2018 has came to a close and, while not offering as many fantastic films as 2017, there were still numerous films that connected with me and were a joy to watch.
Now I am going to count down the top 10 best of those films.
Before I do that though, there are still some films I want to mention but did not get in the top 10 so, quickly, here are numbers 15-11 of my favourite films of the year.
15. Deadpool 2.
14. Isle of Dogs.
13. The Incredibles 2.
12. Ready Player One.
11. Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
With that out of the way, let’s get into my top 10 favourite films of 2018.
10. BlacKKKlansmen.
Based off a true story, BlacKKKlansmen follows Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first black police officer of the Colorado Springs police department, who oddly manages to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan on the phone.
What follows is a dark, yet at the same time, hilarious film about racism and the cruelty of the KKK.
Both lead actors, Washington, and Adam Driver as Stallworth’s partner, Phillip “Flip” Zimmerman, give great performances.
BlacKKKlansmen can get very dark at times through recounting crimes committed during this time and a KKK couple talking about killing black people during “pillow talk.”
Somehow though, the film also manages to be incredibly funny, especially with Stallworth’s phone conversations with leader of the KKK David Duke (Topher Grace).
Spike Lee manages to craft a great film that is both disturbing and hilarious with how it discusses racism through the scary and idiotic train of thought it follows.
9. Overlord.
Overlord is not going to win any awards, nor should it.
It is not cinematically brilliant, it does not offer any complex themes.
What the film does do though, and in spades, is provide an incredibly fun experience for moviegoers.
It is clear when watching Overlord that director Julius Avery set out to make a fun, action packed thrill ride that would have the audience engaged from start to finish.
So, while Overlord is not anything special cinematically speaking, it still provides a really good time.
I found it to be one of the most memorable films of the year just because of how fun it was because we got a great war film that just so happened to include zombies.
Even though a lot of the story and characters may seem cliche, they are done in the lovably cliche way as opposed to the eye rolling.
The actors all do a good job, the action sequences are great, and it all provides just enough emotion to care about what is going on.
It is the perfect kind of B Movie, only this time with a bigger budget.
The opening action scene alone is worth the price of admission.
I find it unfortunate that the movie bombed because I think a lot of people would enjoy this film if they had gone to see it.
Overlord is a film that I will find myself rewatching every time I am looking for pure enjoyment factor.
8. Creed 2.
A great sequel to the first Creed, Creed 2 improved on its predecessor in a number of ways.
For one, I thought the story was a lot better and made me sympathize not only with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) but with the antagonists of the film as well.
It is amazing how they made a follow up to the cheesy Rocky IV serious and with such emotional weight to it.
Sure, Creed 2 may not be directed as well as the first one but Steven Caple Jr. still does a great job.
There are quite a few amazing shots and the montages are top notch.
Most notable though is the tension in the characters, not just in their fights but through what the fights mean to them.
The stakes of the fights between Creed’s side and the Drago family could be felt on both sides.
Creed 2 clearly worked for the rest of the audience I was viewing it with as well because many of them were standing up and cheering during the ending fight.
The film ups the stakes and the story along with it.
Let’s just hope the movies do not get super cheesy after this and they continue with the serious tone they have been going for.
7. Mission Impossible: Fallout.
Mission Impossible: Fallout is not a film I reviewed in 2018.
In fact, I only saw it recently but it still managed to get to number seven on the list.
Fallout is just an all around great action film.
It may be a bit predictable where Henry Cavill’s character is concerned but the action outshines this.
Tom Cruise once again risked life and limb to make this film, even breaking his leg in the process.
The realism applied to the death defying stunts makes the film all the more epic.
As for Cavill’s predictable villain, he also does a great job, making the mustache controversy of Justice League more than worth it.
The film also has plenty of great character moments and growth for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt.
Fallout just escalates further and further with some great twists and turns complimented, again, by great action.
I honestly have not watched any of the other Mission Impossible movies but this one made me want to.
It is fast paced, action packed and full of solid performances.
The entire plot does get a bit confusing but the action more than makes up for this.
Director Christopher McQuarrie did a great job with this one.
6. Black Panther.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther is, without a doubt, the most unique Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date.
Its setting of the fictional country of Wakanda is spectacular, providing a perfect blend of African cultures and futuristic cities.
The story set in this land is also just as great, with it featuring amazing political themes that makes it a very contemplative film.
This is supported by the amazing characters Black Panther provides.
There is T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) the titular Black Panther and king of Wakanda, his genius sister, Shuri (Letita Wright) and, leader of the Dora Milaje, Okoye (Danai Gurira).
Best of all, though, is the film’s villain Erik Killmonger, played brilliantly by Michael B. Jordan, who not only manages to be threatening but incredibly relatable as well.
These actors came together to give us, what I believe to be, one of the best casts out of all the MCU films.
The only problem I have with the film, which holds it back from getting further on the list, is the big final battle.
It incorporates a lot of CGI and it is very subpar.
The final fight between T’Challa and Killmonger really drew me out of the film because of how bad it looks.
Other than this, Black Panther is a brilliant film with an amazing story, characters and setting.
5. A Star is Born.
Over the years, many actors have had a go at directing and, if Bradley Cooper’s first outing A Star is Born is any hint, his future as a director looks bright.
Starring Cooper as singer Jackson Maine and Lady Gaga as Ally, the aspiring singer he discovers in a bar, the film follows these characters’ tragic love story from the start right to the bitter end.
Having never seen this film, after watching the first half hour you might think this is supposed to be a happy story but, oh, no, this is anything but.
A Star is Born goes on to be pretty depressing by taking a very hard look at subjects like alcoholism and mental health.
This heartbreaking story is bolstered by the fantastic performances by Cooper and Gaga.
Not to mention all the songs are amazing, especially “Shallow”, which shows off both of their singing abilities.
There are even a few impressive shots that, while not anything spectacular, make a for good start for Cooper’s directing career if he decides to continue.
A Star is Born is a powerful film that starts off sad and ends tragically.
Just remember to bring the tissues.
4. Avengers: Infinity War.
I debated about where exactly I would put Avengers: Infinity War on the list.
It was originally going to be behind Black Panther but, after watching it a second time, I found I enjoyed the experience a lot more.
Initially, I was let down by how it is pretty much certain a lot of the impactful events of this film are going to be undone in the next, but, on my second viewing, I was able to look past that and marvel at what an achievement this film is.
Avengers: Infinity War has the largest cast of any movie I have ever seen.
There is Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland and many, many others.
The fact that I was able to relate to this almost countless number of characters in the film outright states how spectacular of a film this is.
The greatest of these characters in my mind were Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Thanos, played by Josh Brolin.
Thor again goes on an amazing emotional journey in the film, but this is still nothing compared to Thanos who, despite being the villain, is also the main character.
Just like Killmonger from Black Panther, Thanos is strikingly relatable.
Even though he does horrific things, you completely understand why he is doing thrm and even come to sympathize with him on some level.
The action is intense, the comedy is hilarious, and the acting is great across the board.
Joe and Anthony Russo killed it with this film and I can only hope that the reversal of the conclusion in the next film does not damper my experience with this one.
3. Bad Times at the El Royale.
I believe that Bad Times at the El Royale is the most underrated film of 2018.
I was only one of two people in the theater when I saw the film and I absolutely loved it.
Just like Overlord, only more so, this is a film that deserves a lot more attention than it got.
Directed by Drew Goddard, the film follows a group of strangers, each one with secrets, arriving at the El Royale hotel.
As the night goes on, things get crazier and crazier and their secrets unfold, leading to an action packed conclusion.
Goddard did an amazing job with this film, with its amazing cinematography and acting across the board.
Jeff Bridges and Cynthia Erivo are standouts and Chris Hemsworth takes on a surprising role as a charismatic, yet deadly, cult leader.
Bad Times at the El Royale is also very slow paced but, while this may be a problem for some, I feel it more than earns that slow pace and pays it off in great ways.
The only issue I have with Bad Times at the El Royale is that the flashbacks it uses sometimes interrupt the tension.
Otherwise, the film is great and definitely the most overlooked film of the year in my mind.
2. A Quiet Place.
A Quiet Place was my favourite film of 2018, until I saw the movie that took the number one spot just over a week ago.
Directed by and starring John Krasinski, the film follows the Abbott family in the aftermath of an alien invasion.
The aliens attack based off sound so complete silence is necessary for survival, which the Abbotts are thankfully good at because of their deaf daughter Reagan (Millicent Simmons).
The performances are great across the board, with Krasinski’s wife Emily Blunt being a standout.
A Quiet Place also manages to be incredibly scary, not just with its alien monsters but with how it sets up and pays off certain events as well.
A scene following Blunt’s character and an exposed nail is filled to the brim with tension.
I was on the edge of my seat for most of the film and it also drew a lot of emotion out of me.
I have rewatched A Quiet Place twice, since it came out, and I always cry when a certain scene happens, no matter how hard I try not to.
There is just one thing that holds this movie back from being my favourite of the year and that is the jump scares.
These felt very unnecessary and the film would have been better if it used natural sound for these scares instead.
Still, A Quiet Place is an intense thrill ride and I cannot wait for the sequel.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
My favourite film of 2018 has to be Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.
I only saw this film over a week ago and knew immediately it was my favourite.
It may have come out in 2019 in New Zealand but it came out in 2018 theatrically so I am counting it as a 2018 film.
Spider-Verse is the only film I saw from 2018 that I gave a five star rating to, showing how great I think it is compared to the others.
The film is like a comic book came to life with its unique style of animation, which looks stunning after you adjust to the new style.
The story follows Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore) on his journey to become Spider-Man with help from numerous other spider-people, across the spider-verse.
From Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), to Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), to even freaking Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), all of these spider-people are amazing characters, especially those who get the most screen time.
The action is well shot and fast paced, the soundtrack is incredible, there is just so much to love about this film.
A Quiet Place may have the saddest scene of the year but Spider-Verse has the most inspirational with Miles taking his big “leap of faith.”
The film is not just a superhero movie but a fresh take on the entire genre, just like my favourite film of last year Logan.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is my favourite film of 2018.
THE REVIEW MONSTER 