The (Almost) Top Ten Films of 2018

My 2018 in review continues this week as I countdown the 10 movies that almost made my top 10 films of 2018 list. Last year, I saw a personal best 105 movies. I still have a few blind spots, but I’m comfortable enough to assemble my year-end lists.

For my official Top Ten Films of 2018, subscribe to the GoodTrash GenreCast on iTunes, Stitcher or anywhere podcasts are found (except Spotify). Our annual “best of” show will drop at the end of January. It gives Dustin time to watch more movies. But, while we wait, here are some of the movies that missed the list.

You can also find my 2018 Hidden Gems here.

Just Missing the Mark

I watched a lot of good movies in 2018, and as such, I want to give you plenty of content to go check out. So, real quick, here are the films that took up the 20-30 spots on my best of list. *Titles with podcast episodes or reviews (from me or other contributors) are linked

30. Mandy

29. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

28. Can You Ever Forgive Me

27. Wildlife

26. Eighth Grade

25. Sorry to Bother You

24. Blockers

23. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

22. Three Identical Strangers

21. BlackKklansman

The (Almost) Top Ten Films of 2018

20. Widows

Steve McQueen’s follow up to 12 Years a Slave isn’t quite the movie one would expect, especially considering his complete filmography. His movies have mostly tackled heavy thematic material. When it was announced he was doing a genre piece, my ears perked up. Couple that with a screenplay from novelist Gillian Flynn, my excitement doubled. Widows is a taut, nuanced thriller with an ensemble of women who know how to act. Viola Davis leads a crew of widows who need to make some quick money by pulling off a heist. McQueen brings his artistic style and conventions to a classic genre piece and helps elevate it to new heights. It’s a quality piece that deserves to be seen.

19. Upgrade

When I first saw the trailers for Upgrade, I didn’t know what to expect. It looked fun, but it still could have gone really bad. Thankfully, Leigh Whannell’s sophomore directorial effort is a smash hit. As some have said, it’s the Venom movie we deserved. Featuring dynamic, well-composed fight sequences that lean heavily into the films high concept, Upgrade is a refreshing action/horror entry. In another fun Venom parallel, the film is lead by a strong performance by Logan Marshall-Green (who many say is a Tom Hardy doppelganger). These elements combine into one of the most entertaining, enjoyable films of the year.

18. The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

Before he passed, Shandling gave his diaries and journals to producer/director/friend Judd Apatow. Apatow uses these diaries as a way of forming this near 5-hour trip into the mind of Shandling. The film, set up in two parts on HBO, is an immersive deep dive that tracks Shandling’s life and legacy from his childhood to his passing. It not only explores his accomplishments, but also his impact and investigates Shandling’s own personal dealings and struggles with his fame and failures. It’s an emotional journey that seeks to really examine the mind of a troubled comedic genius who was never satisfied.

17. Minding the Gap

Starting off as a boys-will-be-boys look at three skateboarding youths, Bing Liu’s feature documentary debut soon becomes an examination of masculinity and cycles of violence across middle- and lower-class homes. It’s an intimate examination of self and those nearby. Minding the Gap seeks to understand how people are shaped. It seems innocent enough, but that draws you into a richer, emotional examination that isn’t as easy as we’d like. Bittersweet and beautiful, Minding the Gap is a quick watch and is available on Hulu. Expect this one to be nominated for the Oscar, and is possibly the strongest contender outside the Mr. Rogers Juggernaut Won’t You Be My Neighbor.

16. You Were Never Really Here

Powerful, subversive, tragic—You Were Never Really Here is a poetic take on the tired old-man vigilante genre. Joaquin Phoenix brings a lot of exhaustion and sadness to his weary hitman. Lynne Ramsey never shows us the things we expect. Instead, she directs us to understand the trauma and turmoil that weigh upon Phoenix’s Joe. This is as much a meditation on violence and trauma as it is a revenge film. It’s graceful, gorgeous and guttural.

15. Suspiria

A muted, macabre machination that echoes the familiar terms of Dario Argento’s horror classic while reshaping them for a new era. It’s not so much a retelling but a re-imagining of Argento’s work. The film slowly sets the stage for the horrors to come and the ratchets up the tension for the viewer and Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson). The players in Guadagnino’s iteration get a lot more story, and every element is much more fleshed out. With Tilda Swinton tackling multiple roles, the film is here playground. Suspiria ends in a nightmare-fueled dreamscape that ups the ante and cements this as one of the most fascinating pieces this year.

14. The Wife

This movie came out of nowhere for me. I saw it opened here earlier this year, and quietly it went away. Then, following Close’s Golden Globe nomination, it showed back up and I was able to make it out. I’m glad I did. This quiet, small scale film took me by surprise. Lead by Close’s powerhouse performance, The Wife takes a simple husband and wife story and fills it full of retrospective and emotions. A character that has been quiet for too long is at the center of this story which takes place over the course of a few days. It juxtaposes a point of celebration with great character drama. It’s a movie for those who revel in great acting.

13. A Star is Born

One of the biggest, and one my most anticipated films of the year was A Star is Born. Look, I watch a lot of movies, and I somehow missed that this was a remake. Scratch that, this is the fourth remake of this story. It gets updated every other decade or so but the story remains the same. Old star and young ingénue cross paths and romance blossoms. It’s an old, old story, but in the hands of first-time director, multi-time actor Bradley Cooper, it works. It dives deeply into some heavy themes, including addiction, but it also gave us a fantastic soundtrack—including the hit song Shallow. It’s a great debut piece from Cooper and Gaga more than holds her own. I expect this one to get a lot of Oscar love, but we’ll see what happens.

12. The Favourite

I have been vaguely aware of Yorgos Lanthimos’ work. The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer had mostly-positive receptions. But, I know that Lanthimos has a reputation for being cold and cruel and unpredictable. So, I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was getting myself in to with his riff on the stuffy period piece. Boy, was I in for a treat. The Favourite features three powerhouse performances which have sparked debates about leading/supporting roles, nonetheless Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Colman all deliver stellar performances. Lanthimos works hard to skewer the stuffiest of genres while also seeking to investigate power dynamics between gender pairings. Honestly, the movie does start to feel long around chapter 5 or 6, but I could have watched Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone go back and forth for about 10 more hours.

11. The Rider

The Rider is a wonderful look at identity and purpose. After having his passion, and thereby his identity, stripped from his, Brady (Brady Jandreau) has to figure out what’s next for his life. He tries to stay positive, but the real world keeps poking its head in. Filmed in a somewhat semi-documentary format, and featuring a real family at its core, The Rider is a unique take on the family drama and Chloé Zhao navigates it with grace and honesty. It asks hard questions and plays to the strengths of its untrained cast. The social realism adds to the weary weight of our characters and makes this one of the standouts of 2018, and nearly hit my top 10.