Marval Movie

Another year another top ten list of this year's movies.

Over the course of this year, I have come to seriously re-assessed how I go about my reviewing. I don't mean how I write, I mean that I write reviews for movies I've seen in the movie theatre but we live now in a time when big movies can also go straight to streaming services. So that means that there are a bunch of movies that are missing out of their rightful place on this list. As well as a fact that I simply can't see every movie while it's in the theatre so some like Paddington 2 arent in the Top 10.

Also, a disclaimer that I only include one Superhero movie on this list. This is due to there being many movies released each year and they are at a high standard and because of this other movies, don't get their moment in the sun. But to be sure I do consider both Black Panther and Infinity War to be great watches.

The worst movie I saw this year was Peter Rabbit. It is the winner of that title and nothing else.

For reasons, there is usually a movie I don't get around to writing a review for, but I still want to give them a highlight, for these, I give them the "Special Jury Prize." It's just a way of making up for whatever falls through the cracks. This year it goes to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Cohen brothers anthology about the inevitability of death.

Before the actual list starts, I feel it must always be said that listing things will always be a little silly because when you rank things this way it always diminishes the others. Plus this is not a definitive list, I might discover another movie later that was released in 2018 that could find it's way into the middle, or what was number eight might become number six if I were to do it again. This is the list I composed at this time. With all that said let the actual list being.

10. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. A franchise movie that taps into what we loved about the original movie as well as being brave enough to shake things up. Twenty-five years later and Dinosaurs can still invoke wonder and awe.

9.  I Tonya. A Rashomon-like telling of a turbulent time in history where sports were not so much about the performing but presentation. With a brave and bold performance by Margo Robbie and supporting cast.

8. First Man. An ethereal character piece about the first man on the moon and the people around him. A huge goal to reach with tender emotions used as fuel.

7. Lady Bird. The battles between generations and parents and children are a constant and we have seen many different takes over this subject. But few have this well realized and vividly realized. Greta Gerwig pulls double duty as writer and director with effortlessly and conveys the tale of a young Catholic schoolgirl in a way that we can all relate to.

6. Isle of Dogs. Wes Anderson is like no other. So he makes movies like no other. With wit, craftsmanship and beautifully composed shots. This movie shows a creator like no other at the height of his powers.

5. Coco. Pixar create truly beautiful works where they're talents as animators are matched by their brilliance in storytelling and character creating abilities. The journey through the land of the remembered perfectly contextualized that only if you live a life worth being remembered by family is a life worth living.

4. Widows. An amazing filmmaker that doesn't make many movies but when he does they are pitch perfect experiences that give you a sense of location, have bold mechanical choices and display a cast where none are simply extras but fully realized people inhabiting the world.

3. A Quiet Place. Horror at it's the highest level. With razor-sharp sound design, an understanding of human nature and what nervous us with a true poem at the heart of it all. What lengths we go to for family.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. A Superhero movie that fully embraces the dense, repetitive nature of these franchises that we currently find ourselves in. But knows that as long as you have a solid core you can hang all the extra bells, whistles and bubbles you want because it is supported by a lead that goes through his own journey to become one of the greatest heroes ever created.

1. The Shape of Water. A tale about love, loss and the price of both. Where we are transported to a far of time where the people thought so much about the future and yet held onto such old prejudices. Where the unconventional and blossoms where such things are not accepted. Made by a generous man under ungenerous circumstances, where the monster is the pahlawan and the good-looking male is the monster. Shot like a musical, told like a fairytale, with hard politics at its center.