10. Widows - What we need more of are smart, well written films for adult audiences. Unfortunately, these sorts of movies don't do super well at the box office, so we don't get them often enough. I'm not sure how much money Widows made, but it is definitely the kind of movie I'm referring to - well written (by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn), smart, thrilling, intricate plot, and, of course, super entertaining. Part of the entertaining part is that exquisite cast - Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, stand out Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert DuVall... I could go on. The cast is stellar and every one of them holds their own in one of the best ensembles of the year.
09. Black Panther - I do know how much money Black Panther made at the box office: all the money. Comic book movies tend to do that (especially Marvel), but very few comic book movies are THIS DAMN GOOD. There are so many superhero movies these days, it's easy to get bogged down. In my opinion, there are only a few that really stand up above the rest: Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, The Captain America trilogy, and, now, Black Panther. This movie is seeped in and celebrates African and black culture. And let's not forget about the women! Each strong and independent and capable in different ways - none of them need a man to save them, thank you very much. Black Panther needs them as much as they need him. Black Panther is what America needs right now - a hugely entertaining, bad ass comic book movie that has one of the single best villains (see Best Supporting Actor), AND strong women, AND celebrates equality.
08. Leave No Trace - A small, quietly intimate story of wilderness survival, a loving portrait of a modern American family, Leave No Trace is the best movie you've never heard of this year. Starring Ben Foster and newcomer Thomasin McKenzie as a father with PTSD and his daughter who live in the Portland woods, Leave No Trace has little dialogue, very few other characters and slow burns it's way through their story, as they eventually try to reintegrate themselves into a society that doesn't know what to do with them, and that they are far from comfortable in. It's a solid little movie worth checking out.
07. First Man - The story of the first man on the moon, First Man starts slow, but once it hits the half way mark, it starts to find it's footing and becomes a completely enthralling look at the origins of the space program and the struggle it caused the families of the original astronauts. It might not be as enrapturing as Damien Chazelle's first film Whiplash. And it is definitely quieter and more settled than his last effort, La La Land. But Chazelle is one of the best young directors working today, and First Man shows his talents and range (there is a particular parachuting scene that is so beautifully directed, I still think about it on a regular basis). There is a whose who of supporting actors in this film, but the solid work of a strong and silent Ryan Gosling and his stressed, but feisty wife played by Claire Foy elevate the film.
06. Lean On Pete - Look, I thought this was going to be a nice movie about the love between a down on his luck kid and a horse, but instead it was the saddest movie I've seen all year and I spent the entirety of a Friday night weeping on my couch. So, there's that. But Lean on Pete is wonderful: a small movie about a boy who doesn't have a very great family life, who finds a job working for a horse racer, and finds solace in a relationship with a horse that is about to be slaughtered. He steals said horse, and embarks on a cross country journey to save his life and find his long lost aunt. It's touching and moving and beautiful and sad as hell. It features a truly star making performance from Charlie Plummer. Remember that name. He's going to be huge.
05. Hereditary - Every year, some movie gets touted as "the best and scariest horror movie of the decade." A few examples of this include The Witch, It Follows and The Babadook. All of those were highly disappointing for me as they were neither scary, nor the best anything. But Hereditary finally lives up to the hype. Sure, it may not stick that crazy ending (there's a better ending in there somewhere, even if I can't think of what it is), but it IS 100% truly terrifying, and that's a start. There is a particular scene (let's call it the car crash scene) that still sends shivers up my spine. Hereditary is a throwback horror movie, reminiscent of the greats like Don't Look Now, Suspiria, Rosemary's Baby, back when filmmakers understood that scary was more than a jump scare, it was a tense feeling that permeated through your bones and stuck in your head for weeks, months, years. That's Hereditary.
04. Blackkklansman - Spike Lee has been making movies for decades, and Blackkklansman is his masterpiece. It's the most timely movie I've seen this year (literally watched it on the 1 year anniversary of the white supremacist rally that turned deadly in Charlottesville). It's the true story of a black cop who infiltrated the KKK by telephone, and then used a white cop as his double to attend meetings and rally's. It seems too bizarre to be true, but it is, and it's a compelling story filled with haunting visuals and absolutely textured, complicated performances.
03. Eighth Grade - If you've ever been awkward. If you've ever desperately wanted to fit in although you knew you never would. If you've ever felt utterly alone. Then this movie is for you. Eighth Grade is a great movie, a timeless movie that will never go out of style because it's about the most painful part of many people's lives (and some of us still feel this day on the regular). Not much happens plot-wise in the movie, but everything feels vital and important, just like that time period in your life. Elsie Fisher is going to be a huge star, and I credit the movie for almost taking her over the edge in a painful way, but never quite going there. Eighth Grade is a coming of age film bound to become a classic.
02. A Star is Born - I hope someone in Hollywood continues to remake A Star is Born every decade for the foreseeable future (next reiteration, hear me out, role reversal - Timothee Chalamet as the young ingenue and someone like Amy Adams as the washed up has been). It's just that kind of timeless tale of love and loss and stardom. I was obsessed with the Barbra Streisand / Kris Kristofferson version growing up, and was worried I would be disappointed by this version, but I wasn't. It lived up to my expectations, and then some. It's not a perfect movie, but it is the most enjoyable time I had at the movies all year. The performances are superb, the chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga is perfect, the songs are all wonderful. And that ending, well, it just rips your heart out, doesn't it?
01. Blindspotting - I heard co-writer, co-star and scene-stealer Rafael Casal describe this movie as two characters who want to be in a buddy comedy, but the world around them won't allow it. I like that, because the chemistry between Casal and Daveed Diggs is very bromance. Diggs is Colin, a good man who did a stupid thing and is now a felon, trying to get through his last few days of parole without his live wire of a best friend (Casal) getting him into any trouble. But when Colin witnesses an unarmed black man being shot by a white cop, his mind starts to fracture and his world spins out of control. There are a lot of heavy topics in a movie that is so funny. There's a lot of discussions to be had about race relations, gentrification, and a whole slue of heady topics. Blindspotting should be essential viewing, right down to that frenetic energy finale that is so mesmerizing you might have to watch it twice. It's the best ending of the year, and the best movie of the year.
Labels: Best Films, Top Ten List, Yearly Wrap Up
