The Best Films of 2018
Action & Adventure
As has been the case in other years, some of the best action and adventure has actually been in other categories. Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Rampage, and The Meg offered some really pulse-pounding action. However, even allowing for these, Mission Impossible: Fallout is one of the most well-made, riveting action and spy intrigue films ever. The chase scenes with Cruise running at breakneck speeds, the fight scenes with co-star Henry Cavill, and Cruise displaying his disregard for heights while HALO jumping or hanging from a helicopter propel this latest IMF film into the top position this year.
Fantasy
In another lackluster year for fantasy films, we give the nod to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Thank heavens Game of Thrones will be back in 2019.
Horror
While there were plenty of attempts at good horror this year, many fell flat. Did Halloween really need to be concluded again? Did The Nun prove that scary imagery isn't enough to sell a movie? And I think Hereditary wins the crown for the most over-rated film of all time. Thank goodness for the wonderfully conceived, acted, and directed A Quiet Place, my pick for the best of 2018.
Science-Fiction
2018 was a year of ambitious science-fiction films, but ambition by itself isn't enough. Annihilation, The Cloverfield Paradox, and Ready Player One, all aspired to be ground-breaking, but I didn't feel any of them really stuck the landing. Surprisingly, the best science-fiction, by my reckoning, was a smaller film that has slipped beneath much attention this year - Upgrade. This tale of a man rescued from paralysis by technology with unforeseen effects satisfied the good sci-fi requirements of mystery and an examination of the human condition better than any of the other films on the list.
Superheroes
At first blush, it might seem hard to pick a winner in the superhero category for 2018. Look at the choices - the grandeur of Black Panther, the fun of Ant-Man and the Wasp, the creativity of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, the zaniness of Deadpool 2, the gruesome glory of Venom, the welcome return of the Incredibles in Incredibles 2, and the over-the-top adventure of Aquaman. But the top spot goes to the incredible ensemble achievement of Avengers: Infinity War. The tale, long built up to, brings together a large cast of diverse characters, all well-portrayed and blended to interact with one another, in a higher than high-stakes struggle against universal armageddon. As has been stated in numerous articles, Josh Brolin's Thanos is among the best villains of all time. The film has multiple stirring heroic moments and concludes with a shock ending that hits the audience like a punch to the gut. The conclusion to its cliff-hanger ending is likely the most anticipated film of 2019.
Best of the Best for 2018
Adventure – Mission Impossible: Fallout
Fantasy – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Horror – A Quiet Place
Science-Fiction – Upgrade
Superheroes – Avengers: Infinity War
- JC