Not one but two superhero movies are among my Top 5 of 2018. Even as I long for more originality from major studios, I’m grateful for creativity and chutzpah within well-worn genres.
2018 was a “meh” year at the movies for me. I have previously spoken on Hollywood’s fixation with sequels, spin-offs, and reboots. Still, while I yawn and yearn for more original work to hit mainstream cinemas, all is not lost. I’m grateful for those who tell new stories and explore new ideas within the confines of the familiar.
My Favorite Movies of 2018
5. Searching (dir. Aneesh Chaganty)
Searching is a movie so fascinating I sent my coworkers an email talking about it. I do SEO (search engine optimization) strategy for a digital marketing agency, so it wasn’t totally irrelevant. 😛 Here’s an email snippet:
“This past weekend I watched an excellent mystery-thriller film called Searching starring John Cho (92% Certified Fresh, Rotten Tomatoes). I wanted to recommend it to you because it so skillfully traverses the past 20 years of internet history and highlights the power of search in our digital world. The movie takes place entirely on screens (i.e. browser windows, cellphone video, etc.) and was directed by USC grad Aneesh Chaganty, a former employee at Google. Beyond the connections to our industry, it’s a highly creative, emotionally affecting, and thoroughly engaging watch.”
This movie isn’t just for marketers—far from it. Witness a father traversing the recesses of the internet to find his missing daughter, and get ready for more than one twist along the way.
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (dir. Persichetti, Ramsey, Rothman)
“Oh no, not another Spider-Man movie.” Is that what you were thinking? It’s what I was thinking. But here’s a hot take: this is the best Spider-Man movie to date. Want to up the ante? This Miles Morales jam is such a banger because there have been so many Spider-Man movies.
Spider Verse is visually stunning and effortlessly inventive. But the way in which it engages with all the filmic iterations of Peter Parker with a smirk and a web swing warrants serious kudos. (Shoutouts to weirdo Tobey Maguire from Spider-Man 3.) Add it all up and this film feels more like a living, breathing comic book than anything else I’ve ever seen.
In light of the new, you can sweep past sequels and reboots under the rug and pretend they didn’t exist. Or you can bring them out to party with the rest. This movie is the remix that deserves radio play over the original, even when the original was pretty good to begin with.
3. Molly’s Game (dir. Aaron Sorkin)
What can I say? I’m a sucker for fast-paced, razor-sharp Aaron Sorkin dialogue (see The Social Network, The West Wing, etc.). Scripts like this one appeal to the part of me that loved watching those quick-witted Gilmore Girls growing up.
Seriously though, I don’t have more to say. Sorkin’s brilliance (some would say over-indulgence) drains the words from my mouth. Here’s Richard Roeper (Chicago Sun-Times) covering Sorkin’s take on poker queen Molly Bloom:
“Whether you’re a self-appointed semi-expert such as myself or you wouldn’t know a flush draw from a made hand, Molly’s Game works as a slick and shiny glimpse of life in the fast lane, a sobering cautionary tale — and a brilliant character study of a whip-smart, driven young woman who is quick to recognize the strengths and flaws of others, but has to hit rock bottom before she faces some tough truths about herself.”
2. Roma (dir. Alfonso Cuarón)
What beauty might we find in the mundane?
What dignity within simplicity?
What solace in pain?
What strength in numbers?
Mega-popular English band The 1975 have a saying that they love: “The poetry is in the streets.” This rings true upon pondering Roma, Alfonso Cuarón’s black and white realist masterpiece.
Roma follows a live-in housekeeper as she helps a middle-class family in Mexico City during the 70’s. I’ll say this up front if you haven’t seen it: this is a subdued film and it isn’t for everyone. Verisimilitude is the word. Life is not full of Michael Bay explosions every 5 minutes; you might go years without seeing anything combust at all. At least not overtly.
What will combust is your heart. Roma is quiet, but it packs a punch. The acting is stellar. The cinematography is refreshingly understated. And the themes are resonant and many. (One current reflection: The greatest heroes are often ground-level.)
I’ll tell you this is the best movie I saw in 2018—but it’s not my absolute favorite. That distinction belongs to…
1. Black Panther (dir. Ryan Coogler)
Black Panther blew me away. Let’s go beyond the great action set pieces, terrific world building, and one of the best villains in recent memory (Erik Killmonger). Very rarely do we see big-budget blockbusters deal with such challenging themes in a thoughtful manner.
In naming this movie “Best of 2018,” here’s what Neil Miller (Film School Rejects) had to say about the wonder of its creation:
“Disney, arguably the most monolithic and four-quadrant-obsessed company producing anything anywhere ever, let the filmmaker behind the chest-crushing drama Fruitvale Station make a big superhero movie that was both a celebration of and a reckoning with hundreds of years of the black experience. It’s not just about asking hard questions about why a fictional African nation, one with incredible technical and military advantages, basically sat out slavery. It would be impressive for any film to be this culturally introspective and honest. This film was made by Marvel Studios inside the Disney machine.”
Black Panther stands for hope within our world wracked with racial and sociopolitical strife. But it also signifies hope within big Hollywood studios as well. Not every tentpole movie is going to be this good. But if we get glimmers of brilliance like Black Panther within the pervading dullness of these times, I’ll be happy.
Carlo’s annual movie block will continue with his “Most Anticipated Movies of 2019” shortly. Don’t forget to tell me your favorite movie(s) of 2018 in the comments. See you at the movies!
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