We’re now halfway through 2018, and as usual, we’ve got some good, some bad, some forgettable, and some great. This site is all about celebrating film, so you won’t ever see a “worst of” list on here. I’m more into the idea of talking about all the movies that I resonated with me, so I compiled my 15 favorites of the year so far. If you haven’t seen any, consider checking them out. I’ll even link a review for them if I have them.
Before I kick off the list, I wanna mention a couple honorable mentions: Bodied (which I saw last year, but didn’t include here because it won’t be released for another couple months, I think), Tully, Avengers: Infinity War, The Ritual, Cargo, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and The Commuter.
And here are some films that could’ve perhaps been on the list, but I haven’t seen yet. Though, I will hopefully get around to them very soon: First Reformed, Sanju, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Beast, Zama, The Rider, Lean on Pete, Damsel, and Hearts Beat Loud.
By the way, the listing doesn’t really matter to me, but this is probably the order I feel the most comfortable with at this particular moment in time. So, without further ado…
15. Superfly
Superfly was perhaps the biggest surprise for me this year. After initially being worried that it would take an iconic blaxploitation film and turn it into a generic urban crime film, I was delighted with a surprisingly sharp, entertaining, and thoughtful remake that is very much about our times as the original film was about its time. I had a blast with this one, and I encourage you to give it a chance if you were going to blow it off as just another cash grab.
You can read my Superfly review here!
14. Revenge
You see the title, you see the poster, and you think you know what you’re in for, but you are dead wrong. French filmmaker, Coralie Fargeat, who makes her writing/directing debut here takes the rape-revenge genre and injects a specific feminine perspective that both plays with, and subverts genre conventions. It’s a wild and bloody affair that that keeps you on edge, and it make you anticipate whatever Fargeat plans on doing next.
You can read my Revenge review here!
13. Upgrade
I’ve been a fan of Leigh Whannell for a long time, and even I managed to underestimate the sheer impact that Upgrade would end up having. It’s a fun, and thrilling throwback that keeps things fast, funny, and violent, but never at the expense of some clever filmmaking. This is the kind of movie that I would randomly find on VHS and watch over and over again as a kid, and any movie that can manage to bring that feeling out of me is a winner in my book.
You can read my Upgrade review here!
12. Den Of Thieves
Yeah, that Gerard Butler movie that was released in January. Even I can’t believe it’s on here, but Den Of Thieves is surprisingly kind of awesome. It’s like someone took Michael Mann’s Heat and filtered it through something like David Ayer’s Sabotage, and what you get is the trashiest cops ‘n robbers crime epic ever made, complete with an amazingly gonzo Gerard Butler performance. It’s definitely not something I’d recommend to everyone, but if this sounds like your cup of tea, I highly suggest checking it out.
You can read my “Some Thoughts On…” post on Den Of Thieves here!
11. Psychokinesis
I was blown away by what Yeon Sang-ho pulled off with Train To Busan, so naturally, I was excited for whatever he did next, and when I got around to seeing his Netflix superhero movie, I was not disappointed. It’s such an endearing and witty film full of characters that you care about, and story worth investing in. I miss a time when superhero movies can be this small, intimate experience, and this film brings that intimacy back in ways current superhero films often stumble with. Netflix hasn’t done much in promoting it, so let me be the one to tell you that this is a great movie, and it’s absolutely worth your time.
You can read my Psychokinesis review here!
10. Hotel Artemis
This one really took me by surprise, and it doesn’t shock me that the overall response to it was mixed. It’s a strange movie that dances to its own groove, and it does it with style and personality. If you wanted a new John Wick type experience, you’re bound for disappointment, but what Hotel Artemis does is create an effortlessly cool atmosphere where great actors inhabit colorful characters that slowly build to a violent showdown that also manages to inject some heart. It won’t surprise me if this becomes a cult classic down the line.
You can read my Hotel Artemis review here!
9. Unsane
Steven Soderbergh’s latest is classic B-movie material with a modern edge. He brings in so many interesting ideas and themes within a fairly simple story, and the results are as uncomfortable as they are thrilling. Plus, a skosh of dark humor certainly doesn’t hurt. The use of the iPhone to shoot the film might seem like a gimmick at first, but it ultimately adds to the unsettling atmosphere, and it just goes to show that you don’t need the most expensive equipment to make a compelling and engaging film.
You can read my Unsane review here!
8. The Endless
Speaking of not needing the most expensive equipment to make a compelling and engaging film, the guys behind Spring are back with another low budget genre bender that brings so many weird and complex ideas to life, and it’s incredibly impressive what they managed to accomplish here. You go in thinking you know what’s up, and they pull the rug out from under you in fiendishly clever ways. No one else out there are making the kinds of films these guys are doing, so I really cannot recommend this enough.
You can read my review for The Endless here!
7. Padmaavat
I saw this in India back in February well before I launched the site, so I don’t have a review. I will say that this film is spectacular in all the ways that the word implies. It’s the kind of epic film that Hollywood never seems to make anymore. The costumes, the sets, the music, the action, the characters are all big, and expressive, and a marvel to behold, but it also squeezes in nuance and subtext within the seemingly broad characters, making for a more thoughtful and contemplative film than you’d expect. It’s available on Amazon Prime, so if I piqued your interest, you can see it there.
6. Black Panther
Another film from before the site launched, and one that I saw much later than everyone else. Either way, how could I not have this movie on the list? This is going to be on practically everyone’s list by the end of the year, and it’s totally deserved. Ryan Coogler is one of the best filmmakers of his generation, and to see him bring his sensibilities to a big Marvel production is nothing short of miraculous. But hey, everything that can be said about this movie has pretty much already been said, so I’ll just move on.
5. The Tale
Jennifer Fox crafted a beautiful and haunting film about confronting the past and recognizing the trauma that her memory has tried to keep suppressed. It places you in the headspace of a sexual abuse victim in such a brilliant way, but I don’t know if I can ever make myself experience it again. Laura Dern is incredible in it, as is the younger actress, Isabelle Nélisse. It’s a powerful, and necessary watch, and hopefully, it will inspire people to either learn to address their own trauma or empathize with others who have.
You can read my review of The Tale here!
4. The Death Of Stalin
Armando Iannucci walks such a tightrope with The Death Of Stalin, and it’s ridiculous that he actually pulls it off. I love dark comedies, but they are one of the hardest genres to pull off. This one in particular is one of the bleakest comedies I’ve ever seen, but it actually works! It’s a timely and hilarious story about morons in power, and the dark consequences that come out of it. It isn’t often that a comedy can shock me, but this one was able to make me laugh, gasp, and go right back to laughing on several occasions. It’s another film that I can’t recommend to everyone, but for me, this is the closest we’ve come to a successor to Dr. Strangelove.
You can read my review for The Death Of Stalin here!
3. Annihilation
Alex Garland’s follow up to Ex Machina is everything I could’ve asked for and more. A meditative sci-fi horror/drama that leans on the personal and the psychological in ways most mainstream sci-fi films wouldn’t dare. There are images and sequences in this film that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon, even if I tried, and it’s a crime that Paramount botched its release the way it did. I can’t wait to see what he does next. This was another film that I didn’t get to review, but if I did, I wouldn’t even know where to start.
2. You Were Never Really Here
Films like You Were Never Really Here show how even a story we’ve seen many times before can be made into something new just by the person telling the story, and Lynne Ramsay, seven years after her last film, came at us with a vengeance. I’ve seen many stories about troubled men who save women, but Ramsay is able to throw you into the broken mind of Joaquin Phoenix’s character in a way that no other film like this has explored. It also features one of the best scores of the year, courtesy of Jonny Greenwood. The experience of it is truly something else, unlike anything I’ve seen before.
You can read my You Were Never Really Here review here!
1. Paddington 2
It isn’t often when I see a film that I feel inspired to be a better person after watching it, and both of the Paddington films have had this effect on me. Unfortunately, this came out in January, and so I didn’t get the chance to write a review for it, but rest assured it would be glowing. The colors, the humor, the joy, the kindness are simply impossible to ignore, and the ending gets me every time. If only most films aimed at families could be this thoughtful, well made, and charming. It’s timeless, yet feels like the perfect antidote to all the insanity happening in the world right now. I think we can all afford to learn a thing or two from this marmalade-loving bear.
So, those are my favorite films of the year so far, and there’s still lots to look forward to in the rest of the year. What are some of your favorite films of 2018 so far, and what are you anticipating the most? Feel free to discuss in the comments!