The Top 10 Films of 2018

When thinking about 2018, it’s difficult to identify a unifying theme or direction that's indicative of the overall mood of the pictures that I saw. What was 2018? It wasn’t a bad year for movies at all. There are a lot of films that deserve to be on any year’s list, but there aren’t as many that demand to be crowned the movie of the year. Rather, there were many films that exist as pillars of their own particular niche. Sometimes that makes for a more varied and interesting year in movies.

10 – Tully - Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody reunite to tell the story of an exhausted mother (Charlize Theron) who is reeling from post-partum depression. Mackenzie Davis as the titular fairy-godmother/wet nurse lights up the screen with what should have been a star-making performance. But it's the turn towards magical realism that helps distinguish this film from the usual indie-drama Sundance slosh bucket.

09 - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Who doesn’t like a good anthology movie? Scruggs boasts a competent buffet of short stories depicting the myth of the American western, as presented by the Coen brothers with the perfect amount of post-modern side eye. Every tale explores themes of death, redemption, and the pitfalls that come with the Western mentality of the self-made man.

08 – Hereditary – Ari Aster’s demonic melodrama about a family torn apart by grief is as emotionally draining as it is terrifying. Toni Collette balances a difficult performance that asks her to simultaneously anchor the story in an emotional reality and to sell the spectacle of the horror/supernatural elements. Hereditary is a heavy and bleak movie-going experience but its nuance and masterful direction demand thorough consideration.

07 – Thoroughbreds – Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke play a twisted game of master manipulation in Cory Finley’s directorial debut. Finley's stage-like thriller is tinged with just the right amount of black comedy as it explores the notion of two teenagers who plot to kill one of their stepfathers. Brewing beneath this premise is a clever satire about medically induced teenage apathy and anti-social affluenza.

06 – Spider-Man into The Spider-Verse - This is exactly the kind of kick in the butt that the word of animation desperately needs. The mix of three-dimensional CGI modeling with tactile illustration explodes with the color and creativity that’s usually limited to graphic design and comic books. The out-of-the-box plot managed to tell a compelling story while introducing us to six new spider characters and establishing a new movie universe for them to play in.

05 – Bad Times at the El Royale - Drew Goddard’s period noir that takes place at a tourist-friendly Tahoe hotel is probably the most slept-on wide-release movie of the year. This fantastically directed thriller pulls together multiple plot threads and a big cast into a slowly unfolding, tense game of shag carpet Clue. The performances are finely tuned, and Goddard’s considerate use of subjective camera helps to bait the audience into every exciting reveal.

04 – Annihilation – Not since Ridley Scott’s “Alien” has a science fiction horror film so effectively crept into my consciousness. This hellish "Through the Looking Glass" is experienced from the perspective of a team of female scientists who are biologically altered as they explore the interior of a psychedelic radiation bubble that has formed around the landing site of a meteor. The film effectively taps into the fears we have about our own bodies as well as our fears about the vastness of the galaxies. 

03 – Eighth Grade – Millennial stand-up comedian Bo Burnham has made with his first feature what is probably the most accurate portrayal of awkward pre-adolescents. Elsie Fisher is heartbreakingly perfect as the fragile and emotionally underprepared Kayla Day; a teenager who is desperately trying to navigate a world of ever-changing social cues, as she herself is still settling into a new life after exiting childhood.

02 – Blindspotting - Hollywood has explored racial tensions in America through the power of filmmaking over the last few years and many new voices have emerged. Carlos Lopez Estrada’s film deals with the social woes of racial injustice, police brutality, and gentrification. Daveed Digs and Rafael Casal as the leads are both relatable and engaging and the hipster-infested Oakland that Estrada shows us feels just as recognizable as when we watch our own neighborhoods change over the years. The experimental rap-like dialogue within Casal and Dig's near-perfect screenplay is a bold stylistic choice that pays off.

01 – Sorry to Bother You – While “Blindspotting” deals with racial injustice and gentrified Oakland through the interpersonal struggles of the main characters, Boots Riley’s take on the same subject uses absurdism and broad satire to explore the political and social reasons for said inequalities. This audacious comedy about telemarketing, workers strikes, and unions delivers big laughs while also skewering the corporate structure of the Silicon Valley industries that have kicked out the bottom rungs of the social ladder. No other film this year has spit this amount of venom while also experimenting with tone, genre, and visual storytelling with the same amount of punk rock gusto.

Honorable Mentions: If Beal Street Could Talk, Avengers: Infinity War, Mid 90s, Blackkklansman, Crazy Rich Asians, A Star Is Born, A Quiet Place, The Favourite,

Originally Published in the Idaho State Journal/Jan-2019