Top 25 Movies of 2018

2017 brought me some of my all time favorite films in The Shape of Water, Logan, and War for the Planet of the Apes. Each of these films reinvented and reinvigorated their respective genres in unique ways, a trend enjoyed by several other films that year.

But if 2017 was the year of renewing genre, 2018 was the year of destroying it altogether. That's not to say generic distinctions disappeared this past year, but the lines making up these distinctions were certainly blurred.

2018 was also a significant year for me and my relationship to film. While I've always taken movies seriously (perhaps even too seriously, some might say) this year marked the creation of this very blog, where I made it my mission to absorb more contemporary films than ever before. I watched 60 films released in the year 2018, and while there are still several more I hope to catch up on, that feels like a perfectly good number to carve some favorites out of.

The following is my top 25 films of 2018, each one complemented by a bit of cinematic, as well as personal, reflection.

Thank you all for joining me this year, and happy watching!

25. The Kindergarten Teacher

As the title suggests, Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a kindergarten teacher who identifies one of her students as a poetry prodigy. The film is simultaneously sweet and unsettling. Gyllenhaal's Lisa slowly unravels over the course of the film as she increasingly obsesses over young Jimmy's natural talent. But no matter how crazy Lisa seems to be, director Sarah Colangelo maintains a confidence in her protagonist that allows us to consider the extent to which we value art, and even our children, in our current moment. The camera lingers on Lisa as those around her either criticize her own poetry, or denounce her investment in Jimmy. In these moments, we see a woman driven mad, but only because the world around her is so damn normal. We all want something different; maybe Lisa is the only one crazy enough to pursue it? Of course, there may be something problematic about channeling that pursuit through a kindergartener, but even then, there is something admirable about the faith Lisa has in Jimmy when even his own family fails to see his potential. We tend not to take children seriously, but who's to say they aren't just as capable as the rest of us?

24. Boy Erased

Joel Edgerton directs this adaptation of Garrard Conley's memoir about his experiences at a gay conversion camp. Edgerton also plays the role of the camp's chillingly ignorant director Victor Sykes. Edgerton is joined by an excellent cast, with Lucas Hedges in the lead role and Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe playing the young teen's parents. While other actors seem to be getting most of the credit, Hedges stands out to me as the year's best male lead. There are several uncomfortable moments in Boy Erased, but Hedges reminds us of Jared's pain through them all. Crowe and Kidman are similarly successful in taking characters that could have easily been church-loving stereotypes and instead highlighting their confusion in balancing their love for their son and for their faith. Edgerton's direction also does some unexpected things. Scenes at the camp play out like a dystopian thriller, with time slowing and haunting music creeping in. A general sense of dread washes over the film in such moments, which is certainly appropriate, even if it threatens to cheapen Conley's actual struggle for the sake of dramatic effect at times. Still, it's a technically sound film filled with terrific performances. While such stories may be better told by members of the LGBTQIA+ community, I commend Edgerton on crafting a film that so honestly conveys his protagonist's struggle, and offers nothing but love and support for the community.

23. Bad Times at the El Royale

I wrote about Bad Times at the El Royale back in October, and it's a film that has only grown on me over time. Even when I first discussed it here, I was sold on its complexity but not necessarily its total success in pursuing it. But as 2018 came to a close and I began to reflect on its cinematic offerings, I could not forget about one of the year's most bold and original films. Director Drew Goddard has proven with both this film and Cabin in the Woods that he is a deft interrogator of genre, and so even in those moments where Bad Times begins to juggle more than it can handle, it remains committed to challenging and reshaping our notions of genre, and ultimately our relationship to film as a whole. Goddard has a clear interest in film as a space in which we can explore our agency, or lack thereof, and Bad Times is arguably one of this list's most significant films in helping us understand how to watch and interpret everything around us.

22. Bumblebee

I'm as surprised as you are that the latest installment in the Transformers franchise was not only a good movie, but one of the best in 2018. Nevermind the fact that I'm not-so-secretly in love with Hailee Steinfeld; this film breathes new life into a middling franchise in a big way. Steinfeld is incredible here though, especially considering most of her acting is done opposite CGI. Director Travis Knight nostalgically brings us to the 1980s, capturing the music, clothing, and of course, cars of the era. The film also recalls classics like E.T. and The Iron Giant in its focus on the bond between a child and the supernatural. Knight has cemented himself as a name to follow, as Bumblebee builds on the success of Knight's directorial debut Kubo and the Two Strings, produced by animation studio Laika, where Knight serves as president and CEO. With both of his films, as well as countless other Laika productions, Knight has proven to have a deep understanding of childhood and adolescence, in both their pains and their pleasures.

21. First Man

I'll be honest, First Man is a bit disappointing when considered alongside the rest of Damien Chazelle's filmography, but this film still does some incredible things. For starters, this movie sounds incredible. Justin Hurwitz' score is gorgeous and gripping, but the way it is mixed with the rest of the film's sounds leads to some of the most intense scenes in cinema this year. Whenever First Man brings us inside a spaceship and up into space, it is overwhelmingly immersive. These moments tend to carry the film, as it struggles to find much emotional resonance when it is back down on earth. Still, that seems to be what Chazelle is going for, as he paints Neil Armstrong as a man on a mission, mostly detached from the world around him. That seems to be what drew Chazelle to the project in the first place. With all three of his films now, he has explored the ways in which we relate to our work, and the lengths we're willing to go in order to achieve our personal definitions of success.

20. The Old Man & The Gun

And the award for most charming movie of 2018 goes to....

The Old Man & The Gun may be about a notorious criminal, but Robert Redford's Forrest Tucker is just so damn likable. He's one of the best bank robbers in history, and doesn't even load his gun in the process. The message of director David Lowery's film is a simple, yet effective one: smile! While the film comes close to celebrating crime, it stands out as a satisfying celebration of kindness as the ultimate weapon. Lowery also succeeds in capturing the aesthetic of 1970's cinema; it's almost impossible to believe this came out in 2018. Lowery has emerged as one of my favorite filmmakers working today. With last year's A Ghost Story and now this film, he manages to incorporate moments of reflection and thought, not through dialogue, but through moments of quiet instead.

19. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

I'm not going to pretend there is all that much to analyze here. Quite honestly, I don't remember anything about the plot. But the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is some of the most fun you could have had in a movie theater this year. Tom Cruise is really good at playing Tom Cruise, and even better at pulling off some of the most insane action setpieces I've ever seen. Fallout represents a step forward in the action genre, with the bathroom scene particularly standing out as an innovation in how to shoot a fight scene. Without a score or too many flashy cuts, the scene is the one of the most gripping combat sequences in recent memory. With more and more superhero and action films dominating the cinematic landscape each year, it's refreshing to see an established franchise continue to push the boundaries of what it can do.

18. Annihilation

Annihilation did not work for me the first time I watched it. But upon a second viewing, it stands out as one of the more daring and innovative films this year. I'm not even certain I fully understand it after multiple viewings - it's definitely one of the more trippy films you'll see this year - and yet it is the sort of movie I can't stop thinking about. Alex Garland delivered an all-time-great science fiction film in 2014 with Ex Machina, and while I'm not sure Annihilation quite lives up to that standard, it still pushes sci-fi's boundaries in an exciting and new direction. Natalie Portman kills it as always, and let's just say this is not the last time she'll appear on this list.

17. Upgrade

Upgrade never really got the attention it deserved in 2018, perhaps because Logan Marshall-Green's doppelganger Tom Hardy starred in a similar but very much inferior film with Venom. Both films feature a protagonist suddenly fused with something inhuman, and gaining rare abilities as a result. But Upgrade suceeds in mining this sci-fi-fueled concept for all its comedic value. Marshall-Green gives an impressively physical performance as he often has to disconnect his facial and bodily performances, expressing utter disbelief at the maneuvers his body is capable of since fusing with STEM. There's also a heavy dose of gore, and while other films could have felt gratuitous in this way, Upgrade again carves enough humor out of it to make it a welcome addition. The film hits on several familiar sci-fi tropes, but also continues an important conversation that sci-fi will have to take up for a very long time, that being our undying interest in welcoming technology into every aspect of our lives. Is it about efficiency, convenience, improvement? It is tough to say. What's more important is the angle Upgrade seems to take on it: is all of this really necessary anyway?

16. Private Life

I almost never watched Private Life. A film about a middle-aged couple trying desperately to have a kid just didn't appeal to my college-student self. But I eventually gave it a try, and I'm so grateful that I did. Tamara Jenkins' latest film might just feature my favorite script of 2018. Each line is dripping with humor that is simultaneously sweet and sorrowful. Paul Giamatti kills it as always, but it's Kathryn Hahn who deserved award recognition for her performance. It also delivers one of the best endings to any film in 2018, daring to leave viewers grappling with the uncertain fate of the film's central couple. It's not quite happy, not quite sad, and in that way, Private Life both celebrates and warns us about getting our hopes up in a world almost always ready to disappoint.

15. Cam

Cam has the honor of being the highest rated Netflix original film on this list, and it earned it by being arguably the most 2018 movie of 2018. It brazenly touches on issues of sex work (and sexuality at large) and identity in the streaming age, where our physical and online personas continue to blur together. Alice, who works online as a cam girl under the name "Lola_Lola", experiences the ultimate identity crisis when she notices an identical impostor streaming from her account. What results is equal parts thrilling and horrifying. Madeline Brewer seems like a star in the making after this performance, and the film is so beautifully stylized with shades of pink and red. Perhaps most importantly, its focus on the sex work industry provides a glimpse into the difficulties women (and men) face as a result of their work each and every day. It's pretty incredible to consider how thematically rich this film is in just a 94-minute runtime. The film also does something unique in that it credits both its director, Daniel Goldhaber, and its writer, former cam girl Isa Mazzei, as the creative minds behind the film, as opposed to attributing each of them individually. It's a progressive take on the somewhat antiquated notion of auteurship, and I cannot wait to see what is next from these two.

14. Game Night

Other films on this list could be considered comedies, but I'd consider Game Night alone in its status as a more commercial comedy, if you will. I mention that only to highlight just how impressive this film is to land so highly on this list. Game Night could have easily gone the way of forgettable 2018 comedies like Blockers and The Happytime Murders, but an unpredictable script and innovative camerawork make it not just one of 2018's best comedies, but one of my favorites of the decade. The camerawork is especially notable, as certain long takes and movements recall memorable board and video games. As studios continue to churn out formulaic comedies, Game Night provides a template for inventive and engaging comedic cinema.

13. Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs seems to have lost a lot of momentum since its April release, but make no mistake, Wes Anderson's latest is one of the year's very best. The film has been marred by allegations of cultural appropriation, but the line between appropriation and appreciation has always been a very fine one, and it seems to be this very line that Anderson is interested in exploring. His decision not to translate any of the Japanese spoken in the film through subtitles highlights the inherent imperfection in translation, or the attempt to capture more broadly. This very same dynamic can be mapped onto the communications between dogs and humans, and seems to implore us as viewers to communicate. Anderson suggests that a lack of understanding should not be defeating but rather inviting. An excellent voice cast and my personal favorite score of the year cement this film as one of the best animated offerings in 2018.

12. You Were Never Really Here

Lynne Ramsay's latest film could have easily gone the way of the countless crime dramas before it, but gorgeous cinematography, clever editing, and a fantastic performance from Joaquin Phoenix render it an engrossing character portrait first, and a crime drama second. At just 90 minutes, You Were Never Really Here stands out as one of the most compelling character examinations I've ever seen, using sporadic moments of subjectivity to provide the viewer a glimpse into the mind of Phoenix's Joe. And that ending? Perhaps the best of the year. You Were Never Really Here forces us to reckon with the onscreen image, and to reconsider our notion of objectivity in film. Naturally, we tend to believe in that with which we are presented, but this film challenges that idea, presenting us with a version of Joe markedly different from so many hitmen we've seen before, and yet, through such differences, exactly the same.

11. Thoroughbreds

Who would have thought Horse Girls: The Movie would have turned out to be one of the most unnerving and darkly hilarious films of 2018? Thoroughbreds will likely be memorialized as one of the final films of Anton Yelchin's career after his tragic death in 2016, and rightfully so. Yelchin was one of the premiere budding talents in Hollywood, and the freak accident that took his life quietly hovers over his work in Thoroughbreds. Of course, Cory Finley's directorial debut is impressive in other ways as well. Originally written as a stage production, the script makes you cringe in the best way possible. A camera that glides at times and lingers at others recalls the film's theatre roots. And the score paces the film with an intensity not often expected within the confines an upper-middle-class home. Even as I exit adolescence and enter adulthood, I maintain a soft spot for coming-of-age films. I hesitate to categorize Thoroughbreds as such, but it certainly captures the awkwardness and absurdity of growing up in its own roundabout sort of way.

10. First Reformed

We made it! The top ten films of 2018.

First Reformed may give You Were Never Really Here a run for its money for best ending of the year. And while it may only sit at number ten, I'd argue Paul Schrader's latest movie is one of the most important films in a very long time. Schrader tackles the relationship between faith and politics, particularly by focusing on Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) and his revelation that humans, whether they want to believe it or not, are negatively impacting their environment. In a career full of great performances, Hawke might just offer his best here, engrossing audiences in his struggle to reshape his notion of sin. So many scenes stand out in this masterpiece, and even as I write this, I consider moving it higher up my list. Schrader has effectively invented a new genre with First Reformed, a spiritual thriller of sorts. But First Reformed succeeds not through a line of political answers, but rather through a line of political questions. What if we chose not to argue, and simply chose to listen instead?

9. Eighth Grade

I wrote about Eighth Grade when it first came out, and it's remained one of the year's best. It features one of the most authentic scripts of the year, appropriately awkward and silly. It's also one of the rare films about adolescence to star accurately aged actors and actresses, and Elsie Fisher's lead performance goes a long way in making Eighth Grade what it is. Bo Burnham has already offered innovations on the comedy special as a medium, and he seems ready to do so with film as well. Coming-of-age stories never go out of style; they simply change to reflect the experiences of their time. I hope Burnham continues to craft similar films so as to give those growing up an opportunity to see themselves, and give the rest of us an opportunity to reflect.

8. Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is another film I wrote about when it was released last summer. It's a shame that the Academy overlooked this film in making its nominations, with leads Ben Foster and Thomasin Harcourt Mackenzie particularly deserving of attention. I admire this film's ability to convey so much without saying too much. It's far from a dialogue-heavy film, and yet we come to care for the father-daughter relationship at its core. And unlike similar films this year, it never comes across as emotionally manipulative. It's a story of a father and daughter who desperately want to stay together, but who increasingly recognize their need to go their separate ways. Rarely do I get emotional during movies (I like to think it's because I'm too critical) but Leave No Trace moved me in ways very few movies have been able to.

7. American Animals

Now THIS is the overlooked movie of 2018. American Animals straddles the line between fact and fiction, incorporating both real-life interviews and scripted sequences as it tells the true story of a 2004 library heist. Scenes will often transform or interrupt themselves to reflect differing accounts of what truly happened. Memory is always subjective, and therefore so is the truth. American Animals therefore embraces its "based on a true story" status by challenging that very notion. Late in the film, for example, we discover that an earlier trip to Amsterdam may not have happened at all. Director Bart Layton is therefore not interested in impressing with accuracy. Rather, Layton asks us to consider the subjective nature of film, and by extension, our own experiences. The real-life men behind the heist at Transylvania University sought wealth as the cure for their disenchantment towards life. The unreliable nature of the film's narrative undercuts this desire, and challenges us as viewers to truly consider the ways in which we seek meaning and happiness in a life that offers us few "objective" solutions.

6. Vox Lux

If I haven't already made it clear, I'm a big fan of subjectivity in cinema. Vox Lux tackles subjectivity in a much more subtle fashion than previously mentioned films on this list. In fact, some viewers may interpret the film as entirely objective, disinterested in the audience's capacity for varying interpretation. But in a film about celebrity and tragedy, every moment is a subjective one. Willem Dafoe provides a bleak yet humorous voiceover, positioning the film as a sort of fable that traces Celeste's meteoric rise to fame. Dafoe's ominous warnings sometime conflict with the onscreen image, especially at the end of the film, where Natalie Portman transforms into a bonafide pop star and wows both her diegetic audience and us. She seems to be in control in this moment, so why is our narrator still so concerned? Director Brady Corbet warns us of the perils of celebrity, but also complacency, in a world that seems to be increasingly interested in catching us off guard. The casting of Rafey Cassidey as young Celeste, and then again as Celeste's teen daughter Albertine, also contributes to the film's subjective nature. At first it is distracting, but even that feels intentional. It almost seems impossible that the pure and innocent Cassidey could grow up to be the brash, drug-addled Celeste that Portman presents to us. This disconnect is significant in that it forces us to consider the consequences of our actions, for both ourselves and those around us. Is Albertine destined for a life similar to her mother's? After all, her aunt Eleanor hasn't changed a bit. Vox Lux is explosively complicated and messy, making it an appropriate representation of our current cultural moment.

5. BlackKklansman

Spike Lee returned in a big way in 2018 with Blackkklansman, easily his best film since 1989's Do The Right Thing. Lee just has a way of editing his films that is so unafraid and outspoken, and it's quite honestly the only way you can edit a film as important as this one. The movie starts with a darkly humorous sequence starring Alec Baldwin of all people, and ends with one of the most emotionally stirring sequences I've ever seen in a film. The audience I saw this movie with was dead silent once Blackkklansman's credits began to roll. And as I wrote about when it came out, this film is effective not just in its exploration of race, but identity as a whole.

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

In a cinematic landscape dominated by superhero films, Spider-Verse stands out as one of the most innovative takes on the genre. With so many films out there, I am shocked how few embrace and take advantage of the genre's roots in comics. That's what makes this film so incredible. Stamped with the approval of the Comics Code Authority from the very beginning, Spider-Verse is truly a living, breathing comic book. Scenes transition like panels on a page, and action sequences are laced with expressionistic techniques. The approach allows for a uniquely subjective take on animation, and filmmaking at large. We are given a glimpse inside characters' heads via thought bubbles and various other onscreen images. The effect is often comedic, but it can also be quite touching. I am one of the biggest superhero nerds I know, and even I have felt a sort of fatigue over the past couple years, but Spider-Verse has revitalized the genre, and set a new bar for what a superhero film should be.

3. The Favourite

Yorgos strikes again. The Favourite might be the Greek director's most accessible film, but it still retains the eccentricities we've come to expect from his films. It's yet another film that I have already written about, and it excites me to see Lanthimos exposed to a larger audience. Three terrific performances also hold this film together, with Olivia Colman particularly shining as Queen Anne. With many of the films on this list, I've mentioned how incredible their endings are, and The Favourite is yet another film in this vein. This time, however, the film ends a little more abstractly. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. I maintain that Lanthimos is one of the most daring and innovative directors working today, and the ways in which he ends his films underscore this very idea.

2. Hereditary

Sure, this horror gem features Satanic cults and demon kings, but its true terror comes from the family drama at its core. With his feature film debut, director Ari Aster has crafted a film about the inescapable nature of our pasts. And while this theme has been explored in other films, it often looks at our actions as individuals. But what if is not our own past that haunts us, but our family's instead? Hereditary does not rely on traditional jump scares. It is more interested in overwhelming viewers with a general sense of dread, culminating in an absolutely terrifying final act. Toni Collette gives the hands-down best performance of the year, and it is truly a shame that she was robbed of an Oscar nomination due to the film's horror roots. But in this era of prestige horror, Hereditary marks a high point for the genre and suggests that the scariest things don't have to be fantastic or supernatural after all.

1. Cold War

There I was, finally done my rankings for 2018. I began to write, certain that no film could alter this sacred list. But when my roommate and I took a trip to Squirrel Hill's Manor Theatre to see Pawel Pawlikowski's Oscar-nominated Cold War, all that changed. While the dominating thought seems to be that Alfonso Cuaron's Roma is the best film of 2018, I'd argue it's not even the best black-and-white foreign film of 2018. Cold War is easily 2018's most engrossing, gorgeous, and dynamic film. It is a love story at its core, but it also examines the European conflicts during the Cold War through the lens of its central relationship. At only 85 minutes, the movie is surprisingly rich. The music is beautiful and the acting is engaging, convincing the audience that they, too, are in love. The cinematography is also noteworthy, not just for its uncanny ability to evince color in a black-and-white film, but for its manipulation of our perspective. One scene in particular features protagonist Wiktor scoring a film. The camera starts as if we are now watching this movie, continuing to move backwards until we have an entirely new understanding of where we are and what is happening. I will admit that I tend to remain very Americanized in my interactions with film. I do not avoid foreign cinema, but I do not seek it out either. I think plenty of American audiences struggle to engage with films in different languages, and I certainly understand that to an extent. Subtitles can often obscure the onscreen image, and take away from our overall interaction with the movie. But Cold War, while beautifully written, is rather calm at times, allowing its visuals to do the talking. There is no excuse not to see this movie, especially as it is now on Amazon Prime. After all, some kid from the University of Pittsburgh just called it the best movie of 2018; isn't that reason enough?

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Thanks for reading, and I look forward to delivering more movie analysis as 2019 goes on.

Until next time,

Cory Reid