My Top Movies of 2018
Thanks to Moviepass (RIP) and AMC Stubs, 2018 is the first year where I actually feel qualified to make one of these lists. So here we go.
10. Vice
Dir. Adam Mckay
This Biopic stars Christian Bale, who makes an incredible transformation to portray Dick Cheney. While not quite as poignant as The Big Short, it gets its message across with wild cutaways and transitions. One of the movie’s biggest flaws is that it just feels like enough time hasn’t passed to give an assessment and at times it can tend to reach a bit to get a rise out of the audience.
9. Sorry to Bother You
Dir. Boots Riley
Sorry to Bother You is a sharp and over the top, satire starring Atlanta’s LaKeith Stanfield analyzing both racial and socioeconomic divides. The “white voice” used in the call center is funny as hell. This flick is totally out there, especially in the absolutely bonkers third act. Seriously, the end of this movie is weird as hell in the best way. Strong performances by Arnie Hammer and Tessa Thompson also stand out in this tour-de-force.
Dir. John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Probably one of the more overlooked films of the year. I honestly thought this was some Hasbro Battleship crap before I gave it a shot on HBO. Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman sell this well-written hidden gem. The ending gets a little too cheeky, but it’s still a hell of a ride. It also features one of my favorite B stories of the year, with one character trying to find out which celebrity his wife slept with.
7. Black Panther
If you haven’t seen this by now, what are you doing? An all-star cast, fun action, and a killer soundtrack by Ludwig Goransson make this film worthy of being 2018’s highest grossing movies. Probably would be higher on the list if they never went to Korea for some dull product placement car chases. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is probably my favorite MCU villain to appear on the big screen at this point. Wakanda Forever.
6. Blindspotting
Dir. Carlos Lopez Estrada
Probably the overlooked film of the year. Rafael Casal and Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs stay true to their Bay Area roots with this story of a problematic friendship. Many films this year discussed social justice, but Blindspotting’s message feels fresh, not forced. The pair’s rapping chops are on display as well with some spoken word monologues that melt surprisingly well into the action. Bonus points for the Watsky cameo. Definitely check this one out, it may change your perspective.
5. Isle of Dogs
Dir. Wes Anderson
Damn, a Wes Anderson film that isn’t pretentious. Isle of Dogs has a lot of heart, humor and beautiful animation. The tale of loyalty and second chances is enough to bring a tear to your eyes by the end. The stacked voice cast featuring Bill Murray, Ed Norton, and Scarlett Johansson doesn’t disappoint. Plus there are so many cute doggos.
4. Widows
Dir. Steve McQueen
One of the most unique stories of the year, about a team of… well widows, lead by Viola Davis that must get a score to pay off the debts of their dead conman husbands. Daniel Kaluuya is great and surprisingly scary playing the main heel. This movie has more twists than an Indy car track and is best seen with a packed theater.
3. Avengers Infinity War
Dir. The Russo Brothers.
I had high hopes for the cumulation of the MCU and Infinity War did not let me down. Captivating from start to end, and providing us with the team-ups we’ve been waiting years for (not to mention phenomenal memes). I was shocked that Marvel had the balls to drop that ending on us. The only movie I’ve seen in theaters twice this year. Avengers: Endgame is gonna have a tough act to follow.
2. A Star is Born
Dir. Bradley Cooper
Believe the hype. Everyone is going to get so sick of hearing about how good this movie is come award season, but Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut deserves to be an Academy Darling. It’s a story we’ve all heard before but still cuts deep emotionally. I was shocked at how great of a performance Lady Gaga gives. As expected in a musical, the soundtrack is kickass (Black Eyes is the best song don’t @ me).
1. Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse
Dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsay, Rodney Rothman
Sony really struck gold with this one. Introducing Miles Morales as the protagonist really brings a breath of fresh air to an audience that’s heard the Peter Parker origin story one too many times. Into the Spiderverse is hilarious, self-aware, and a heartwarming coming of age story. This movies looks straight out of a comic book in the best way and has a bumping soundtrack true to Miles, and has tons of spin-off potential. Do yourself a favor and catch this one on the big screen while you still can.
Biggest Disappointments of 2018
Creed II
Creed II probably should have been at the tail end of a trilogy rather than a sequel to Creed. All of the struggle Adonis has to face in the first movie is thrown away when he wins the belt in ten minutes. Instead of a rise to the top, we get a bland nostalgic hit. If you want to see Creed II just rewatch Rocky IV instead.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
I was really rooting for this one. Perhaps because it was directed by two different directors, this movie is a tonal mess. The Kessel Run, Han’s biggest feat, feels straight up underwhelming. Donald Glover blessing us with his performance as Lando Calrissian is one of the few things Solo got right. It’s probably for the best Disney doesn’t try to pump out a Star Wars movie a year anymore.
Not Good, But Fun as Hell
Venom
I think most were expecting more horror rather than a buddy flick co-starring Tom Hardy Jekyll and Hyding with himself, but Venom is a hell of a ride. Despite a script that does him literally no favors, Hardy really gives it his all. There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense in Venom, but if you can overlook some plot holes it’s a fun ass movie. With a new writer and Carnage getting involved I’m looking forward to the sequel.
SkyScraper
Probably wouldn’t have paid to see this, but I had Moviepass so why not. And boy am I glad I did. With Skyscraper what you see is what you get, a Die Hard knockoff starring The Rock filled with flexing and cheesy one-liners. For what it’s worth no movie made me laugh harder this year. Grab a few beers and give this a watch on demand.
