Best Movies of 2018

By Tom Pacak

2018 was an oddball year for me. I fractured my hip running, swam a lot, did a cross-country road trip with one of my best friends, and most importantly; I started this blog. “Last Week At The Movies” is probably my biggest accomplishment in 2018 not because I won anything, but I got to enhance my knowledge of cinema and what makes a great movie.

I saw a lot of stellar movies over the year, which made writing about them a lot easier. I reviewed over 58 films, which isn’t bad considering my very busy schedule with school and swimming. Here are the top ten movies I saw over this year:

1.     Roma:
       Director Alfonso Cuarón puts passion in every frame in this poetic story about a family growing up in Mexico City during the 1970s. “Roma” is the movie of the year because it’s the only film that feels right being number one. I’ve tried every film on this list and Roma is the only one that works. The film follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housemaid who works for the family. She and the wife of the family, go through abandonment and struggle to make ends meet. Alfonso Cuarón wants to show us how women can be taken for granted and how much he loves the women who raised him. He does this with intelligence and grace.

Note: Now Playing in Theaters and streaming on Netflix

2. Burning: 
Every character is hungry for something in Lee Chang-Dong's "Burning." The story revolves around Lee Jong-Su (Yoo Ah-in), a loner in South Korea who does random jobs to get by. One day out of the blue he meets Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) an old high school friend who claims she loved him back then.

Lee soon meets Ben (Steven Yeun), a mysterious millionaire who has a passion for burning greenhouses. “Burning” is a mystery that blurs the lines between “what’s real” and “not real.” Once learning of Ben’s secret, Lee tries to find a greenhouse that Ben burned. The only problem is that no greenhouses have been burned near him. Is this a cover-up for a far more sinister crime? The best performance in this film, performed so perfectly by Steven Yeun, captures Ben as a calm, collected, and pure sociopath who has no problems playing mind games with Lee.

Note: Now Playing in Theaters  

3. Hereditary:

“Hereditary” is not only one of the best movies I saw this year but also one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. Toni Collette gives career-best work as the mother Annie, a damaged mother who is forced to connect with her family’s past when her recently deceased mother’s past starts haunting her. Digging up the past is not that easy for Annie. The Grahams have had their history with mental disorders and self-neglect. What makes “Hereditary” so scary is how newcomer Ari Aster is able to instill fear in us by making the Graham family so miserable. It’s crazy how a confession like, “I never wanted to be your mother” can make a jump scare feel like a cakewalk.  

I will end with saying that the last 45 minutes of this film is stuff that feels like it came out of a nightmare. You’ll scream your head off (pun attended).

Note: Now on Bluray/DVD and Streaming Online

4. A Star is Born:

I was feeling pessimistic about “A Star is Born” before watching it. The film is the fourth remake, which is never a good sign. I’m glad I was proven wrong. What makes this fourth remake work is that it is simply a movie. It feels and breathes like an old Hollywood classic told right and new.

The film also has the right people to remake it. Bradley Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a washed out country singer battling a drug and alcohol addiction. One night he meets Ally (Lady Gaga), a waitress trying to make her break. Falling for Ally, Jackson helps Ally get in the music industry and there a star is born. Through their journey, the couple struggles with Jackson’s addiction and Ally’s rise to fame. The music, acting, and directing in this film are picture perfect. Lady Gaga proves she has the acting chops to be a huge star and Bradley Cooper proves he has the capability of being a great director. I was surprisingly moved.

Note: Now Playing in Theaters  

5. Black Panther:

If there’s one thing we can all agree on is that Marvel had a great year! Having two films in the top ten highest grossing films list is one hell of an accomplishment. Those two films were “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Black Panther.” “Infinity War” made the most money but “Black Panther” was the better film.

“Black Panther” picks up right before the events of “Infinity War.” T’Challa aka Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) governs the great Wakanda with strong heart and love for his fellow Wakandians. This changes when Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) comes snooping around trying to gain the throne. Most Marvel movies have the generic villain who wants to take over the world for the sake of being evil, however, this film is a bit different. You know what a movie is great when you have the same amount of empathy for the villain as you do for the hero. Director Ryan Coogler adds a human touch to Killmonger that makes you understand why this guy is so bad in the first place.

Note: Now on Bluray/DVD and Streaming on Netflix

6. BlackKklansman:

Spike Lee returns to give his best joint in years with “BlacKkKlansman,” the true story about how two Colorado cops; one black and one Jewish (John David Washington and Adam Driver) infiltrated the Klan and stopped a potential terrorist attack. Spike Lee has never been shy with his criticism of race relations, especially our current president. Here, Spike Lee goes out by giving a huge middle finger to the Klan, “Birth of a Nation,” and Trump supporters. Spike Lee does this the best and correct way possible, portraying the Klan as a bunch of absolute idiots.

Note: Now on Bluray/DVD and On Demand

7. Annihilation:

Probably the most watchable film I’ve seen this year is Alex Garland’s Sci-fi thriller “Annihilation.” I’ve watched this film three times not because I wanted to, but because I had to.  “Alex Garland makes films that drag you in and then spit you out with questions about the human condition.

The film is about Lena (Natalie Portman), a Biology professor who is required to find the mystery of “The Shinner,” a mysterious quarantined zone where they are no laws of nature. A year before, her husband (Oscar Isaac) went into it and never returned until now. Lena is set up with a team and along the journey, they experience negative psychological effects on their health. This is a film with so many details that it just requires repeated viewings. I’m convinced a couple years down the road, this will go in my “Great Movie” collection. Cinephiles shouldn’t miss. 

Note: Now on Bluray/DVD and Streaming Online

8. First Reformed:

Director/writer Paul Schrader continues his streak of telling stories about tortured males with “First Reformed.” Ethan Hawke is brilliant here as Ernst Toller, an alcoholic pastor at the fictional “First Reformed Church” in New York. Ernst Toller experiences Catholic guilt after talking to a radical eco-terrorist (Philip Ettinger). Toller then goes through a faith crisis after questioning why there are so many powerful people who don’t do anything to save our planet. Is it out of greed or hatred for the other side? While questioning his beliefs and people’s ignorance to take care of our planet, Toller does damage to his body through alcoholism and self-guilt.

Note: Now on Bluray/DVD and Streaming Online

9. Private Life:
The great Paul Giamatti and the great Kathryn Hahn carry this relatable comedy about a couple (Richard and Rachel) trying to start a family. Most movies tell stories about couples trying to raise a family, not here. Tamara Jenkins (Savages) takes a different route to show us a couple who wants a family but can’t find the right way to start one. 

The family finally strikes gold after Sadie (Kayli Carter), the wise but scatter-brained daughter of Richard’s brother Charlie (John Carroll Lynch) offers to help them out. Tamara Jenkins uses sitcom humor to make this couple’s dream very relatable. My favorite moment of the film is when Rachel’s doctor started singing prog rock while examining her genitalia. Giamatti and Hahn also make this story by portraying this flawed couple as very sweet and funny. By the end, you'll be rooting for them to be parents someday. 

Note: Now on Netflix

10. Leave No Trace:
Ben Foster plays a homeless vet, Will, and Thomasin McKenzie plays his daughter, Tom, in Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace.” They live in the forests of Oregon and clearly have a loving relationship. Being forced to move out of the forest, the two try adjusting to normal life. This sweet father and daughter survival takes the last spot simply because it has an empathetic view on the human condition. Every supporting character in this film is shown as kind and helping towards Will and Tom. They know where the two are coming from and are willing to do anything for them. It’s a film where you feel like you know the characters or wish to meet characters like them.

Note: Now On Bluray/DVD and On Demand

Honrable Mentions: Can U Ever Forgive Me?, The Death of Stalin, Game Night, The Guilty, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Revenge, Sorry To Bother You, Widows, and You We're Never Really Here