Mah ten favourite films of the year, kind of ranked but kind of not; it's very tricky to compare some of these. At the time of writing I have not seen: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Bad Times at the El Royale, First Man, Roma, Mary Poppins Returns, Aquaman and Bumblebee, to say the least (these films are all mentioned in particular as they have a lot of appeal to me and have been personally recommended to me so by the time I get round to watching them it may shake up this list). More importantly, this is based on UK release.
A few worthy mentions to Phantom Thread and The Square, as well as the cinematic experience of watching 2001: A Space Odyssey (which would be number 1 if it didn't come out 50 years ago).
10. Outlaw King
A friend (and fellow lover of history) saw this before me and was quick to report on its numerous (and to him, heinous) historical inaccuracies, offering a '4/10 for me' review. So watching this I was set up for nonsensical choices similar to when William Wallace met and fell in love with a French princess who wasn't even born at the time. Luckily, my friend was a bit too harsh and what inaccuracies there are do not hurt the essence of the film and, to be honest, I've never overly cared if the specific facts are honoured in movies anyway. The historical epic is entertainment! It has been a painfully long time since the last great historical epic, The Revenant was too small scaled and not associated directly with any event, therefore for me 2003's The Last Samurai was also The Last Great Epic. It took 15 years but Outlaw King is a solid addition to the small canon of big films. It has the blood and gore and mud and dirt of Braveheart and Battle of the Bastards, it has sex, it has ginger bearded sidekicks wielding heavy weaponry and it has a scene stealing performance by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I still cannot decide if it's lean two hour runtime is a refreshing blessing or a hindrance, but regardless this is a good old romp.
9. Incredibles 2
2004's The Incredibles is a superb, wholesome picture that did not need a sequel, but it sure as hell deserved one. When it comes to Pixar and sequels there are three categories: the 'bad sequel' like Cars 2 and Monsters University which are objectively lesser works than their original; the 'meh sequel' like Finding Dory which are great and all but you won't be tempted to rewatch it as much as the original anytime soon; and the 'hey that was the better!' sequel which applies exclusively to Toy Story 2 and 3. Incredibles 2 isn't better than the first, of course it isn't. It is a 'meh sequel' that when watching is hugely entertaining but the story has similar beats to the first, but even then this is still a brilliant piece of escapism. Brad Bird is an effective storyteller with a keen eye for aesthetic and there are three main reasons to watch this: the gorgeous animation which drips colour into every frame, the hyper-kinetic action set pieces that are the stuff of comic book legend, and little super mutant baby Jack-Jack. I was originally not keen on slapping Incredibles 2 in my top 10 due to there presence of other original and thematically rich films, but then I recalled the reaction in the crowded cinema (not a single under 12 year old!) when Jack-Jack fought a racoon and realised that I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes comedy and action are just that bit more interesting than simmering dramas on making dresses in 1950s London.
8. A Star is Born
The main novelty of A Star is Born is watching it and realising that 'wow! Bradley Cooper can sing?!' And then 'wow! Lady Gaga can act?!' And then as the credits materialise 'wow! Bradley Cooper can direct?!' This is the fourth interpretation of the story yet despite the remake history this is the potential Oscar sweeper. Remakes have won gold before (Ben-hur! True Grit!) so there is some precedence. But other than the really surprising talent by all parties, A Star is Born is an emotionally resonant and fragile piece bolstered by solid musical performances and songs and lots of strong supporting roles, of which Sam Elliot is of particular mention. It is an R rated La La Land where the 'City of Stars' scene is here turned into a first time live duet of 'Shallows' at a huge concert. You feel Gaga's confidence slowly building throughout and come the end of the scene the title has been fulfilled. I do feel awful as I took my mum to watch this on her birthday thinking it was a musical love film and not the gritty, exposed insight into fame, drug abuse and personal tragedy that it was.
7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
It is often very cool to see a film have an influence on the wider world and seeing large red billboards with blunt, black typography on them used as political demonstration is a clear sign of the power films can have, and the effect this film had. Martin McDonagh directs his own polished script which is fiercely performed by Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. It's a tale of justice, anger, frustration and redemption that has a few lashings of black comedy. There are many powerful scenes; the one shot of Sam Rockwell's cop crossing the road, going upstairs and throwing someone out of a window had a calm, Goodfellas-like feel to it whilst McDormand chatting to a deer is touching. Three Billboards is a volatile piece of cinema.
6. Annihilation
If there was one movie to compare Alex Garland's cerebral Annihilation to, then it is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey. They're both sci-fi, they're both slow, they both have absolutely bonkers endings and they both provide enough material for essays upon essays upon books upon books. It's like taking the closing shot from Inception and making that the whole movie. For its pure originality and non-conformity, it's a top 10 movie. I haven't even worked out what it all means yet. Natalie Portman heads a group of scientists who enter into this unusual force field thing in order to explore what it is and why it is there. Then things get increasingly surreal. It's visually breathtaking which works in its favour, distracting you from what's occurring and letting you enjoy the wordless poetry that Garland has crafted. It may be genius, it may be accidental genius. But I was taken aback by this either way.
5. Avengers: Infinity War
One of my hills to die on is that I only really like two of the MCU films: Thor Ragnarok and now Infinity War. The other 18 or so films are all largely average to bad, though there are some great scenes and moments. Infinity War is a colossal achievement in screenplays, managing to control the biggest movie cast of all time and giving each hero their due yet also providing a fully fleshed out villian who is also the protagonist of the piece; it is his story. Infinity War is also a technical achievement: it was the first film shot entirely in IMAX and the VFX work for Thanos etc is all pristine. There is an odd condition that much of the strength of this film rides on what will happen in Avengers 4, however there is still a cornucopia of spectacle: anything Thor does is awesome but the highlight is obviously his arrival in Wakanda with Rocket and Groot; the fight against Thanos on Titan is magnificent and the final ten minutes is emotionally overwhelming and frightfully shocking. The is comedy but it becomes gradually dialled down and in some scenes is thankfully non-existent, like the powerful opening. Infinity War is brimming with small details and narrative echoes of previous MCU films but is a cinematic and cultural touchstone with sheer magnitude.
4. Coco
Two Pixar films in one list! It would be very easy for Pixar to just make sequels and spin offs of their beloved originals as these are always financially successful. But the choice to make a sequel, then an original then a sequel is bold and very pleasing to here. Coco is an original, following behind Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. It chronicles the story of a young Mexican boy who is not allowed to play music despite his passion for it. On the Day of the Dead, young Miguel ends up a ghost on the other side and must get back to the land of the living before sunrise. It becomes a cliché now to compliment Pixar's animation, but it is staggering in its minute details. It checks off all the emotional boxes one would expect in a Pixar original and its ending is a fishing hook of tears, reeling you in further and further. The characters are memorable and the humour delightful and it is always refreshing for a big film to turn its attention to other cultures. A real treat.
3. A Quiet Place
For the simple premise of getting cinema audiences to shut up, A Quiet Place is a top five film. The original concept of not being able to make noise turns this family drama into one of the most intense horrors in years. John Krasinski announced his directorial presence effortlessly, crafting skin crawling set pieces like the nail on the stairs, the child birth, the grain bin and the finale but also nailing the heartfelt emotions of a family living in a state of fear, guilt and silence. Emily Blunt is tremendous and her and Krasinski have real chemistry (might be because they are married). Additionally, the two child actors are also convincing. There is a lot of room for nitpicking the plot and story and concept, but Hitchcock was a firm believer in leaving our logic and reasoning at the door, as all that matters when watching a film is the emotions. A Quiet Place gripped me for its runtime and any weak plot points there are did not emerge until reading up on the film after. It's fresh, smart and terrifying.
2. Isle of Dogs
Not usually one for Wes Anderson, I was very impressed with this stop motion animation. Again, it's another refreshing original and is Japanese focused. The voice cast is impeccable and the way the film looks is, well, amazing. There is symmetry and wide shots and silhouettes and sunsets- enough to make One Perfecf Shot happy for a few weeks. It is, ahem, barking mad but the strange comedy is a delight. Music composer Alexandre Desplat channels a score that seemingly had nods to Japanese films like Seven Samurai, whilst the decision to not always include subtitles is a fascinating method of that golden 'show, don't tell rule'. You can't help but fall for a movie like this, appreciating the painstaking lengths of the animation process and the landscape design. There are political undertones you could take from it and other world messages, but Isle of Dogs (I love dogs) is best enjoyed as a quirky, zany dog-centric comedy.
1. Mission: Impossible- Fallout
2015's Rogue Nation was exhilarating, but I was hesitant for Christopher McQuarrie to return as director, simply due to the precedent of each Mission movie having a different director. However, McQuarrie's return was possibly the best thing to happen. He changed his musical composer and cinematographer and made a movie as if he was another director. The result is visible. Fallout puts more emphasis on Ethan Hunt's character but also manages to one up every single Mission Impossible acrion set piece. There's the awe-inspiring HALO jump, that brutal bathroom fight, the multi-vehicle chase in Paris, Tom Cruise dashing along London rooftops and that helicopter pursuit finale followed by the final fight at the edge of a huge cliff drop. The practical filmmaking is astonishing. Henry Cavill with his <insert overused Justice League comment here> epic moustache is a welcome addition and Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson all get ample moments. Watching this was an experience, in the same vein as Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick: action is cool again. Superheroes may seem awesome and all, but watching Cruise do his stuff for real is something else entirely.
My summary of 2018 is this: there were a lot of important films and many, many box office records were broken this year, showing cinema still has relevance in the age of subscription services. The quality of films this year were, for me, marginally lower than 2017. There was no musical as glorious as La La Land; no superhero film as transcendent and emotional as Logan; no electric war films like Hacksaw Ridge or Dunkirk and no artistic blockbusters in the vein as War for the Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner 2049. Those six films alone would rank higher then the top 5 of this year, which is unfortunate but, and we must remember, wholly opinionated. 2018 will be the year to look back on that will no doubt jump start big studio releases with minority led casts, sprawling narratives with deep political undertones (for better or worse) and the awards and international success for Netflix productions (again, for better or worse).
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