Blankments

41. Hearts Beat Loud Directed by Brett Haley. Starring Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane, Blythe Danner and Toni Collette. Release date: June 8, 2018 Runtime: 97 minutes It is not a crime to be generic. Hearts Beat Loud traffics in that at points; it’s a Sundance movie (trademark pending) all the way through. It’s got loads of charm though and a soundtrack of indie hits that you’ll be surprised didn’t break out in a mainstream way. Clemons and Offerman both deliver their best performances of yet, and by the end of the movie, you’ll have a hard time not smiling, despite the realistic heartbreak that comes through. I love musical dramas and this was a very good light-hearted addition to the genre.

42. Bumblebee Directed by Travis Knight. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr, John Ortiz, Jason Drucker and Pamela Adlon. Release date: December 21, 2018 Runtime: 114 minutes This is all textbook blockbuster filmmaking, but it’s hard to not like a throwback done as well as this. The action is clear and the story between Charlie and the titular robot is heartwarming. Bumblebee’s character animation is stellar here; the only comparison I can think of is Toothless in the HTTYD movies. A really good blockbuster that I don’t have much to say about, but the comparison to Jumanji is apt. This is a more than solid way to spend two hours at the theater.

43. Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh Directed by Steven Brill. Starring Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Dan Bulla. Release date: October 23, 2018 Runtime: 73 minutes I don’t really like Adam Sandler, but this special was heartfelt and revealing; the exact opposite of the cynical jokes I’m used to seeing from him. With this, Meyerowitz Stories, and a Safdie brothers film on the horizon, I’m glad to say I’m starting to like him. The editing on this feels positively experimental for a special, and makes even the non-hit jokes intriguing. The musical segments are the best, but the final ten minutes are truly special, and one of the most wonderful finales of the year.

44. Tully Directed by Jason Reitman. Starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston. Release date: May 4, 2018 Runtime: 96 minutes Diablo Cody makes Reitman movies good. Okay, that’s not entirely true as I love Up in the Air, but Cody is still one of my favorite dialogue writers working, and this film has her snappy words all over it. It’s a fun time with a lot of insight into motherhood, anchored by one criminally underrated performance by Charlize Theron. I don’t have a lot to say about it, but this is a very well-done dramedy.

45. The Grinch Directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury and Pharrell Williams. Release date: November 9, 2018 Runtime: 86 minutes The Grinch has always been my favorite Dr. Seuss tale, with me trying to find a way to watch the special every year. That said, I despise the live-action version, which looks disturbing and strips away all the magic of the original tale. When I heard Illumination was remaking it, I was naturally incensed. Yet, surprise… this is the first movie of theirs I feel very comfortable calling good, mainly because it never feels like it’s trying to replace the original incarnation of the Grinch. This is very comfortably a reimagining and it works about as well at it could, outside some cringe-y jokes. I was crying throughout the third act of this, proving that a timeless tale can still work despite some mighty changes. Yes, I’m surprised I liked this as much as you are.

46. Alpha Directed by Albert Hughes. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson. Release date: August 17, 2018 Runtime: 96 minutes I still don’t understand how this movie exists. Like… it’s got no actual dialogue and it’s a legitimate caveman epic with no stars in it. The filmmaking on display is breathtaking as action sequences mount up in to a truly one-of-a-kind survival story. It makes a few concessions to convention here and there, but really, this is damn impressive. A true anomaly of the year.

47. Overlord Directed by Julius Avery. Starring Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilous Asbæk and Bokeem Woodbine. Release date: November 9, 2018 Runtime: 110 minutes A truly bonkers movie. Some of the best body horror I’ve seen in years, this film works also very well as a war film. It’s pulpy as shit and never boring. I could see this being a great midnight grindhouse immediately after watching it, and sure enough, my local arthouse is having a second weekend of it at midnight after the first week was very successful. I don’t usually call movies badass, but if there’s one word to describe Overlord, it’s that. Fucking awesome.

48. Free Solo Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Starring Alex Honnold, Sanni McCandless, Jimmy Chin and Tommy Caldwell. Release date: September 28, 2018 Runtime: 96 minutes Absolutely astounding in IMAX. Paints a very intriguing portrait of a man who puts himself at risk for an incredibly stupid reason, avoiding any deification and just letting the footage speak for itself. Impressive, seeing the director is an actual character in the documentary. The cinematography is breathtaking and it’s paced well. The only reason it isn’t higher is that the filmmaking sometimes comes off as TV special and that’s disappointing considering the landscapes and story being told here. I’m not looking forward to the eventual Zemeckis remake starring Adam Driver and Brie Larson though.

49. Unsane Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple, Aimee Mullins and Amy Irving. Release date: March 23, 2018 Runtime: 98 minutes A cool little horror movie with some spectacular acting. Soderbergh’s use of the iPhone cinematography is a neat way to maintain perspective, and this is Claire Foy’s greatest performance this year, coming off as a good early Holly Hunter. The story is much more timely than one would expect and it’s very very tense. The ending is a bit of a disappointment, but ultimately, this is good genre filmmaking.

50. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Starring Tim Blake Nelson, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Kazan, Liam Neeson and Tom Waits. Release date: November 9, 2018 Runtime: 133 minutes A nice anthology that ultimately feels a bit hit-and-miss mostly due to weird pacing on a couple of them. I’m not gonna rank the segments because that’s overdone, but my two faves were the musical opener and Tom Waits’ old prospector. Both seemed to have more on their mind than the other ones and moreover, had a true sense of fun and knowing when to end that some of the others lacked. Still, overall, this is pretty nice.

Ek Ladki Ko Dehka Toh Aisa Laga, On the Basis of Sex, Hit and Run Squad, Integrity, If Beale Street Could Talk, Uri, Cold War, Free Solo, The Mule, Que Leon, Under the Eiffel Tower, A Beautiful Planet, Burn the Stage: The Movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, The Invisibles, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Pandas and Stan and Ollie are gone. Alita: Battle Angel - 65/4/20/4/10/18 (2D/2D with D-BOX/3D/Dolby/Dolby 3D/IMAX 3D) total 121 (debut) The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part - 81/3/23/1 (2D/2D with D-BOX/3D/3D with D-BOX) total 108 (down 34) What Men Want - 81 (down 5) Happy Death Day 2U - 80 (debut) Isn't It Romantic - 71 (debut) Cold Pursuit - 60 (down 1) The Prodigy - 50 (down 6) The Upside - 30 (down 26) Glass - 29 (down 26) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 24 (down 14) Green Book - 23 (up 3) Ralph Breaks the Internet - 19 (up 15) Miss Bala - 15 (down 44) They Shall Not Grow Old - 8/7 (2D/3D) total 15 (down 6) Gully Boy Subbed - 12 (debut) Bumblebee - 10 (down 1) Bohemian Rhapsody - 9 (down 5) Wandering Earth Subbed - 9 (up 2) Arctic - 5 (debut) Everybody Knows Subbed - 5 (debut) The Favourite - 5 (down 5) To Dust - 5 (debut) Aquaman - 4 (down 14) Extreme Job Subtitled - 4 (no change) Fall in Love At First Kiss Subbed - 4 (debut) Pegasus Subbed - 4 (down 1) Vice - 4 (down 7) Escape Room - 3 (down 6) The Kid Who Would Be King - 3 (down 23) 2019 Oscar Animated Shorts - 2 (down 2) 2019 Oscar Live-Action Shorts - 2 (down 2) Patrick - 2 (debut) A Dog's Way Home - 1 (down 8) Mary Poppins Returns - 1 (down 3) Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year Subbed - 1 (down 3)

i feel like a better title for this thread would be "whoever wins, we lose"

51. Adrift Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. Starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin. Release date: June 1, 2018 Runtime: 96 minutes A very nice surprise. The survival aspects are remarkably well done, and its tense despite the long gaps of nothing at sea. Both Woodley and Claflin are lovely, and it just generally feels like a throwback to the times when a summer blockbuster could just be two charismatic actors and a strong premise. The twist also works well, and in general, this is a very good thriller with some gorgeous technical aspects as well.

52. Burning Directed by Lee Chang-dong. Starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yuen and Jeon Jong-seo. Release date: October 26, 2018 Runtime: 148 minutes Wasn’t as into this as most people were. I get the ideas behind the film but none of it really worked for me. It’s way too long and feels generally cold. All this said, it’s clearly a well-crafted film with great performances, cinematography and direction. It just really isn’t my type of film at all, and that’s okay. I can still recognize the massive quality here even if it isn’t for me.

53. Ant-Man and the Wasp Directed by Peyton Reed. Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Douglas. Release date: July 6, 2018 Runtime: 118 minutes A massive improvement from the previous installment, which is one of the MCU’s worst films. The lack of a central villain gives the film more a hangout vibe and allows setpieces to arise with much more intriguing complexity than usual. With great entries in nearly every superhero film this year, this has the best car chase in any of them, using the powers to great creative effect and keeping the banter in line. A genuinely super enjoyable superhero movie.