Anyone who says 2018 was a bad year for movies didn’t see enough movies. This year brought us high art in many forms—blockbusters went the extra mile to provide substance in addition to thrills, independent filmmakers put it all on the line and then some with truly ambitious storytelling, iconic auteurs pushed the limits of what cinema can do, and we even saw expertly crafted films in the vein of commercial studio filmmaking. There truly was something for everyone, which makes whittling it down to a Top 10 list nearly impossible.
Before we dig into my personal list, a note: these lists are by definition subjective. I am by no means presenting this list as a be-all, end-all—it’s simply the 10 films that truly meant something special to me this year. So without further ado, here are my top 10 films of 2018.
10. The Hate U Give
FilmmakerGeorge Tillerman’s YA adaptationThe Hate U Givewas perhaps the biggest pleasant surprise I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September. This adaptation of theAngie Thomasnovel shouldn’t work—it simply tacklesso manyimportant issues in the span of one feature length film, it couldn’t possibly do justice to any of them. But it really soars as told through the eyes of its young protagonist, portrayed with great humanity and confidence byAmandla Stenberg. While the film does dive deep into Black Lives Matter and what it means to be black in America, it uses its coming-of-age story as a backbone to tremendous results. It never comes off as pat or patronizing, and instead blossoms into a wonderfully powerful and moving viewing experience about, above all else, identity.
9. A Quiet Place
I did not go intoJohn Krasinski’s horror filmA Quiet Placeexpecting to cry multiple times, but here we are. While this is technically a horror film, at heart it’s really the story of a family reeling from a heartbreaking loss and attempting to navigate a world that’s becoming scarier by the day. The performances from all four principal actors are tremendous, and Krasinski’s collaboration with cinematographerCharlotte Bruus Christensenresults in beautifully evocative visual storytelling—which is doubly important in a film with so little dialogue. But it’s the pure, unequivocal love that these family members have for one another that gets me, and just thinking of Krainski’s“I have always loved you” sceneputs a lump in my throat.
8. The Favourite
I’m a sucker for a great dark comedy, and I foundThe Favouriteto be a deliciously salty treat.Yorgos Lanthimosis a notoriously prickly filmmaker who doesn’t particularly care about making his audiences feel good, and whileThe Favouritecertainly traffics in Lanthimos’ signature grim outlook, it’s his most accessible and outright joyous film thus far. While the script is crackling and the mise-en-scene is eye-popping, it’s the performances that really makeThe Favouritespecial. It’s a delight to watchEmma StoneandRachel Weiszplot and scheme in various nefarious ways to put the Queen (Olivia Colman) in their favor, but this isn’t simply a film about people being mean to one another for no reason. The contrast between Stone and Weisz’s motives is striking, and the film ultimately becomes a fascinating chronicle of the nature and consequences of power struggles, and how morality does (and does not) come into play.
I don’t consider myself aCoen Brotherssuperfan, but boy do I adoreThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The duo’s Western anthology is one of the 2018 films that I thought about the most long after the credits had rolled, as this series of tales about death in the Old West lingers in a special, unshakable way. Each of the six installments varies in tone and subject matter, but at heart each is about mortality, and how what we do with the short lives we have on this Earth matters tremendously. Some have called the film especially mean or cynical, but I see it more as a reminder of the relative brevity of human life and found at least one of the vignettes to be truly hopeful, if ultimately tragic. I couldn’t stop thinking aboutBuster Scruggsand its themes for weeks after my first viewing, and if that’s not a testament to the power of great filmmaking then I’m not sure what is.
Widowsis proof positive that we shouldn’t necessarily be asking our greatest living filmmakers to make a Marvel movie or aStar Warsmovie.Widowsis what happens when Oscar-winning12 Years a SlavefilmmakerSteve McQueendecides to make a popcorn movie, taking only the basic premise from an existing TV show and imbuing that with his own themes and style, crafting what is essentially an original heist thriller that is at once wildly entertaining and tremendously thought-provoking. It also boasts potentially the best ensemble cast of the year, withViola Davis,Elizabeth Debicki,Michelle Rodriguez, andCynthia Erivoshowcasing how no two “complex female roles” have to be alike. I had a blast withWidows’ thrills and spills, marveled at McQueen’s impeccable filmmaking, and was moved by the film’s handling of complex themes.Widowsshows you don’t have to choose between blockbuster entertainment and serious drama.
5. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
It makes absolutely no sense that theMission: Impossiblefranchise is this good six films and two decades into its run, but miraculouslyMission: Impossible – Falloutmarks a high-point for the series. With this sequel, writer/directorChristopher McQuarriehas crafted a true epic in every sense of the word. The stakes are bigger than ever before, the stunts are more intense than ever before, andTom Cruisejumps, falls, and literally breaks his body for your entertainment. But what putsFalloutover the top is McQuarrie’s focus on emotional stakes, ensuring that in each scene the audience has a reason to care about what insane (and practical!) theatrics are underway. It makes all the difference (yes I got emotional during aMission: Impossiblemovie), and it’s a big reason whyMission: Impossible – Falloutis also one of the most rewatchable films of the year. That andHenry Cavill’s glorious mustache.
4. Black Panther
The idea of blockbuster entertainment that jettisons frivolity for high-minded themes continues with my next pick,Black Panther. Put simply,Black Pantheris the most substantial Marvel Studios movie ever made. It delivers the high-flying theatrics and CG action that you’ve come to expect from a Marvel movie, but it’s all in service ofRyan Coogler’s clear-minded vision of a story about the morality and cost of isolationism. Through the eyes ofMichael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, the film dives into the specificity of the African-American experience, using Killmonger’s life of loss and hardship as a foil for T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) life of comparative privilege. The contrast between these two visions of Wakanda is the dramatic heart ofBlack Panther, and it results in tremendous emotional stakes threaded throughout every action set piece. We’re not just watching two people punch each other for the sake of visual effects spectacle. We’re watching two different yet understandable ideals go head to head.
On top of all of that, the film is impeccably crafted, with Coogler soaking each frame in metaphor and symbolism through shot composition and even color.Black Pantheris a moment, a movement, and it’s the best superhero film sinceChristopher Nolan’s similarly thematically denseThe Dark Knight.
There’s something to be said for watching one of our best living directors working at the top of his game. It becomes clear early on inRomathat that’s exactly what we’re witnessingAlfonso Cuaróndo as he stretches the limits of cinema to quiet literally bare his soul, digging deep into his personal memories to put his childhood onscreen. ButRomaisn’t a vanity project; it is, instead, a film of immense empathy as we watch a Mexican family fall apart through the eyes of their live-in domestic worker Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio). Cuaròn’s objective camera lulls the audience into a sense of security as we watch the events unfold from afar, but just like a miraculous magic trick, by the end of it all you’re begging to step in and intervene. To do something,anythingto comfort these characters. You’ve fallen in love with them, but of course they’re not even there. You’re staring at a screen, simply watching images unfold. That Cuarón is able to evoke such deep empathy with his impeccable craftsmanship speaks to the emotional power of cinema as a whole.
2. Minding the Gap
I was late on catching up toBing Liu’s documentaryMinding the Gap(which is available on Hulu now), but boy am I glad I did. The film chronicles the lives of three young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois who have a passion for skateboarding. But as we quickly learn through the early portion of the film, skating is far more than a hobby—it’s an outlet for anger, frustration, and desperation. I can’t remember another film that so perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be forced to grow up when you may lack the experience or maturity to do so, nor how the cycle of abuse perpetuates itself due to factors both internal and external. This film goes to some very dark places, but Liu keeps the humanity of his subjects intact through impeccable editing—indeed the narrative structure ofMinding the Gapis downright cinematic. The film is utterly heartbreaking yet intensely engrossing, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it (or its subjects) since.Minding the Gapis essential viewing.
1. A Star Is Born
The heart wants what the heart wants. WhileBradley Cooper’s take onA Star Is Bornis tinged with sadness and melancholy, the confidence and clarity of vision with which Cooper crafts every frame makes you believe in the love between Jackson and Ally. The film’s first 45 minutes or so is a set piece unto itself and has instantly been solidified as one of the most iconic “first dates” ever put on screen. Cooper andLady Gagaare fearless in their performances, with Cooper especially delivering by far the best turn of his career as he allows the audience to track the simultaneous rise and fall of Ally and Jackson, respectively. The soundtrack is phenomenal, thecinematography is stunningand rich with evocative imagery, and the editing is precise and impactful. I could continue listing the various individual accomplishments ofA Star Is Born—which are many—but at the end of the day it’s some strange, inexplicable alchemy that led me to choose it as my favorite film of 2018. I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in.
Honorable Mentions:Paddington 2,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,Wildlife,Game Night,Bad Times at the El Royale,Set It Up,Suspiria
For the rest of Collider’s end-of-the-year content, gohere, and check out some more of our lists below:
