Jump to content

grim22

BOT's Top 25 Movies of 2018 | The forums can't fight the friction

By grim22, in List and Countdowns

Recommended Posts



grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#15

 

Spoiler

WIDOWS

 

 

 

Gh3VMjU.png

 

USER REVIEWS:

 

Widows is, more than anything else, ambitious. McQueen’s latest strives to appeal to the mainstream while continuing to engage with the tough topics his films always tackle. It succeeds at both, but keep in mind, this is more a Steve McQueen movie than anything else. This makes me think it may misfire with mainstream audiences, but I loved it. Tense sequences are punctuated with marvelously wry humor and the film has its eyes on many hot-button topics that weave together to make a sprawling epic of the Windy City. If anything, the film tackles too much; there’s quite a bit here that feels glossed over or not given the time to breath to fit in the two-hour runtime. One can easily tell this is adapted from a miniseries, and indeed, it may have been better staying in that format for an American adaptation. Still, there’s enough going here emotionally and character-wise that the overly complex story works nevertheless.

 

Davis puts forth another marvelous lead role, and Rodriguez and Debecki are the stand-outs, the former doing smart subtle acting and the latter giving a showy role a lot of unexpected dimension. Kaluuya steals the show in his scenes, but one will definitely wish his role was larger, as it really doesn’t amount to much time on screen. Indeed, that goes back to the main problem of the film: there is no one weak in this cast, but several characters get the short shrift on having fully convincing arcs just because of the short runtime.

 

However, is this really a problem for Widows? I’d say no. To want more of a movie is an asset, showing that the world and characters are fascinating enough to be longer than what’s given to us. Flynn and McQueen’s tale encompasses political corruption, gender politics, and racial complexities of today’s society, building it together into a spectacular fable. What this fable exactly means, I can’t gather after first watch, but I will gladly be returning to Widows when it enters wide-release. This is the good stuff, folks. A

 

(When I saw this, it was introduced by Steve McQueen, who introduced Gillian Flynn and the members of the cast in attendance: Brian Tyree Henry, Michelle Rodriguez, Liam Neeson, Cynthia Erivo, and Viola Davis. Definitely added to my hype for the movie, but yeah, this would’ve been tight regardless.) @Blankments

 

 

Yay the dog lived and Liam Neeson died twice!  @Frozen

 

In a nutshell, I liked it too, give it a B+, despite the concerns with it being a bit too busy in terms of different plots tangents unfolding. Audacious film-making and I was entertained throughout.  @SteveJaros

 

 

  • Like 19
  • Thanks 1
  • ...wtf 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#14

 

Spoiler

HEREDITARY

 

 

 

ePmwok6.png

 

The best horror movie of 2018? Hereditary had a plotline which threw a lot of unexpected twists at the viewer and ended on a scene which was reminiscent of The VVITCH. A movie which stuck around for viewers almost a year later, but was another movie completely ignored by the awards guilds.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

That tagline seems to have a lot more weight behind it after watching the movie. Being an A24 movie, I expected it to divert from an audience-friendly horror movie quite significantly, but I still couldn't prepare myself for what I was about to see. A lot of people are going to claim it's overhyped because it depends on what you find scary. If you think ghosts, demons and serial killers are scary, Hereditary will probably disappoint you. But if you are afraid of things like guilt, anxiety and trauma like me, Hereditary might just fuck you up in ways you're not expecting.

I had a very visceral reaction to what was happening on screen during most of the run time, especially when Peter was involved. Alex Wolff's performance is so good, I actually think I might need therapy from watching him. I don't want to go too much into hyperbole, but I will just say I had a very odd reaction to the movie during the third act where I was uncontrollably laughing and crying in hysterics because his performance was affecting me so much. It was kind of embarrassing, because I took a big group of people to see it and they were all asking if I was okay. The rest of the cast is great, especially Toni Collette who also delivers an Oscar worthy performance. If she doesn't get nominated there will be a lot of backlash against the Academy for ignoring this film because it's too dark/disturbing.

As for the ending, well, I personally liked it, but it's going to turn many people off. Some people will even say it rips off Rosemary's Baby and The Witch. I disagree. I think the more I dwell on the ending though, the more I love it. It has me questioning a lot of themes this movie was tackling and I'd like to see what other people thought of it. Fuck, I need to see this again right away. It definitely has 5 star potential for me, we'll see.  @Fanboy

 

"There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord." Deuteronomy 18:10-12

 

Hereditary is brilliant. It's a compelling family drama about a cursed family who has to suffer due to the actions of one of their loved ones. The acting is brilliant, the characters are so well-developed, that one can't help but become attached to them and invested in their survival. The mood is excellent with amazing cinematography that entrances you into the movie. The editing is also great really capturing the horror elements of the script very well. The scene where the girl loses her head? That's such a shocking scene that really establishes Hereditary isn't your typical horror movie.

 

As for the supernatural stuff? You have divination, people inquiring after the dead, witches setting up family members as sacrifices for their own gain. As the movie moves on and it becomes more clear what is happening, as a Christian, I couldn't help but think about the Bible and how God's view on witchcraft is that it comes from the devil. Hereditary gets that. At no point do these characters seek help from a priest or a pastor. They don't consult the Bible or seek aid from God. Annie tries to solve the problem on her own but she's way in over her head and doesn't even begin to comprehend what is actually going on.

 

And so with evil moving in around them and the family being left on their own, it should come as no surprise that in the end they fail. There's Steve, a practical man who believes his family is losing their minds after Charlie's death because he misinterpreted the signs that were in front of him. I know some people think this was more psychosis and all the supernatural stuff was in their heads but I don't think that's true at all. In the end, he burns because he couldn't accept that his worldview was wrong despite the evidence he saw contradicting it.

 

There's Annie, a woman who loses a lot in the movie. Even when she thinks she knows what's going on, she really doesn't simply because almost everything she learns and when she learns it comes from the witches. She only learns about the seance because Joan teaches her but she never really learns what the incantation does. She places too much faith in Joan. She thinks that the diary is linked to her but that's proven wrong eventually as well. When she finally has enough of the picture to know what's going on, it's too late. Because she doesn't actually learn how to fix it. She makes assumptions but they prove to be wrong almost every time.

 

Then there's the kids. Charlie, the girl who was supposed to be a boy, a vessel for a demon king, who is very weird. She ends up literally losing her head. It seems like an accident at first but the sign on the pole, the deer on the road causing Peter to swerve, the foggy eery road all points to it being planned by the witches. We think she may have been suffering an allergic reaction but it could have been a spell put on her that causes her to stick her head out. Murdered but it's also suggested that because she carried the demon king inside her, that she might have been put in Peter.

 

And poor Peter. A typical teen boy whose thrust into a world that terrifies him and which he understands very little of. Alex Wolff does such a good job with him. Seriously, Toni Collette and Alex Wolff are standouts here. Peter who is driven constantly mad, increasing his paranoia, until finally he jumps out the window, leaving his body open for possession. 

 

It's been a while since a movie has been made where I actually wanted to sit down and collect my thoughts. Hereditary is such a movie. @Water Bottle

 

 

 

  • Like 14
  • Thanks 1
  • ...wtf 2
  • Disbelief 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites




grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#13

 

Spoiler

LOVE, SIMON

 

 

WgzJMjt.png

 

One of the best coming of age movies of 2018. Love, Simon was a movie which definitely surprised me with how good it was. Well drawn characters including the "villain" of the piece and Greg Berlanti showing us he can actually direct. Recommended watch if you haven't seen it yet.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

I 100% adore this film. It felt so genuine and honest. I love Simon’s struggle of coming.  It felt so real with him deciding to come out. I love the mystery of blue. The film is so uplifting and cute. I think I was crying for the last 30 minutes. As someone who is gay. I been waiting for a film like this. 

A @Dexter

 

A very enjoyable film. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or buck any teen comedy trends but excels at what it does. Nick Robinson redeems himself from Jurassic World as a much less horny teen! Love, Simon is on the verge of something great, but I don't think it quite hits that mark. I'm glad to see so many LGBT people resonating with it; this sends a good message to Hollywood. 8.5/10 | B+ @WrathOfHan

 

 

  • Like 20
  • Astonished 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


ZeeSoh Blockbuster

ZeeSoh

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, grim22 said:

#13

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Yesss. The list is redeemed!!!

giphy.gif

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Plain Old Tele Cinematic Universe

Plain Old Tele

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, ZeeSoh said:

This list is weird. Can’t believe Hereditary is so low. 

 

Also IW and CRA below movies like ASF and BR is astounding to me considering the hate BR gets on this forum and the love that Movies like CRA got. 

 

Movies with dedicated core fanbases tend to perform better than those with general appeal unless the appeal is super-wide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#12

 

Spoiler

A QUIET PLACE

 

 

 

wPtxECY.png

 

John Krasinski kicking off the next phase of his career as an auteur with this movie. He almost managed to get Michael Bay an Oscar nomination, that is how good this movie functioned as a thriller. Kind of bothersome when people compared Bird Box to this movie as only one of them actually manages to build the tension through the movie.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

 

That last shot.  Full Metal Bitch is back. 

 

That was great. 

 

I was getting slightly agitated that she was taking so long to realise what was happening with the Cochlear implant.  However, the payoff was awesome. 

 

How the fuck does a nail suddenly appear in the stairs?

 

A-

 

(My nephew has a cochlear implant and although I knew one of the kids was deaf it was great to see the cochlear implant be a key plot point. It’s interesting they learned sign language as he won’t be learning sign language. I know the actress herself learned sign language after receiving her implants.) @DeeCee

 

Not into horror movies at all (The Truth or Dare trailer before the movie reminded me why) but decided to check this out because of the hype and reviews. Lived up to it for the most part. 

 

Postives

- The opening scene was perfect. Thought it was going to be predictable but they actually killed off the dumb kid. Superb

- Great performances all around especially Emily Blunt (She had the most tense scenes and kept you on the edge on your seat). Not sure why she didn't make 2 trips from the the basement but wtv. 

- Pacing was great and they maintained the suspense throughout. Never really dragged at any parts. 

- Gimmick was well executed and the creature design was cool. 

 

Negatives

- No explanation on how/where the monsters came or what the military even tried to counter them unless I missed something in the newspaper shots. No one could figure out their weakness except a small family on a farm?

- Lots of plot conveniences like Emily Blunt managing to survive the pain from the nail, giving birth all while hiding from the creature. I thought babies started crying right out the womb. 

- Other weird decisions like letting the kid run around like an idiot in the opening scene and then then not keeping an eye on him walking back home. 

 

Overall the execution and performances made up for most of the the problems and I would say its the best new release I've watched this year so far. I'll give it a 9/10 A  @EarlyDeadlinePredictions

 

 

  • Like 23
  • Sad 1
  • ...wtf 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites




Ezen Baklattan Global Phenomenon

Ezen Baklattan

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, grim22 said:

#13

 

  Hide contents

LOVE, SIMON

 

 

WgzJMjt.png

 

One of the best coming of age movies of 2018. Love, Simon was a movie which definitely surprised me with how good it was. Well drawn characters including the "villain" of the piece and Greg Berlanti showing us he can actually direct. Recommended watch if you haven't seen it yet.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

I 100% adore this film. It felt so genuine and honest. I love Simon’s struggle of coming.  It felt so real with him deciding to come out. I love the mystery of blue. The film is so uplifting and cute. I think I was crying for the last 30 minutes. As someone who is gay. I been waiting for a film like this. 

A @Dexter

 

A very enjoyable film. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or buck any teen comedy trends but excels at what it does. Nick Robinson redeems himself from Jurassic World as a much less horny teen! Love, Simon is on the verge of something great, but I don't think it quite hits that mark. I'm glad to see so many LGBT people resonating with it; this sends a good message to Hollywood. 8.5/10 | B+ @WrathOfHan

 

 

FUCK YESSS!!!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


TalismanRing Global Phenomenon

TalismanRing

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, grim22 said:

#13

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Cute movie but after all the raves I expected something more - more quirky, more heartfelt and far more romantic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#11 is the second movie on this countdown to be 100% on RT

 

Spoiler

LEAVE NO TRACE

 

 

 

ZTSqeBa.jpg

 

 

USER REVIEWS

Enjoyed this a lot. It's a very emotional film with two excellent performances from the leads. I wasn't expecting the second half to be what it was, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially as the movie sits in my mind. Probably my favorite movie of the year so far. 9/10 | A- @WrathOfHan

 

THOMASINNNN!!!!!! - @Ethan Hunt

 

 

 

  • Like 20
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Plain Old Tele Cinematic Universe

Plain Old Tele

Posted
Posted
Just now, grim22 said:

#11 is the second movie on this countdown to be 100% on RT

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Glad it made it. Bummer it’s this low. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


ZeeSoh Blockbuster

ZeeSoh

Posted
Posted (edited)

I’m assuming these are the remaining movies that will show up

 

Blindspotting

BlacKkKlansman

Black Panther

A Star is Born

Roma

The Favourite

First Man

Mission Impossible 6

Spider-man Into the Spiderverse

If Beale Street Could Talk

 

Also glad Leave No Trace made it. It was a good and well acted movie. Especially Thomasin Mckenzie who was great in it

Edited by ZeeSoh
Link to comment
Share on other sites


grim22 Global Phenomenon

grim22

Posted
  • Author
Posted

#10

 

Spoiler

BLINDSPOTTING

 

 

ouSe9lc.png

 

 

USER REVIEWS

 

It’s a shame that Blindspotting just came and went in the critical and public consciousness this summer. While it doesn’t rise to the very top of the wealth of cinematic riches examining race in 2018, it is a bold, bracing dramedy that feels like it has a unique voice and makes numerous cutting observations about racial tension and gentrification. In many ways, it feels like a slightly gentler and less incendiary spiritual successor to Do the Right Thing: like Spike Lee’s classic slice-of-life drama, it immerses viewers into a vibrant world where economically-disadvantaged people of color take center stage and confront various ways in which the dominant culture around them holds them down; where Blindspotting differs is that it sees and acknowledges hope for change. Character interactions consistently feel authentic, the stakes are high enough to lend urgency in lieu of a more traditional plot, and there are some extremely clever uses of rap as a method of heightening the tension of key scenes. Daveed Diggs, who also wrote the film with co-star Rafael Casal, delivers an eyebrow-raising breakthrough performance. I liked him in his small roles in Wonder and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and he makes the most of his station as the lead actor with a performance that manages convincing shifts between charisma, low-key contemplation, and white-hot intensity. Casal is also impressive as Diggs’s longtime friend whose whiteness allows him to navigate the world more outwardly angrily than Diggs’s character. Diggs and Casal share an affecting bond that comes to a head in satisfying and powerful fashion. This film is a hidden gem that will hopefully gain more attention for its worthy exploration of especially worthy ideas and relationships.

 

A-

 

That rapped monologue at the climax was flippin' aces. @Webslinger

 

  • Like 16
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Eric Duncan Global Phenomenon

Eric Duncan

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, grim22 said:

#12

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

The beginning of that movie always cracks me up. Dumbass kid

  • Like 2
  • Haha 3
  • Sad 1
  • ...wtf 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Guidelines. Feel free to read our Privacy Policy as well.

  I accept