I watched 54 movies in 2018. Each of them are listed below, in order of quality, entertainment value and, most importantly, personal preference. Also included are links to podcasts, so you can hear me talk about these movies in excruciating detail. I’ve done this exercise since 2012, and each year the list grows longer, just as my love of film grows deeper. This year is no different. Enjoy.
54. Gotti
It may not have been a banner year for prestige fare, but 2018 did bring us an all-time stinker in the form of Gotti. The John Travolta vehicle joins a long and storied list of Hollywood trash–including Batman and Robin, Gigli, Troll 2, Showgirls and, of course, Tommy Wiseau’s the Room–that transcended all critical contempt and box office hardship to achieve a legendary status of their own. We’re talking about the stuff of myth–the elusive label of “it’s so bad, it’s good.” At one point in this film, Stacy Keach’s says to Travolta’s John Gotti that he must “have the support of all five boroughs,” and then, in an all-time moment of audience hand-holding, proceeds to list all five by name. It was at that moment I knew, this flick was destined for something special. Welcome to the pantheon, Gotti. As your fourth-wall breaking protagonist once said, “You’re never gonna see another guy like me if you live to be 5000.” I think that’s for the best.
Podcast: Why is This a Thing?
53. A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
52. The Cloverfield Paradox
51. Bird Box
2018 will be remembered as the year Netflix went legit. The streamer has already been the hottest media company in the world for the better part of a decade. But before last year, its greatest cultural achievements were an E.T. rip-off, a female version of Oz and five shows starring the red-headed stepchildren of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2018, that all changed with a collaboration with the Coen Brothers, an unearthed Orson Welles film and a critically-adored movie from Alfonso Cuarón. Last year, Netflix went Oscar hunting and, if Sunday goes as planned, they’ll receive a hefty bounty.
But we mustn’t forget that, surrounding these stream-able diamonds, was a lot of rough. For every bona fide triumph Netflix churned out last year, there were about three to five misfires. Among them I include a Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding, which unlike its predecessor (a guilty pleasure of mine), lacked the extra dose of sugar necessary for all Christmas TV movies. I also include the Cloverfield Paradox, which was a far better marketing ploy than a movie. And apologies to the hormonal teens who crashed their parents’ cars driving blindfolded, but Sandy Bullock’s Bird Box may be the most overrated movie of the year.
Podcast: A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding | The Cloverfield Paradox
50. The Predator
Here’s what we know for certain: this movie a mess. Here’s what we don’t know for certain: whether or not this movie is a beautiful mess. The jury is still out, as is this franchise.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
49. The Commuter
The Commuter actually checks off three of my four requirements for good filmmaking. It stars Liam Neeson. Check. Liam Neeson has a gun. Check. And Liam Neeson is on a moving vehicle with a cast of kooky characters, all hiding a deadly secret. Check. Too bad it missed out on my fourth criteria, a plot.
48. Paterno
One of the great mysteries of modern Hollywood is HBO’s unparalleled success with television shows, and utter incompetence with original films. Like his movie the Wizard of Lies from 2017, Barry Levinson’s small-screen collaboration with Al Pacino is about as underwhelming a biopic as they come.
47. The Mule
I could never convey the sublime pleasures and patent absurdities of this movie as effectively as Pete Davidson and John Mulaney once did. So in lieu of a blurb, I’m just going to leave this here:
46. Bohemian Rhapsody
Perhaps one of the worst movies to ever be nominated for Best Picture. Its mainstream appeal is hardly a surprise, but its success during award season is truly shocking, especially in the wake of the Bryan Singer debacle. Aside from some awfully impressive sound editing, what’s there to love here? Rami Malek’s excessive performance? The inaccuracy-laden script? Mike freaking Myers? The film just didn’t get it. If only Bryan Singer, or screenwriter Anthony McCarten, were interested in what made Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury, the movie may have worked. But unfortunately, as anyone can see, nothing really matters. Nothing really matters to Bohemian Rhapsody.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
45. Ant-Man and the Wasp
Although it’s the lowest MCU movie on the list, the sequel to 2015’s Ant Man may be the studio’s most impressive feat of the year. After the seismic earthquake that was Black Panther and the “bombshell” ending of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s actually a small miracle that a movie about Paul Rudd and the chick from Lost chasing after a dollhouse grossed over $200 million domestically. The success is a tremendous testament to the viability of the Marvel label and, frankly, the baseline quality of these movies. That being said, it’s been only seven months and I totally forgot Michelle Pfeiffer was in that shit.
44. Deadpool 2
My biggest gripe with the original Deadpool is that, for all the bloviating about genre subversion, it’s just another superhero movie. Perhaps this was an unfair criticism of a 700-million-dollar studio tent pole. I just feel like a movie that boasts about its transgressive attitude ought to walk the walk. In any case, I expected more out of last year’s sequel. A part of me hoped that Deadpool 2, empowered by the success of its predecessor, would break free from the traditional obligations of the genre, shedding the fat that often weighs these superhero movies down. You know, like Logan and the Dark Knight and the Raimi Spidermans. Just be a movie. Instead, Deadpool 2 decided to create yet another cinematic universe. Kids, whatever you do, don’t put your faith in the Hollywood system.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
43. Upgrade
An independent sci-fi horror flick from early in the year, that pulled off some impressive stuff in the practical effects department. Admittedly, it’s a bit too rough around the edges for my liking, but I would certainly encourage genre fans to give Upgrade a look. Plus, the movie makes the case against self-driving cars more effectively than a thousand Uber class-action lawsuits ever could.
42. BlacKkKlasman
I’m sorry but, twenty-eight movies into his career, Spike Lee’s latest joint can best be described as…amateurish. And I’m talking about it on a fundamental level–the editing is slapdash, the tone is incoherent and the third act is more disastrous than Spike’s beloved New York Knicks (not to mention the heavy-handed epilogue). Some incredible performances–particularly from John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace–are wasted on a, frankly, undercooked production. BlacKkKlasman is not worthy of their talents, and that’s a damn shame.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
41. Overlord
A B-movie from J.J. Abram’s Bad Robot crew, Overlord delivers on its ridiculous premise with a surprising amount of competence. It’s placed towards the bottom of this list, but I feel like the filmmakers would be totally okay with that assessment. There’s something to be said for a thoroughly entertaining movie that knows exactly what it is. Oh, and by the way, Overlord has the best opening scene of 2018.
40. Halloween
You know the last twenty minutes of this movie when it’s basically Home Alone except Kevin is a heavily-armed Jaime Lee Curtis and Joe Pesci is serial killer Michael Myers? Yeah, I dug that part.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
39. Black Panther
Crucify me, call me names, walk me to the guillotine and make me your Marie Antoinette. After much careful consideration, I’ve decided this is the hill I’m prepared to die on. Black Panther is, like, not that great.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
38. Solo: A Star Wars Story
Aside from some of the worst lighting I’ve ever seen in a major motion picture, I’ll never understand the hate for this movie. I suspect that some fanboys may be evaluating Solo based on what is could be, rather than what it is. And, given the nature of the Phil Lord/Chris Miller firing, the criticism is more than fair. But as a summer blockbuster starring a space pirate and a neo-feminist robot, I’d consider this movie a modest win.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
37. Three Identical Strangers
One of many trendy documentaries from last year that garnered significant mainstream attention. The heavy use of reenactments is one of my biggest movie peeves, so that knocks Three Identical Strangers down a few pegs. But the usual mystery at this heart of this movie completely sucked me in.
36. Avengers: Infinity War
It’s tough to be too laudatory about this movie because, after all, it’s not a movie. This is the penultimate episode of the most expensive TV show all time. And that’s exactly how one should evaluate Infinity War– not as a singular cinematic piece with a beginning, middle and end, but as another opportunity to hang out with characters you like. From that perspective, Infinity War just freaking works.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
35. Game Night
Give Jesse Plemons all the Oscars.
34. Creed II
An objective critic would probably have this movie lower on the list. But I’m certainly not objective and I’m most definitely not a critic. Let’s face it, Creed II is the less-charming bastard child of Rocky II and Rocky IV. But goddammit, anytime I watch Sly Stallone deliver a motivational speech or walk the empty streets of Philadelphia with a rubber ball in hand, I feel ten years old again. Long live the Italian Stallion.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
33. Sorry to Bother You
Many critics have a problem with the film’s out-of-left-field third act, but my problems with Sorry to Bother You are more holistic. As a work of satire, I’m just not sure the movie is as insightful as it would like you to be believe. But major props to director Boots Riley for following through on such a distinct vision.
32. Private Life
An under-the-radar Netflix indie about the quiet complexities of fertility therapy. The subject matter is not exactly popcorn material, but Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti make the investment worthwhile.
31. Ready Player One
Although Ready Player One is only a slightly-above-average summer blockbuster, it did awaken me to one unequivocal fact: Steven Spielberg is far from finished. And that prospect is far more exciting.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
30. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Probably the most whatever movie of 2018.
29. Tully
A surprisingly affecting tale of motherhood, featuring an under-appreciated lead performance from Charlize Theron. If not for that ridiculous twist, Tully would have really been onto something.
28. Hereditary
If I hadn’t watched half of this movie through the fibers of my t-shirt, perhaps it would of have ranked higher.
27. Bad Times at the El Royale
All style, no substance? Perhaps. But the style Drew Goddard employs in Bad Times at the El Royale is Reservoir Dogs-era Tarantino chic. No matter what’s underneath the outfit, that look will work on me every time.
26. Hold the Dark
It’s been four months and I have still no idea what this movie is about. But thanks to Jeremy Saulnier’s masterful direction, I don’t care. Forget about the bullshit with the wolves, the shootout in the second act of Hold of Dark is the best scene of 2018.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
25. Green Book
Let me be clear, the vehement backlash towards this fairly innocuous movie represents everything wrong with award season and, more broadly, the world of cultural criticism. So rather than open up that Pandora Box, I’ll stick to the essentials. Green Book is a pleasantly-made movie with a pleasant story and two pleasant lead actors. What it lacks in cultural insight, it makes up for in charm. And what it lacks in grit, it makes up for in heart. Those deficiencies rub some people the wrong way and, I’ll admit, I share in many of those criticisms. But unlike some of my cantankerous counterparts on social media, I’ll stop short of vilification.
Podcast: Cultured | Movie Hopping
24. The Old Man & the Gun
You know what’s really cool? Robert Redford robbing banks. Hollywood should really make a movie like that sometime.
23. Vice
This is most conflicted I feel about any movie on the list. My head tells me that Vice is a well-made propaganda film that lacks nuance and plays fast and loose with American history. But my heart tells me that Vice is a well-made propaganda film that lacks nuance and plays fast and loose with American history, but is also REALLY FREAKING ENTERTAINING. In honor of Dick Chaney and his often-unreliable heart, I’ll chose to listen to mine.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
22. The Death of Stalin
The funniest movie of the year.
21. Leave No Trace
A sweet father-daughter story that, despite a 100% (!) Rotten Tomato score, flew under the radar. The always-solid Ben Foster does some nice work in the lead role, but its eighteen-year-old Thomasin McKenzie who steals the show. If this girl ain’t the next Jodie Foster, I’ll eat my hat…or something.
20. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
In a pop culture landscape enamored with “complicated” characters and anti-heroes, there is something to be said about a movie that opts for sheer human decency. There is no bombshell moment in Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, no shocking revelation that threatens to expose the real Fred Rogers. And on paper, that sounds like the makings of a realer snoozer of a documentary. But it wasn’t, quite the contrary. After spending 90 minutes with everyone’s favorite PBS star, I learned one thing: a story about love, compassion and a man that possesses both in spades can be just as compelling as the grittiest of dramas. What a beautiful day, indeed.
Podcast: Cultured
19. Wildlife
An incredibly intimate story about divorce, featuring an incredibly intimate lead performance from Carey Mulligan. Wildlife is a heartbreakingly honest movie that made me, frankly, too comfortable to fully buy in.
18. Annihilation
A deeply flawed, yet deeply thought-provoking sci-fi movie that sort of got lost in the shuffle early last year. Come for the dynamic cast of women, but stay for the visually-mesmerizing third act. You’ll be theorizing about the true meaning of Annihilation for weeks to come.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
17. You Were Never Really Here
A pure character study through and through, You Were Never Really Here opts to put plot on the back-burner in favor of some one-on-one time with Joaquin Phoenix. As with all of director Lynne Ramsay’s previous work, the film can sometimes be a difficult hang, but ultimately proves to be time well spent.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
16. Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Do not believe the haters, the critics and the social media outrage police. The sequel to Sicario is every bit as good as the original.
15. Incredibles 2
I’ve been waiting fourteen years–FOURTEEN YEARS–to watch the Incredible family fight the Underminer and, in 2018, that moment finally came. I’ve found it quite difficult to separate my feelings towards Incredibles 2 from my bloated sense of nostalgia, but I think this placement is about right.
Podcast: Cultured | Movie Hopping
14. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
There’s something to be said for just going for it, and that’s exactly how Into the Spider-Verse rolls. You want a comic movie? Let’s make it look like an actual comic book! You want to something for the kids? Let’s include a talking spider pig voiced by John Mulaney! You want yet another Spider-Man universe? How about six! In life and in art, the best course of action is to just own it. And it’s that very philosophy that resulted in the best animated movie of 2018.
13. First Man
After a colossally poor Oscar campaign, First Man has managed to subvert early reactions and somehow become underrated. As an unapologetic Damian Chazelle stan, I’ll echo that sentiment. With understated direction and remarkable sound design, First Man paints a portrait of outer space I’ve never seen on screen–gritty, mechanical and, perplexingly, tiny. The movie is more of a small step than a giant leap, but that’s okay with me.
12. Beautiful Boy
This movie is flawed, and those flaws are impossible to deny. But what’s also impossible to deny is the pool of tears left in my living room the size of Lake Superior. There’s no way to skirt around it: Beautiful Boy–and more specifically, Timothée Chalamet’s performance–moved me like no other film last year.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
11. Minding the Gap
What an incredible year for documentaries, not just with critics but also at the box office. Audiences seem to be embracing the nonfiction format again, and that opens up a host of possibilities for the future of cinema. Exciting stuff, especially if we get more movies like Minding the Gap. Streaming on Hulu, this hyper-personal character study about skateboarders in Illinois rivals any piece of dramatic film released last year.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
10. Mandy
I cannot properly articulate the phantasmagorical nature of this movie through the written word. So, I simply encourage you to check out Mandy for yourself, and ask that you thank me (and Nicolas Cage) later.
Podcast: Why is This a Thing? | Movie Hopping
9. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
If my favorite directors the Coen brothers make a movie, and it’s not called Intolerable Cruelty, it’s going to make my top ten list. I’ve fully accepted this inevitability, and you should too. But even if I was able to put nepotism aside, I’d still like to think Buster Scruggs would make the cut. In their wildly-varied anthology movie about the wild west, the Coens break their traditional format and posit six fascinating questions about the nature of existence and the assuredness of death. So vibrant, so funny, so gut-wrenching. Coen brothers movies just sing to you, and I for one just can’t stop humming along.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
8. Roma
Well, you did it Netflix. If Las Vegas is to be believed–and usually they are–you will be taking home your first Oscar for Best Picture. For a black and white foreign film that begins with a five-minute close-up on a tile floor, that’s an incredible achievement. In fact, that’s the one word that comes to mind when I think of Roma: achievement. It executes every facet of the filmmaking process remarkably well–acting, cinematography, editing, direction. And for its labors, critics have rewarded the film handsomely. Now the real test for Alfonso’s Cuarón’s masterpiece is whether it will hold up over time. And I must admit, I have my doubts.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
7. First Reformed
Uncomfortable, honest, brilliantly minimalistic. First Reformed has catapulted Paul Schrader back into the “cinematic genius” conversation, and it’s a hard one to deny. One day, we will look back on the 2019 Academy Awards and discover that Ethan Hawke was not even nominated for best actor. And on that day, my friends, we will toil in our shame.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
6. The Favourite
Like it’s three lead performers, this movie hits you like a wrecking ball. Thanks to certified weirdo Yorgos Lanthimos, the Favourite transcends most other movies of its kind and delivers a hilarious yet heartbreaking story about human cruelty. By far and away, the most unexpected member of my top ten list.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
5. Eighth Grade
I have a fifteen-year-old sister. And since I still live at home, I spend every waking day of my life with her. Now, you would assume that such proximity would give me a unique level of insight into the female adolescent brain. But I can assure you–and I’m sure any parent of a fifteen-year-old girl could assure you as well–this is a bad assumption. I know as much about that subsection of humanity as I do the African bush elephant, and that’s only because I went to the zoo once. Their anxieties, their interests, their relationship to technology–teenager girls are an enigma. The more you try to understand them, the more indecipherable they become. That’s why Eighth Grade remains one of the most impressive cinematic achievements of 2018. Because somehow, someway, that crazy son of a bitch Bo Burnham cracked the code. Give this man a Nobel Prize.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Like any installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Fallout is more of a stunt show than a movie. But my heavens, what a breathtaking stunt show it is. I have a rule: if Tom Cruise breaks his leg, jumps out of an airplane AND learns to fly a helicopter on the set of an action movie, said movie will find a way into my top five.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
3. A Star is Born
Not all artistic mediums are created equal. Music, for example is communal; it encourages people to share in the experience of listening. Television is comfortable; it exists in your home and allows you to revisit characters that you find familiar. Literature is personal; it lives in your head and requires your own sense of imagination. So, what is it that makes film so special? Well, to me, it’s always been the sense of wonder. To go to the movies is a unique experience. It requires you to leave your home, drop some serious coin and give two hours of your undivided attention to a large projected image. If done wrong, this process reeks of wasted time. But if done right, a movie can create a sense of awe and magic that no other art form is capable of. That, in a nut-shell, is the greatness of a Star is Born. It’s a capital-B Big movie with charismatic stars, glamorous Hollywood moments, soaring musical numbers and a story that carries with it a weight of importance. In short, it’s a movie about movies. We’ll be studying it for years to come.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
2. A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place may feature a bunch of bloodthirsty alien creatures who hunt using their hyper-sensitive ear canals. But it’s really a movie about parenting, and how it’s the most important job in the world. When we first meet the parents in a Quiet Place–played brilliantly by Emily Blunt and John Krasinski–they’ve lost their young son, suffered unspeakable trauma and survived the virtual extinction of the human race. But at no point during the film do they ever waver from their roles as Mom and Dad. No vacations, no retirement plan, no days off. For a sci-fi horror flick, that’s about as true to life as you can get.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
1. Widows
Stylish direction, scenery-chewing performances, multiple heists and shades of the Wire–that’s all I ask for when I go to the cinema. But in 2018, only one movie delivered on that ask. There are so many glowing things to say about Widows, its impeccable cast and its masterful director Steve McQueen, but perhaps none greater than this: I cannot wait to watch this movie again and again and again for years to come.
Podcast: Movie Hopping
Smartest guy in the room, dumbest guy outside of it.
