My Top 10 Movies of 2018

I watched 51 movies from last year, and most of these were easy choices for me, but the last spot was a tough decision. Check out the honourable mentions at the end for all the close calls!

10. Vox Lux

After a shocking and memorable opening sequence, Vox Lux becomes a study of the strange natures of fame and tragedy as we follow the life of a Jersey-accented pop star (Natalie Portman in a fun performance) and listen to the grave narrations of Willem Dafoe. There is less singing than you might expect from a movie about a pop star, but personally I think that's a plus here.

9. Roma

This is one of those films that quietly sits back and observes daily life, favouring long takes to contribute to its level of authenticity. It's visually beautiful and, like the reverse of Vox Lux, the final scene was stunning in a way that had me genuinely concerned for the lives of the kids. As in, not their characters but the actual kids playing them.

8. BlacKkKlansman

There have been enough anti-racism movies in recent years that the message here may not be anything new, but it sure is a compelling, funny, and tension-filled story (and a true story, as crazy as it is).

7. Journeyman

The sad but hopeful story of a champion boxer who suffers brain damage in a fight and must learn how to recover and adjust to life as a now mentally handicapped man. This is the second film by actor turned director Paddy Considine (if you've never seen his other film, Tyrannosaur, seek it out!), and so far his style seems to be about raw, grounded stories featuring characters with ugly sides to them whom we end up loving anyway.

6. Three Identical Strangers

I love it when a documentary has plot twists in it and, boy, was this one a doozy. Three Identical Strangers is the wild but true story about a set of triplets who were separated at birth but managed to accidentally find each other again at 19. At first it's a joyful reunion, but things take an unsettling turn when they start to look into their pasts. Intriguing, right? That's all I need to say.

5. Support the Girls

This movie made me a fan of Regina Hall, who was a standout here. Her character reminded me of Willem Dafoe's character in The Florida Project: a good, hard-working person who takes care of their employees to the point where you feel sympathy and pride for them at the same time.

4. Eighth Grade

While I just missed having to go to school in a time where social media and smartphones existed (and I'll always take comfort in that), the relatability of Eighth Grade is still universal. That awkwardness and insecurity is there regardless of the era you grow up in, and all of the cringey embarrassment in this film will take you right back there.

3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I didn't see the Tom Holland Spider-Man because I was tired of all the Spider-Man reboots, but I was intrigued by the animation style here and ended up being glad I checked it out. This was easily one of the most enjoyable movies of the year. It's light and funny (even poking fun at previous Spider-Man movies), and I was glad to see the Miles Morales version for once instead of having to watch the Peter Parker origin story for the bajillionth time.

2. Annihilation

The concept of this film is so fascinating to me. I loved seeing all of those disturbing perversions of biology, and the intelligent ways in which these mutations made sense. There are scenes that are terrifying on a core human level, and some that are pure "WTF", but I loved all of it.

1. Bad Times at the El Royale

A lot of things impressed me about this one, but the main thing I still marvel at is its plotting. There is a carefully constructed web of cause and effect here, all of which you don't immediately see because you're getting some pieces out of order, but by the time it starts to make sense, you can think back and find new meaning in previous character behaviours and motivations; those layers always enhance a rewatch. Throw in a cast of compelling characters doing shady things and you've got yourself the coolest movie of the year.







Honourable mentions: Widows, The Favourite, Avengers: Infinity War, Bird Box, Mid90s, Isle of Dogs, The Death of Stalin, Shoplifters, Searching, Please Stand By, Thoroughbreds, I Kill Giants





Previous lists: 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010