2018 Best and Worst Movies
An actually pretty decent year. just needs a lot of searching since the lackluster surface view of blockbusters that came out weren't as spot on quality wise compared to other years. The foreign movies were really amazing this year. There were three 10's
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- DirectorLee Chang-dongStarsYoo Ah-inSteven YeunJeon Jong-seoJong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood, who asks him to look after her cat while she's on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met there, who confesses his secret hobby.10/10, a great slowburn korean thriller with a lot of interpretation. It's gorgeous and the directing is very subtle. Kind of about class or more so that's what the protagonist thinks is the problem. The acting especially from the girl and the dude from the walking dead do an amazing job portraying real people (and so does the main protagonist). It really starts well and betrays you with how the story works out. You'll be floored and hate the main character. Very atmospheric and has great pace. Check it out twice if you can.
- DirectorGaspar NoéStarsSofia BoutellaRomain GuillermicSouheila YacoubFrench dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD.10/10, pretty much an impressive psychotic horror; the quintessential BAD TRIP. Gaspar Noe has godlike powers with the camera and directing and it turns this movie's tension high up. Even though it's simple, it's a very effective plot and has short run time anyway. The music itself feels like it fits the world it's in and that's what most would ask for (it's fantastic btw). The drug scenes (which is almost half the movie) will freak you out with how authentic it feels. The actors did a splendid job and you can tell they used past experiences to help them act out natural performances. The way they twisted and tangled: disturbing. And next: the dance chorography. Holy shit is it impressive. Not only would it be a bitch if one person messed up but imagine if one thing was wrong. it'd fuck up the entire movie. It's really this films pulse.
Anyway with that I say give it a watch but be prepared for a wild and challenging ride. It is French extremism after all - DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsYalitza AparicioMarina de TaviraDiego Cortina AutreyA year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.10/10, one of alfonsos best films since children of men and one of the best films of the year period. The best part is when he filmed the turd getting run over by the car. Any who he shows off the slow and methodical elaborate movement he's known for as big set pieces are put together as smooth 1 cam shots, one after the other impressing us with the difficulty it must have been to film such things. What's the most entertaining are those shots and directing with the acting that go along with it that create such a real world, you'd be confused to think it'd never existed. Which is what I think the director was going for so that's another achievement in my book. Great attention to detail and great set props/makeup. The story itself is powerful and relatable. It's like they filmed someone's life whose world is falling apart. A great R-rated family movie without that cheesiness most movies do with the core being about family.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsBryan CranstonKoyu RankinEdward NortonSet in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.low10-high9/10, Wes Anderson is the type of director I feel safe watching because I know he's just going to make a great film as he always has for me. What I love witnessing from him is how he perfects his style and meshes it into a similar story without making it feel like the exact same story. Isle of dogs is exactly that. Like a fantastic Mr.fox the movie is stop-motion with meticulous precision, wonderful world design, coloring, all-star cast, great symmetry, writing and editing; the whole shebang. Slightly more dark than his others in the sense of tone because of that it makes it unforgettable. The soundtrack too is very memorable and the setting is a lovely place to bask in the details the cast set up. This is one of the last films I saw with my grandma and she loved it (she doesn't like most animated films and it caught her off guard.) Check this if you haven't yet.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszIn early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.low10-high9/10, Yorgos keeps getting better. Surprised he didn't get the oscar for best picture (same with the director of Roma but whatever I guess, Greenbook is better somehow???). Olivia Coleman deserved hers as it was the best performance in the acting category and the best of the year alongside with Emma Stone. The directing and writing to the editing have always been the tits, just as great as his other films and deserves the same recognition. Fun and of course entertaining, deep and dramatic, integral ending that has multiple meanings; watch twice if you can.
- DirectorAlonso RuizpalaciosStarsGael García BernalLeonardo OrtizgrisAlfredo CastroIn 1985, a group of criminals mock the security of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City to extract 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from their showcases.high9/10, the best part of this is the fire editing and story. at first youd think youve seen this plot done a million times but with this movie it's how it's shown and how it's directed that makes it so interestingly different and unique to watch. What techniques are done like matching sounds to the rhythm, calculated cuts to make the chaotic and thrilling story happen, seamless shots over the other are so well done it's hard not to be excited when seeing this movie. Fresh when it comes down to execution and idea. The acting too is notable.
- DirectorCristina GallegoCiro GuerraStarsCarmiña MartínezJosé AcostaNatalia ReyesDuring the marijuana bonanza, a violent decade that saw the origins of drug trafficking in Colombia, Rapayet and his indigenous family get involved in a war to control the business that ends up destroying their lives and their culture.low9/10, Embrace of the Serpent's director's next film adds to an already extraordinary catalog. Besides the special directing and style, there's the amazing experience of the Colombian drug trade that's both tragic and emotionally gripping. Very well paced and authentically real. Probably one of the best shot movies of the year along as one of the best written. The music was fine and added to the atmosphere and desolation the characters feel. Culturally rich and an engaging epic.
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsChloë Grace MoretzTilda SwintonDoris HickA darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.low9/10, a horror everyone could fuck. The directing is big and subtle at the same time. There's jaw-dropping special and practical effects that aren't really seen anymore. There is an astonishing and historic performance from one of the best actresses in the game, Tilda Swinton who plays a man (I did not recognize her at all) and a women of a dance group. There's a great power dynamic going on that allows the actors to soak up the material. The music done by radiohead is amazing and is amazing to listen alone. There's a lot to say and to interpret and I'm just impressed they did better than the original IMO. The fact all the characters are women go with the themes it sets up. I probably had the most fun rewatching this then anything else this year besides maybe hereditary or climax. will place higher when considered
- DirectorAri AsterStarsToni ColletteMilly ShapiroGabriel ByrneA grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.high8-low9/10, had one of my favorite theatre experiences and one of the best horror experiences ever. The performances especially from Toni Collette do a phenomenal job and feel scarily real and gut wrenching. It wouldn't surprise me if she or the director watched real distress and traumatic events on camera or reached down from personal experiences. His directing is also amazingly well done and has a ton of purpose like being so dark you have to squint to see just like the characters. The writing feels realistic and so does the passion. As the title implies, there's mental illness plus other themes and family traits passed down "hereditary" like. The music anyway really helps the worldbuilding and how it's shot is like her dioramas. It all fits like one giant puzzle piece. Check it out and see twice immediately. Also a fun to watch movie with friends. Had the best time watching this with theatre goers. Everyone was clicking and when the main "event" happened everyone was silent. I was floored.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsJohn C. ReillyJoaquin PhoenixJake GyllenhaalEli and Charlie Sisters, an infamous duo of gunslinging assassins, chase a gold prospector and his unexpected ally in 1850s Oregon.high8/10, a unique character-driven western thriller that at the same time is very funny, something you never see anymore. Joaquin Pheonix and John C. Reilly do an impressive job at portraying smart and veteran bounty hunters. Not smart in the sense of book smart but very much street smart, at least with Joaquins character. The music really melts into the movie and also is one of the best parts of it. The directing was great, deciding to show them learning new things that are so used to us was genius. The lighting and shading was succinct and creative like some of the best westerns. It's well shot and well costumed. Pretty easy to recommend, so watch with a buddy or yourself; either way you both should be entertained.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTim Blake NelsonWillie WatsonClancy BrownSix tales of life and violence in the Old West, following a singing gunslinger, a bank robber, a traveling impresario, an elderly prospector, a wagon train, and a perverse pair of bounty hunters.1st story-10/10
2nd story-8/10
3rd story-7/10
4th story-9/10
5th story-8/10
6th story-8/10
OVERALL: high8/10, the Coens rarely rarely miss and this is an example of why that's the case. Their writing is envious and I wish I had even the smallest of their prowess and knowledge they have. Their directing is also immaculate as they weave between multiple facets of the wild west and it's deadly reality. The settings feel very real and lived in. It's very very funny and probably the funniest of the year besides Thunder Road and Isle of Dogs. Each story has it's own strengths that it's hard to choose which one besides the first that's best (for me that's the fourth and fifth story). More take themselves seriously than others and some just mess around with the themes of death and greed. Again pretty easy to suggest and easy to watch with friends - DirectorJim CummingsStarsJim CummingsKendal FarrNican RobinsonA police officer faces a personal meltdown following a divorce and the death of his mother.high8/10, definitely one of the most underrated of the year along with Museo and the most impressive in terms of budget. The main actor who is also the director does a mesmerizing job with both, mainly playing a character that feels very fun, down-to-earth and is very endearing making the context darkly hilarious and tragic at the same time. I thought the music was appropriate and shaped in with the amazing visuals well (seriously with this budget it looks like a professional movie). The editing and movement was done well enough to sell it. With this budget most movies would fail but it matters what the director knows to do with that money that counts. You can see the passion and the attention to detail he gives as something simple as zooming in add to what the characters are feeling. The makeup is surprisingly well done too. Give this one a watch and buy it to support him if you like it.
- DirectorTim WardleStarsRobert ShafranMichael DomnitzHoward SchneiderIn 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.high8/10, go into this blind. seriously. The way this story begins and ends will capture your attention and the fact it was real is mind blowing. The way they filmed this way unique too as they are telling the story, they use visuals that go well with it. this seriously feels like a good fiction movie but i have to reiterate, this was real. one of the best documentaries in awhile.
- DirectorDavid Robert MitchellStarsAndrew GarfieldRiley KeoughTopher GraceSam, a disenchanted young man, finds a mysterious woman swimming in his apartment's pool one night. The next morning, she disappears. Sam sets off across LA to find her, and along the way he uncovers a conspiracy far more bizarre.8/10, despite being polarizing I thought the film did a stunning job at being a mystery-comedy mishmash. While not having the scares of It Follows, this movie does have moments of revelation that instills terror and gives me chills. It being really about secret high societies, human trafficking, pedophilia and secret coded messaging in Hollywood (so pretty much a documentary). Andrew Garfield who discovers it does a perplexing job at playing this paranoid but ultimately right person who is chasing a girl he likes when suddenly she disappears. It all feels like this big rabbit hole that only sinks deeper with each clue he learns. The locations he goes to helped make it feel like a big open world and helped the pacing. You really don't know where it's going to go at first and when you do, there's things you notice that you didn't before. The gorgeous cinematography fits this alluring conspiracy unfolding and the noir music adds to atmosphere. The costumes are realized and are out there. The makeup besides maybe the old man is fantastic. This might not be for everyone but give it a chance.
- DirectorBob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney RothmanStarsShameik MooreJake JohnsonHailee SteinfeldTeen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.8/10, this and Isle of Dogs man.. Real animation cinema. Only have tiny nitpicks really (like some jokes aren't that funny). But the whole movie is engrossing and imaginative, those nitpicks really don't matter. What's great is you could show this to your kid and an adult and they'd both be satisfied. The way they move is fluid and the colors POP out. Like a comic come to life. Easy to recommend
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsViola DavisMichelle RodriguezElizabeth DebickiFour women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities take fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.low8/10, one of the best directors today behind 12 years a slave, Hunger, and Shame made this underappreciated thriller that went under people's noses. Steve McQueen (not that one) and writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl writer) made this deep underground crime film about a group of women down on luck and money who owe the wrong people doing a heist to get it back. This will go down as one of the most impressive girl centric films where the main women characters don't feel like it's written by a man (which it's not lol). The filmmaking and execution behind some scenes is top notch and makes sense coming from this director. The action feels authentic and so do the twists. While this is my least favorite film from his, that's a high bar anyway and he made one of the best movies of the year. The villain here would be cheesy in any other film but here feels intimidating and convincing. Maybe the music is to be desired yet it didn't detract from the experience.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris HemsworthMark RuffaloThe Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.low8/10, the time really does fly by. how many marvel movies have been leading to this? to me what is striking most is having all these characters meet up without it bugging me too much. what I do think is different and why this is better than Endgame though is scale and consequence. THIS feels like a lead up from something, Endgame feels like a back to the tradition stop we should have gotten I don't know how many films ahead but noooo we have to bring them back besides 1 character. Thanos here feels more well used too. Just me then.
- DirectorBarry AvrichStarsBenjamin FerenczChristian WenaweserDavid SchefferA portrait of Ben Ferencz, the last surviving Nuremberg Trial prosecutor, who continues to wage his lifelong crusade in the fight for law and peace.low8/10, very important considering we are living in a time where this type of thinking is coming back. what I loved is how honest is was. didn't hide behind certain sides, just cemented the absolute evil that was real during WW2 and onward. If we ever have to change we have to listen and listening to the very man that helped prison the worst of WW2 is good. He's much more than that as well as he served the army too and was the main figure head to prosecute war crimes in general.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsEthan HawkeAmanda SeyfriedCedric The EntertainerA minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.low8/10, a very spiritual movie. a great slowburn
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingClaire FoyJason ClarkeA look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.low8-high7/10
- DirectorBo BurnhamStarsElsie FisherJosh HamiltonEmily RobinsonAn introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.low8-high7/10
- DirectorAlice RohrwacherStarsAdriano TardioloAgnese GrazianiAlba RohrwacherAn unceasingly kind Italian peasant and his family are blatantly exploited by a tobacco baroness.low8-high7/10, this is a very warm and summer like film. The whole thing feels like a big family we're apart of too without too many characters that could bog down a lesser movie. The cinematography and aspect ratio complement each other plus the color grating really adds to the Italian country-side the setting takes place in. While the music is sparse, I thought it added to the atmosphere plenty. The lack of major story really helped sell the world it's set in. There is a major moment that happens I do think is shocking but the reveal showing they were fine kind of robbed me of it. Besides that major negative I really have nothing bad to say about this. It's very enjoyable and I will be seeing it again.
- DirectorCarlos López EstradaStarsDaveed DiggsRafael CasalJanina GavankarWhile on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend.high7/10, having been to Oakland I felt they captured the city and it's people wonderfully. It all feels like one epic poem about being black in America along with all the zits that would may include and succeeds in showing being a product of your environment. The rap scenes were obviously the best and while coming out of nowhere it didn't feel undeserved nor cheesy. In any other movie this would have been a major no no but here feels very fluid and built up. There's a lot of pain in the way he speaks and there's history there. The camerawork added to the weirdness and danger that is Oakland.
- DirectorBo HuStarsYu ZhangYuchang PengUvin WangFour people in a Chinese city live through a complicated day as their lives intersect.7/10, one warning before seeing this film is that it's 4 hours long and while that does seem daunting, I felt by the end it was earned. The way these people intersect and interact really made up for the time. The cinematography and directing in general had a lot of details to bask in. The color and claustrophobia really felt restricting which is what the characters were feeling. I really didn't know how it was going to end either and had this feeling like it never was. This film felt like an entire life lived and it's a glorious life at that. Not for everyone as the runtime could be tedious for some but with me and my friend, we had a good time.
- DirectorArmando IannucciStarsSteve BuscemiSimon Russell BealeJeffrey TamborMoscow, 1953. After being in power for nearly 30 years, Soviet dictator, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, takes ill and quickly dies. Now the members of the Council of Ministers scramble for power.high7/10, probably the funniest movie of the year and the most historically accurate. There were a lot I was surprised happened in real life and that story however tragic was hilarious. The death of Stalin created this power vacuum and that vacuum was storing idiots. The story is fun and so were the costumes. Maybe could have been shot better but for what it is I had an gay old time.