2018 was a great year for film. We got a lot of great dramas, horror films and superhero flicks. There were some fantastic movies from first-time directors while returning favorites knocked it out of the park. Going to the movies became a weekly thing for me this summer while I tried to review films on television, something that I honestly bumbled through at first but have really come to love doing, and I hope everyone at home does, too.
There was something for everyone this year.
I somehow managed to see 73 movies that came out this year, and while there were a couple of stinkers (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” were two of the most disappointing films I’ve ever seen in a theater), I was thankful enough to have seen a lot of fantastic movies along the way. I won’t bore you with recounting all of them here, but before I get into my top 10, here are a few honorable mentions that I think people just need to go ahead and check out:
Creed II
First Man
American Animals
Annihilation
You Were Never Really Here
Black Panther
The Death of Stalin
The Kindergarten Teacher
Kin
Ralph Breaks the Internet
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Paddington 2
Apostle
Ghost Stories
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Hearts Beat Loud
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Isle of Dogs
Game Night
Deadpool 2
Upgrade
Now, on to the top 10:
10. “Avengers: Infinity War”
This was the movie we had all been waiting for. It’s the culmination of 10 years of story-telling from Marvel Studios, and combined characters from all of their previous movies. It had the potential to be the biggest mess put to film, but, just like “The Avengers” and “Captain America: Civil War” before it, they proved me wrong. The Russo Brothers, who previous worked on the aforementioned “Civil War,” did a great job of balancing a fully-loaded cast , while never making it seem like anyone got shortchanged. And the key to that was giving the bulk of the story over to the villain, Thanos.
But not only does this movie manage to balance a story, it also wows the audience at just about every turn. With every set piece and every bit of dialogue between characters you never thought would meet each other before…. this movie kept me entertained during its 150 minute runtime, and that 2 and a half hours hasn’t scared me away from already watching it four times this year. This is a fantastic film and I can’t wait to see what the creators have in store for next year’s “Endgame.”
9. “Searching”
Now switching gears from a huge-budget film to something on a much smaller scale, “Searching” was a movie that, based on the trailers, looked just like a gimmick. The whole movie takes place on computer and phone screens, and that initially put me off the film.
But then, when I finally got around to seeing it, it surprised me at how natural it all felt. It never felt gimmicky at all.
Add to that the fact that the movie actually has a really interesting story that goes through plenty of twists and turns and constantly had me on the edge of my seat, and you have a winner. John Cho, who most people know from the “Harold and Kumar” series, shines as a father trying not only to find out where his daughter is, but also just who she is.
I also feel like at this point that I need to let you know that this movie’s first ten minutes are equivalent to the first ten minutes from the movie “Up.” It’s emotionally devastating, and serves to really get you acquainted with the characters and storytelling method. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I highly recommend getting around to it.
8. “BlackkKlansman”
I’m going to be honest here and say that unfortunately, I haven’t seen that many Spike Lee movies up to this point. I really need to change that, and honestly, being that I’m a film buff, I’m really surprised at myself, too. But I’m glad I got around to seeing this.
While I don’t know much about the true-life story “BlackkKlansman” is based on, so I can’t judge this for accuracy, the movie does a great job of being a dark comedy that really tackles racism. Even though it takes place in the past, a lot of the themes brought up in this film are maybe more relevant now than they were when this movie took place. No where is that more evident than in the final scene of this movie, which I won’t spoil…. but I will say that it takes you from laughing at the idiocy of racists to being absolutely horrified by it instead.
This is a movie that will make you laugh, cry and really, more than anything, I hope it will make people think.
7. “Eighth Grade”
Writer/Director Bo Burnham has long been a favorite of mine as a stand-up comedian. He’s funny, talented and a demented genius. So, when I found out he was set to make his debut as a filmmaker this year, it’s needless to say that I was intrigued. And what he churned out ended up being so completely different than anything I was expecting from him, while being a perfect fit for his sensibilities.
“Eighth Grade” manages to do what no other film about teenagers has done before: it feels real. It doesn’t look at middle school as a magical time, but rather the awkward mess that we all honestly remember. The fact that no big name celebrities pop up in it only helps to add to just how genuine the movie feels.
This is also the first movie to really tackle what it’s like to be a kid growing up in the age of social media.
While this is rated R, I honestly feel like this should be required viewing for teenagers. Look at this and hopefully you can learn from it.
6. “Blindspotting”
This was a movie that came out of nowhere to completely wow me this year. Written by one of the original Broadway cast members of “Hamilton” and featuring some bits of beat poetry that I for some reason didn’t expect (but fit perfectly), this movie focuses on a man days away from being done with probation when he witnesses an officer-involved shooting.
It tackles a lot of big problems we see in society these days in ways that I wouldn’t expect, and it manages to shock and surprise throughout. To be honest, this movie had me on edge more than any other movie this year, and that includes the horror films I checked out, too.
I want to rave more about this movie, but I feel like I can’t out of fear of spoiling any of the really great scenes (but please, if you’ve seen this movie, talk to me about it, because I want to get into spoilers).
5. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
I’ve been a Spider-Man fan since as long as I’ve been making memories. I watched the 90s cartoon growing up, loved the Tobey Maguire films and then proceeded to consume all things Spider-Man well into adulthood, so this movie was obviously right up my alley.
I think the fact that we finally got a movie focusing on Miles Morales’ Spider-Man was enough to pique my interest. Add to that the fact that the creative team behind “The Lego Movie” was involved and that we were going to see the alternate universe versions of the character, and I was completely on board.
This movie manages to be fun from beginning to end, and not just that…. it also hits every emotional beat I would hope for in a film. While there are plenty of characters on screen, this is very much Miles’ film, and that shows. The relationship between him and his father, as well as the relationships he has with his uncle and Peter Parker are all well executed. The film’s villain is even given a pretty impressive backstory even if Kingpin doesn’t get that much time on screen.
There’s also plenty of little easter eggs for Spider-Man fans to catch throughout the film, as well as a really impressive post-credits scene that you need to stay behind to watch. It was so funny that I was crying laughing.
I loved this film and can’t wait to re-watch it.
4. “Hereditary”
Horror has had quite the resurgence in recent years. With films like “Get Out” and “Don’t Breathe,” I think new life has been breathed into the genre, and this year’s “Hereditary” only serves to further prove that.
This movie seems like the horror films of the 70s, and that’s a good thing. It’s a slow burn horror that allows you to really get to know the characters before all the truly horrific stuff starts to happen. In fact, the family drama aspect of the film is really strong, and I feel like if the movie hadn’t delivered on the scares, I still would have put it high on my list.
Toni Collette is perfect in this movie, and I’m honestly going to be sad come Oscar time when she’s not even nominated for best actress. She puts her heart and soul into this film and does a great job as a mother and daughter in mourning.
Perhaps it’s just how great the dramatic aspects of this movie are that make the horror elements shine even more. Once this movie starts to rev up the creep factor, it goes from great to amazing. This is another one that is well worth the watch.
3. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
I’ve talked quite a bit about this movie to anyone who would listen in person, and there’s an obvious reason why: it’s brilliant. A friend of mine said shortly after this came out that “it’s not a question of did you cry during the film, but how many times did you cry?” And that absolutely fits. This is a great documentary about a fantastic human being that reminds us all that, despite how dark things get out in the world, there is still hope. Some people are still decent and want to help others.
What this documentary does so well is tell the story of Fred Rogers and not just make him seem like some mythical being.
This is a sweet movie that people of all ages should watch, whether or not they ever grew up with Mr. Rogers.
2. “Sorry to Bother You”
I don’t know if I can fully explain this movie, and I’m not sure if I really even want to try.
Director Boots Riley’s directorial debut is something to behold, and, even if it didn’t click with everybody (I knew quite a few people left bewildered by it), it’s still such a refreshing and different film that is so different from everything Hollywood is dishing out these days.
This movie has a lot to say about our society and where it’s going, and it’s saying so much that I didn’t catch every thing it was saying, but it’s a movie that’s worth one, two or at least three re-watches to really pick up on everything, and that’s something I truly appreciate.
It also has a weird sense of what I’ll call magical realism. This movie takes place in an alternate timeline, and while it starts out seeming like a heightened version of our reality, it becomes something far more by the end.
Speaking of the ending, I won’t get into spoilers here, but the last act of this movie is incredibly divisive. If you don’t end up liking the twist that takes place 2/3 of the way into this, it’s probably best to turn the movie off, but, if you’re willing to go into some incredibly weird territory, you’ll be rewarded with one of my favorite movies of the year.
1. “Roma”
Alfonso Cuaron is a great director who manages to surprise with every film he does. I was first introduced to him when he took over the reins of the “Harry Potter” franchise with the third (and arguably best) installment. After that, he did the wonderful “Children of Men” and followed that up with “Gravity.” Then, this year, he released “Roma” on Netflix… and it may be his best film to date.
“Roma” follows a maid to a family in Mexico City in the early 1970s, and really the whole plotline centers around her getting pregnant and then the father taking off the moment he finds out he’s going to be a dad. It doesn’t sound incredibly riveting on paper, but this movie managed to be one of the most heartbreaking and at the same time beautiful films I’ve seen in ages.
The movie starts off slow, but after you’ve come to know the characters, it really sets off and never really stops. Cuaron uses long takes to guide you through some of the biggest moments in these characters’ lives, and each one of those long takes is instantly memorable.
“Roma” is a film that will stick with me for a long time to come.
And there you have it. Those are my favorite films of 2018. I hope that 2019 brings us a lot of great films, and to all of you reading this, I hope it brings you happiness.
Happy new year!
Tyler Talks Movies 