2018. What can we say about the films of 2018? They weren't exactly great and they weren't exactly very memorable. I surveyed a few people to ask them what their favorite movie was of last year and all of their responses were: "what came out last year?' 2017 was an exceptional year for movies, so naturally 2018 was going to be lackluster. (This means 2019 is going be killer.) The biggest problem I found in compiling the list this year is that even though I did see quite a few very good movies... I never saw one that stood out better than the rest. I've ordered this list several times now and there is no clear-cut #1 movie. I looked around the internet at various magazine lists of the best movies of 2018 and they all have different movies on the list, different movies ranked at number one, etc. There was just no obvious standout for number one. Nearly every movie on my list of ten could've been the best of the year because they were all equally good. But, unlike the last six years of making this list, picking the best movie of the year wasn't easy. The worst movies of the year were. Again, I stayed away from a lot of the obviously bad movies of 2018, so if you don't see one on here that you hated, chances are I didn't see it. (Films like: Fifty Shades Freed, I Feel Pretty, Overboard, Life of the Party, Gotti, Uncle Drew, The Darkest Minds, Night School, Robin Hood, Mortal Engines). There were also a few of the good movies I never got to see, either. Unfortunately, I missed out on Can You Ever Forgive Me? The Ruth Bader Ginsberg film On the Basis of Sex is taking its sweet time to make it to theaters. And, I know I should be better about this... I still haven't been able to watch Roma. It looks like a movie that demands my patience. I can give that in a theater. It's hard to muster at home. I'll watch it and amend the list accordingly, if necessary. But for now... here are the Best and Worst movies of 2018 according to me.
The TOP 10 BEST FILMS of 2018:
10. The Hate U Give
I was unfortunately unable to catch this one in theaters and didn't even get to do a proper review for the movie. But, I watched it last week and was blown away. This movie went very under-the-radar for most people. It had a quiet theatrical run and didn't make a ton of money - a movie that should've made more money than half of the releases in 2018. It's about a young girl in high school who watches her childhood friend killed by a cop at a routine traffic stop. It's not just a powerful, timely and poignant movie, it's a movie that should be required viewing for every living soul in this country. The performances are amazing, the movie is harrowing and heartfelt, and it gives the viewer plenty of thinking to do after. And while it's not an easy movie to watch by any means, it is a very good movie.
9. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
I toyed with making this one an "Honorable Mention" rather than putting it on the list of only ten. But then I watched it again, and my god... get away from the fact that the Mission: Impossible franchise is six movies deep, and get away from the fact that Tom Cruise is a Scientology nutbag and you start to realize just how good these movies are. Not only are they the best spy movies around (and have been for the better part of two decades), but they're one of the rare franchises that keeps getting better with each entry. Mission: Impossible: Fallout is just a fun and incredibly entertaining movie. It's well-written, it's well-directed, it's well-acted. It's funny, it's thrilling, and it's a movie that serves as a definition for why people like to go to the movies. So, by those standards, it really was one of the ten best movies of 2018.
Review HERE.
8. Hereditary
A24 is killing it with original horror content, but they're doing it in a different way. They're not doing it in a commercial Blumhouse way. They tell different, unconventional horror stories. Ones that don't necessarily appeal to the masses. There's no jump scares, there's no obvious twist endings. These are movies that are full of tension and scare you not just while you watch, but stick with you for a long time. It's been several months since I saw Hereditary and the movie still lingers in the back of my mind. It's one of the most horrific and disturbing movies I've ever seen - in a good way. It's a wonderful movie that not a lot of mainstream audiences are going to connect with or even enjoy, but I still urge everyone to see it if you think you can handle it (you won't). Toni Collette should be nominated for an Oscar for her performance as she's fantastic in it. It's also one of these movies that you have to watch more than once. With each new viewing, you catch something new and the story comes even more into focus and you realize just how genius the film really is.
Review HERE
7. Bad Times at the El Royale
A film that slowly unravels, revealing secrets and lies from a bunch of mysterious strangers staying at the same El Royale hotel splitting the border of California and Nevada. I love when movies like this come out. They're wholly original content, so literally no one entering the theater knows where it's going to end up. We all get to see it unfold together. We're guessing in our minds what's going to happen, but there's slick twists and turns around every corner. Bad Times at the El Royale was one of the coolest movies of the year and one of the best written movies as well. Each character is layered with such depth and each actor (especially Cynthia Erivo) gives it their all to make it a fun, gorgeous, beautifully shot mystery thriller. Director Drew Goddard takes the best of his directorial influences (there's Quentin Tarantino and Scorsese peppered all throughout) and makes one of the best original movies of the year. Unfortunately, it fared terribly at the box office because audiences are just reinforcing Hollywood's fear that no one wants to risk their money on something original anymore. But, I strongly urge you to rent this movie tonight.
Review HERE
6. Avengers: Infinity War/Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
So, this is one of the first times in the history of my doing these reviews and these lists that I'm changing my point of view on a movie. You guys should know by now that I'm just not a superhero movie guy. The over-saturation of Marvel has put a sour taste in my mouth and I never WANT to go see their movies, but they're always so highly praised that I do anyway. When I first saw Avengers: Infinity War I wasn't blown away. In fact, I was a little pissed off. I felt like Disney had copped out on the deaths we were promised and the movie was lacking severely. But then I watched it again. And then again. And then again. And for some unexplained reason... I really, really like it. I find myself wanting to watch it over and over. I've seen Avengers: Infinity War more than any other movie this year and I didn't even think it was that great on first viewing. Now... I find myself unable to wait patiently for the second part. It had to make the list because it's grown on me and if I've watched it more than any other movie this year - how can it not? The other part of this is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which I've only seen once, but resonated with me more than most superhero movies ever do. It's beautifully animated, it's hilarious, it's fun, and it's the best Spider-Man movie ever made. I find myself wanting to watch Spider-Man as much as I want to watch Infinity War. Marvel can do away with all the other movies. Give me Thanos and give me Miles and I'll be a fan for life.
Avengers Review HERE (though the thoughts and opinions have changed)
Spider-Man Review HERE
5. A Star is Born
At the beginning of the year, you wouldn't have been able to convince me that I would even SEE a movie starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, much less putting it on my favorites of the year list. Even seeing the trailers I didn't have a desire to watch the movie. But again, favorable reviews for the film convinced me otherwise and I'm glad I changed my mind. A Star is Born gave me a look at what an incredible actor Bradley Cooper really is. Yes, he caught my attention with Silver Linings Playbook, but the man really opened my eyes with this film. He SHOULD be a shoo-in to win Best Actor, but with Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury, Christian Bale's Dick Cheney, and both guys in Green Book it's a much tighter race. I'd still personally give it to Cooper because not only is he beyond perfect in this film, he directed it as well. (Plus, there's that killer soundtrack.) And A Star is Born is the one movie on the list I'm most surprised with how much I genuinely loved it.
Review HERE
4. The Favourite
Period pieces are not exactly my cup of tea. But, ones that are this funny and this dastardly are really rare. The Favourite showcases three magnificent actresses in a wickedly dark comedy about femininity and backstabbing. The movie excels because it's three leads own the witty dialogue and make the movie feel contemporary. All three give the best performances of their careers and deserve all of the praise the film has thus far received. It's a difficult task to be able to despise each of these women, as well as empathize with them through each scene and banter and betrayal. It's such a fun and engrossing movie to watch. Don't let the time period let you overlook this one. It's one of the more interesting and original movies of the year and I loved every second of it.
Review HERE
3. Green Book
Chalk this one under one of the more surprising movies of 2018. Peter Farrelly, whose entire career has been directing raunchy comedies with his brother Bobby, turned a corner and gave 2018 one of the most tender and honest films that I had the pleasure of watching this year. Two veteran actors give it their all in an unorthodox road trip movie about love, acceptance, understanding and tolerance. And much like The Hate U Give should be required viewing, so should Green Book. Unlike The Hate U Give though, it's actually a joy to watch. It's equal parts dramatic and funny. Both of these actors should win all the stuff and I genuinely hope this movie gets more and more recognized as the years go on. This movie won't and shouldn't be forgotten anytime soon. It's genuinely earned its spot as one of the best movies of the year.
Review HERE
2. Black Panther
Yes, Black Panther really did come out in 2018. In a time when the majority of movies released feature predominately white males, Black Panther is a genuine game-changer. It's probably Marvel's best movie to date and Director Ryan Coogler takes great care to make sure it not only entertains, but gives us a timely message as well (all while brilliantly honoring African culture). I've also not seen a villain in a Marvel movie (or most Marvel movies) who is so well-crafted, to the point where it was difficult to decide who to root for. Both hero and villain are right to be fighting for what they're fighting for and its execution is heartbreaking as well as genius. Beyond just being a great movie, it sends a message to Hollywood that we moviegoers are craving diverse films more than ever. This is due to the fact that it's one of Marvel's highest grossing films. Coogler, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, and the rest round out a wonderful cast for a truly amazing and iconic film that should only lead to even greater things for everyone involved.
Review HERE
1. Eighth Grade
Like I said... it was difficult to pick a number one. Genuinely, any of the movies on this list could be argued as the best... however, I believe any other year, none of them would be. But Eighth Grade just spoke the most to me out of all of them. It's another film on the list that was surprising with the fact that a director who has only done comedy in his career has put out such a touching and affecting film that seriously resonates with its audience. Musical stand-up comic Bo Burnham's directorial debut serves as a movie that will reach everyone who ever watches it, and that's why it gets the coveted number one slot. Even though it's about the life of a middle school aged girl in 2018, there's not a person watching the film who won't relate to the struggles and the awkwardness and the turmoil of eighth grade life or its protagonist. Lead Elsie Fisher is perfect as Kayla and this movie shows us that she's destined for great things. It's a difficult movie to watch (especially one scene) because of how uncomfortable it makes the audience with every bumbling encounter Kayla has. It's near impossible not to squirm in your seat while watching it both because you feel for Kayla, and because you remember similar moments in your own life. It's rare for an indie movie like this to have such a large impact on its viewer. It allows curmudgeons like us to be able to finally empathize with the youth today. I hope both Fisher and Burnham keep churning out projects like this. If they do, we're in for some seriously great movies ahead.
Review HERE
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Blackkklansman, Hearts Beat Loud, If Beale Street Could Talk, Isle of Dogs, A Quiet Place, Widows, Won't You Be My Neighbor
The TOP 10 WORST FILMS of 2018:
10. Truth or Dare
Eh, they can't all be winners, can they Blumhouse? First of all, from what I could tell, the movie had always intended to be R rated. I'm not sure which studio head influenced you to go PG-13, but I guess it doesn't matter because Truth or Dare was going to be rotten either way - at least with the R rating we might've gotten a few bloodier deaths. So, since I never reviewed this movie, here's the synopsis: teenagers in Mexico play truth or dare with a douchebag. Douchebag has a curse on him where he MUST play truth or dare... or die. Group now has curse. When you don't tell the truth or don't do the dare, you get a stupid fucking grin on your stupid fucking face and die. It's at the bottom of the list because I respected the ending... but that's it. The rest is lazy, garbage writing with an even worse gaggle of actors trying to act afraid. (However, this movie can be really fun if you're with friends and doing a lot of alcohol mixed with illegal powders).
9. Incredibles 2
I still realize that I'm in the minority on this, but I think Pixar's worst movies are the Incredibles movies. Not because I don't think that they're clever or well-written or lazy or anything like that. They're not. That's Cars. No one expects anything from Cars. That's their "we're out of ideas right now" movie. Incredibles actually has something to say. Actually has a good story with a good message. Only... all of it coming together just never works out. All the pieces are there to make a brilliant film - but it's so unbelievably boring, I never cared about anyone. This movie bored me to tears. Two other people in my theater were sleeping and I envied them. As it moved on (and I kept guessing plot twists), I realized just how bad the movie really was. It wasn't me. I was trying to like it. But it was so slow and boring that I can't imagine any kids really liked what they were watching either. It makes the list because I hold Pixar to the highest standard for animation. So, when it comes out with a dull, used-eraser like this - it makes the damn list.
Review HERE
8. The Cloverfield Paradox
It was Super Bowl. Last year. Everyone's gathered around the TV. Everyone stuffed with meat and beer. And a trailer drops. A trailer for a new Cloverfield movie drops. A trailer for a new Cloverfield movie that's been released on Netflix THAT NIGHT drops. That's brilliant advertising. Netflix realized that to reach the most people watching TV at the same time was Super Bowl. Flash forward 24 hours later. Those of us who fell for the hoax were pissed off. Pissed off that whatever monstrosity that movie decided to call itself was somehow inexplicably related to Cloverfield. Both the first film and 10 Cloverfield Lane were quite good and we don't exactly crave more entries into the series, but they're always welcome. This one. This was a rip off of Alien and Sunshine, only it's not scary, interesting, fun, or good. Then, because Netflix and whoever else got conned out of money to fund this shit, realized it was filth... they slapped the Cloverfield nametag on it so people would watch. The name of the ship in the movie is the Cloverfield. That's it. That's every connection to the series. Netflix: "April Fools, fuckers!"
Review HERE
7. The Happytime Murders
You remember when you were a kid and you did something shitty and you were expecting to get lambasted by your dad or mom, like a real thrashing, like your favorite thing in the world was about to be destroyed right in front of your eyes for what you did... but then they didn't yell? They didn't scream. They didn't even raise their voices. They said, I'm not mad... I'm just disappointed. And somehow, THAT crushed you more than anything else you could've expected? That's how I felt about The Happytime Murders. An R-rated movie... with vulgar puppets... and a murder mystery... and comedic genius Melissa McCarthy? How do you mess that up?! Oh. Okay. By making the protagonist puppet unlikable without any personality. By making the punchline of every "joke" just having a puppet say the word 'fuck'. Oh, by putting the "sex scene" in the trailer to draw us out... but then revealing that the sex scene was the only funny part of the movie. There was the opportunity to have a Muppet Team America here. Instead... we got a shitty, forgettable, Muppet-stained trough of bullshit. I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed.
Review HERE
6. Solo: A Star Wars Story
Progression of events:
- Star Wars: Episode VII is released to critical acclaim and a shit ton of money.
- Studios go - Hey, we should do some spinoff Star Wars shit so we run it into the ground
- Rogue One is released. It's very good. It makes a lot of money.
- Studios go - Hell yeah! We did it. Let's release this massive list of all the spinoffs we want to do. I'm talking balls deep into the characters. Let's start with young Han Solo!
- Solo is released. It sucks ass. It loses money.
- Studios go - Ah shit. Star Wars is dead. Let's just build a Star Wars section at Disneyland and charge people to see it.
Review HERE
5. Action Point
Human beings... especially Americans... are generally dopes. We put on a face of being intellectual or having all our shit together and liking high brow shit. But we all love to see Johnny Knoxville fall down or hit in the nuts. It's something that nearly every American laughs at. The Jackass movies/series are painfully funny and no matter how often you watch them, they'll send your gut in fits of aches from laughing so much. Action Point is the complete opposite. It's unfunny. It's pointless. It's juvenile in a way that makes us hate everyone involved. There's absolutely nothing to laugh at in the entire movie other than the couple of yuks you've already seen from the trailers. I understand Knoxville is getting older and torturing his body in Jackass ways isn't exactly feasible anymore. But don't give us this half-assed horseshit and call it a comedy. We're not buying it.
Review HERE
4. The Nun
James Wan has crafted some seriously iconic horror movies over the last decade or so. He began with the, still, underappreciated Saw (which gets shit because of all the bad sequels, but it still a great solo film). Then Insidious. Then The Conjuring. All of his horror movies are well-made and frightening and damn near perfect. But, Hollywood doesn't leave well enough alone and they make too many of them and kill what made his movie good (Saw/Insidious). OR they make a bunch of dumbass spinoffs from the villains of the films (Annabelle/The Nun). I'm very disappointed in people. Not just the producers greenlighting these movies. You guys too. And myself. For giving money to these rat-stenched movies even though you know they're going to be terrible. The Annabelle doll doesn't even move. Even its face. And there's two goddamn movies about it. The Nun is even worse. It's a person, but behind shadows it gives you the willies. When it runs around shrieking like a fucking goat for two hours... it's laughable. And not in a good way. Shame on you Hollywood.
Review HERE
3. Venom
Well, Marvel... you can't win 'em all. You managed to get three movies on the ten best this year... but you fucking EARNED this spot on the worst. Venom is painful to sit through with its poorly written dialogue, to its unbearably bad CGI, to its cartoonish villains we're supposed to fear, to its badly designed plot to literally everything involved (minus Tom Hardy - that man is a God). And on top of that it should've been rated R. Watching Venom felt like getting repeatedly punched in the face with pies by an angry clown who keeps shouting "Are you having fun yet?!" while intermittently puking and laughing next to me. Venom should be taught in all screenwriting classes as a spectacle of what not to do when writing a script or writing characters or writing dialogue. I liked it better when it was called The Mask and it actually made people happy.
Review HERE
2. Holmes & Watson
A recreation of an interaction with Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Director Etan Cohen.
Cohen: Hi, gentlemen. Welcome to the first day of shooting Holmes & Watson. I'll be your director, Etan Cohen.
Ferrell: Great to meet you, Ethan. I loved your work with Fargo and The Big Lebowski.
Reilly: I particularly loved O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Cohen: Ha ha. Yeah. I get that a lot. Except I'm not Ethan Coen, one of the Coen brothers. I'm E-tan Cohen. I did Madagascar 2 and Men in Black 3.
Ferrell: Oh. I see. So, do you have any experience with comedic films?
Cohen: Actually I do. I even directed you in Get Hard, Will.
Ferrell: So, no? No actual experience in comedy?
Cohen: No. No, not really.
Reilly: That's okay. We're really funny together. We can make almost anything work. We've done a lot of stuff with Adam McKay and he's been our comedy mentor, so this'll be fine.
Cohen: Great! Here are your costumes. Put them on and let's start shooting.
Reilly: Sorry to nitpick... but I was kind of hoping before shooting the movie... we might get a peek at a script.
Cohen: Oh jeez. This is embarrassing. I thought they told you. There's no script. We just pitched a Sherlock Holmes movie starring you guys and here we are.
Ferrell: There's no script?
Cohen: No.
Reilly: An outline of the plot?
Cohen: What's a plot?
Ferrell: Oh, dear.
Cohen: You guys are great at improvisation, right? Just do your thing.
Ferrell: Well, here's the thing Ethan...
Cohen: Etan
Ferrell: ...we usually have a structure and a base and a script with which to improvise from.
Reilly: Yeah, it's much easier to improvise when we know these characters and their motivations.
Cohen: You're Sherlock Holmes. And you're Watson. Go!
Ferrell: See, that's not exactly what we mean.
Cohen: (Pulls out gun): I... said... go.
Review HERE
1. Slender Man
A cohesive list of things that are more enjoyable to experience than watching Slender Man:
-changing an adult's diaper
-spending a week in line at the DMV
-arguing with a complete stranger about lawn mowers
-stepping on a nail - barefoot
-watching Holmes & Watson
-changing an elderly person's diaper
-scrubbing your face pores with sandpaper
-eating crab legs... not the meat inside... the actual legs
-listening to a Time Share pitch, giving them your life savings, and getting three days out of the year to vacation at your new Time Share in Stockton, California.
-holding a ladder for someone
-Gone With the Wind in a different language without subtitles
-letting a homeless person spit in your mouth
-snorting wasabi
-hanging out with Randy Quaid (now)
-playing hackysack barefoot with a billiard ball
-discussing trickle-down economics with a slightly broken drive-thru speaker
-doing a word search with a blind person
-viewing an art gallery featuring different works depicting cottage cheese
-massaging Rush Limbaugh's inner thighs
Review HERE
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