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Best and Worst Films from July 2018

Best Films from July 2018:

3. Frenzy

This was a solid month where ‘Addams Family Values’ unfortunately did not make the list even though I just adored that flick. Frenzy ended up taking this place which was unexpected for me as I did not hold high expectations for it as it is a Hitchcock film, but a very late one. However, the film ended up being terrific and a great mix of newly added 70s violence and nudity with old-fashioned Hitch’s suspense and flair. It has a plethora of memorable scenes and particularly effective cinematography.

2. The Stepford Wives

Easily the best film of 1975 I’ve seen so far, The Stepford Wives is also one of the most underrated sci-fi films of all time. It’s simply a better ‘Get Out’ as that film entirely ripped it off but with a weaker ending whereas this movie is more creepy, more authentic and particularly great in its ending. It’s such a spectacularly haunting, tragic ending which stuck with me long after I’ve seen it. Such a great, sophisticated SF horror movie.

1. The Crying Game

Without any doubt the most pleasant surprise from the nineties in a long time is this British Oscar-nominated thriller. The Crying Game is famous for its sensationalist approach of handling trans women, but to me it’s much more memorable in its unexpected, twisty and incredibly moving first act which set a stage for what ended up being a very authentic, consistently involving and intriguing movie. It’s daring in its themes of sexuality and transgender issues while also being pleasantly reminiscent to ‘Vertigo’ in its third act. Romantic and mysterious, it’s a whole package and the best film I watched in July undoubtedly.

Worst Films from July 2018:

3. Trader Horn

The only reason why this movie is above the below entry lies in its African setting which is excellently utilized for its time and the film surely has its moving as well as spirited adventurous elements. But the story itself is pretty bad and the sexist and especially racist/xenophobic remarks are awfully abundant leading to a baffling Best Picture nominee.

2. A Free Soul

A Free Soul is another annoyingly dated and odd early 30s flick which clearly has some things going for it such as excellent performances across the board including Clark Gable’s great early turn in a supporting role, but otherwise it’s just such a ridiculously implausible story filled with unlikable characters, overly emphasized melodrama and a weak conclusion.

1. Open Season

I did find a couple of scenes moving in Open Season. However, the rest is pretty much a giant mediocrity. The characters are annoying, the voice cast consists of celebrities in an annoyingly DreamWorks Animation manner plus the action is overwhelming and the jokes are juvenile. It was a bad way to start Sony Pictures Animation and the worst film I watched all month.