The 25 Best Films of 2018
2018 was a deceptively great year for movies. Most of the attention was focused on big budget, often over-hyped blockbusters and as a result several great gems flew under the radar. Another factor was the emergence of the direct-to-streaming release, a medium exercised this year by some of the greatest working directors.
While there are some troubling trends with what major studios are producing, there are several positive narratives coming out of this year. Smaller studios are attracting bigger talent, genre films are showing that they can be deeper than the surface and animation is continuing the revolutionize storytelling. I hope you enjoy the following list and maybe discover a film you haven’t seen, or maybe reevaluate one you overlooked.
25. Upgrade by Leigh Whannell
24. Eight Grade by Bo Burnham
23. A Quiet Place by John Krasinski
22. First Man by Damien Chazelle
21. Crazy Rich Asians by Jon M. Chu
20. Paddington 2 by Paul King
19. Searching by Aneesh Chaganty
18. Three Identical Strangers by Tim Wardle
17. Green Book by Peter Farrelly
16. Mandy by Panos Cosmatos
15. Leave No Trace by Debra Granik
14. Incredibles 2 by Brad Bird
13. Cold War by Pawel Palikowski
12. Annihilation by Alex Garland
11. A Star is Born by Bradley Cooper
10. Avengers: Infinity War by Anthony & Joe Russo
The culmination of the most massive cinematic universe ever created both diverted and exceeded expectations. The plot revolves around Thanos, a powerful alien who threatens the universe by trying to control all of the infinity stones, giving him ultimate power. Strangely, Thanos, the villain, is the main character of the film with our beloved heroes fleshing out surrounding side plots.
Thanos’s story is the most well done of the many arcs in this film, epic in scope with operatic visuals and drama. The other plot lines have mixed success. Iron Man & Dr. Strange lead the best of them, as they venture into space to fight the mad Titan. Thor and some of the Guardians wage an entertaining journey to an intergalactic blacksmith. Captain America and the rest of the terrestrial heroes have a forgettable role, but they are really fighting out of their league anyway. All of these tie together into the climactic battle, with one of the most shocking endings of any major blockbuster.
9. BlacKkKlansman by Spike Lee
BlacKkKlansman is Spike Lee’s most powerful, focused films in decades. Moving back to more mainstream fare, Lee reminds us he has always had the skills to make a tense, polished thriller. John David Washington is a revelation, showing talent on the level of his father with a charisma of his own. Adam Driver proves again why he is one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood.
The true story is novel enough on its own, but Lee fills it with fascinating characters and lots of conflicting racial, cultural themes. What is most important about this film is that even the villains of the story are well fleshed out humans. Lee realizes that it is important to humanize hate in order to understand it and fight it. One false note is an unnecessary credit sequence that clumsily ties in the events to the present: a connection that was obvious to everyone already.
8. Isle of Dogs by Wes Anderson
For several years now Wes Anderson has favored style over substance, and Isle of Dogs is no exception. The film takes place in future Japan and society has banned dogs and sent them all to a trash island to die. Voiced by a wide cast of stars, the dogs fight among each other and struggle to survive, until a human boy crashes, trying to find his own companion.
Although there isn’t much past face value in this movie, there is an awful lot in every single frame. From the zany plot, filled with colorful characters and the most impressive stop-motion I have ever seen, Isle of Dogs is a visual treat from start to finish. On top of it all is a heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog.
7. The Favourite by Yorgos Lanthimos
Yorgos Lanthimos has quietly been one of the most impressive filmmakers of the past few years, with his quirky science fiction film The Lobster and his terrifying masterpiece The Killing of a Secret Deer. Unlike the other films, The Favourite was not written by Lanthimos and is missing the otherworldly detachment that made those movies so intriguing. The script is still abnormal for a period piece, but Lanthimos has to work harder to make his vision come through.
Although it is a more traditional film, it is more mature also. The acclaimed performances by the three main ladies are all moving and unique. The plot is more fleshed out, and although the characters are just as over the top, the whole thing is more real than his past films. The visuals of this film are what make it really great, with prevalent use of the fish eye lens and slo-mo contrasting with the decadence of the period. The final scene is the directors best to date.
6. First Reformed by Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader is responsible for writing some of Martin Scorsese’s most revered films, including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but has been pretty uneven as a director, especially in the last couple decades. With First Reformed he finally clicked behind the camera, and his script is one of his most profound and nuanced. Ethan Hawke took on the challenging lead role of a depressed priest who is grappling with the death of his son and the lack of attendance at his church. He finds new hope in Amanda Seyfried, who plays the wife of a unstable eco-extremist.
What sounds like a run-of-the-mill recovery story is anything but. Accompanied by a dark, atmospheric soundtrack by Lustmord, the film is uncomfortably dark as we delve into Hawke’s psyche and takes many unexpected and disturbing twists. It all ratchets up to an astonishing finale.
5. Mission Impossible: Fallout by Christopher McQuarrie
It is rare for a film series to reach a sixth entry, and even rarer for them to get better as they go on. Along with the Fast and the Furious series , the Mission Impossible films have been the only major action refuges outside of superhero movies in the last decade. What started as a campy remake of an old TV series has transformed immensely over the last twenty years into a cultural icon. Fallout is the best of them all so far.
Tom Cruise has been filling the void that the Daniel Craig Bond films left. When those films took a more serious route, Cruise’s Ethan Hunt became the most exciting secret agent. With witty writing, a great supporting cast, over the top action set pieces, and even tense political intrigue, Fallout reached the perfect balance. A rare action movie that elevates itself above the genre, Fallout is a must see.
4. Hereditary by Ari Aster
A slow burning nightmare, changing the conventions of horror with every step. Amid the emerging art horror movement, Hereditary stands above the rest in terms of originality and thrills. It follows a family recovering from the death of a grandmother, whose spirit may not have completely passed on. While the premise is familiar, the way the story unravels is anything but.
Toni Collette, in a career best role, plays the mother, who slowly loses grip on reality as her family falls apart around her. Gabriel Byrne also stars as the concerned husband trying to pull everything together. All of this builds to the terrifying, unexpected conclusion with some of the most unforgettable imagery of any film this year.
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman
It is baffling why it took this long to discover that maybe animation is the best medium for a comic book adaptation. In a year packed with some of the most successful superhero movies ever, this under the radar flick surprised everyone. It has it all: a like-able funny hero, interesting plot, tremendous visuals and themes that transcend the genre.
It is also an important film for the future of Hollywood. It shows that a good superhero film can be made that is original and not just a tie in to the various universes. Along with Black Panther, is helped push minority superhero characters, and it also attracted high profile voice actors. Truly a breath of fresh air after all the Avengers and Justice League films.
2. Roma by Alfonso Cuaron
Disappearing since his hit Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron returns with full creative freedom, directing his most personal project to date. Reminiscent of Fellini, Cuaron simultaneously embraces stark realism and heavy symbolism. Taking place in Roma, a section of Mexico City, the film follows Cleo, a young maid of a rich family, whose live is upended when she becomes pregnant and her employer leaves his family for his mistress. The juxtaposition of the single mothers in addition to the uprising in Mexico, acts as the vehicle for Cuaron to examine family, social class and other themes.
Cuaron looks like the greatest director alive here, crafting a film unlike anything made in the recent decades. It is slow and calculated, filled with poetic imagery and diegetic sound, pulling us into the world of the characters. The most notable aspects of the film are Cuaron’s trademark long shots, especially the birth scene and the beach scene, building tension and power with each additional second the camera rolls.
1. You Were Never Really Here by Lynne Ramsay
After almost two decades of gritty indie films, Lynne Ramsay finally reached the perfect balance of abstraction, realism and ambition. At the front of the film is Joaquin Phoenix, who has disappeared into the role of Joe, a troubled vet turned mercenary. He gets in over his head when he agrees to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a politician, which unfolds into a larger conspiracy. But this plot is secondary to the unraveling of Joe’s mind as he progresses through his bloody rampage.
Even with Phoenix’s spellbinding, dark performance, Ramsay is not upstaged, flexing her visual prowess and creativity, although never gratuitously. Fairly described by some as a modern day Taxi Driver, You Were Never Really Here is a disturbing portrait of a lost man trapped in an unforgiving world.
Honorable Mentions: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
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