I have struggled greatly with what to say for my opening remarks on my favorite annual tradition, but after several well meaning but (at least to me) unsatisfactory attempts, I have decided to keep this brief. The largest reason for this is because everything I was wanting to say has already been done so by others and with more pathos. So, what I will leave you with is that 2018, like most years, had a wealth of remarkable cinema. It was a tremendous challenge putting ten in an order of favorites, as each movie spoke to me immensely, and in different ways. The best movies of the year had such passion, outrage, beauty, ugliness, and in some cases, joy. Boundaries were pushed and tested by filmmakers familiar and also by new, exciting, diverse voices.
I wrestled with a lot of demons in 2018 as we watched the world continue to crumble due to so much hatred and negativity. Often times, the movies were the best way out. When it came down to it, the best movie of the year for me was the one that left me in awe, dazzled my eyes, rattled my brain, and made me weep more times than any other movie I saw. It was a movie I walked into the theater to experience without much anticipation. Funny how that works. I suspect it will come up again at the end of this year when I make my best of the decade(!) list. Anyways, read on, let's discuss, and I'll see you at the movies!
-Lee
Number of 2018 movies seen: 107
Notably Missed: Bisbee '17, Blaze, Burning, Cold War, The Green Fog, Monrovia, Indiana, Shoplifters, The Tale
Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): Annihilation, Aquaman, Blindspotting, Happy as Lazarro, Hotel Artemis, Incredibles 2, Let the Sunshine In, Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Predator, Upgrade, Wildlife, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Zama
30-21
30) Suspiria dir. Luca Guadagnino
29) Widows dir. Steve McQueen
28) The Other Side of the Wind dir. Orson Welles
27) The Favourite dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
26) First Man dir. Damien Chazelle
25) Support the Girls dir. Andrew Bujalski
24) Leave No Trace dir. Debra Granik
23) Revenge dir. Coralie Fargeat
22) The Endless dir. Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson
21) A Quiet Place dir. John Krasinski
20-11
20) Private Life dir. Tamara Jenkins
19) Eighth Grade dir. Bo Burnham
18) Can You Ever Forgive Me? dir. Marielle Heller
17) Sorry to Bother You dir. Boots Riley
16) The Mule dir. Clint Eastwood
15) Hereditary dir. Ari Aster
14) Paddington 2 dir. Paul King
13) Game Night dir. John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein
12) Roma dir. Alfonso Cuaron
11) The Rider dir. Chloe Zhao
TOP TEN
10) The Sisters Brothers dir. Jacques Audiard
Brotherhood is tested by violence and greed in an elegantly shot and acted offbeat western.
9) Mandy dir. Panos Cosmatos
Toxic masculinity and the fragility of the male ego are explored through an acidic fever dream with Nicolas Cage as a heavy metal album cover come to life.
8) The House That Jack Built dir. Lars von Trier
An artist turns the mirror on the ugliness and misogyny of his body of work with an uncompromising and deeply affecting look at his, and our, perception of art and the consequences it carries.
7) Hold the Dark dir. Jeremy Saulnier
Atmosphere unleashes our most primal instincts, blurring the line between truth, consequences, and the narrative that spreads from one ear to the next.
6) First Reformed dir. Paul Schrader
Is faith enough to save us from the cage our soul is trapped inside, with all of its fear, anger, and doubt?
5) BlacKkKlansman dir. Spike Lee
Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying, but you still cry, because for every small victory, there are still many, many more to be won.
4) If Beale Street Could Talk dir. Barry Jenkins
Beauty and love can survive injustice, even as it continues to grow and infect what matters most. In the darkest moments, they can be the most potent of weapons.
3) You Were Never Really Here dir. Lynne Ramsey
Hope might seem like a blank wall when your experience consists of violence and trauma, but it can still emerge at the moment you least expect.
2) The Ballad of Buster Scruggs dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Fate's sense of humor is as sharp, cunning, and unpredictable as its cruelty.
1) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Disappointment and rejection can lead to strength and possibilities. This movie is everything for everyone.
Thank you for visiting Hell and Beyond!
(c)Hell and Beyond, 2019.
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