Today's Oscars day so it's a good time to look back at last year's movies and pick the best. The Academy's judgement can be a little questionable sometimes, so we figured maybe we'd give it a try and see if we could do better. There were a lot of great films over the past year (and some pretty meh ones too), so here's our picks.
But first, some special mentions...
Worst Film: 50 Shades Freed
Essentially a half-hearted attempt at a drama with terrible soft pornography layered on top, the third entry of the 50 Shades franchise somehow manages to be the least sexy thing ever put to film. Fast car chases, casual million-dollar property purchases and obnoxiously large bank withdrawals all equate to zero style and even less substance. Combined with sex scenes that resemble what an extraterrestrial might think humans find erotic, the only remarkable thing about 50 Shades Freed is that actual people with actual jobs were actually paid for writing this incoherent trash.
So Bad it’s Good: The Meg
It’s a B-movie about a giant shark from the depths of the ocean eating people. Just with a budget. A bumper size Chinese-funded budget. You don’t go looking for nuance or depth. You go to see Jason Statham fighting a giant shark. Yes, it’s stupid and extremely questionable scientifically, but that’s part of the charm. You can say whatever you like about The Meg, but at least you get exactly what you’ve paid for.
Why did they make this?: Solo: A Star Wars Story
The film we got about popular Star Wars character Han Solo wasn’t bad. It just didn’t convince us that it’s a film that needed to be made. The resulting two hour montage of scenes showing how Han got everything from his signature blaster to his ship felt like someone at Lucasfilm was just ticking boxes to see how many things in his backstory they could explain. Good performances from the likes of Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke and Donald Glover weren’t enough to make this a must-see. Disney succeeded at making a Star Wars film entirely optional, which is a dubious kind of achievement in itself. Roll on Episode IX.
Now onto the rest of the list...
7. Crazy Rich Asians
It’s no secret that this romcom did better with Asian-Americans, but thanks to Crazy Rich Asians, things are finally beginning to look up for Asian representation in Hollywood. Perfectly encapsulating the immense cultural differences between West and East, it’s a movie that stands as proof of the power of excellent representation. It gives you a heroine to root for while maintaining the humanity of those in opposition to her. It’s earnest, powerful and filled with high-quality performances all around, from its main characters to its side cast. Fans of the genre will be happy to have some of its more rote elements shunted aside in favour of honesty and heart.
6. First Man
While we could talk for hours about the power duo that is Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, First Man is also a stunning audiovisual experience. A thoroughly faithful recreation of the Apollo Program, from its earliest test flights to the first moon landing, First Man is the new Apollo 13. Every single launch sequence promises minutes of perfectly crafted exhilaration, drawing out the best of this year’s sound, visual effects and cinematography. Its level of technical detail is astounding, capitalising on the dangers of early human spaceflight, and the tragic lives of those participating in it.
5. Black Panther
Some people on our team would argue that there’s a real toss up between Infinity War and Black Panther (there isn’t), but Black Panther earns its spot on our list. A well-developed villain, a fascinating story arc for its main hero and great action, Black Panther has it all when many of its fellow MCU movies don’t. Add to that a great deal of cultural significance and awareness, and a story that has an important and relevant message to communicate, and you get a film that nearly tops out our list of favourite MCU movies. For now, this might just be the peak of the MCU.
4. A Quiet Place
Built around a refreshingly original idea, A Quiet Place understands that top notch horror can come from slow-burning tension. Unlike other horror films, which fill every moment with jump scares, A Quiet Place revels in the buildup. Thanks to a number of excellent high-tension scenes, this film has you gripping your seat white-knuckled. Creative, imaginative and possessing a rare spark of originality, A Quiet Place manages to terrify and engross at the same time, boosted by the spectacular performances of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski.
3. Sorry to Bother You
Sorry to Bother You combines science fiction with a kind of sharply written satire that’s rarely seen. Placing late stage capitalism square in its sights for a couple hours of scathing comedy, it manages to entertain and discomfort at the same time. Even as it makes a hard turn towards the end, descending into a kind of hellish drug-fuelled delirium, it’s never unbelievable and that’s a little disturbing in itself. Coupled with great performances, Sorry to Bother You is satire done right. It’s undeniably science fiction, but way too close to reality for comfort.
2. Green Book
It goes without saying that racism is bad, and Green Book isn’t the first film to try and say that by far. Still, it’s a great opportunity to see the likes of Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen in action. Green Book, named after a mid-20th Century guidebook for African-Americans, manages to navigate the racism of the era with grace and poignancy. It captures a rare kind of friendship between two human beings that serves as a clever answer to our troubled times.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Stylish, soulful and just plain crazy, Into the Spider-Verse is proof that there’s still room for animated films to break new ground. Rather than steering itself towards the sort of broodiness and grittiness that apparently passes for movie realism these days, Spider-Verse goes right back to its comic book roots for inspiration. Populated with a fantastic cast, polished ultra-high quality animation and a soundtrack full of earworms, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a pleasant surprise for audiences accustomed to live-action Spider-Man movies of varying quality. We know that standard fare no longer cuts it with superhero movie fans, and thankfully this film is anything but standard fare.
Well, that's all for 2018. Here's to another great year for the movies!
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