This list is a work in progress. I suspect it might expand further over the next month, as certain celebrated films from 2018—Cold War, for example—still haven’t opened in Seattle yet, and I’m playing catch-up on some important titles. But now… let’s get this party started.
Twenty Nine Honorable Mentions
Ask me about my Top 10 of 2018, and I’m likely to name any of these movies, depending on the moment. I found much to admire and enjoy in all of them. But, at this moment, these movies fall just short of my top ten — which means it was a fantastic year at the movies. [UPDATE: Want to skip right to the Top Ten? Here they are.]
Two Films That Celebrate
the Careers of Iconic Legends
Without Being Merely Hagiographic
The Old Man and the Gun
written and directed by David Lowery
Nothing Like a Dame
directed by Roger Michell
Two Coming-of-Age Movies
That Are Strong Where
Most Coming-of-Age Movies
Are Weak
The Hate U Give
directed by George Tillman Jr.
written by Audrey Wells
Check out these reviews by Scott Renshaw and Steven Greydanus.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
directed by Susan Johnson
written by Sofia Alvarez
Read these reviews by Joel Mayward and Linda Holmes (a big fan of the genre).
Two Action-Packed,
Adrenaline-Rushing Sequels
Mission: Impossible — Fallout
written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Read these reviews by Steven Greydanus, Ann Hornaday, and Anthony Lane.
Incredibles 2
written and directed by Brad Bird
Here’s a review by Steven Greydanus.
Three Films About Boys
Becoming Men Without
Strong Parental Guidance
Three Identical Strangers
directed by Tim Wardle
Minding the Gap
directed by Bing Liu
Here’s an article and interview with Bing Liu by Alissa Wilkinson, and here are reviews by Josh Larsen and Kevin McLenithan.
Lean on Pete
written and directed by Andrew Haigh
based on a novel by Willy Vlautin
Here are reviews by Joel Mayward, Josh Larsen, and Alissa Wilkinson.
Four Intimate and Empathetic Portraits
of Women Struggling in a World
Designed By (and For) Men
Let the Sunshine In
directed by Claire Denis
Here are reviews by Ann Hornaday and Glenn Heath Jr., Richard Brody, Anthony Lane, and Glenn Kenny.
https://vimeo.com/268508939
Roma
written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Here are reviews by Richard Brody, Joel Mayward, Glenn Heath Jr., A.A. Dowd, Anthony Lane, and Josh Larsen.
Support the Girls
written and directed by Andrew Bujalski
Here are reviews by Mike D’Angelo, Richard Brody and Justin Chang.
Puzzle
directed by Marc Turtletaub
written by Oren Moverman and Polly Mann
Three Films in Which
Men Journey to Other Worlds
and It Costs Them, But Women
— Some Following, Some Staying Behind — See Things Clearly… and Suffer
Annihilation
written and directed by Alex Garland
First Man
directed by Damien Chazelle
written by Josh Singer
Prospect
written and directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell
Two Ambitious Theological Films
That Have Unforgettable Scenes
Largely Due to Bold Formal Decisions
But That Lose Something (for me)
in Their Last Act
Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc
written and directed by Bruno Dumont
Here are my first impressions at Letterboxd, and here’s a review by Steven Greydanus.
First Reformed
written and directed by Paul Schrader
Three Movies That Expose
White Supremacy With Imagination,
Personal Passion, and Humor
Black Panther
directed by Ryan Coogler
written by Ryan Coogler and John Robert Cole
BlacKkKlansman
directed by Spike Lee
written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee
Here are my first impressions at Letterboxd, and here’s a review by Ann Hornaday.
Sorry to Bother You
written and directed by Boots Riley
Here are my first impressions at Letterboxd, and here are reviews by Josh Larsen and Brian Tallerico.
…and One That Does So With
Long, Color-Saturated Close-Ups
If Beale Street Could Talk
written and directed by Barry Jenkins
based on the book by James Baldwin
https://vimeo.com/295957315
Two Brilliant Contemporary Westerns
That Deliver the Goods
While Also Questioning the Goods
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Here reviews by Josh Larsen, Glenn Kenny, A.A. Dowd, and Richard Brody.
The Sisters Brothers
directed by Jacques Audiard
written and directed by Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain
Here are reviews by Ann Hornaday, A.A. Dowd, Justin Chang, Anthony Lane,
The Smartest Comedy of the Year
Which is Also the Best Movie About the Current U.S. Presidency
The Death of Stalin
directed by Armando Iannucci
written by Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, Peter Fellows
Here are reviews by Anthony Lane, Glenn Kenny, Bilge Ebiri, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, and A.A. Dowd.
The Comedy I Will Revisit Most Often
Because It’s Hilarious and
Because It Riffs Brilliantly
On a Cult Classic: The ‘Burbs
Game Night
directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
written by Mark Perez
Best Black-and-White Cinematography
of the Year
and
Best Fantasy Movie of the Year
November
directed by Rainer Sarnet
written by Rainer Sarnet, based on the novel by Andrus Kivirähk
Here’s a review by Glenn Kenny.
Two Movies I Am Most Regretful
About Not Rating in My Top Ten
(and I May Yet Change My Mind)
— Also —
Two Movies Directed by Women
About Men Deeply Wounded By Violence
Who Misjudge the Capabilities
of the Young Women
They Are Trying to Rescue
Leave No Trace
directed by Debra Granik
You Were Never Really Here
directed by Lynne Ramsay
Here’s a review by Melissa Tamminga.