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

[Rorschach]

6 minutes ago, grim22 said:

#10

 

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BLINDSPOTTING

 

 

 

 

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

 

Yea like the review said, it never came to my theater chain even though I saw the trailer for it in front of a few other films. 

 

I hope to catch it before the Boffies.

[grim22]

#9

 

Spoiler

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

 

 

 

 

USER REVIEWS;

 

I caught this at TIFF, but my god this is an absolutely gorgeous, heartbreaking tale. I may have liked it even more than Moonlight.

 

Special props for Jenkins for how RICH and beautiful the design is. Especially since this isn’t the kind of movie that gets this kind of detail and support.

 

So very, very recommended, and possibly my favorite movie of the year. @Spagspiria

 

Friendship ended with Giacchino. After this, Moonlight and Vice, Nicholas Britell is my favorite composer working today.

 

A @Alpha

 

 

Barry Jenkins is the real deal. My word @Telemachos

 

[MOVIEGUY]

3 minutes ago, CoolEric258 said:

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

Dumbass parents too. Yeah keep cranking 'em out Jim, don't wear a rubber or anything it's not like the world's taken over by spider-aliens trying to eat your stupid noisy kids.

[Ezen Baklattan]

I was worried Beale Street wouldn’t make it!!

[LonePirate]

I’m quite surprised #9 made this list as it is not the type of movie one would normally associate with the rank and file BOT poster. Between it and the two preceding films in the list, it looks like the BOT movie lovers showed up to vote this year. 

 

So far, this has been a solid list of films for 2018, with only a couple of head scratchers appearing.

[grim22]

#8

 

Spoiler

BLACK PANTHER

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest superhero movie of all time (domestic) finds its way onto the list. A movie which served as a cultural touchstone in addition to making it to the Best Picture nominees, it definitely deserves it's spot on the list.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

LONG LIVE THE KING 

I'll try to keep this spoiler free 

What can I say ? this is on hell of an entertaining movie ( Marvel is getting too good at this )  . Boseman just exudes charisma , no really, this man can make a silent movie look fun . MBJ is so great and so is his role too  

here is one thing I can think of about the movie that is not positive ( or negative ), it doesn't seem like it is set in the MCU , somehow it feels like it's an independent movie . The connection doesn't flow naturally IMO ( then again this was also the case with Dr. Strange )

Over all it a very exhilarating movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat for the significant majority of the time but I gotta say this is not ground breaking ( and I'm talking about the movie itself not it's implications on the world of movie making ) I think it is on par with Winter Soldier IMO which makes it one of the top marvel movies . 

4.5/5  @BardCrank

 

For me, it ranks up in the Top 5 of the MCU. The nation of Wakanda is surprisingly captivating and the history behind is nothing short of fascinating. All the actors do fantastic jobs in their roles. Boseman is great in the lead and Michael B. Jordan creates one of the most compelling Comic-Book villains I've ever seen. The supporting players add a lot to the film as well. From Shuri who is one of my new favorite supporting characters in the MCU to Okoye, who is simply put badass, they all bring their A-game. The action may not be the best ever put on screen but its done very well here. Its still exciting and many of the setpieces are hugely entertaining. (Don't get me started on the amazing soundtrack, song, and score-wise).

 

For me, the film didn't feel like an action movie or your typical Marvel movie. It felt like a big-budget drama with action setpieces sprinkled throughout and you know what? I'm completely fine with that. I'll take a well-developed, interesting story with great characters and emotional conflict over action any day (although this film has both drama and action in spades so no complaints here).

 

I do have some minor complaints that didn't really affect my overall experience. Jordan is a great villain but near the beginning, he felt slightly under-utilized. His beginning introduction is genuinely great but then he disappears for like 40 minutes or so. Not a glaring issue since he's focused on very well in the second half. I just wished there was more of him. Also, the CGI in a few places looked a little unfinished. The scene in the climax where T'Challa and Killmonger were falling and fighting in the air did harken back to the Spider-Man and Venom fight scene from Spider-Man 3. Although I think the scene looked a lot better here than it did in that film, it still looked a little weir.

 

I always go into each Marvel movie extremely hyped out of my mind to see them. Lately, they've been solid/good but none of them have really met high expectations. They've mostly been hanging in that 6-8 rank range for me. I can gladly say that this was the first in a long time to have exceeded my expectations. To me, it ranks up there with the first Iron Man, the first Guardians, Winter Soldier, and the first Avengers as one of my favorites of the MCU. It truly deserves all the praise it gets and I cannot wait for Infinity War.

9/10 @Rorschach

 

 

 

[ZeeSoh]

A Quiet Place is like a more serious and horror-y version of Mars Attack. Both movies have aliens attacking Earth, aliens who have a weakness to certain type/frequency of sound. 

[MOVIEGUY]

2 minutes ago, ZeeSoh said:

A Quiet Place is like a more serious and horror-y version of Mars Attack. Both movies have aliens attacking Earth, aliens who have a weakness to certain type/frequency of sound. 

Quiet Place doesn't hold a candle 

 

[grim22]

#7

 

Spoiler

THE FAVOURITE

 

 

 

 

 

Historical costume dramas are dime a dozen during awards season, so it was definitely surprising to see this take on the entire period. More a dark comedy like All About Eve than an actual out and out drama, The Favourite was a good watch. The performances were great across the board and it was surprising how natural everything felt in the movie.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

 

A delightful dark comedy about power plays in early 1700s British politics with an All About Eve twist. I was surprised by how genuinely hilarious this was at times: the script is filled with hilarious one-liners and other quirks (that strange dance between Rachel Weisz and Joe Alwyn might be the hardest I’ve laughed all year). The biggest asset is its trio of central performances: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone (in a role that takes a dark turn previously unseen by the actress), and Rachel Weisz all deserve the awards love coming their way (kudos as well to a never better Nicholas Hoult). Like Love & Friendship from a few years ago, this is a period piece for those seeking something spicier from such a usually stuffy genre. A @filmlover

 

8/10, A-

Barry Lyndon on speed - very entertaining and, like in Barry Lyndon, nice camerawork and superb light; I could have done without some of the postmodernist frill,  I thought the "story" was strong enough to stand on its own but of course most of the audience liked the gags. @IndustriousAngel

 

 

[DAR]

Wish they were higher, but glad Leave No Trace and Blindspotting got enough love.

[grim22]

#6

 

Spoiler

ROMA

 

 

 

 

 

USER REVIEWS:

 

 

Really liked this. Thought it was very good. Predictable, and lags a bit towards the end, but such a sweet story. And beautiful to watch. A @Deja23

 

 

Fantastic! Absolutely powerful. Cuaron's best film by a big margin.

10/10 @FantasticBeasts

 

Lordy, what a movie @Telemachos

 

 

[DAR]

Wished I liked Roma more.   Just didn't connect with me

[grim22]

#5

 

Spoiler

BLACKKKLANSMAN

 

 

 

Spike Lee is back. A timely movie with a gut punch of an ending including great performances by Washington and Driver (and even Topher Grace). Watch it if you haven't, just remember it will make you hate the current landscape.

 

USER REVIEWS

 

 

It’s a pretty powerful movie, that’s entertaining in the build up, and then has some really harrowing parts to it.  Incredibly well done, and surprisingly tame (prior to the last sequence) in its commentary.  It doesn’t bash on cops, but recognizes there’s major issues that need to be addressed.

 

It does a great job at tying Trump’s rhetoric and showing how similar it was to messages from the KKK.  It also does a good job at highlighting more subtle racism in a movie focused on an overtly racist group.

 

Im wondering how necessary the ending sequence was.  On one hand, it was very effective, relevant and powerful.  It definitely gut punched me more than anything in the film.  On the other hand, it feels a little out of place from a technical filmmaking perspective, it may have been more of a preaching to the choir moment.  Overall, I’m glad it was included, I’ve just tended to think some of the more powerful statements against Trump are the ones where you make the connection without even having to bring him up.  In other words, it felt like the film was trying to connect the dots for you instead of leaving them there for you to connect yourself.

 

Then again, maybe we do need a clear message and not a hidden one.  It was refreshing and poignant.

 

One of Spike Lee’s best, and more focused movies imo.  A- @The Panda

 

With BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee delivers his most electrifying film in more than a quarter-century. In adapting Ron Stallworth’s memoir of experiences that prove truth to be far stranger than fiction, Lee crafts an extremely entertaining dramedy that also keeps a keen eye on parallels between its period setting and today’s racial and political tensions. Lee walks the line between effective comedy and searing drama so well that no tone shift feels inorganic and the film succeeds in being enjoyable, riveting, and moving all at once. Despite knowing that Stallworth will survive, the narrative is still packed with surprises and genuine white-knuckle tension as it approaches its climax. Despite taking some slight creative liberties (including setting the film several years earlier than the true events it depicts), it remains true to the spirit of Stallworth’s story and makes razor-sharp eviscerations of the irrationality and misguided volatility that undergirds racist ideology; it successfully portrays the organization alluded to in the title as both hilariously inept in their blind hatred and dangerous in the violent proclivities of their most unstable and radicalized members. There’s also a virtuoso sequence that cross-cuts between “power” chants at a white supremacist faux “baptism” and a Black Student Union meeting that does a sublime job of differentiating the former’s desire to deny power to others from the latter’s cry for recognizing power that racists have long tried to deny them. In front of the camera, John David Washington radiates charisma in the title role; his swagger and screen presence are reminiscent of those of his accomplished father. As his physical surrogate, Adam Driver does the most dramatically and comedically effective work of his career to date; the two actors share such excellent chemistry with one another that their characters’ seamless collaboration in the film feels natural. Little-known Jasper Paakkonen does chilling work as an especially volatile white supremacist who constantly ups the narrative’s dramatic stakes. Topher Grace also contributes revelatory work as an organization leader who remains active and dangerous today; he succeeds in couching reprehensible rhetoric in a deceptively affable tone, and his humiliation in his final (dramatized) scene feels cathartic. Viewers are bound to be split on the film’s nonfiction coda – which stitches together footage of the Charlottesville tragedy and the president’s “both sides” response – but I found it to be a fitting reminder of the continued resonance of the film’s themes and the need to continue to combat white supremacism in all its forms. As both unconventional entertainment and a pointed repudiation of past and present racist rhetoric, BlacKkKlansman is an incredible accomplishment that – for my money – surpasses even the likes of Get Out, Mudbound, and Sorry to Bother You as the most powerful cinematic statement for black empowerment and against the present resurgence of racism at the highest level of political power.

 

A @Webslinger

 

[grim22]

Before the top 4, here's the top 35 with points - nothing really ran away from the pack. Lots of votes distributed among lots of movies.

 

1		804
2		734
3		714
4		704
5	Blackkklansman	686
6	Roma	672
7	The Favourite	663
8	Black Panther	622
9	If Beale Street Could Talk	616
10	Blindspotting	603
11	Leave No Trace	567
12	A Quiet Place	563
13	Love, Simon	550
14	Hereditary	546
15	Widows	540
16	Paddington 2	509
17	Eighth Grade	493
18	A Simple Favor	473
19	Bohemian Rhapsody	468
20	Incredibles 2	465
21	Game Night	464
22	Avengers: Infinity War	455
23	Crazy Rich Asians	455
24	First Reformed	436
25	Searching	421
26	Annihilation	406
27	The Ballad of Buster Scruggs	396
28	Sorry to Bother You	392
29	You Were Never Really Here	373
30	Shoplifters	371
31	First Man	371
32	Can You Ever Forgive Me?	358
33	Suspiria	353
34	The Hate U Give	349
35	Burning	348

[MOVIEGUY]

No Buster Scruggs =( SHAME

[Plain Old Tele]

Dang, 26-35 😢

[Mulder]

>Annihilation didn't make it

 

🙃

[DAR]

4 minutes ago, grim22 said:

Before the top 4, here's the top 35 with points - nothing really ran away from the pack. Lots of votes distributed among lots of movies.

 

1		804
2		734
3		714
4		704
5	Blackkklansman	686
6	Roma	672
7	The Favourite	663
8	Black Panther	622
9	If Beale Street Could Talk	616
10	Blindspotting	603
11	Leave No Trace	567
12	A Quiet Place	563
13	Love, Simon	550
14	Hereditary	546
15	Widows	540
16	Paddington 2	509
17	Eighth Grade	493
18	A Simple Favor	473
19	Bohemian Rhapsody	468
20	Incredibles 2	465
21	Game Night	464
22	Avengers: Infinity War	455
23	Crazy Rich Asians	455
24	First Reformed	436
25	Searching	421
26	Annihilation	406
27	The Ballad of Buster Scruggs	396
28	Sorry to Bother You	392
29	You Were Never Really Here	373
30	Shoplifters	371
31	First Man	371
32	Can You Ever Forgive Me?	358
33	Suspiria	353
34	The Hate U Give	349
35	Burning	348

[That One Girl]

Just now, Mulder said:

>Annihilation didn't make it

 

🙃

 

First Man apparently didn't either.  What film am I missing that made the top 4?  I know there's Fallout, ASIB, and Spider-Verse, but I can't think of anything else that would be up there.  Unless he's trolling, which is likely

[Jake Gittes]

27-32 are better than most movies above 'em.