Top 10 Films of 2018
Every year in film has its unique level of quality that it will always be known for. 2016 will be remembered as the year of the bland blockbuster. 2017 will be recalled as a year of solid quality. And along those lines, I think 2018 will only be remembered for a few exceptionally bright spots. It was extremely difficult to pick out 10 films that were actually worth caring about this year, but I managed to pull through. Readers are advised to remember that these entries are entirely based on the subjective opinions of the reviewer and only partially based on objective quality. With the disclaimers disclaimed, let us begin.
10. "Bumblebee"
Honestly, "Bumblebee" is only here because I'll be damned if I let The Incredibles 2 on the list. While the story and characters were relatively engaging on their own, the film mostly works because it's a bright spot in the unpleasant Transformers film series. Still fun, but the novelty won't carry the sequel.
9. "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies"
While half the "Teen Titans Go" movie is annoying, the other half is enjoyably energetic and legitimately funny. The comic book references are abundant and hilarious. The animation is colorful and lively. And it had the best ending line of the whole year. Not perfect, certainly annoying, but a fun surprise for parents and kids.
8. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
I'm not even sure if this qualifies as a movie. It feels more like an FMV game from the 90s. However, since it was released on Netflix, I'm saying it counts. Many other reviews saw the addition of factoring in the viewer's choices into the episode as an unneeded gimmick. However, I think that it's this addition that makes "Bandersnatch" so compelling. The choices the viewer is forced to make add extra tension and drama to the story. Some of the endings feel at odds with the thematic arc of the story, but the amount of detail and effort that went into this project is to be commended. It's a unique dramatic experience you're unlikely to have again.
7. "Isle of Dogs"
I'm not as in love with Wes Anderson as many other film nerds. I don't often related with his characters and therefore can't get into the story. However, I do admire him as a visual technician. His vision for set design is entirely unique in today's film industry. It's for that reason that "Isle of Dogs" is as high as it is, even though it didn't grab me emotionally. If it weren't for the gorgeous colors, the pitch-perfect shot composition and the charming stop-motion, this probably wouldn't have made it on the list at all.
6. "A Quiet Place"
Despite what you might've heard, "A Quiet Place" isn't a horror masterpiece by a long shot. The cinematography is lacking and the monsters aren't all that scary. However, it is the first film I've personally seen to treat the family as the main focus. Instead of using the breaking or mending of an average family as a plot device, the familial dynamic between out protagonists is the point of the story. Why did it take a post-apocalyptic monster movie to give us an honest portrait of the American family?
5. "Searching"
Like "Bumblebee", the main appeal of "Searching" is its novelty. It's stunning how a found footage movie was actively good, never mind adequate. The performances are solid, the mystery is intriguing and the direction is pitch-perfect. The first good found footage film since "Chronicle".
4. "Deadpool 2"
The first "Deadpool" has largely lost its appeal since I saw it in 2015. The script isn't that funny, the action is horrible and the whole film has this sense that it's trying too hard. "Deadpool 2", however, is confident and comfortable in its own immaturity. It stands as a testament to what can happen with a change of director. The action is smooth and fun. The jokes take surreal chances with equally surreal payoffs. It's not a film everybody should see, but it is far and away the best comedy of the year.
3. "Hereditary"
I find it funny that family is what brought me to "Hereditary". One of my relatives worked on the lighting for the film, so I decided to watch it out of blood loyalty. Given those intentions, I was not fully prepared for how badly it would unnerve me. Built up with an uncomfortable family drama about tragedy, the film climaxes with a scene of surreal supernatural horror that will send shivers down your spine and piss down your leg. Cringingly real and darkly atmospheric, "Hereditary" is the diamond in the gold mine of this decade's horror films.
2. "Eighth Grade"
Keeping with the theme of uncomfortable movies, Bo Burnham's writing/directorial debut: "Eighth Grade". The best way to describe this film is "real". All the highs, lows and mediocrities of today's youth culture are presented unfiltered and untamed. However, it's a film that anybody can relate to, regardless of demographic. Despite the increased presence of social media, meme humor and month-long trends, the emotional experience of being a tweenager has remained largely the same.
1. Won't You Be My Neighbor?
While Eighth Grade is the film that I related to the most, Won't You Be My Neighbor? was the one film this year that challenged me. It took my pessimistic assumptions about the world and asked me to reconsider them with the cheerful, heartwarming, kind person of Fred Rogers. It made me think that the perhaps the world wasn't as far gone as I thought. Maybe I shouldn't think so negatively of people. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have hope.
10. "Bumblebee"
Honestly, "Bumblebee" is only here because I'll be damned if I let The Incredibles 2 on the list. While the story and characters were relatively engaging on their own, the film mostly works because it's a bright spot in the unpleasant Transformers film series. Still fun, but the novelty won't carry the sequel.
9. "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies"
While half the "Teen Titans Go" movie is annoying, the other half is enjoyably energetic and legitimately funny. The comic book references are abundant and hilarious. The animation is colorful and lively. And it had the best ending line of the whole year. Not perfect, certainly annoying, but a fun surprise for parents and kids.
8. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
I'm not even sure if this qualifies as a movie. It feels more like an FMV game from the 90s. However, since it was released on Netflix, I'm saying it counts. Many other reviews saw the addition of factoring in the viewer's choices into the episode as an unneeded gimmick. However, I think that it's this addition that makes "Bandersnatch" so compelling. The choices the viewer is forced to make add extra tension and drama to the story. Some of the endings feel at odds with the thematic arc of the story, but the amount of detail and effort that went into this project is to be commended. It's a unique dramatic experience you're unlikely to have again.
7. "Isle of Dogs"
I'm not as in love with Wes Anderson as many other film nerds. I don't often related with his characters and therefore can't get into the story. However, I do admire him as a visual technician. His vision for set design is entirely unique in today's film industry. It's for that reason that "Isle of Dogs" is as high as it is, even though it didn't grab me emotionally. If it weren't for the gorgeous colors, the pitch-perfect shot composition and the charming stop-motion, this probably wouldn't have made it on the list at all.
6. "A Quiet Place"
Despite what you might've heard, "A Quiet Place" isn't a horror masterpiece by a long shot. The cinematography is lacking and the monsters aren't all that scary. However, it is the first film I've personally seen to treat the family as the main focus. Instead of using the breaking or mending of an average family as a plot device, the familial dynamic between out protagonists is the point of the story. Why did it take a post-apocalyptic monster movie to give us an honest portrait of the American family?
5. "Searching"
Like "Bumblebee", the main appeal of "Searching" is its novelty. It's stunning how a found footage movie was actively good, never mind adequate. The performances are solid, the mystery is intriguing and the direction is pitch-perfect. The first good found footage film since "Chronicle".
4. "Deadpool 2"
The first "Deadpool" has largely lost its appeal since I saw it in 2015. The script isn't that funny, the action is horrible and the whole film has this sense that it's trying too hard. "Deadpool 2", however, is confident and comfortable in its own immaturity. It stands as a testament to what can happen with a change of director. The action is smooth and fun. The jokes take surreal chances with equally surreal payoffs. It's not a film everybody should see, but it is far and away the best comedy of the year.
3. "Hereditary"
I find it funny that family is what brought me to "Hereditary". One of my relatives worked on the lighting for the film, so I decided to watch it out of blood loyalty. Given those intentions, I was not fully prepared for how badly it would unnerve me. Built up with an uncomfortable family drama about tragedy, the film climaxes with a scene of surreal supernatural horror that will send shivers down your spine and piss down your leg. Cringingly real and darkly atmospheric, "Hereditary" is the diamond in the gold mine of this decade's horror films.
2. "Eighth Grade"
Keeping with the theme of uncomfortable movies, Bo Burnham's writing/directorial debut: "Eighth Grade". The best way to describe this film is "real". All the highs, lows and mediocrities of today's youth culture are presented unfiltered and untamed. However, it's a film that anybody can relate to, regardless of demographic. Despite the increased presence of social media, meme humor and month-long trends, the emotional experience of being a tweenager has remained largely the same.
1. Won't You Be My Neighbor?
While Eighth Grade is the film that I related to the most, Won't You Be My Neighbor? was the one film this year that challenged me. It took my pessimistic assumptions about the world and asked me to reconsider them with the cheerful, heartwarming, kind person of Fred Rogers. It made me think that the perhaps the world wasn't as far gone as I thought. Maybe I shouldn't think so negatively of people. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have hope.
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