2018 is over and it was a great year for movies. We had a ton of movies to choose from, and we had a really difficult time narrowing down our compiled lists down to a comprehensive list of ten. With that said, we are confident in our final list and we are proud to present our Top 10 Movies of 2018. We have reviewed some of these movies on our podcast, so, if you would like to hear a more in depth review of some of these movies, click the blue title to hear the episodes.
Honorable Mention) BLACKkKLANSMAN
RT - Critics: 95% Audience: 82% Metacritic - 83 IMDB - 7.6
While it may have worked better had it been a bit more subtle, Blackkklansman was still a highly effective movie that ranks among the best of Spike Lee’s filmography. The engaging plot, smart humor, and fantastic acting combined to convey Lee’s message in an entertaining and moving way.
RT - Critics: 79% Audience: 73% Metacritic - 67 IMDB - 6.8
Director David Gordon Green brought Michael Myers back to his roots in the best way possible. Simultaneously paying homage to John Carpenter’s classic and paving its own path, Halloween (2018) injected life into a franchise that lost its way. Terrific acting from Jamie Lee Curtis, brutal horror, and a surprising amount of laughs helped make this the best Halloween movie since the original, and one of the best slasher films in years.
RT - Critics: 83% Audience: 85% Metacritic - 66 IMDB - 7.8
John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch helmed this sequel and improved upon the original in every way. The story was more emotionally impactful, the action was more creative, and the writing was hilarious. The new cast additions were fantastic, especially Zazie Beetz as Domino and Josh Brolin as Cable. Deadpool 2 was a dual threat, as it was one of the best action movies of the year as well as one of the best comedies movies of the year.
RT - Critics: 89% Audience: 66% Metacritic - 79 IMDB - 6.9
Annihilation was one of the most interesting science fiction movies in years. This was writer/director Alex Garland's follow up to the thought provoking Ex Machina (2014), and he didn't disappoint. The surreal imagery, that managed to be beautiful and frightening at the same time, and the unnerving soundtrack made Annihilation the most unique movie experiences of 2018.
RT - Critics: 95% Audience: 83% Metacritic - 82 IMDB - 7.6
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt were fantastic in their roles, and Krasinski showed he is a director to keep an eye on in the future. A Quiet Place milked every ounce of tension it could get from its brilliant premise, which made it one hell of a scary thrill ride!
06) THE SISTERS BROTHERS
RT - Critics: 85% Audience: 66% Metacritic - 78 IMDB - 7.1
The Sisters Brothers is a unique and beautiful vision of the American West from French director Jacques Audiard. This movie is packed with great performances from Riz Ahmed, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, and Joaquin Phoenix. Reilly and Phoenix shared the bulk of the screen-time and offered fantastic performances playing characters that are fun mixtures of intensity, charm, and vulnerability. This tale of assassin siblings was elevated by the quirky score, from 2018 Oscar winning composer Alexandre Desplat, which perfectly complemented the oddball characters on screen.
05) First Man
RT - Critics: 88% Audience: 66% Metacritic - 84 IMDB - 7.5
For First Man, Damien Chazelle (La La Land) re-teamed with Ryan Gosling for an intimate portrayal of Neil Armstrong. The story of the immensely courageous undertaking of landing a man on the moon was interesting enough itself, but Chazelle offered a much more personal experience, and a more in depth look at the man, than just the mission. The focus on the human element, the intense, almost claustrophobic cinematography, and the incredibly stirring soundtrack combined to create one of the best movie experiences of the year.
04) Bad Times at the El Royale
RT - Critics: 74% Audience: 75% Metacritic - 60 IMDB - 7.2
This original screenplay from the man behind The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Drew Goddard, proved he wasn't a one hit wonder. Like his previous movie, The Cabin in the Woods (2011), this screenplay brilliantly blended genres. The multiple mysteries surrounding the great characters kept us engaged and intrigued throughout. Jeff Bridges was a standout, but all the performance were fantastic.
RT - Critics: 72% Audience: 59% Metacritic - 57 IMDB - 6.3
The Ritual was the surprise of the year to us. The cast are mostly unknowns, the director did mostly shorts and segments in horror anthologies before this (V/H/S, Southbound), and the writer has mostly TV episodes in his filmography. It's no wonder this wasn't on our radar. To their credit, the cast were all great, the directing was fine, and the screenplay actually improved upon the source material. The "creature" was incredibly unique, the psychological horrors were portrayed creatively, and some of the scenes were downright terrifying. If this one slipped past you, like it almost did to us, take the time to watch it. You won't regret it.
RT - Critics: 97% Audience: 88% Metacritic - 86 IMDB - 7.9
The best in the series, Mission: Impossible - Fallout was also easily the best action movie of the year. This was an action lover's dream, with every type of action imaginable. There were fist fights, shootouts, car chases, foot chases, and some of the most jaw dropping stunt work ever filmed. Tom Cruise did all of his own stunts, as usual, and gave us his magnus opus. From a pure action standpoint, Mission: Impossible - Fallout set the bar, and we doubt it will be matched anytime soon.
RT - Critics: 89% Audience: 63% Metacritic - 87 IMDB - 7.3
Hereditary was not only the scariest movie of 2018, it is one of the scariest movies in decades. The entire cast were fantastic in their roles, with the standout being an unbelievably good performance from Toni Collette. Writer/Director Ari Aster made his feature debut with this and he knocked it out of the park. His original screenplay is incredibly layered and his directing is nearly flawless. Some of the most terrifying imagery in years, and the relentless atmosphere of tension throughout the movie will leave you exhausted by the end. Hereditary is an instant classic of the horror genre and, hands down, the best movie of 2018.
That does it for our Top 10 Movies of 2018 list. As you can see, there were a variety of genres represented on our list, including what we believe are instant classics of their genre in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Hereditary. Obviously, even between the six of us, we weren't able to watch every movie of 2018, so some great movies may have been left off the list. What do you think of our list? What were your favorite movies of 2018? Were any of your favorites left off our list? Scroll down and let us know in the comment section!