Top Ten Films from 2018

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Top Ten Films from 2018

2018 was a great year for me, even better than the previous one as at least one of these movies is an unqualified five-star rated film for me. And here this list is going to be quite diverse in eras and genres per usual as I like it all, but foreign movies actually got quite a lot of placement as well. As was the case before, I am only going to include the older movies that I watched throughout the year as the movies from 2017 and 2018 get their own list.

10. The Crying Game

This is one of the best modern thrillers out there, there is no denying that. It’s also an Oscar darling which deserved all the praise it received as it’s simply a groundbreaking movie when it comes to its handling of transgender identity and the overall human sexuality. However, despite that great twist scene, I actually preferred that thrilling opening.

9. Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot is a classic 2000 film that was every good as I expected it to be. Its simplicity and inspirational message take it to the next level while the characters are all so well developed and the acting is terrific across the board. The direction is also superb. It’s a heartwarming, important British film that is bound to inspire everyone.

8. Fanny and Alexander

Thematically complex and beautifully shot, Fanny and Alexander is also intricately detailed and highly immersive in its very interesting plot. It’s a unique movie which is engaging, artistic and pleasantly mysterious from start to finish. It’s a deserved Oscar winner and undoubtedly Ingmar Bergman’s finest cinematic achievement.

7. A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is one of the best anime films in recent memory. I was taken aback by its impressive realism and harsh truths of school bullying, uncommon even in live-action films. The animation is gorgeous, the characterization is strong and the movie is a very emotional experience which goes from tragic to uncomfortable to inspirational throughout its runtime.

6. Strawberry and Chocolate

This Cuban drama is one of the best of its type. It’s so well paced, directed and acted, but what sets it apart from other gay tales is its sheer originality as it doesn’t go where I’d expected it to go in terms of its plot and it really took me by surprise. Strawberry and Chocolate is also very sensual and so moving in its ending.

5. Gold Diggers of 1933

This is by far one of the best musicals I’ve seen in years. Gold Diggers of 1933 is an impressive cinematic achievement in cinematography alone as it’s gorgeous and epic to behold, but it also features a variety of highly catchy or beautiful musical numbers as well as an actual message and emotion to it which sets it apart from other 30s genre films.

4. The Bad and the Beautiful

The Bad and the Beautiful is one of the seminal films about Hollywood that remains surprisingly relevant in its exploration of the unscrupulous inner-workings of film production. Gloria Grahame killed it in her great role, but Kirk Douglas was also superb himself. It’s noirish in style, exceptional in dialogue and so truthful in its depictions of the studio system.

3. Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte features an awesome twist and two performances for the ages from both Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis who were both cast against type and both amazed me once again. The movie is twisty, dark and very unnerving leading to what is arguably one of the finest psychological thrillers of all time.

2. Central Station

Fernanda Montenegro absolutely shines in Central Station which is undoubtedly one of Brazil’s crowning cinematic achievements. The two protagonists here are so alive that I felt as if I have just met them. Their relationship is wonderful and the ending is all the more heartfelt for it. It’s a timeless, beautiful movie that is the second best I watched in 2018.

1. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring

This very long in title South Korean masterpiece features stunning imagery and although deliberate in pace, it was riveting for me from beginning to end. That’s because this film is without any doubt in my mind the most spiritual cinematic experience that I have ever witnessed. It opened my eyes spiritually, it’s thematically very rich as it explores some very important issues and it’s simply a movie which makes you take a moment and think. It’s a work or art and a religious masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions:

PK – Charismatic Aamir Khan steals the show in PK which is such a hilarious, hugely entertaining Bollywood sci-fi comedy which also surprisingly enough has a lot to say about modern society.

3 Idiots – Coming from the same great director, 3 Idiots also has a lot to say, but this time about unreasonable student pressures. It’s an important, but also very fun in characters movie.

The Snake Pit – Olivia de Havilland killed it in such a demanding role here and the movie itself is also very dark and treating its serious subject matter in a surprisingly restrained manner.

Show People – This silent comedy benefits from one impressive comedic performance from Marion Davies and is such a captivating, charming look into 1920s Hollywood.

The Stepford Wives – This sci-fi horror proved to be so authentic and unnerving that it influenced much weaker ‘Get Out’ in the process. This is a very chilling experience.