My Favorite Films of 2018 (10-1)

This is what you've been waiting for!

But in case you haven't read my previous 15 favorite films you can here (25-21) and (20-11)

10. Avengers: Infinity War

After the ending to the first Avengers movie every comic fan was waiting for this. Now, after six long years it came out better than anybody could have expected. For a heavy special effects feature it's nothing but gorgeous. The motion captured performance that Josh Brolin does for Thanos is among one of the best, and it expertly balances the numerous storylines that no one should complain about too many characters henceforth. And while it's technically a part 1 of a larger story it does well at standing alone and dominating the epic space opera that it weaves throughout this universe. Avengers: Infinity War was, and is, the blockbuster people were waiting for.

 9. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

To be perfectly open for a moment, 2018 was a very difficult year for me. It was difficult for many people, and in the heart of the year this documentary came out and for a little while reminded everyone that the world isn't always a bad place. To have someone so nice and caring looking after the next generation for decades is admirable and cleansing. To see his doubt and what Mr. Rogers thought at the turn of the century is eye opening and a peak into the cultural shift. It's a great tale, an incredible human being, but most importantly this was one of the films that had me openly weeping, because for the next 93 minutes it felt like somebody was giving me the most caring hug, and I needed that.

 8. You Were Never Really Here

Speaking of movies that captured and talked about the rising feelings of 2018, this particular gem that's been compared to Taxi Driver numerous times does a crushing job when it comes to depression. Lynne Ramsay crafted an astounding film that captures trauma, and the world at large. Joaquin Phoenix puts up a devastating performance as his character grapples with life and death, the past and the present, leaving the viewer in a cold, distant, state right up until the gory end. Truly, this is a film that'll only get better over time as more and more people discover it. Incredibly relevant.

 7. The Death of Stalin

Tired of the recent, outrageous, political climate? Fear not! For The Death of Stalin will ease your pain with sharp witty social commentary and a splash of political satire. One of my favorite comedies of last year, this little wonder has an astounding cast that play off each other in the most delightful ways. Scenes featuring actual historical stakes, like death and communism, are reduced to jokes and politicians running around like big balding children. It works as a comedy, and as a movie with depth that you can talk and analyze with your friends over and over.

 6. The Death of Superman

This is by far the most emotional movie I had watched in 2018. Written by comic book writer Peter Tomasi, who's recent Superman run is to die for, this latest incarnation of the Man of Steel's epic death is once again told, but this time better than ever. Tomasi really knows how to pull Superman, a character that many have complained to be unrelatable, into a grounded atmosphere by relating to him on an emotional level. While the fight with Doomsday features all his might, feats, and powers, the core of Superman is not the hero, but the man.  Here it perfectly captures how Superman's humanity has affected Metropolis so that by the time his inevitable demise comes you're weeping along with the characters in one of the most powerfully crafted Superman stories put to screen.

 5. Game Night

My. Favorite. Comedy. Game Night is a game changer and started off the year with fantastic energy. Weird, quirky, and thrilling and about a few dozen more adjectives perfectly describe this comedy of friends whisked away on an adventure during one of their weekly game nights. The comraderie and absurdists are strong with this one as the characters get themselves into real danger unknowingly. Plus, it has one of the funniest scenes in the year. Every time I watch it I'm laughing my butt off.

 4. Happy as Lazzaro

If there ever were a modern fairy tale it's this. The perfect way to watch Happy as Lazzaro is to go in blind, so I'll keep this brief. The story is breathtaking. Old, yet fresh. Folklore, yet modern. And at the heart of it, like my top 3 movies on this list, it's about the human condition and if change is possible. So, go out and watch this beauty. It's on Netflix.

 3. Shoplifters

What can I say? This is one of the most human movies I think I have ever seen. It grapples with the question of what makes a family. If you are not blood related are you still family? Would you have been better off with your real parents who were abusive or strangers that have come to love you? It's heavy, yet light hearted, genuine, and sad. It's quite an experience and one of, if not the, best written films of 2018. Stop what you're doing, and go see this movie and cry those eyes out.

 2. The Favourite

I love Yorgos Lanthimos. Every film of his is tweaked reality, and oddly enough I think this is arguably his best and most accessible film to date. Another dark comedy on politics, Lanthimos projects a disturbing and alluring love triangle as the Queen crumbles to pieces, but never loses her authority. Every actress in this movie is leading lady material, and every performance is heart-breakingly good. Every section of filmmaking only improves the overall product, and vision, that produces this vivid, darkly humorous, vie for power and love.

And my number one film of 2018 is...(drum roll please)...

 1. The Other Side of the Wind

Orson Welles' last film. Truly a feature about a master still evolving his craft and discovering more about himself and filmmaking as a whole. For a film that was shot 40 years ago it feels incredibly fresh and daring. Welles' technique and vision will leave you speechless as you're trying to process you what have watched. This film has been stuck in my head since I watched it, and every week I feel compelled to watch it again and again. Not only is the film exceptional, but the story of making this film is too. The documentary They'll Love Me When I'm Dead is a great companion, as too the Netflix behind the scenes short. Welles did not complete this film, but he did start it and left a few notes. To see this finished product and learn how much the editor and composer had to do to try and replicate what would have been is simply astounding. When I look back at 2018 this is the film that I think of to represent it. A beacon showing what film can be and how we stopped trying to achieve that somewhere along the road, and from this list you can gather that there has been a change, and nothing excites me more for the future of film than this.

Well, that is my full list of my favorite 25 films of 2018. I'm sorry it was delayed for so long, but I had fun talking about a fantastic year of movies and I hope you did too while reading. Please share your lists down below and let's talk about these gems.