If You Haven’t Seen Them, You’re Missing Out
A diverse year of film served up a wide range of creative visions and 2018 definitely saw some of the best directing, cinematography, screenwriting, acting, camera operating, etc. of all time! That’s why we had to recognize these 5 movies as being the best of the best that were released this year! For this list, we’re taking a look at the very best films 2018 had to offer, whether they were critical darlings, audience favorites, or maybe a little of both. If this year’s cinematic successes are any indication of what’s to come in 2019, we can hardly wait. Don’t forget to keep up with our End of Year Playlist to find out the bests of 2018 in all of your favorite categories and if you didn’t see your top movie of 2018 on the list below, make sure to check out the FULL video with 5 more entries on WatchMojo.com!
#5: “Roma†(2018)
This is a difficult film to describe. That’s largely because life is hard to describe and few movies encapsulate human existence quite like director Alfonso Cuarón’s latest tour de force. Just as he did in “Children of Men†and “Gravity,†Cuarón makes the audience feel as if they’re part of the action in this story about a middle-class family and their maid. Although “Roma†is smaller in scale than some of his other films, the experience couldn’t feel more personal or look more gorgeous. Whether the characters are dealing with tragedy or simply daily routines, every shot could be displayed in a museum. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then “Roma†is worth a million.
#4: “Black Panther†(2018)
It’s hard to think of a film released in 2018 that had a more significant cultural impact than “Black Panther.†Being an MCU adventure, there was little doubt that Ryan Coogler’s film would perform well financially, but not even Marvel could’ve predicted that it’d be the year’s highest-grossing domestic release, and the second biggest worldwide. “Black Panther†also rose up as the MCU’s most critically acclaimed outing to date, earning universal praise for its detailed environments, multi-layered characters, and themes that carry substantial weight in today’s divided world. “Black Panther†proved so successful that Disney’s gone all out with an Oscar campaign and it’s about time a superhero movie broke into the Best Picture race.
#3: “A Star Is Born†(2018)
This classic love story had been told three times already, but never so perfectly. Bradley Cooper makes an extraordinary directorial debut, and his performance as fading country singer Jackson Maine is equally superb. Lady Gaga is an acting revelation as Ally, a small-town singer destined to be a superstar, although finding fame often comes with a toll. Together, Cooper and Gaga share the most charming, heartbreaking, and sincere onscreen chemistry 2018 had to offer. The emotional journey they go through is only made more impactful through the rousing soundtrack, which beautifully personifies each story beat. If “A Star Is Born†gets remade a fifth time, this is the new standard to top.
#2: “Avengers: Infinity War†(2018)
We’ll admit it wasn’t easy deciding whether to award a higher spot on this list to “Black Panther†or “Infinity War,†as both demonstrate the MCU at its finest. Between the two, however, “Infinity War†had the taller order to fill. Aside from being an event that’s been in the making for about a decade, it also had to juggle dozens of ongoing storylines while also delivering on Thanos’ big arrival. It couldn’t be more gratifying than watching everything come together in a work of art that balances action, tragedy, and a broad cinematic universe of characters. It may only be the first half of the story, but movies don’t get more epic than this.
#1: “Hereditary†(2018)
This one will leave you lying awake at night. Not only will its eerie atmosphere and unsettling visuals leave you on edge, but you won’t be able to get the film’s haunting themes, twists, or motifs out of your head. The Graham family may not realize it, but they’re trapped in a house where something evil is unfolding. As the pieces slowly start falling into place, we’re left wondering if these characters are descending into insanity . . . or descending into hell. Between Ari Aster’s engrossing direction, Toni Collette’s spellbinding lead performance, and Colin Stetson’s sinister musical score, few films have made our skin crawl like this modern masterpiece. If you’re brave enough, check out the scariest scenes from “Hereditary” below.
What was YOUR favorite movie of the year? Head over to WatchMojo.com to see the full list of the Top 10 Best Movies of 2018 and let us know in the comments!
After you’re caught up on this year’s triumphs, check out the video below where we go over the movies from 2018 that weren’t met with quite the same success…