IN MOVIES - 2018
- When I think about the movies of 2018, the main thing that comes to mind is ... wow, it was an amazing year for action. From January through December, we were treated to one great action movie after another - including a number of instant-classics that are absolutely best-in-class in the genre. Action is always a tough category of movie to talk about - we're conditioned to inherently think of it as a "lesser" genre, despite action films being some of the biggest box-office earners and some of the most beloved films by audiences year after year. I know that when I make my year-end lists, I'm never quite sure how to rank the year's best action films. Is an incredible action/adventure movie as worthy of top-honors as a more traditionally critic-friendly drama? Well, the action movies were so damn good in 2018 that it sort of forced the issue. There was no way, for example, that I could omit Mission: Impossible - Fallout from my Top 10 list. It's flat-out one of the best action movies I've ever seen. Same goes for Black Panther - perhaps the pinnacle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. Similarly awesome was Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse - it absolutely blew me away. So yeah, the quality of action movies this year - be they live-action or animated, superhero or spy movies - was undeniable. And that goes for big-budget sequels like the awe-inspiring Infinity War, as well as indie gems like future cult classic Upgrade.
2018 was also the year that Netflix became a major factor in my Best of the Year list. Sure, they've had occasional gems over the last few years - like last year's Mudbound - but man, Netflix upped their game in 2018. They delivered some absolute masterpieces, like Roma and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Sure, they still had their share of duds (The Cloverfield Paradox, anyone?), but when Netflix wasn't putting out new films from some of the best directors working today, they were generating massive viewership for movies like Bird Box - going so far as to steal thunder from major studio box office releases. Netflix's ability to generate viral excitement for their films - and to get them in front of a massive audience - felt game-changing in 2018. And hey, I've got to applaud them for getting more liberal with their theatrical release strategies as well. I mean, as nice at is to have instant access to movies like Roma or Buster Scruggs via at-home streaming, it's also great to be able to catch these films on the big screen. As a Coen Bros. die-hard, there was no way I was going to miss my chance to see their latest in a theater.
In terms of the big prestige films ... this is probably going to be one those years where my own tastes don't necessarily match up with the Oscars'. I mean, I enjoyed movies like A Star Is Born ... but I wouldn't put it on the same level as less-hyped gems like Eighth Grade, Searching, Suspiria, or First Reformed. The hype machine on certain movies gets so out of control sometimes. Conversely, the hit squad often comes out for movies that don't deserve it. Sure, there are some movies that are flat-out bad - but that is very, very rare. More often, we need more nuanced conversation about a film's merits - not simply hot takes that pile on a movie that the internet has decided needs to be hated. In any case, that's why I'm here - to set you all straight! Seriously though, there's nothing better than discovering a great under-the-radar film - be it an action movie like Upgrade, a dark comedy like Blindspotting, or a mind-melting doc like Three Identical Strangers.
So here's to seeking out cool new movies and discovering interesting new voices in 2019.
DANNY'S BEST MOVIES OF 2018:
1.) Eighth Grade
- Eighth Grade was the movie that truly floored me in 2018. And I was not expecting it at all. First-time writer/director Bo Burnham absolutely kills it with this one - delivering a movie that's hilarious, emotional, and spot-on in its depiction of life as an eighth grader. Sure, some of the details are specific to 2018 - but the genius of the film is that it hits on universal truths that anyone who's ever been 13 can immediately relate to. Elsie Fischer is phenomenal in the lead role, too. What put Eighth Grade over the top for me is this: it's a dark, at times bleak movie - people have even called it horror because of certain scenes that are so uncomfortable as to be downright nerve-racking. But - the movie also finds hope in the darkness. Not in a cheesy way, but in a way that feels real and earned. The film's closing scenes are perhaps the most powerful statement, to me, that any movie made this year: it's a messed-up world we live in, but maybe (just maybe!) the kids are going to be all right.
2.) Roma
- It takes a little time to get into Roma - director Alfonso Cuaron takes his time, more concerned initially with setting up the time and place and vibe of the film than with building any sort of narrative momentum. But soon enough, one can't help but become completely immersed in this movie - more so than almost any film I've ever seen, it feels like a window into another time and place. It creates the effect of watching old home movies, of living a life alongside its characters. Of course, the "home movies" here are among the most gorgeously-shot moving pictures I've ever seen - they're like painted postcards brought to stunning life. What Cuaron achieves here is remarkable - the movie feels both lived-in and alive in a way that will make it a film studies must-watch for many years to come. And the story it ultimately does tell, about a family's housekeeper and her quiet struggles - is both low-key and in its own way incredibly epic. This is life on-screen, captured gloriously.
3.) First Reformed
-Several years ago, I went to see a screening of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair at the New Beverly theater in LA. The film was preceded by a hand-picked set of vintage trailers, curated by Tarantino as examples of movies that inspired Kill Bill. One of the movies was Rolling Thunder - and it looked awesome. At the time, the movie wasn't available at all on home entertainment, but my friend procured a copy. We watched it, the movie was incredible and badass, and from that day forward, the name Paul Schrader was on my radar. Obviously, I should have known about him sooner - the guy wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, after all. But suffice it to say, when Schrader has a new movie out, I pay attention. And First Reformed is one hell of a new movie from Shrader. It's a pitch-black, jaw-dropper of a film that is a scathing look at the world we live in today. It's a meditation on faith and morality and it's got Ethan Hawke giving an incredible lead performance as a priest experiencing a crisis of conscious. To say too much more is to spoil it, but I can't recommend this one enough.
4.) The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- It's amazing how new Coen Brothers movies can be so good and yet so perpetually underrated. Their more comedic films in particular tend to fly under the critical radar - only to be rediscovered years later and appreciated after multiple re-watches. But I am here to say that Buster Scruggs is the real deal - a legit new Coen Bros. classic that you need to watch right now (and it's on Netflix, so get to it). The film - a Western anthology - is the Coens' version of Weird Western Tales - darkly funny, brilliantly executed parables about life and death and tragedy and violence in the Old West. It's got some of the year's drop-dead funniest moments and some of the year's most shocking moments. As you'd expect, the writing is shamefully good and the dialogue so sharp that it shakes my confidence as a writer. How are these guys this talented? Perhaps the movie is just too strange for some, but man, I feel thankful as a film fan that we are still being treated to new films with the Coens' particular brand of offbeat genius.
5.) BlacKkKlansman
- Spike Lee is one of our best filmmakers, and this is one of his best films ever. An often hilarious, often intense, always entertaining look at the real life story of an African-American man and a Jewish man who infiltrated the KKK, BlacKkKlansman is also one of the most angry (and therefore cathartic) movies of 2018. It draws a direct line from David Duke (played as a hilarious Evil Ned Flanders by Topher Grace) to Donald Trump, and pulls no punches in saying that this film's story is part of an ongoing saga that is very much still being told (sadly) in the here and now. Lee's righteous anger infuses the film with an energy and passion that is exciting to watch unfold on-screen. This felt like the movie we needed in 2018.
6.) Searching
- I'd heard good things about Searching going in, but I was not prepared for what I got with this movie - which will go down, I think, as one of my favorite mystery-thrillers ever. What could have been a cheap gimmick - the entire movie is told via us seeing what's on the protagonist's various screens (PC, phone, iPad, etc.) - is a slick, highly effective storytelling device, thanks to director Aneesh Chaganty. Chaganty somehow pulls the whole thing off in stunning fashion - giving the film a voyeuristic sense of mystery and a you-are-there sense of immersion and intensity. What's more, the mystery here is told to perfection, with some big twists that hit me like an atom bomb and left me breathless. And John Cho is so good here - if he's not cast in more lead dramatic roles after this, it will be a huge missed opportunity. I don't know if Searching will end up with any awards love, but it should - this one is one of the true surprises of 2018.
7.) Black Panther
- Like I said above, it's sometimes hard to talk about the big superhero movies - especially the Marvel movies that are funny and colorful and comic book-y - as relates to the Best of the Year. How to rank a movie like this? But look, this year, it was a pretty easy choice to put Black Panther in my Top 10. The movie is arguably the best MCU movie to date - while it's still very much a Marvel superhero movie, it also transcends the genre in many ways. It's an epic fantasy. It's a spot-on social/political film, delivering a powerful message about building bridges and fighting for positive social change. And it's also a damn good superhero movie, delivering stunning visuals, locations, and costumes as well as some seriously kick-ass action sequences. Plus: Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger is perhaps the best Marvel villain yet - a nuanced and somewhat sympathetic Big Bad who, in some ways, may just have a point. Black Panther did the legacy of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby proud, and it also delivered an inspirational message that will resonate for generations to come. Wakanda Forever, indeed.
8.) Suspiria
- Here's another one where I went in unsure of what to expect, and came out somewhat floored by what I had just seen. Suspiria is a remake of the classic Dario Argento horror film - and while that movie is legendary for its iconic, hallucinatory visuals - this new version ups the game by adding numerous layers of intrigue to the nightmarish plot and by filling things out with some intriguing social/political commentary to boot. There's so much to unpack from this one - after seeing it, I went down a lengthy rabbit hole of reading reviews, interpretations, and articles about the historical context of the film's 1970's Berlin setting. Aside from all that, Suspiria is flat-out creepy and disturbing as hell. It's a slow burn of creeping dread, punctuated by moments of abject horror, that culminates in a Grand Guignol display of holy-$&%# insanity. This is the kind of movie that people are going to walk out of - as for me, I hadn't been this delightfully disturbed by a horror movie since The Witch. I've also got to mention Tilda Swinton - whose multiple roles in the movie should rocket her straight into the acting hall of fame. I honestly had no idea, until after seeing the film, that all of those parts were played by her. Anyways, take my word for it: Suspiria is a must-watch ... just be warned that you may not sleep for a while after watching.
9.) Mission: Impossible - Fallout
- In year's past, a new Mission: Impossible movie would probably get a glowing review from me, but end up somewhere further down the list. This year, with Fallout, I knew there was just no way I could relegate this one to the bottom of my Best of the Year rankings. I mean, it's one of the best damn action movies ever made. Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie is simply operating on another level these days - delivering some of the most breathtaking action set-pieces ever put to film, with the help of his always-game star Tom Cruise. I don't know if a blockbuster action film has *ever* given us moments like Fallout did. Watching on an IMAX screen, you'd felt like you'd just been on the craziest roller-coaster ride of all time - a full-body, visceral experience. McQuarrie is so good partially because he makes sure that every action set-piece tells a very specific story, and that story and its beats and micro-beats are always paramount. Directors like Michael Bay, who just throw chaotic CGI randomness on screen and call it cinema, should take note. This is how it's done. McQuarrie keeps you hanging on every moment, every punch, every kick, every near-fall into an icy abyss. Awesome.
10.) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- One more 2018 movie that many of us simply did not see coming. What appeared at first to be a non-essential Spider-Man side project turned out to be one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. It's visually astounding, legitimately hilarious, and bursting with heart in a way that few other movies in the genre can claim. In fact, the film brilliantly deconstructs the very idea of Spider-Man and superheroes in general, and shows us exactly how a regular kid like Miles Morales can go from hapless teen to multiverse-saving hero with the right push. The film is just absolutely cool-as-hell - a mash-up of various eye-melting animation styles, resulting in one of the most dazzling animated movies ever made. It's got a motley crew of awesome supporting characters, from the kick-ass Spider-Gwen to the grimly funny Spider-Man Noir. This feels like a movie that was sent back from the future to rock our worlds. A new all-ages classic.
JUST MISSED THE CUT:
11.) First Man
- I struggled with leaving this one out of my Top 10, partly because it feels like, perhaps, 2018's most strangely underrated film. The fact is: more people should have seen and raved about First Man. Damien Chazelle ... I mean, what an amazing director. He once again dazzles with this one. It's got some incredible, visceral scenes of space travel ... but what may have thrown people is this: First Man is *not* an epic space movie in the vein of Gravity or even Apollo 13. Not really. In actuality, it's a very personal story about one man's quest to find meaning in an at-times cold and uncaring universe. And in turn, it's a profound meditation on humanity's collective quest to do the same. Ryan Gosling is fantastic in this one, too. So don't sleep on First Man - it really is among the year's absolute best.
12.) Mandy
- Mandy was 2018's surefire future midnight-movie cult classic - a straight shot of unfiltered madness, a heavy-metal fever dream that's like the ultimate 80's action epic that never was. Director Panos Cosmatos taps into something primal here, giving us a movie that's fun to laugh and cheer with (I mean, it's completely insane), and yet is dead-serious in its mission to deliver something unique and unforgettable. And man, in a career of memorable and over-the-top performances, this might just be Nicholas Cage's crowning achievement. This is Nic Cage at peak Nic Cage - completely unhinged and just entertaining af. Mandy demands to be watched with friends who will share in its awe and wonder and pure concentrated insanity. It's an all-timer, that's for sure.
13.) Avengers: Infinity War
- Man, what a year it was for Marvel movies. After the high water mark that was Black Panther, along came Infinity War to raise the bar for just how big and epic and awe-inspiring a superhero movie could be. What's truly admirable about this one is how it so easily could have been a complete mess - with its sprawling cast of characters and ridiculous scope. But the Russo Brothers and their collaborators made the brilliant decision to center the movie on the mad titan Thanos, and in doing so they helped bring to life (along with a shockingly great performance from Josh Brolin) a villain for the ages. This one flat-out delivered on the big moments, giving us amazing battles, "exclesior!"-worthy moments of heroism, and of course the already-legendary Finger Snap of Doom. Basically, the movie more than did its job of making Avengers: Endgame, easily, the most anticipated film of 2019. I can't wait.
14.) Destroyer
- Destroyer - directed by the always-interesting Karyn Kusama - is dark, gritty, grimy, pulpy ... and 100% badass. It's a savage and brutal crime thriller that goes to some very dark and disturbing places. What's more, it features a remarkable lead performance from Nicole Kidman - who plays a strung-out, beaten-up, hard-bitten rebel cop, as well as a younger and less world-weary version from twenty years earlier. It's quite possibly the best acting I've ever seen from Kidman - a tour de force performance in which the actor transforms herself into a blunt-force object that would make the likes of Dirty Harry soil himself. There are also a couple of action scenes here that are just brilliantly directed by Kusama - including a white-knuckle bank robbery bust that left me gasping for breath. This one may end up being too dark, pulpy, and twisted for the Oscars (shades of recent crime films like Zodiac, Nightcrawler, etc.), but it should very much be on the award-season radar. Kidman kills.
15.) Three Identical Strangers
- I sat through Three Identical Strangers in a constant state of disbelief. Was this real?! This truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story is so crazy that it feels like it has to be made up. And it's so expertly told and presented that, at times, it feels more like a Christopher Nolan mind-%$&# thriller than a documentary. But it is true, and it is unbelievable, and I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoiling the film's various twists and turns. Suffice it to say, this story about three separated-at-birth identical triplets goes to some shocking places - so much so that not only is it one of the most gripping docs I've ever seen, but one of the best films of 2018, period.
THE NEXT BEST:
16.) Sorry to Bother You
- What a statement from director Boots Riley. Sorry to Bother You goes to some absolutely crazy places, and ends up in a place I *never* expected going in. But man, this is a must-see - a hilarious and surprising and totally crazy social satire that has to be seen to be believed.
17.) The Old Man & The Gun
- If this is truly Robert Redford's final film, then it's a fitting capper on a legendary career. A charming story about a bank robber who just can't call it quits - this one is a skillfully made and extremely watchable movie that reminds why Redford is so, so good at what he does.
18.) Ralph Breaks the Internet
- I was lukewarm on the first Wreck-It Ralph movie, but wow - this Disney sequel is a major improvement in every way. It's funnier, smarter, more visually dazzling - and it's actually a sort of brilliant take on the internet and the ways it can be used for good and ill. The movie has a lot to say, and it does so with wit and humor and charm. Oh, and it's even got a couple of sweet Tron references. I am now officially a major fan of this franchise.
19.) Annihilation
- I'm a longtime fan of writer/director Alex Garland, and he gives us yet another slice of thought-provoking sci-fi with Annihilation. This one really takes you down a rabbit-hole of weirdness, horror, and existential dread - on a level that so few sci-fi films really reach for. Garland is always interested in the Big Questions, and this one is no exception.
20.) Leave No Trace
- This is another winner from Winter's Bone director Debra Granik - a tale of humans vs. nature that has a lot of interesting things to say about the way we live. It's a moving, thought-provoking film. And it features wonderful performances from Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie, as a father-daughter duo who choose to live in the woods, off the grid. Don't sleep on this one!
21.) Blindspotting
- This one flew under my radar at first, but I'm glad I caught up with it late in the year. It's a darkly funny comedy about race and class, and one hell of a statement from up and coming director Carlos López Estrada. Actor Daveed Diggs (best known for his role in Hamilton) is also a revelation in this one. His angry rap-rant to a racist cop - man, it's one of the best scenes in a movie this year.
22.) The Incredibles 2
- I wasn't sure what to expect from this one - it had been a long time since the first Incredibles, and I wondered if Brad Bird and co. could recapture their old magic. In my view, not only did they recapture it, but they made an incredibly cool movie that might just exceed the original. This one is funny, it's got amazing action, it's got great characters, and it's got really well done messages about family and responsibility and sticking together. I loved it.
23.) If Beale Street Could Talk
- Barry Jenkins' follow-up to Moonlight is another fantastic film. It suffers a bit from the usual issues of novel adaptations - it tries to cram a lot into one movie, and some plotlines and characters feel short-changed. But even so, Jenkins give us a moving, resonant film filled to the brim with great performances. It's a movie about the positive power of love vs. the destructive power of hate - and while that may be a simple message, Jenkins delivers it with power and grace.
24.) Creed II
- While it was always going to be a challenge for Creed 2 to match the sheer, surprising awesomeness of the first Creed - this one is more than up to the task. The movie gives us a dream match of Adonis Creed vs. Viktor Drago, building on the classic Rocky mythology and giving us some very interesting reunions between old favorites (Dolph Lundgren is a badass in this one). And man, if this is truly Stallone's last go-round as the iconic Rocky Balboa, then it's a fitting final fight - giving us some satisfying closure to the long-running Rocky saga. This one feels like an exclamation point on the Rocky legacy, and kudos to uber-talented stars Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson for injecting new life into this franchise, and giving us a new generation of hard-hitting heroes to root for.
25.) Thoroughbreds
- Here was an indie gem that I really dug - a dark and twisted Hitchcock-ian thriller that features two outstanding performances from some of the best young actresses in the game - Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke. Watching these two square off was a ton of fun. And what a debut for writer/director Cory Finley to boot.
MORE GREAT FILMS OF 2018:
26.) Ready Player One
- Easily the most unfairly-criticized movie of 2018, Ready Player One was, in my view, a total joy to watch. Steven Spielberg is clearly having a blast directing this, giving us some all-time-classic action-set pieces. Sure, the story might have a couple of issues - but in many ways this was vintage Spielberg, at his magic-making best.
27.) Upgrade
- A new action cult-classic that any genre fan should watch asap. Upgrade is an awesomely innovative action film that defies its low budget to deliver kick-ass fight scenes, dark humor, and some really cool sci-fi twists.
28.) Tully
- Another excellent collaboration between writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman (together, they brought us great films like Juno and Young Adult), this one is a darkly funny take on motherhood with a couple of big, game-changing twists that also make it into something of a mind-bending mystery. Charlize Theron is absolutely great in this too.
29.) Mary Queen of Scots
- A historical epic with some interesting parallels to modern-day politics, Mary Queen of Scots features a commanding lead performance from the always-impressive Saoirse Ronan - who positively owns this movie in a way that really wowed me. The movie is a fairly epic dramatization of a fascinating historical period, and presents some very interesting between-the-lines commentary on power, feminism, corruption, and legacy.
30.) The Favourite
- Director Yorgos Lanthimos takes a genre that can often be stuffy and boring - the costume period piece - and gives it new life with his unique visual flair, offbeat sensibilities, and darkly biting sense of humor. It's got some fantastic performances from Emma Stone, Rachel Weiss, and Olivia Colman too.
31.) Boy Erased
- Director Joel Edgerton really impressed me with this one - it's an emotional gut-punch of a movie. Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe each turn in incredible performances. The movie is ultimately hopeful, but it also a reminder of the sort of chilling ignorance we need to vote against and fight against here and now.
32.) Aquaman
- Judging from my Facebook feed and various reviews, Aquaman was one of 2018's more divisive movies. And I get it - the movie is unabashedly weird and ridiculous and pulpy and insane - i.e., not for everyone. It's the kind of earnestly nerdy movie I loved as a kid, hearkening back to fantasy/sci-fi pulp like Highlander and Tron. But this made Aquaman a direct hit for me - director James Wan fills the screen with color and action and seems to just be showing off at times. This might just be my favorite DC Universe movie so far.
33.) Disobedience
- This one was a bit under the radar, but I found it to be a fascinating look at a world we rarely see depicted with much detail on screen: that of the Orthodox Jewish community. The movie looks at what happens when a women is excommunicated from a tight-knit Orthodox community after being outed as a lesbian, and what happens when she returns following the death of her father. Great acting from Rachels Weiss and McAdams help to elevate this one as well.
34.) Bad Times at the El Royale
- This twisty slice of pulp fiction from Cabin in the Woods maestro Drew Goddard is another one that should have got more attention. It's overflowing with great actors (including a vintage Jeff Bridges performance) and chock full of assured style. Drew Goddard is a favorite of mine in part because he's a great writer, but also partly because he seems to get away with making movies that feel like they're going against the grain of what's fashionable in Hollywood at the time. This one takes its time and does it's own thing, and I dug it.
35.) Crazy Rich Asians
- Far better than your average rom-com, Crazy Rich Asians was an endlessly entertaining film with a little something for everyone. It had a charming romance at its core, but it also had some very interesting and moving things to say about class and family and tradition and culture. Plus, it was genuinely funny - the jokes landed hard and helped make this a movie to remember.
36.) Bumblebee
- Bumblebee was the Transformers movie we should have got all along - a fun, funny, nostalgic dose of pure Spielberg-ian action-adventure. This was WAY better than any previous Transformers movies and one of the best action movies of 2018. And how good is Hailee Steinfeld? She's great in everything she's in, and she helps elevate this film with a pitch-perfect lead performance.
37.) The Commuter
- This one had me leaving the theater feeling giddy - in fact, I gave it the rare five out of five Liam Neesons award. This one, from the fantastic Jaume Collet-Serra (who gave us the awesome The Shallows), shows the director's knack for doing best-in-class pulp-action. The Commuter knows exactly what it's doing, with a tightly-spun central mystery, a fun femme fatale performance from the great Vera Farmiga, and Neeson kicking ass like nobody's business.
38.) The Night Comes For Us
- Do you like kick-ass martial arts movies? Do you like brutal action films like The Raid? If yes, and you haven't yet seen the Netflix original The Night Comes For Us ... then dude, get to it! This one is one of the most insane, hard-hitting, uncompromisingly violent action/martial-arts flicks I've ever seen - with some truly crazy action sequences and some of the most jaw-dropping fights ever filmed. It's got some familiar faces, like The Raid star Iko Uwais (here playing the villain) - but I promise you, this is not quite like anything you've seen before.
39.) Assassination Nation
- This movie is raw and insane and pulls zero punches. It's just a direct katana-sword swing at Trump, toxic masculinity ... and it proved eerily relevant given the recent Brett Kavanaugh discussions/debacle. This may be the most dangerous and unsettling movie of 2018, and it deserves to find a bigger audience.
40.) A Private War
- First and foremost, A Private War features an absolutely powerhouse performance from Rosamund Pike in the lead role, playing real-life war correspondent Marie Colvin. The movie is a powerful reflection on Colvin's life and death, and on the bravery, in general, of journalists who report from war torn areas of the globe. And it is a sobering reminder of the devastation caused by war - it truly took a special kind of person to voluntarily go back to these places again and again to help get the stories of their people out into the wider world.
41.) The Maze Runner: The Death Cure
- Okay guys, hear me out: the third and final movie in the Maze Runner trilogy is legit pretty awesome. It's a great, epic finale to the saga. It's got twists, turns, and real stakes. It's got great set-piece action sequences. It's got a great cast - all of the young actors are really good, and then you've got arguably the three best TV villain actors of the last ten years (Giancarlo Esposito, Walton Goggins, and Aiden Gillen!) in key supporting roles. No shame - I'm a big fan of this franchise!
42.) Hearts Beat Loud
- A really well done, soulful little hang-out movie. Nick Offerman is really fantastic in it, and Kiersey Clemons (who was also great in Dope) shows yet again why it's only a matter of time until she's a superstar.
43.) A Star Is Born
- This is, seemingly, the 500 pound gorilla of 2018 movies - and I really liked it overall. Lady Gaga was fantastic, the music was great, and I loved the first 45 minutes or so. However, I did sort of think it eventually went off the rails a bit, and lost track of the themes it was setting up early on. That said, I highly enjoyed the film, and think it's one hell of an impressive directing debut from Bradley Cooper. And yeah, "The Shallows" has been in my head for months now.
44.) A Quiet Place
- Amazingly shot and directed - A Quiet Place was yet another super-impressive 2018 directorial debut and a great time at the movies overall. Who knew John Krasinski had this in him? And man, did Emily Blunt ever kick ass in this one. No question, one of the best and most fun horror movies of 2018 - and one that, I suspect, will be oft-imitated in the years to come (or months - hello, Bird Box).
45.) Isle of Dogs
- Things that surprised me about Isle of Dogs: a.) Pacific Rim: Uprising was not the only movie out on its weekend of release that featured crazy robot battles. b.) This was sort of Wes Anderson's version of Escape From New York. Seriously. But yeah ... I really liked this movie. It looked amazing, was very funny, had a fantastic voice cast, and a lot of interesting social commentary to boot. Wes Anderson is always a fascinating filmmaker to follow.
46.) Hereditary
- Another really, really good horror movie from 2018 - parts of Hereditary were just incredibly creepy and downright disturbing. And man, Toni Colette goes all-out here, with a performance that will absolutely rattle you to your core. I thought that the ending didn't quite deliver the payoff I was looking for, but still, this one really impressed me.
47.) A Simple Favor
- The latest from Paul Feig was really fun. Darkly funny in a way that reminded me of movies like To Die For. Anna Kendrik and Blake Lively were really great, too (Lively, in particular, just totally killed it - I didn't know she had this in her). This movie was a real treat - one that I think will gain a cult following over time.
48.) Won't You Be My Neighbor?
- This year, stories about goodness and decency were very much welcome. And this moving doc about Fred Rogers and the world of wonder he created was a poignant, earnest look at a man who shaped millions of childhoods spanning multiple generations.
49.) Pacific Rim: Uprising
- I can't understand the hate for this one from certain circles. I mean, Pacific Rim is one of my favorite sci-fi/action movies ever, and this one in my view is a worthy follow-up. I thought it was ridiculously fun. It hit all the big action movie beats to perfection. John Boyega was great. Burn Gorman is once again the absolute best. And the robot designs are all cool as hell. Underrated, in my view!
50.) Bohemian Rhapsody
- This is a tough one. As a movie, I don't know that Bohemian Rhapsody quite came together as well as it could have. On the other hand, there's no denying the out-of-this-world performance from Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, or the overpowering awesomeness of the music of Queen that powers the film from one rocking performance to another - including a fist-pumping recreation of Queen's famous performance at Live-Aid. Because I'm such a fan of Queen, I give this one the benefit of the doubt, and give it the final spot on my list - it was an imperfect movie, but it nevertheless was a powerful reminder of the anything-goes spirit of rock n' roll.
HONORABLE MENTIONS - OTHER RECOMMENDED MOVIES FROM THIS YEAR:
Unsane
Shirkers
Widows
On the Basis of Sex
Green Book
You Were Never Really Here
Halloween
The House With the Clock in its Walls
Vice
Ant-Man and The Wasp
Mortal Engines
Revenge
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn
Game Night
The Nun
Venom
Blockers
Deadpool 2
The Long Dumb Road
7 Days In Entebbe
RBG
Mary Poppins
Farenheit 11/9
Bird Box
Skyscraper
Overlord
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
INDIVIDUAL 2018 AWARDS:
BEST LEAD ACTOR:
1.) Ethan Hawke - First Reformed
2.) Ryan Gosling - First Man
3.) Christian Bale - Vice
4.) Ben Foster - Leave No Trace
5.) TIE: Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody, John Cho - Searching
BEST LEADING ACTRESS:
1.) Nicole Kidman - Destroyer
2.) Yalitza Aparicio - Roma
3.) Elsie Fisher - Eighth Grade
3.) Saoirse Ronan - Mary Queen of Scots
4.) Toni Colette - Hereditary
5.) Rosamund Pike - A Private War
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1.) Adam Driver - BlackKklansman
2.) Colman Domingo - If Beale Street Could Talk
3.) Josh Hamilton - Eighth Grade
4.) Tom Waits - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
5.) Michael B. Jordan - Black Panther
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1.) Tilda Swinton - Suspiria
2.) Olivia Colman - The Favourite
3.) Nicole Kidman - Boy Erased
4.) Rachel Weiss - The Favourite
5.) Michelle Yeoh - Crazy Rich Asians
BEST DIRECTOR:
1.) Alfonso Cuaron - Roma
2.) Bo Burnham - Eighth Grade
3.) Spike Lee - BlackKklansman
4.) Christopher McQuarrie - Mission: Impossible - Fallout
5.) TIE: Aneesh Chaganty - Searching / Damien Chazelle - First Man
BEST SCREENPLAY:
1.) Eighth Grade
2.) BlackKklansman
3.) First Reformed
4.) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
5.) The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
6.) Sorry to Bother You
7.) Blindspotting
8.) Searching
9.) Destroyer
10.) Black Panther
And that's a wrap on the Best of 2018. Here's to all the great movies of 2019 - happy movie-watching in the New Year!
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