Around June, everyone starts publishing their lists of the Best Movies of the Year…so far. A good portion of which are forgotten or outdated come Oscar season as the heavyweight award bait of the fall comes in and crushes the hopes of the smaller films from the first half of the year. So here is my soon to be outdated list and my summary of the lists of others. You’re welcome.
BLACK PANTHER
One of the most important movies in black cinema history. It's not just the first black superhero movie. It's a positive, empowering black superhero WORLD with more than one role model to root for. There are several awesome roles for women. Even the elders are kind of cool.
The Oscars have a chance this year to have their most diverse competition ever. In 2016, the Academy failed to nominate one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year (Straight Outta Compton). 2017 was the year Birth of a Nation was going to be the only African American film at the Oscars. It was loudly praised in advance because of it only to be derailed by scandal and have Moonlight win Best Picture...but still be the only African American film at the Oscars. This year, Get Out won Best Screenplay and was nominated for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture despite being a satire and a horror film. Next year, finally, several films by black filmmakers potentially could go to the Kodak theater on the same night. It's a long way off, but one can dream. And the wins for Moonlight and Get Out and even sci-fi film Mad Max: Fury Road show that populism can result in an unexpected win.
A QUIET PLACE
Get Out has opened the doors for horror to be considered for Oscars again. Audiences and critics were moved by John Krasinski's story of a family surviving after apocalyptic events. The first sequence of the film makes for its own heartbreaking and shocking short film. It should be required viewing for any budding screenwriter, a master class in how to tell a story succintly without dialogue. Those watching this at home will miss half of the movie's spell: sitting in a crowded theater with a completely silent audience, too entranced or scared to move.
ISLE OF DOGS
A shoo-in for a best animated film nom. Most of the political allegory went over my head, though if you want to dive into that, you can check out Filmspotting's take on the movie here: (https://www.filmspotting.net/episodes-archive/2018/3/29/674-isle-of-dogs-top-5-wes-anderson-scenes-fs-madness-final-four?rq=isle%20of%20dogs) Wes Anderson's return to animation features many of his usual favorite actors (Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Bob Balaban). The movie has a different look and a darker atmosphere than The Fantastic Mr. Fox but still contains Anderson's unique brand of playfulness.
Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
ANNIHILATION
This dark sci-fi odyssey will haunt you for a long time afterwards. It is rare to see beauty and terror so interwoven.
AMERICAN ANIMALS
Based on a true story, college students attempt to steal two of the most valuable books in the world simply because they can. While Evan Peters plays Warren, the more charismatic one of the bunch, I find myself rooting for Barry Keoghan to get an acting nomination. He’s a rising star, a character actor who is consistently great in everything I’ve seen him in so far from Dunkirk to The Killing of a Sacrificial Deer to this. There’s something about the way he can disappear into a role. I cried for him in Dunkirk. I wanted to kill him in Sacrificial Deer. He’s that kind of chameleon. The movie itself is this gripping docudrama with interviews from the actual guys interwoven throughout the film. It is a portrait of disaffected youth looking for meaning and belonging, a sort of Fight Club for 2018.
EIGHTH GRADE
Best horror movie ever. Seriously, though, Bo Burnham has managed to capture all of the awkwardness of eighth grade (one of the worst years of nearly everyone's life). And more than that, he's accurately depicted what it's like to be a teenage girl (and yes I am the one millionth film critic to say that and I do win the Billy Joel tickets). This movie makes you cringe and ache for its protagonist in nearly every scene. Josh Hamilton deserves a Best Supporting Actor nom for his beautiful portrayal of a father struggling to connect with his daughter. He has an amazing, tender monologue towards the end of the movie. And it's a beautiful puzzle box. Because when he starts you can't tell if he's being completely genuine or being overly loving to get his daughter to stop crying. And you don't know if he's digging himself into a hole or not, but the longer he goes on it eventually comes around to something really authentic. Michael Rooker in Guardians 2 was my favorite Dad portrayal of last summer. This is my favorite of this one.
DISOBEDIENCE
This is the movie I’ve been beating the drum for HARD. If you haven’t seen it yet, rent/stream/download/buy/watch it! Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams give two of the best performances of the year hands down. When Ronit (Weisz) returns to the Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her as a teenager to bury her father, passions are reignited between her and her married friend Esti (McAdams). The movie explores themes of love, sex, faith, and identity without reverting to any stereotypical LGBT tropes.
Image courtesy of Bleecker Street
INCREDIBLES 2
Pixar’s long-awaited sequel was easily one of the best movies of the summer. It had plenty of laughs. It had plenty of action. It had plenty of touching family moments. This is simply a satisfying film. The Academy loves Pixar. A Best Animated Feature nom is a slam dunk. But how about a Best Picture nomination?
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertianment
Rory Scovel in I FEEL PRETTY
I liked this empowering Amy Schumer vehicle better than most of the critics. Rory Scovel deserves consideration for a Best Supporting Actor nod for his turn in this comedy. He plays the poor confused soul Schumer’s character thinks is hitting on her at the dry cleaners and ends up along for the ride as her boyfriend. He plays a more sensitive type of man than we get to see in most movies, which is refreshing. He’s also charming enough to be the next Chris O’Dowd. And he gets some of the movie’s best dialogue, including that wonderful romantic line: “I’ve always seen you.”
THE DEATH OF STALIN
This dark comedy from the creator of Veep could have used some extra laughs. However, it does have some laugh out loud moments. Steve Buscemi could pick up an acting nomination for his depiction of Krushchev which holds the film together. His sarcasm and desperation are perfect.
TULLY
I wasn’t as impressed with the surprise twist at the heart of this movie as most critics and audiences were. Still, it was one of the most celebrated movies of the year. Look for a possible acting nomination for Charlize Theron and a possible writing nomination for Diablo Cody.
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? and RBG
Documentaries were a surprise draw this summer. Children’s TV host Fred Rogers and Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg brought a lot of people out to the movie theater. The trailer for Won’t You Be My Neighbor often got applause at my local art house theater (the beautiful Kentucky Theater in downtown Lexington). These two movies played for nearly a month, taking over the entire theater. People could not get enough. And it’s easy to see why. Both movies are immensely watchable and focus on inspirational figures. Plus, the Mr. Rogers documentary has a built-in nostalgia factor for generations of people. Unfortunately, the Academy does not always nominate popular documentaries (Hoop Dreams, Waiting for Superman, Jane). And, as a future blog post will point out, this year there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to documentaries. It would be a shame not to honor two of the most successful films of the year, though.
POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD
This was another successful summer documentary. It would be easy to write off a documentary about the Pope as religious propaganda…if it weren’t made by the artful Wim Wenders. People walked out of this one and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? wiping away tears. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wenders honored with a nomination.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Ben Foster was a revelation in Hell or High Water. He was the heart of the film, the misfit brother you ached for and worried over. Before, I had only seen him in small villainous roles and had never cared for him. Since then I have been dying to see what his next major role would be. In Oscar nominated writer-director Debra Granik's follow up to Winter's Bone, Foster plays a survivalist, a veteran with PTSD, living in a park with his daughter. When authorities find them, he's forced to try to conform to a world he doesn't fit into. Hopefully this movie yields the Oscar nomination Foster was robbed of for Hell or High Water. Thomasin McKenzie is heartbreaking as the daughter who longs for a permanent home. Winter’s Bone led to an Oscar nomination and a successful career for its female lead (Jennifer Lawrence). Perhaps McKenzie will have similar luck.
FIRST REFORMED
A priest undergoes an extreme crisis of faith potentially leading to extreme action in writer-director Paul Schrader’s latest film. While the movie can be bleak, it is one of the most thoughtful films about faith and religion I’ve seen this year (along with Disobedience). Schrader deserves his first Best Original Screenplay nomination. Ethan Hawke has been on a roll with a slew of interesting projects since about the time Boyhood and the last of the Before trilogy came out. (I still haven't had a chance to see the Chet Baker biopic.) He's all over the fall preview list as well starring in Juliet, Naked and directing Blaze. This is one of his best performances. The movie is likely to show up in several categories at the Independent Spirit Awards. Maybe it will make it to the Kodak Theater as well.
THE RIDER
A former rodeo star tries to find new purpose when a tragic accident ends his career. This has been a critical and art house favorite this year. The director’s use of untrained actors adds a sense of realism to the film.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
This is another film I’ve been banging the drum for loudly. While BlacKkKlansman seems to be getting all the attention, Boots Riley’s directorial debut is also an important film about race. The marketing campaign for this movie was rather weak because they didn’t want to give away a lot of the fun and outrageousness of the film. However, that left the ads looking like this was a one-trick pony about funny voices, an In Living Color sketch stretched to two hours. It’s so much more than that. As a social satire, it’s a lot of fun so there’s no real preachiness. The message goes down smooth as honey. I’m hoping this movie stays with Academy voters the way it has stayed with me since I saw it late this summer.
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield. Image courtesy of Annapurna Pictures
HEREDITARY
Every summer has a buzzy indie horror film. This year, it was Hereditary. I’ll be honest. I did not fall under its spell even though I really wanted to. I felt it was overhyped and it under delivered. For me, its biggest “scare” was more of a shocking gross out moment. However, other critics see a well-made meditation on grief where I see disappointment.
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
This is yet another documentary that did well over the summer except its subjects were less famous. Three guys separated at birth are reunited through a bizarre set of circumstances when they reach college-age. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They were a flash in the pan in the ‘80s appearing on TV talk shows and the like. Their story takes some interesting turns which I won’t spoil. Best Documentary is going to be a crowded category this year.
LET THE SUNSHINE IN
Juliette Binoche gave a great performance as a woman looking for love in this French film. If there weren’t so many strong female performances coming down the line this fall, she might have a shot at a nomination.
PADDINGTON 2
Surprisingly, this made a lot of critics lists, which I don’t think even the first one did. So it must be especially charming. My girlfriend hasn’t forced me to watch this one yet but I suppose we’ll have to make some marmalade sandwiches and do so soon.
Image courtesy of STUDIOCANAL
Paddington with his beloved ear brushes. Image courtesy of STUDIOCANAL
Image courtesy of STUDIOCANAL
LEAN ON PETE
Critics have apparently had a soft spot for movies about boys and their horses this year. I missed this when it played at the local arthouse theater even though it has one of the better trailers of the year.
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
This one has fiercely divided audiences. People seem to love it or hate it. Joaquin Phoenix plays a hired gun sent to rescue a young girl but things are not as they seem.
Image courtesy of STUDIOCANAL
Image courtesy of STUDIOCANAL
Now, for fun, here are the lists of several major publications.
The New York Times (selected by A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis):
First Reformed
Zama
The Guardians
The Death of Stalin
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Leave No Trace
Let the Sunshine In
Lean on Pete
Vulture:
Annihilation
Black Panther
Blockers
Chappaquiddick
Double Lover
Eighth Grade
En el Séptimo Día
First Reformed
Foxtrot
Have a Nice Day
Isle of Dogs
Leave No Trace
Love After Love
Loveless
Minding the Gap
Night Comes On
Paddington 2
Sorry to Bother You
Support the Girls
The Death of Stalin
The Final Year
The First Purge
The Rider
The Wife
Three Identical Strangers
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Upgrade
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Esquire:
1 Mandy
2 Annihilation
3 Love After Love
4 You Were Never Really Here
5 The Rider
6 First Reformed
7 Zama
8 24 Frames
9 Eighth Grade
10 Filmworker
11 Paddington 2
12 The Endless
13 Mission Impossible: Fallout
14 A Prayer Before Dawn
15 The Sisters Brothers
16 Leave No Trace
17 Hold the Dark
18 Bisbee ‘17
19 I Am Not a Witch
20 Revenge
21 BlacKkKlansman
22 Sweet Country
23 RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA
24Let the Sunshine In
25Black Panther
Den of Geek:
1 Sorry to Bother You
2 Annihilation
3 Disobedience
4 Three Identical Strangers
5 Hereditary
6 BlacKkKlansman
7 Mission Impossible: Fallout
8 Black Panther
9 The Miseducation of Cameron Post
10 A Quiet Place
Gamespot.com:
Paddington 2
Black Panther
Game Night
Annihilation
A Quiet Place
You Were Never Really Here
Isle of Dogs
Avengers: Infinity War
Hereditary
Revenge
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Deadpool 2
Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Incredibles 2
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Sorry To Bother You
Blindspotting
Mission Impossible: Fallout
BlacKkKlansman
The Nun
Hold the Dark
Collider:
Blockers
Cold Hell
Game Night
Isle of Dogs
Love, Simon
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Mom and Dad
Ready Player One
The Ritual
The Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling
Thoroughbreds
A Quiet Place
Unsane
The Endless
You Were Never Really Here
Black Panther
Paddington 2
Annihilation
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
First Reformed
Three Identical Strangers
Incredibles 2
Hereditary
Set It Up
Avengers: Infinity War
The Tale
Vanity Fair:
Annihilation
Black Panther
Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?
First Reformed
Let the Sunshine In
A Quiet Place
The Rider
Tully
Unsane
Zama
AV Club:
Black Panther
The Commuter
Hereditary
Incredibles 2
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
Upgrade
The Death of Stalin
First Reformed
Isle of Dogs
Lean on Pete
Leave No Trace
Thoroughbreds
Tully
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
You Were Never Really Here
24 Frames
Claire’s Camera
The Endless
The King
Gemini
Nancy
Revenge
The Rider
Sweet Country
This Is Our Land
Who We Are Now
Zama
Parade:
1 The Rider
2 You Were Never Really Here
3 First Reformed
4 A Quiet Place
5 Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
6 Leave No Trace
7 Annihilation
8 Lean on Pete
9 The Death of Stalin
10 Hereditary
11 Love, Simon
12 Paddington 2
13 Black Panther
14 Tully
15 Incredibles 2
Honorable mention: Disobedience and Game Night
Film School Rejects:
Annihilation
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Blockers
Borg vs McEnroe
Custody
The Endless
First Reformed
Hereditary
Isle of Dogs
Paddington 2
A Quiet Place
Revenge
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
You Were Never Really Here
Metacritic:
1 The Rider
2 The Tale
3 Zama
4 (tie) Paddington 2
4 (tie) Leave No Trace
4 (tie) The Death of Stalin
4 (tie) Black Panther
8 (tie) Sweet Country
8 (tie) Hereditary
8 (tie) En el Séptimo Día (On the Seventh Day)
11 (tie) Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
11(tie) First Reformed
13 (tie) Love After Love
13 (tie) You Were Never Really Here
15 Custody
16 (tie) A Quiet Place
16 (tie) Mountain
16 (tie) Isle of Dogs
19 (tie) Western
19 (tie) Summer 1993
19 (tie) Revenge
19 (tie) The Guardians
TIME
Paddington 2
Annihilation
Thoroughbreds
Black Panther
Blockers
A Quiet Place
You Were Never Really Here
The Rider
Disobedience
Tully
Rolling Stone:
Black Panther
The Death of Stalin
Disobedience
First Reformed
Hereditary
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
A Quiet Place
The Rider
You Were Never Really Here
The Nerdist: (selected by Dan Casey)
Black Panther
Paddington 2
A Quiet Place
Annihilation
Avengers: Infinity War
First Reformed
Hereditary
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Sorry To Bother You
Eighth Grade
Slash Film: (selected by Ethan Anderton)
1 Game Night
2 Avengers: Infinity War
3 Annihilation
4 Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
5 The Tale
6 Incredibles 2
7 Bodied
8 Eighth Grade
9 A Quiet Place
10 Hereditary
USA Today:
1 Black Panther
2 Annihilation
3 Love, Simon
4 Hereditary
5 Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
6 Game Night
7 Avengers: Infinity War
8 Hearts Beat Loud
9 Paddington 2
10 The Endless
Filmspotting podcast:
Josh Larson :
5 Game Night
4 Zama
3 Sorry to Bother You
2 First Reformed
1 Isle of Dogs
Adam Kempenaar:
5. Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?
4 Annihilation (also the audience choice)
3 The Rider
2 Isle of Dogs
1 First Reformed
Entertainment Weekly:
Annihilation
Black Panther
Double Lover
Hereditary
Lean On Pete
Paddington 2
RBG
Summer 1993
Tully
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?