Favourite 10 films of 2018

Looking at this list after having put it all on page I'm struck at how dark this collection of films is. Four horror films and a fifth that flirts with the genre. I cannot remember the last year I saw four new horror films that I thought were decent, let alone four that were worthy of being on an end of year list. At least, alongside these, the dark crime thrillers and weird period drama, there's a kids film to balance things out. And it's refreshing not to have a single superhero film on the list this year – not a deliberate decision but those that came out this year just weren't good enough, despite each proving very entertaining in their own right. In these strange times the films on the list below just offered something... more.

As usual, all the films I watched this year are listed in order here – letterboxd.com/davidhunt14/list/2018-films-watched/ – which numerically looks like:

138 - total films watched (+14% YOY)
40 - films watched at the cinema (-9% YOY)
57 - films released in 2018 watched
4 - films to be released in the UK in 2019 watched
0 - films watched more than once in 2018

Here is the list of 10, presented alphabetically. They needed to be released somewhere in the world in 2018 (ie not just show at film festivals). As ever, this is a subjective list of favourites, not a list proclaiming what is "best" (however you might quantify that!). Enjoy!


A Quiet Place

This is high concept horror where success relies on two key factors – effective sound design and an audience's willingness to play along. If you were lucky enough to see A Quiet Place in the cinema with the latter point being so, this was quite an experience, as a couple of hundred people were respectful to the concept and collectively held their breathe, repeatedly. It's one hell of an experience and possibly the most tense watch this year. John Krasinski does a great job pulling this all together in his directorial debut (he's had a decent year, what with this and Amazon's Jack Ryan series) but Emily Blunt steals the film with great physical acting. I say it repeatedly but taking away a reliance on dialogue can really force a much better focus on storytelling and creativity. Suspend your disbelief and go with the concept and you're in for a great ride.
[Read full review]


Assassination Nation

Assassination Nation is a wild ride. It's also one of the most vital films of the year. Bringing the Salem witch trials into the modern world kicking and screaming, it's brash, violent and utterly unapologetic. This is an indictment of the negative effects of social media and technology, the need to always find blame somewhere, the vacuousness of modern youth and so much more. But most importantly it's about female empowerment and shouting "fuck you" in the face of oppressive forces. Odessa Young puts in a great lead performance, as do her friends. Whilst Sam Levinson seemingly directs with a more is better maxim, leading to sensory overload both visually and aurally – as if Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers was brought kicking and screaming into the world of 2018. This is absolutely a positive as it works so much better being right up in your face. Assassination Nation is a dark, savage film with so much to say, and definitely one of the unexpected highlights of the year.


Believer

Believer is a superior police thriller. This South Korean film tells a gripping story using that age old trope of cop vs criminal, but has enough personality and creativity that it keeps you on your toes. It's never totally straightforward and there's a slight ambiguity to the ending which makes it linger. Jin-Woong Cho is a sympathetic and believable lead and Hae-yeong Lee directs well, making good use of music and the camera. Nothing here is new, but Believer delivers a thoroughly entertaining viewing experience with enough of it's own personality.


BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee is firmly back in familiar territory with BlacKkKlansman. This is a genuinely curious real life story (albeit overly embellished) that's really well told, if a little heavy-handed at times. The overall message is really very relevant so any lack of subtlety can be forgiven, and for every person who finds the final couple of minutes a little manipulative there's no doubt a handful who find it deeply affecting. Both John David Washington and Adam Driver are great to watch as they get more and more entangled in this crazy scenario, which despite being overly dramatised works for the film. Like Assassination Nation it's hard not to view BlacKkKlansman as one of the more vital films of the year (despite telling a story from the 1970's) which is a sad indictment of how things remain in 2018.


The Favourite 

Period drama usually needs some form of hook to entice me in. How about director Yorgis Lanthimos, of The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster fame, offering his own off-kilter and darkly comic take on the genre? Throw in excellent acting from a game cast and you have a great little film that builds and builds leaving you wondering what the hell you just watched. Lanthimos tones things down a little from previous films, which coupled with a sharp script and some awesome camera work really delivers something unique. And the more you think about The Favourite the more it worms it's way in – the sign of something very good!
[Read full review]


Hereditary

There are some dark films on this list but none more so than Hereditary. This is a layered horror film that takes a key lesson from the masters of decades passed – take your time. The build is slow with much of the first hour playing out as a meditation on familial grief; a fascinating drama with just enough weirdness to keep you on the hook for what's to come, not forgetting one jarringly brutal sequence that stays with you. And then the more familiar horror takes hold, but it's delivered in such a convincing manner that it continually impresses. Writer/director Ari Aster does a fantastic job delivering something that feels different as he keeps on turning the screw, confidently ending the film in a way that lingers. Whilst the ominous score by Colin Stetson certainly helps too. Hereditary may just be my favourite film of the year.


Isle of Dogs

Trust Wes Anderson to make a kids film that's totally off-the-wall. Of course it's not his first aimed at a younger audience, but Isle of Dogs is an original and he runs with the opportunity to make something that's unlike anything else out there these days. The story is typically esoteric, filled with all manner of weird humour, and the mix of English and Japanese language works well. It is a very engaging story albeit with a predictable twist, but there's plenty of little nuggets aimed at adults too. The stop-motion animation is obviously fantastic, with each character realised superbly and a great cast of famous names / Anderson regulars lending their voices to bring them all to life. Isle of Dogs is not only loads of fun but a film filled with far more creativity than most out there.


Mandy

The expectation here is of Nicolas Cage bringing his trademark weird in a familiar story of revenge. The surprise is that Mandy is an hallucinogenic nightmare; maximalist in its entire approach. Cage does indeed give an over-the-top performance, at least in the second half of the film, which serves as an anchor. But it's director Panos Cosmatos' whole approach that not only blows the mind but the eyeballs too. The film is shot as if we are on a bad trip – a kaleidoscope of colours, superb little visual tricks and creative camera work, whilst the fantastic score by Jóhann Jóhannsson takes the tectonic weight of overly amplified drones and makes it feel as if the world is ending. Sure, a lot of this serves to hide the fact that the story is pretty thin and drawn-out, but what makes Mandy so enticing is how it's presented. Imagine if Terrence Malick dropped a ton of acid, switched allegiances to the dark side and let a gnawing hopelessness slowly and brutally suffuse it's way across the screen. Yeah, it's as fascinating as that sounds.


Suspiria

Suspiria is the film I've most wanted to re-watch this year. Since walking out of the cinema something about it has stuck in my head, making me want to plunge back into it's bloody waters. It is mostly the denouement that's driving this – a feverish descent into hell that's far weirder than Dario Argento's original, but also the fantastic dance sequences and a need to re-evaluate the full over-arching story. Most of the film is very controlled and it is over-long, but there's much to take in. There was never a need to remake the Suspiria of 1977 as it is a true horror classic, but this version more than justifies it's existence as it expands on the original and positively tweaks things in ways that serve this version of the story. Plus it's superbly acted, shot and scored. It takes it's time but the journey is worth it.
[Read full review]


Widows

The return of Steve McQueen is very exciting. After consistently proving himself with his previous three films we've had a five year wait, and Widows does not disappoint. On the face of it this is a heist thriller, but that's just the overarching story that allows him to focus in on a minutiae of societal problems around Chicago. The plot slowly builds as an ensemble of players are drawn in and the cast is uniformly great, anchored by Viola Davis' layered performance. And as expected we're treated to more of McQueen's incredibly creative use of the camera as he shoots and frames certain scenes in unexpected ways; something that elevates all his work. All of this easily marks out Widows as one of the best films of the year.
[Read full review]