But as the headline says, there's work to be done. Looking back at the years before 2019, I realized I haven't seen most of these movies since they came out and there's still other movies from those years I need to see. So until I revisit those films, it'll be tough to do an end-of-decade list. Nevertheless, in this blog post, I'm gonna post my year-end list for 2018 below, then comment on it, while also pointing out movies I never got around to.
2018
1. The Favourite, director: Yorgos Lanthimos
2. Roma, director: Alfonso Cuaron
3. If Beale Street Could Talk, director: Barry Jenkins
4. Vice, director: Adam McKay
5. First Man, director: Damien Chazelle
6. Suspiria, director: Luca Guadagnino
7. Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse
8. Eighth Grade, director: Bo Burnham
9. Widows, director: Steve McQueen
10. Mission Impossible: Fallout, director: Christopher McQuarrie
Honorable mentions: Paddington 2, Annihilation, Black Panther, Blackkklansman, A Star is Born, Isle of Dogs
This was kind of a weird year. Best exemplified by the fact that "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Green Book" ended winning the top awards at the Oscars. Youch. I really didn't like those movies. 2018 didn't really have one, unifying "best movie" though. "Roma" was the prohibitive favorite going into the awards season, but that movie didn't immediately grip me despite my appreciation of its technical mastery. It has grown on me over time and I really want to re-watch it, but what hurt it for me was never being able to see it on the big screen. Netflix was the talk of the town for this awards season. And for "Roma", Netflix was a double-edged sword. Netflix helped "Roma" get national attention, which lead to the film getting a bunch of nominations in the first place, but Netflix was also what kept the movie from winning. The fact that a foreign-language movie was considered the "best" movie of the year was also... interesting, to say the least. That meant the field was pretty damn open for all the other movies, and that's what probably lead to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Green Book" getting so much love.
Like, ultimately, I loved "The Favourite" the most. But that's a period piece, costume comedy from the lovably weird Greek filmmaker, Yorgos Lanthimos. I thought The Favourite was masterfully made and loved its unique cinematography and the top notch performances from Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. I call it a costume comedy even though those two words sound more awkward together than "costume drama", but from what I can remember, this movie is goddamn hilarious. Twisted, absurd, ridiculous... and hilarious. It also unfolds like a great drama, but it never takes itself seriously. So, "The Favourite" is my favorite movie of the year, but I can understand why it wasn't the runaway favorite for the Academy. At the end of the day, it's a twisted Yorgos Lanthimos film. It's Yorgos at his most accessible, but unlike Bong Joon-Ho and "Parasite", this movie was simply too weird to be universally embraced. I understand just fine. It's just a shame there wasn't a respectable movie to take its place as a Best Picture winner.
"Roma" is a movie I simply need to watch again. This is a big reason why there's "work to be done". I have a feeling once I get around to watching it a second time, I'm gonna feel dumb for putting it second. As it is, this movie is master Alfonso Cuaron at work. The way he was able to transform Mexico City in this way, to be able to make it look like an authentic period piece is just awe-inspiring. Add that to the moving performances from mostly unknown actors and the stark black-and-white cinematography, there's no denying that this movie is special. I just got a give it another viewing to confirm as much (and hopefully that'll give me chance to talk about it in less generic terms).
"If Beale Street Could Talk" feels like another movie that'd only get better with a second viewing, but man, I really loved it the first time around. Barry Jenkins confirms he's the master of mood in cinema. I love the way he's able to make dramas feel so damn cinematic. I just feel so absorbed into the story and the characters. It's intoxicating.
"Vice" is a bit more controversial. There are many people who flat out hate this movie, and yet it's that extreme feeling that made me embrace it. I just love Adam McKay going down this confrontational, loud, blunt Oliver Stone route. I love it. Why beat around the bush? (No pun intended). How do you make a subtle movie about Dick Cheney when the things he did were so obviously abhorrent? This movie was 100% my jam, from beginning to end.
After those four movies though, I'm not as confident in the rest of the list. Those four movies are A-level to me. The following six are mostly in B+/A- territory though they're each exceptional works in their own right. "First Man" feels underrated as hell at this point. I can't believe the movie was so ignored when it came out! What the hell??? Now, is the movie perfect? I suppose not. I don't love it as much as my top four, but it is still a beautiful, emotional experience. I personally think it's Chazelle's best movie. The launch sequences are claustrophobic and intense. And once we get on the Moon, I feel like I'm floating with Neil Armstrong.
As for "Suspiria", "Into the Spider-Verse", "Eighth Grade", "Widows", and "Mission Impossible: Fallout" - each of these movies are fantastic works. I love the way "Suspiria" feels cut from the cloth of its period. It's the slowest of slow burns, but man, when shit gets real, it's jaw-dropping. "Into the Spider-Verse" is the one movie in this list that I've seen the most. It's incredibly re-watchable. My son loves it too, so that helps. And the animation is really creative. "Eighth Grade" and "Widows" - I feel less confident in their placement on this list. Even less than "Fallout", which is one of the best action movies since "Fury Road". I guess I put "Eighth Grade" and "Widows" above it because I think the highs of both movies, and the themes of each movies, feel more vital than "Fallout". Is "Fallout" really about much more than itself? I guess not. But damn, it's fun. "Eighth Grade" was a fantastic debut from Bo Burnham, who really nailed what the middle school experience is for kids these days. "Widows" was Steve McQueen's long-awaited follow-up to "12 Years a Slave", but it's less ambitious in scope. It's simply a tout heist movie with fantastic performances and some typically excellent camerawork, and a compelling lead performance from Viola Davis.
"Paddington 2" probably belongs on this list, and it's a lovely movie, but the fact that it's a real candidate isn't a great endorsement for 2018. "Paddington 2" would be in the top 15-20 of 2019. If I watched it again, I'd probably feel more confident in it being in the top 8 of 2018. But... really?? "Paddington 2"? Why am I disrespecting a movie I so thoroughly enjoyed? What's wrong with me?
Below, are the 2018 movies I haven't seen:
Hereditary
A Quiet Place
Game Night
Crazy Rich Asians
Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Mandy
Shoplifters
Burning
Climax
Cold War
High Life
Under the Silver Lake
Can You Ever Forgive Me
Free Solo
Blindspotting
Overlord
Leave No Trace
Insane
Sisters Brothers
Vox Lux
At Eternity's Gate
A Boy Erased
The Mule
The Old Man and the Gun
The Tale
Her Smell
Gloria Bell
Transit
Madeline's Madeline
Private Life
Wildlife
Yeah, that's an embarrassing amount of movies. Also, some of those might technically be considered 2019 movies. Like, they had festival releases in 2018, but weren't theatrically released until 2019. So, whatever. The point is, there's more work to be done!
But as it is, that's where 2018 stands for me right now. I will post similarly-constructed lists for 2015, 2016, and 2017, and then comment on how I feel about my lists for 2010-2014. There's more to come on Kenoncinema. Stay tuned.
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