With 2018 coming to a close, it’s time to do the only sensible thing a film publication can do at this time of year: cause friction and outrage by listing our picks for the best films of year.
While defining and ranking the best of any group of artworks is a task that rarely leaves everyone satisfied, it’s a yearly tradition that we plan to honour in the most democratic way possible. We’ve asked our writers to nominate their favourite films of the year, and have given them license to rave about those films for 100(ish) words a piece to make a case for their spot in the list.
Without further ado, here are the FilmBunker staff’s picks for the best films of 2018.
A Star Is Born
Directed by: Bradley Cooper | Reviewer: Kelsey Clark
A film I knew to be an adaptation of several other iterations, I initially wasn’t that excited for A Star is Born. However, this film brought a fresh take on the story, bolstered by stellar acting and touching musical performances. Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of a broken and beaten-down Jack had me enthralled from beginning to end with his tragic yet all-too-real depiction of a struggling star suffering from his own hubris. Lady Gaga’s performance as Ally was similarly incredible, and her character wasn’t just the typical ‘small city girl with big dreams’. The soundtrack was beautiful, turning me into an emotionless wreck as the credits rolled; Gaga and Cooper’s performance of ‘Shallow’ had an emotional punch, and every song thereafter was used effectively to enhance the audience’s journey with the couple. A solid drama film, this was unexpectedly touching and justified its existence in more ways than one.
Read our full review of A Star is Born.
Annihilation
Directed by: Alex Garland | Reviewer: Owen Morawitz
In following up his stellar work on 2015’s cerebral AI thriller Ex Machina, writer and director Alex Garland successfully avoided the pitfalls of adaptation by taking substantial risks with Annihilation. A strange, surreal and loosely Lovecraftian sci-fi premise? Check. An all-female main cast featuring knock-out performances from Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson? Check. A brooding case study of bereavement, trauma and transformation, told through hallucinatory, acid-trip mise-en-scène in the vein of Kubrick and Tarkovksy? Check. With author Jeff VanderMeer—who wrote the 2014 novel of the same name—giving the film his blessing, Garland’s screenplay mutates the source material into a chimeric beast of his own creation, refracting dark thematic and metaphoric touchstones along the way. But look, if none of that sounds even remotely interesting to you, then watch Annihilation purely for the film’s jaw-dropping third act: a tense exercise in absent dialogue, meaning as ambiguity and ‘what-the-literal-fuck-is-happening’ visuals.
Avengers: Infinity War
Directed by: The Russo Brothers | Editors’ Pick
Securing a mention for its meteoric impact, Avengers: Infinity War shocked audiences, broke box-office records, and made many of us reevaluate what we thought about film seriality. Where else could we see this level of carnage unleashed upon such a broad and eclectic ensemble of characters? While having the privilege of an 18-film runway shouldn’t be enough to get on a year-end list, the execution by the Russo Brothers and crew turns what could have been a convoluted mess into one of the year’s most gripping films. The film juggles its unwieldy collection of characters and plotlines with elegance, and delivers supercharged action scenes and vivid emotional blows in equal measure. Not to mention Josh Brolin’s measured and menacing performance as Thanos—Infinity War is very much Thanos’ movie, and the resolution of his arc in 2019’s Endgame can’t come quickly enough.
Read our full review of Avengers: Infinity War.
Bad Times at the El Royale
Directed by: Drew Goddard | Reviewer: Sarah Clarry
Bad Times at the El Royale takes top spot on my list because it was definitely one of the most enjoyable films I watched this year. Being a sucker for anything violent, horrific, and artsy, this film provided me with the perfect cinematic blend. The neo-noir thriller had me from the get-go with its retro costuming, vibrant sets and perfect ensemble cast. Jeff Bridges in particular had me hooked on his every word as he played Catholic priest Daniel Flynn/Bank Robber Doc O’Kelly. On top of the film’s visuals, the plot allowed for drama, comedy and violence without seeming jolted or insincere. Yes, let’s be real, it borrowed a lot from its contemporaries, but it was a whole lot of fun to watch.
Read our full review of Bad Times at the El Royale.
BlacKkKlansman
Directed by: Spike Lee | Reviewer: Ciaran K. Kerr
Sometimes a film punches you in the gut, but in a masochistic way, you enjoy the experience. That’s what happened with BlacKkKlansman, a film that perfectly balanced dark comedy and real dramatic weight, had some fantastic performances, and was wedged in my mind for a long time after viewing. Filmmaker Spike Lee could have presented this biopic in a standard, shiny way with an ‘uplifting’ message (looking at you, Bohemian Rhapsody), but instead was unrelenting in his portrayal of race issues. Drawing inspiration from a variety of blaxploitation films, the cinematography in this film is far more interesting than a ‘quirky comedy/biopic’ has any right to be. Without spoiling anything, the ending brought tears to my eyes; it was an incredibly effective stylistic choice which hammered Lee’s point home and left me so shocked that he actually went there.
Read our full review of BlacKkKlansman.
Mission Impossible: Fallout
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie | Reviewer: Nic Musumeci
The undisputed champion of action movies in 2018, this flick is a thrill ride from start to finish. It contains absolutely everything you want from a Mission Impossible film, action film, or any film for that matter. Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie forged a masterpiece of visual storytelling with stunts that will blow your mind; in the same year we saw The Rock ‘scale’ the side of a ‘skyscraper’ with duct tape (note: it was all green screen), Tom Cruise actually did a Halo Jump, hung off the bottom of an airborne helicopter and flew said helicopter through a ravine past mountains merely feet away. Let’s also not forget some of the best character work in an action film in recent memory. This film set the bar for the year in my house, to the point that a saying was born, and every mediocre screening would be followed with, ‘I’d rather have just watched Fallout’.
Read our full review of Mission Impossible: Fallout.
Ocean’s 8
Directed by: Gary Ross | Reviewer: Izrin Ariff
What can I say about Ocean’s 8? Was it the most visually arresting film this year? No. The best directed? Acted? Written? Nah. So why is it my favourite movie of 2018? Partly because I didn’t see many movies that were more than mediocre this year, but mostly I just like it. I’m a sucker for Ocean’s movies. I like them when it’s Sinatra or Clooney robbing casinos in Vegas, and I like them when it’s Bullock knocking over a museum. There’s a chemistry and rhythm to them you don’t find often, and they hit me in my soft spot for heist movies about thieves with hearts of gold—and Ocean’s 8 delivered on all these fronts.
Read our full review of Ocean’s 8.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Directed by: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsay & Rodney Rothman | Reviewer: Simon Hall
In the age of sequels, Into the Spider-Verse is a testament to the creative possibilities of actually giving a shit. With loving attention to detail, visuals that leap off the screen, and a killer hip-hop soundtrack, Miles Morales’ big screen debut feels refreshingly like the product of artists at work rather than something conceived in a corporate meeting. Eschewing the smooth automation that characterises big-budget animation, Into the Spider-Verse finishes its images with simple but painstaking line art, making nearly every frame look like a fully-realised comic book panel. A surprisingly cohesive intersection between cinema and comic book that tells a valuable coming-of-age story, Into the Spider-Verse fulfils its lofty ambitions with plenty of style to spare.
Read our full review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Agree? Disagree? Want to shout-out some overlooked contenders? Let us know in the comments.
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