TheInSneider's Top 10 Movies of 2018
1. A STAR IS BORN - I knew this film would deliver as soon as the title appeared onscreen in big red font. The songs were excellent, the chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga was electric, and yes, it held up on second viewing. That's right. I just wanted to take another look at it, outside of the glitz and glam of Toronto. It didn't disappoint. A hell of a directorial debut for Cooper.
2. BEAUTIFUL BOY - This film was devastating and absolutely heartbreaking. I was a mess afterwards. A human puddle. I had to call my Dad after and thank him for sticking by me through all the shit I've pulled over the years. As good as Timothee Chalamet is, Steve Carell might've been even better. Great soundtrack, too!
3. WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? - Even the trailer made me cry. I loved this movie, not just because of the man at its center, but because of its message. And there wasn't a better ending this year, as director Morgan Neville invites the audience to participate in the film and imagine someone who has helped them get to where they are. Powerful stuff.
4. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS - The single best story of the year, full of jaw-dropping twists and turns. You might not like A Star Is Born or Beautiful Boy, but I don't see how this film can be dismissed. Watch it and thank me later.
5. GREEN BOOK - Just a great movie, led by two rock-solid performances from Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. I don't care about it being #problematic or not 'woke' enough. I don't even care that Dr. Shirley's family contends that these two men weren't even friends! True stories are not supposed to be documentaries. They take dramatic license. And what Peter Farrelly did with this film was crazy impressive. It has a great message and will make you feel good. What more can I ask of a film?
6. THE OLD MAN & THE GUN - Such a sweet, charming film, and a heck of a send-off for Robert Redford, who shows everyone what it truly means to be a 'movie star.' Easily the best film of David Lowery's career.
7. A QUIET PLACE - It wasn't just that this film was truly daring, original and suspenseful. It was anchored by genuine emotion. The kids are both good, Emily Blunt is great, but it's John Krasinski (pulling triple duty here) who makes this film work as well as it does. I suspect that this film will age really, really well. Let's just hope they don't ruin its legacy with a sub-par sequel...
8. AMERICAN ANIMALS - The single most underrated movie of the year. Bart Layton essentially created a new genre here, as not only does the film feature professional actors and the real-life people they're playing, but it has them interacting with each other! Layton does a great job playing with memory and the idea of the unreliable narrator. He made a movie about stealing rare books from a college library feel like Heat for undergrads. I loved everything about it and can't wait to see what he does next.
9. THE RIDER - I dragged myself to see this movie when it came out, as I didn't want to believe all the critics gushing over 'the horse movie with no stars.' Well, I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong, and boy was I wrong here. This is a beautiful film featuring wonderful performances from non-professional actors. I wish Chloe Zhao wasn't making a Marvel movie next, as she shows incredible filmmaking chops here, but she has earned the right to do whatever she wants. If that happens to be a comic book movie then I'll be first in line to see it.
10. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT - Thrilling from start to finish. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Tom Cruise remains The Greatest Movie Star In The World and not only does Christopher McQuarrie manage to keep things fresh 22 years after the first film in the franchise, but I don't know how he keeps topping himself. Along with Leo & Marty, this may be my favorite actor-director duo working today.
And now for the Worst 10 Movies of 2018. Apologies in advance...
10. SUSPIRIA - Two good scenes and a cool soundtrack do not a movie make. Pretentious, overlong drivel posing as a feminist text. Luca Guadagnino is a talented director but this "remake" is a straight-up mess.
9. MILE 22 - This action movie had one or two good scenes, but the acting was atrocious. A major step backwards for the tag-team of Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, who were 3-for-3 in my book prior to this instantly forgettable film.
8. (tie) AQUAMAN and DEADPOOL 2 - The worst comic book movies of the year. I had hope for James Wan's Aquaman, but it was CGI-soaked garbage featuring two wooden leads and some weak-ass villains. As I tweeted after, the DC film was stinky poo-poo. Meanwhile, Deadpool 2 wasn't much better. Wade Wilson remains a character in search of an actual movie. Such a lazy sequel. And "critics" ate it up! Sigh...
7. THE PREDATOR - Just an utter shitshow. Very embarrassing for Shane Black
6. FATHER OF THE YEAR - There's no bigger David Spade fan in the world than myself, but this was like torture. Just painfully unfunny.
5. SLICE - One of those films that really makes you wonder what the hell is going on over at A24.
4. THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX - This movie was so generic and stupid, and there was no need for it to tie into the otherwise solid Cloverfield franchise.
3. DARK CRIMES - I bet you didn't see this glum, dour Jim Carrey thriller, but don't worry, you didn't miss much. I actually dug the end of this film, but it sure was a slog to get there. Not worth the time investment if you ask me.
2. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU - A wildly overpraised movie that is supposed to be "smart satire" but instead devolves into juvenile garbage. This is what it looks like when indie cinema goes wrong.
But hey, at least I made it through those films, which is more than I can say for Super Troopers 2, the Johnny Knoxville comedy Action Point, the Michael Pena sci-fi movie Extinction and the Adam Sandler-Chris Rock movie The Week Of! I mean... yikes!
And now for the Top 10 Movies I Missed in 2018...
2. Shirkers
3. Blaze
4. Border
5. Capernaum
6. Madeline's Madeline
7. Shoplifters
8. The Death of Stalin
9. Love, Simon
10. The Hate U Give
And finally, my Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2019...
1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2. ('Man' Biopics tie) The Irishman & Rocketman
3. Joker
4. (Serial Killer tie) Lost Girls & Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Incredibly Vile
5. (Bruce Willis tie) Glass & Motherless Brooklyn
6. Uncut Gems
7. (Disney tie) Toy Story 4 & The Lion King
8. (3-way Elevated Horror tie) Us & Wounds & Velvet Buzzsaw
9. (Netflix tie) The Perfection & Triple Frontier
10. Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins (this is the year! fingers crossed!)
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And now for the TELEVISION portion of this year-end list!
The InSneider's Top 10 TV Shows of 2018
1. American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX)
2. Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)
3. Barry (HBO)
4. Killing Eve (Hulu)
5. Homeland S7 (Showtime)
6. GLOW S2 (Netflix)
7. Seven Seconds (Netflix)
8. Bodyguard (Netflix)
9. Crashing S2 (HBO)
10. (tie) The Looming Tower & Ray Donovan S6 (in progress) (Hulu/Showtime)
Top 10 Most Anticipated New TV Shows of 2019
1. Too Old to Die Young (Amazon)
2. Watchmen (HBO)
3. City On a Hill (Showtime)
4. Lorena (Amazon)
5. Chernobyl (HBO)
6. Central Park Five (Netflix)
7. The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)
8. Lovecraft Country (HBO)
9. The Boys (Amazon)
10. Zero Zero Zero (Amazon)
Top 10 Most Anticipated Returning TV Shows of 2019
1. Mindhunter S2 (Netflix)
2. Fargo S4 (FX)
3. True Detective S3 (HBO)
4. Narcos: Mexico S2 (Netflix)
5. Homeland S8 (Showtime)
6. Barry S2 (HBO)
7. Killing Eve S2 (Hulu)
8. GLOW S3 (Netflix)
9. Black Mirror S5 (Netflix)
10. Stranger Things S3 (Netflix)
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