Canonization in film is difficult. While critiquing a film objectively is one thing, ranking them is another. Intuitively I know Citizen Kane is better than Empire Strikes Back, but I’ve only seen one of those movies 15 times. Here’s my top eight films of 2018.
8. Black Panther
The first Marvel Cinematic Universe title starring a Black man and predominantly Black cast. All the budget and effects of Marvel studios tell this epic tale taking place in the fictional African country of Wakanda.
The film is a classic superhero flick elevated by its deep plot, intense percussive hip hop score and fantastic villain.
Wakanda Forever!
Rating: 10 whiny internet fanboy haters/10 scenes where T’Challa does the jumpy kick thing.
7. If Beale Street Could Talk
Director Barry Jenkins is back after winning the 2017 Academy award for Best Picture with Moonlight.
If Beale Street Could Talk is a story of a young Black couple and their journey through wrongful imprisonment, pregnancy, and racism. Excellent cinematography and an engrossing story, KiKi Layne shines as the leading lady.The film gets too hung up on legal minutiae to reach the dizzying heights of Moonlight, but is excellent nonetheless.
Rating: 3 times I cried in this movie/4 emotionally manipulative piano swells.
6. The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
The Coen brothers rock their signature blend of quirky bizarre nihilistic humour paired with incredible cinematography has made for some incredible films. Though they’re not infallible as recent weaker showings have demonstrated, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a return to form.
Told as though it was a story book, it is a series of six western vignettes, ranging from musicals to bizarre satires.
It’s classic Coen Bros filmmaking that is so unforgivingly over-the-top at times.
Rating: 8 Slightly Off-Colour Jokes/ 10 Perfectly executed scenes of dialogue
5. BlacKkKlansmen
Spike Lee is one of the most important filmmakers working today, his movies are hard looks into being Black in the U.S.A. Lee is at his best in BlacKkKlansmen telling the real life story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) who infiltrated the KKK in the 1970s.
The suspense is there, the acting is wonderful and the cinematography and production design elevate the film.
Examining everything media representation of minorities institutionalized racism and the police force, the movie is a tour de force that ends on a sombre note—a must see.
Rating: 17.5 Uncomfortable white people / 1 theatre located in the Glebe
4. Green Book
A touching look into male relationships and being Black in the time of segregation. Marshaela Ali and Viggo Mortensen tell the story of Dr. Don Shirley and his Italian driver wonderfully. This comedic biopic is a heartwarming and beautiful look into race in a light-hearted manner.
Rating: 9 Viggo Mortensens doing an Italian accent / 10 Hours of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
3. Roma
One of the best modern black-and-white films, Roma tells the story of a young maid living in Mexico during the 1970s riots. Marvel as director Alfonso Cúaron brings out all his trademarks from gut-wrenching violence and living static shots to voyeuristic perspectives. Be wowed as Cúaron seamlessly hides cuts into his one takes. These takes make the film seem as though it was unfolding in real time.
Rating: 135 minutes of powerful storytelling / 135 minutes of movie.
2. Mission Impossible: Fall Out
Unadulterated fun, Tom Cruise reprises his now iconic role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt for the sixth time. In a world of big huge CGI fest cinematic universes, Mission Impossible is a throwback to classic James Bond-style action films. It is refreshingly straightforward.
With all the vision and lens flares of J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot productions, the movie is a pure thrill ride with mostly in-camera on-location stunt work.
It’s not the most serious fare, for sure—but in a divisive world such as ours, it’s nice to have a good-old blockbuster action flick everyone can agree is just a good time at the theatres.
Rating: 10 Tom Cruise jumps / 10 Airplanes.
1. First Man
A movie that reminds you why you love movies, that reminds us why we love films. You could read a book or watch a documentary about the moon landing but nothing compares to First Man, where director Damien Chazzelle makes you feel like you were there. Chazzelle and lead Ryan Gosling clearly shared a deep collective vision on the portrayal of Neil Armstrong, which is brilliantly done.
A master class in storytelling, cinematography, score and editing—a masterpiece of a film.
Score: 5 Ryan Goslings staring out of a moving vehicle / 3 times he was paid millions of dollars to do that
Image by Spencer Colby
