My Top 10 Best and Worst Films of 2018 (as of the year-end)
2018 was a strange year for movies. I watched about 55 films, in which the ones that were great turned out to be REALLY good, but the ones that were bad turned out to be abhorrent. Even then, there were only a few of those movies, and many of the rest were just kinda fine or mediocre. However, seeing that it's the end of the year (or was when I started writing this), I oughta compile the 10 films I enjoyed the most this year and also the 10 that I kinda hated. Let us get the turkeys out of the way and begin with the worst. Keep in mind that I'm only including films I actually watched in 2018 (I just watched a 2018 movie in 2019 that actually topped the worst list), because there are many more that I'm looking forward to watching (Green Book, The Hate U Give, Creed II) and some that I'm honestly dreading (Robin Hood, Nutcracker, Welcome to Marwen). Let's begin!
THE WORST
And by the way, I'm not saying that people can't enjoy these films. In fact, plenty of people liked many of the films that I didn't. These are just the ones that I kinda hated sitting through. With that being said let's dive in.
#10: Fahrenheit 451
Great job HBO. You took one of my favorite literary classics and made it one of the most boring experiences of 2018. It was really tough to decide what I'd put for #10. It was either going to be Pacific Rim: Uprising, Venom (which I am working on reviewing), or this. And right when I was about to put Venom at number 10, I realized that I had a lot of fun watching it, despite it being kinda bad. Thus I needed to cut it some slack. But what I can't shake out of my head is how you could possibly mess up Fahrenheit 451 as much as they did with this one. Especially considering that you have Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon as your leads and also the fact that the concept alone is intriguing enough that the movie shouldn't be a boring drag without a lick of charisma. But nah, they butchered it up and Ray Bradbury is rolling in his grave.
#9: The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Here's a bizarre and slightly unsettling movie that basically the complete opposite of what it was advertised. I was looking for a harmless, fantasy adventure that would simply be a fun movie and nothing else. Instead, I got a tonally inconsistent movie that's pretty much a horror movie targeted towards kids. Even then, that could've worked if the tone would just STAY THE SAME. We get a movie that wants to be funny, emotional, and disturbing at the same time, yet doesn't really accomplish any of these. All it's gonna do is scare some kids and for no reason because they couldn't even get enjoyment from the scares.
If any of you read my review for this, I'm sure ya'll would think I'd put this lower. The reason I didn't is that I can see how one could enjoy watching this film. Because anyone can have fun watching dinos run amok and do dinosaur stuff. Even though this entry does retain that aspect of the Jurassic Park franchise, it's beyond stupid. Some of the narrative choices they make in this film are so amateur that I have to question how no one asked if this film should be released in the state that it's currently in. Like, did people actually think it was a good idea to make more than half of the movie take place in a mansion? WHAT? For me, this movie was easily the second biggest disappointment of 2018. And don't worry, we'll get to the first.
FULL REVIEW HERE
I find it so hard to believe that this was made by the same people who made Chicken Run. I also find it hard to believe that this is the worst animated movie of the year (a Teen Titans Go! movie was better than this). But unfortunately, it's exactly what I dislike about most kids' movies nowadays. For some reason, movie studios think kids are stupid and don't know any better but to laugh at basically the lowest, most rudimentary form of humor. And even then, (in my opinion) the animation was choppy, which really should've been the one thing going for it. It's just a boring, stupid movie that's likely going to vanish from people's memories after they watch it.
#6: The Hurricane Heist
Yes, The Hurricane Heist! If I was forced to watch any of these movies, I'd choose this one. In terms of quality, it's easily the worst one I've seen all year. Hands down. It seems like everyone involved didn't know how to make a movie upon watching. It stumbles in pretty much every aspect of filmmaking, yet I can't even put it in the top 5 worst. It's one the funniest things I've seen in a while, even though it's not always trying to be funny. Everything about this film is just so awkward and so wrong that I couldn't help but laugh almost the whole way through. I hope this becomes a cult classic in the near future. More people need to witness this trainwreck unfold. And it's on Netflix, for all to see.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Upon watching it, I think I understand why they didn't want to release this in theaters. Despite it being on Netflix, I want a refund for the 2 hours I lost. I could've been outside, enjoying nature for two hours. I could've done anything honestly. But instead, I watched Mowgli.
Sigh........
FULL REVIEW HERE
That actual image from this $100 million film made by Disney is all I need to convey how I feel about this movie. If you want to hear more about it:
FULL REVIEW HERE
#3: The 15:17 to Paris
This film was the biggest disappointment of 2018. It's embarrassing. It's probably the worst movie based on a true story that I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong, it's a great story. Witnessing these men thwart a terrorist attack on a train is easily the best part of the movie. But it's only the best scene because those 7 minutes are the only positive I can think of regarding this film, other than the fact that the filmmakers did care about making this film. They cared about it so much, that they cast the real-life heroes as themselves. Unfortunately, it was a misguided choice in hindsight. That's pretty much the rest of the film in a nutshell. Misguided choices. In fact, making a movie about 3 men thwarting a brief train attack was not the best idea to begin with. It may have worked as a short film, but sadly, it just couldn't be made as a feature film.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Oh, and by the way, the image is the infamous "baby soda" scene that I mentioned in my review.
#2: Rampage
There's nothing in this movie of value. It's not fun, it's not entertaining, and heck, it's not even laughably bad. It's just a boring waste of time. But only one film I watched in 2018 was more ghastly and soulless than this one......
FULL REVIEW HERE
Here we have it. The crowning turkey of 2018. The worst of the worst. The most boring, unoriginal, awkward, cringeworthy, pointless, and somewhat anger-inducing film that I watched in 2018. Behold: The Darkest Minds. Have you seen X-Men? Have you seen any of those dumb Young-Adult movies that you can't even remember the name of because they do almost nothing to differentiate from the one that came out last year? If yes to both, then you've seen The Darkest Minds. None of the films that I watched in 2018 felt as long as this one. I watched plenty of films that were longer, but the felt shorter because they were interesting. They didn't feel like an absolute pain to finish from start to end as much as this did. There is literally nothing good about this film. Even Amandla Stenberg's competent performance (in a crowd of awful performances) felt like only a teaser of her true acting abilities. Unlike the other 9 entries on this list, I honestly don't see how someone can like this. There's nothing in this film for anyone! It's just a waste of time! Don't watch this film under any circumstances.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Well, that list was depressing. I mean, I had to talk about The Darkest Minds some more. Fortunately, there were also some pretty amazing films that came out 2018. Let's talk about those. That'll be fun! Before we get to my legit favorites, there were some others I wanted to give honorable mentions.
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (It was so close, but it didn't quite make it on the list. I still highly recommend watching it, and you can check it out on Netflix)
- Alpha (another really close one): FULL REVIEW HERE
- I Can Only Imagine
- Operation Finale: FULL REVIEW HERE
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Ready Player One: FULL REVIEW HERE
- Incredibles 2
- Ralph Breaks the Internet (I know I said I'd review it, but I never got around to it. I'd give it a solid 8/10, for those who were curious.)
- Candy Jar (Another good Netflix movie)
And without further adieu......
THE BEST
#10: Three Identical Strangers
Let's start off with this mind-bender of a documentary and one of the more under-the-radar titles on this list. Three Identical Strangers starts out exactly how you'd expect: as a feel-good impossible-to-believe true story of three identical triplets (slash strangers) who suddenly reunite and have a good time. It stays like this until some investigation into exactly why these triplets were separated. You felt good before right? You'd have no idea that you were watching easily the darkest movie that at least I've seen in 2018. Then, the mystery regarding the origins of their separation kicks in, and this film switches from a by-the-numbers documentary that's sweet and happy, to one of the most unbelievable cinematic experiences of 2018. It is absolutely insane and executed to near-perfection.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Also, just a heads up, a good portion of these films are very under-the-radar. One even more so than Three Identical Strangers.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Also, just a heads up, a good portion of these films are very under-the-radar. One even more so than Three Identical Strangers.
#9: Black Panther
Now here's a charming sleeper made by indie studio Marvel that only grossed a humble $1.3 billion. All jokes aside, this was one of the most engaging Marvel movies I've seen in a long time. Movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor: Ragnarok, and Doctor Strange are fun and all, but I honestly prefer the films that have a little more depth to them. This why my favorites in the series are films like Captain America: Winter Soldier, Guardians Vol. 2, Spider-Man Homecoming, and this. One of the things that really makes Black Panther stands out is that it's not afraid to be political, yet it's also not political to a point of alienating people. The issues it brings up are ones that frankly, everyone should be able to agree with. And in times of extreme disagreement, that's something that we desperately need. And yes, it's just as fun as any other Marvel movie, for the two people reading who haven't seen this movie (if any).
Now here's a charming sleeper made by indie studio Marvel that only grossed a humble $1.3 billion. All jokes aside, this was one of the most engaging Marvel movies I've seen in a long time. Movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor: Ragnarok, and Doctor Strange are fun and all, but I honestly prefer the films that have a little more depth to them. This why my favorites in the series are films like Captain America: Winter Soldier, Guardians Vol. 2, Spider-Man Homecoming, and this. One of the things that really makes Black Panther stands out is that it's not afraid to be political, yet it's also not political to a point of alienating people. The issues it brings up are ones that frankly, everyone should be able to agree with. And in times of extreme disagreement, that's something that we desperately need. And yes, it's just as fun as any other Marvel movie, for the two people reading who haven't seen this movie (if any).
#8: Isle of Dogs
Funny thing about the animated movies of 2018: they've actually been good. Like I only saw 1 awful one (Early Man) and the rest were either meh or great. That is, except for two animated masterpieces, one of them being the Wes Anderson directed Isle of Dogs. This movie is wack (in a good way). It's like a dramedy about a boy trying to find his dog mixed with a political sci-fi thriller and I love it. It's the craziest movie I've seen in a while and it nails every goal it tries to accomplish. It's hilarious, emotional, thought-provoking, and even intense at certain points. Isle of Dogs is almost certainly the most original film on this list, yet I still thought 7 films in 2018 were better. That's how stiff the competition was for the best of this year.
#7: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Take any one of the other Mission: Impossible movies, give it an unhealthy amount of sugar and you get M:I - Fallout: an action movie so crazy that it caused Tom Cruise to break his ankle. Basically, if you liked the others, you'll love this one. Or you might even love this one without liking any of the others. I don't know. It's the favorite of mine and many others. Hopefully M:I - 7 will be a thing because this franchise is showing no signs of letting up.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Take any one of the other Mission: Impossible movies, give it an unhealthy amount of sugar and you get M:I - Fallout: an action movie so crazy that it caused Tom Cruise to break his ankle. Basically, if you liked the others, you'll love this one. Or you might even love this one without liking any of the others. I don't know. It's the favorite of mine and many others. Hopefully M:I - 7 will be a thing because this franchise is showing no signs of letting up.
FULL REVIEW HERE
#6: Journey's End
How many of you readers have heard of this film? Now how many have seen it? Journey's End is an excellent film that has unfortunately gone fairly unnoticed. I only saw it on one "best of 2018" list and that list had like 40 films on it or something, so people probably skipped in order to see what the site had to say about Infinity War or something. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon this WWI movie called Journey's End while flying on British Airways and of the many films I watched on that flight, this was the one I thought about the most after my arrival. This is because I selected it expecting a traditional war movie (like Saving Private Ryan or Hacksaw Ridge), but got something very different: a complex drama focused on characters rather than the actual battle. Most of the screentime is devoted to showing the troops' lives in the trench, something that generally has second priority in war movies. And all of it is anchored by the film's spectacular performances, particularly from Sam Claflin. He not only gives the best performance of 2018 but also one of the best of this decade. Eventually, I'll write a full review on this complex film after my inevitable 3rd viewing, because I have so much more talk about regarding what I liked about it.
How many of you readers have heard of this film? Now how many have seen it? Journey's End is an excellent film that has unfortunately gone fairly unnoticed. I only saw it on one "best of 2018" list and that list had like 40 films on it or something, so people probably skipped in order to see what the site had to say about Infinity War or something. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon this WWI movie called Journey's End while flying on British Airways and of the many films I watched on that flight, this was the one I thought about the most after my arrival. This is because I selected it expecting a traditional war movie (like Saving Private Ryan or Hacksaw Ridge), but got something very different: a complex drama focused on characters rather than the actual battle. Most of the screentime is devoted to showing the troops' lives in the trench, something that generally has second priority in war movies. And all of it is anchored by the film's spectacular performances, particularly from Sam Claflin. He not only gives the best performance of 2018 but also one of the best of this decade. Eventually, I'll write a full review on this complex film after my inevitable 3rd viewing, because I have so much more talk about regarding what I liked about it.
#5: First Man
Most people will say that this film failed at the box office due to the refusal to show the flag planting. While that certainly could be the case for some moviegoers, I think the real reason it didn't do great was that it just didn't appeal to wide audiences. I think the reason for this is the same as Journey's End: it doesn't follow the traditional format for space movies. Instead of focusing completely on the moon landing, this film decides to give a character study about one of America's most famous heroes: Neil Armstrong. This movie is not about the landing itself, but rather, it's a biopic of Neil. Even though the focus of the film is drama instead of spectacle, the moon landing sequence might be one of my favorite space scenes ever. It goes beyond just conveying the scientific aspect of the landing and preparation for it: it's trying to give us an understanding of Neil as a human rather than as an astronaut. And in my opinion, it worked.
FULL REVIEW HERE
Most people will say that this film failed at the box office due to the refusal to show the flag planting. While that certainly could be the case for some moviegoers, I think the real reason it didn't do great was that it just didn't appeal to wide audiences. I think the reason for this is the same as Journey's End: it doesn't follow the traditional format for space movies. Instead of focusing completely on the moon landing, this film decides to give a character study about one of America's most famous heroes: Neil Armstrong. This movie is not about the landing itself, but rather, it's a biopic of Neil. Even though the focus of the film is drama instead of spectacle, the moon landing sequence might be one of my favorite space scenes ever. It goes beyond just conveying the scientific aspect of the landing and preparation for it: it's trying to give us an understanding of Neil as a human rather than as an astronaut. And in my opinion, it worked.
FULL REVIEW HERE
#4: Won't You Be My Neighbor?
The fact that it's about Mr. Rogers should be enough of a selling point. What makes this different from many documentaries it's not set to simply inform. It also wants you to care about the subject. And doggone it, do they make you care. Whether you have fond memories of Fred Rogers' show or just want to learn about the genius, this is agood choice. Because even if you don't care about the neighborhood that he created, you'll still want to see just how much a little bit of kindness will have an effect on people's lives.
FULL REVIEW HERE
The fact that it's about Mr. Rogers should be enough of a selling point. What makes this different from many documentaries it's not set to simply inform. It also wants you to care about the subject. And doggone it, do they make you care. Whether you have fond memories of Fred Rogers' show or just want to learn about the genius, this is agood choice. Because even if you don't care about the neighborhood that he created, you'll still want to see just how much a little bit of kindness will have an effect on people's lives.
FULL REVIEW HERE
#3: A Quiet Place
On a technical standpoint alone, this movie stands out from similar sci-fi thrillers. But that's not all A Quiet Place has to offer, as it also boasts a great story and some great performances akin to a drama. And even with its unexpected focus, this genre-bender still doesn't relent on the thrills I honestly don't think I need to say too much else, because my review for it is probably the longest review on my entire blog and I covered everything I wanted to in that post.
FULL REVIEW HERE
On a technical standpoint alone, this movie stands out from similar sci-fi thrillers. But that's not all A Quiet Place has to offer, as it also boasts a great story and some great performances akin to a drama. And even with its unexpected focus, this genre-bender still doesn't relent on the thrills I honestly don't think I need to say too much else, because my review for it is probably the longest review on my entire blog and I covered everything I wanted to in that post.
FULL REVIEW HERE
#2: Searching
I'm sure the gimmick with everything taking place inside a computer screen has been done before, but this film actively makes sure that this approach isn't used as a gimmick. Rather, it attempts to bring a new method of storytelling to the spotlight, where the technique isn't the movie. The plot and character development have first priority, whereas the unique technical aspects take a backseat. Or they at least have the same amount, because this film easily has the most realistic portrayals of how technology works. Even still, it manages to create a thrilling, captivating, and even emotional story that makes it more worth seeing. This and A Quiet Place have become some of my favorite thrillers of this decade. However, even though both of these films are part of my favorite film genre, they still don't quite reach for the heights that my top pick did.....
FULL REVIEW HERE
I'm sure the gimmick with everything taking place inside a computer screen has been done before, but this film actively makes sure that this approach isn't used as a gimmick. Rather, it attempts to bring a new method of storytelling to the spotlight, where the technique isn't the movie. The plot and character development have first priority, whereas the unique technical aspects take a backseat. Or they at least have the same amount, because this film easily has the most realistic portrayals of how technology works. Even still, it manages to create a thrilling, captivating, and even emotional story that makes it more worth seeing. This and A Quiet Place have become some of my favorite thrillers of this decade. However, even though both of these films are part of my favorite film genre, they still don't quite reach for the heights that my top pick did.....
FULL REVIEW HERE
#1: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
No movie that was released in 2018 managed to surprise me as much or consistently give me a flurry of positive emotions as much as this one did. Also, it was actually the only film I saw twice in theaters, and believe it or not, it was better the second time watching. Although I still think this film needs to be seen in theaters to get the most out of it, I think I'm gonna enjoy rewatching this movie for years to come. There's something for everyone in this film: whether the viewer is a Spider-Man fan or not. It's got an insanely unique story, it's absolutely hilarious, the animation is mindblowing and all-in-all, I left the theater with sky-high satisfaction. So in conclusion, I think this film just might be the best animated film since The Lego Movie (or Tower, depending on how you want to classify it), but it is without fail, the best film of 2018!
FULL REVIEW HERE
Thank you all for reading this list and for an amazing debut year for my blog! I look forward to bringing more posts in 2019!
No movie that was released in 2018 managed to surprise me as much or consistently give me a flurry of positive emotions as much as this one did. Also, it was actually the only film I saw twice in theaters, and believe it or not, it was better the second time watching. Although I still think this film needs to be seen in theaters to get the most out of it, I think I'm gonna enjoy rewatching this movie for years to come. There's something for everyone in this film: whether the viewer is a Spider-Man fan or not. It's got an insanely unique story, it's absolutely hilarious, the animation is mindblowing and all-in-all, I left the theater with sky-high satisfaction. So in conclusion, I think this film just might be the best animated film since The Lego Movie (or Tower, depending on how you want to classify it), but it is without fail, the best film of 2018!
FULL REVIEW HERE
Thank you all for reading this list and for an amazing debut year for my blog! I look forward to bringing more posts in 2019!
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