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Top Ten Films of 2018

2018 was overall a strong year for movies, but it’s very divided in the type of movies we got. It was another frustratingly weak year for animation and overall American mainstream as well as blockbuster movies weren’t particularly great. But we got so many great indies this year and the documentaries had a phenomenal year. Above all else, foreign cinema flourished in 2018 which resulted in record 5 foreign flicks on my top ten list. So without further ado, here’s the list.

10. The Guilty

The Guilty is one of the finest thrillers of this decade and probably the century so far. This Danish shocker benefits from a truly phenomenal, horrifying twist late in the game that really changes everything that came before it while still making sense as the movie’s superbly written overall. Jakob Cedergren is absolutely terrific in a very demanding main role whereas the movie is constantly riveting despite happening in just one confined setting. It’s a perfect example of how what’s not seen is so much scarier than what’s clearly shown on screen.

9. Birds of Passage

It’s pretty much a fact that crime is my least favorite genre along with romantic comedy. But when you have this amazing crime story, I could not help but fall in love with it despite all obstacles stuck against it. Yes, Colombian Birds of Passage is a truly epic saga that offers a glimpse into the Wayuu culture and the results are audio and visually mesmerizing. It is rich in bird symbolism and populated with very colorful characters, but above all else it’s a great portrayal of how the conflict between just two families can become truly tragic.

8. Capernaum

This Lebanese drama is by far the most difficult film to sit through out of all these films here, but it’s nonetheless an essential viewing as it offers us an important look into the Middle Eastern big birth problem and how they literally destroy many kids and leave their futures dark and ripe with despair. Zain Al Rafeea is an absolute revelation as this crazy talented child actor who sold all of his big scenes here, but it’s the direction, the score and its many instantly memorable, heartbreaking sequences that also make it a winner.

7. Searching

Just like The Guilty, Searching is yet another movie that makes use of its confined settings and not many characters to still make a big impact. But unlike that film, this one actually for once focuses on modern technology and it was wonderful finally seeing all of the social networks and the internet play a big role in a new movie and even an essential one. It’s a great storytelling tool in a film which features strong performances and great editing and pacing. It’s also superb in its twist which made sense as the entire film is excellently crafted and also quite moving.

6. First Man

As a rare mainstream movie on my list, First Man also represents by far the most underappreciated flick here and it’s truly a shame that it wasn’t received better as it’s probably the best Damien Chazelle film so far and that says a lot. It’s a beautiful biopic about Neil Armstrong that’s emotionally subdued and not patriotic at all which made it different and refreshing. It also features stunning special effects, amazing, gritty flight sequences and one truly beautiful sequence on the Moon which lifted the entire movie to even greater heights.

5. A Quiet Place

The Academy’s choice to not reward A Quiet Place for sound editing is going to haunt them for the rest of their lives because the sound plays the most pivotal role probably in cinematic history when it comes to this horror flick. It’s a highly original, already influential movie in the usage of sound and silence that benefits from a truly revelatory direction from John Krasinski and of course a great performance from Emily Blunt. It’s an emotional and rather sophisticated horror that always made sense in its plot points and the aliens themselves.

4. Annihilation

Alex Garland continues to astound me with Annihilation. He truly is a masterful SF director. Its mix of ‘Alien’ and Tarkovsky’s psychological works made it a very intriguing, unique blend of familiar ideas. It’s a film that is sophisticated metaphorically and very ambiguous in its open ending which is bound to leave anyone in deep thoughts long after it ends. It thus succeeds as a deep, very hard science fiction story, but it’s also hugely effective as a horror picture having in mind that that creature sequence truly is terrifying.

3. Three Identical Strangers

The Academy snubbing this movie is simply horrendous. Yes, Three Identical Strangers is one hell of a documentary and it’s the highest one documentary has thus far gotten on my year-end top ten list. And it’s for all the great reasons as this real-life story is made for the movies as it’s so inherently unbelievable and simply fascinating. It explores so cleverly the eternal question of nature versus nature through many fascinating points of view and interviews. It’s thrilling, twisty and breathtaking leading to one of the best documentaries ever made.

2. Shoplifters

Shoplifters is going to become one of Japan’s treasures in the future as it’s an absolute masterpiece of a family drama. This family is so wonderful and so real that it makes you feel as if you have just met them as a group. Hirokazu Kore-eda directed the hell out of this film which is also stupendously edited and paced. It’s a drama that focuses on all the regular, mundane things in life and it manages to captivate you in every such sequence. But the ending itself left me sobbing in tears as this flick truly is the most emotional of the year.

1. Border

And of course the number one has to go to this Swedish fantasy masterpiece. It shocked me, it intrigued me and most importantly it captivated me from start to finish. This film features a story unlike any other and it’s such an original, previously unseen spin on the genre that I simply never saw it coming. Nothing could prepare you for the originality and unpredictability of this breathtaker of a film. It’s well directed, paced, shot, scored and acted. But above all else it’s deftly scripted and in the end very sophisticated in its plot. It is not only the best film of 2018, but it just might be the greatest film of the entire decade.

Honorable Mentions:

Black Panther – Unfortunately, I just could not put a blockbuster in this year’s top ten, but when all is said and done, Black Panther remains the finest blockbuster of the year. It’s one of the best Marvel as well as superhero flicks of all time thanks to its politically charged, sophisticated storyline and a one of a kind setting beautifully brought to life.

Bumblebee – I despised the Transformers previously, but that all changed with Bumblebee as it’s simply a revelatory film for this franchise. Hailee Steinfeld is amazing here while the film focuses on emotional storytelling and great humor instead of dull action leading to a huge charmer which simply made me in be love with it throughout.

Cam – This is not just a movie about webcam modeling, but it’s so much more than that as it’s a film about the entirety of the Internet and what it can do to people in this day and age. It’s a twisty, very modern movie in its central character and her job that made it very fresh, exciting and fascinating throughout.

Hereditary – Hereditary is another excellent flick in a great year for horrors. This one is so well acted across the board with Toni Collette killing it in the main role, but its emphasis on familial drama which then succumbs to a full-on horror was a great choice that paid off. It’s a disturbing and very memorable genre film.

Never Look Away – I simply did not expect this German drama to make me as involved as I was. Yes, it’s a three-hour long, slow film, but it’s so arresting in its storyline, so emotional in its tone and so artistic and deep in its third act that I fell in love with it despite all obstacles. It’s a great showcase of a long movie done right and interestingly.

Love, Simon – The most fun film on this list has to be Love, Simon which twists the usual teen formula on its head not just by focusing on a gay romance, but on an online one as well. I liked that prevailing mystery of who the guy is, but above all else, I loved all the characters here, the humor as well as its very romantic and endearing tone.