With the summer coming to a close, we figured we’d rank the top 10 summer films of 2018. We haven’t seen “The Meg” or “Crazy Rich Asians” yet, but we have ten great films regardless that we want to point out and give some attention to. Here we go!
Honorable Mentions: Christopher Robin; Deadpool 2; Tully; Sorry to Bother You; Ant-Man & The Wasp
10. Ocean’s 8- The follow up to Ocean’s 11, 12, & 13 was way better than it had any right to be. It was incredibly well cast, and the overall themes of the film suited each actress’ personality perfectly. A breakout star in Awkwafina, and some great supporting performances from Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, and Rihanna, along with others. An overall fun and exciting film that added some sparks into the summer.
9. Adrift- The movie about a couple being lost at sea is something we have seen before, but this one is incredibly well acted and feels realer and less cheesy than before. A great one for the genre.
8. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again- A surprisingly good sequel from a mediocre first film. Better singing, better writing, and a star-turning performance for Lily James, one of the best at the craft.
7. Incredibles 2- One of the more exciting films of the year, and certainly the summer. It was a long await for the Incredibles to return to the screen and it was an excellent one at that. And Jack-Jack? A show stealer.
6. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?- It was quite the year for documentaries with “Three Identical Strangers,” “RBG,” and “Whitney,” but the doc about the life of Mister Rogers was the most sincere and hopeful of the year.
5. Eighth Grade- Undoubtedly one of the most important films of 2018. To say that every girl from the ages of 12-18 should see this movie is not enough...this film should be seen by everyone. Bo Burnham's coming of age film is often uncomfortable, often hilarious, and often charming, and has the ability to connect with kids going through their tween years, young adults who have just escaped them, or parents who have to witness it all go down. This film is for everyone, and never before has a film of this size made my heart palpitate as rapidly as it did today. The level of stress is not brought on by suspenseful action sequences, jump scares, or natural disasters like some genre films may, but is delivered by the rawness and realness of its narrative. Every scene is a slice of life, and while there are jokes aplenty (thanks to Burnham's wildly outrageous sense of humor), these jokes come at an expense of comfortability and will often have you cringing as you reflect on your days of braces, B.O., and pimples. The true star is Elsie Fisher, who shines in every scene she's in (which is...all of them). Often, I found myself forgetting I was watching a scripted story rather than a documentary, which attests to both Burnham's spot on screenwriting as well as Fisher's precise deliveries. They are a match made in heaven, and if this is just the start of their careers in feature filmmaking, I cannot even imagine what their careers will look like when they are opening up their time capsules years from now.
4. Hereditary- So spooky, realistic, well-acted. Just horrifying, and the best horror of 2018.
3. Mission: Impossible- Fallout- The longest adrenaline rush I’ve ever experienced. Truly breathtaking in its performances, action sequences, and visuals. Tom Cruise is brilliantly insane as usual, and I never expected to be thankful for a person who caused me as much anxiety as I just experienced. But here we are. It’s no doubt that this is the best of the franchise, and I wouldn’t even be exaggerating if I called it one of the best action films of all time. Just when you think the film has reached its maximum effort, Christopher McQuarrie kicks it up a notch...and he does it again...and again...and again...until the credits roll. Hours after, and my heart is still racing. And Henry Cavill dropping a juicy f-bomb in a PG-13 flick? The cherry on top. Bravo.
2. Avengers: Infinity War- I’ve said my piece about this film. Look back at several lists for my thoughts. It’s an incredible accomplishment for Marvel and the superhero genre in general. Brilliant job.
1. BlacKkKlansman- I just saw this last night so it’s fresh on my brain. One of the best films I’ve seen in a while. The acting performances are a highlight, but there are so many great themes of social commentary as well as humor throughout. Spike Lee hasn’t made a landmark film in a while, but this one joins Malcolm X and Do The Right Thing as his best. And the epilogue will be talked about for years to come, and brings a silence and shock factor to the film that will leave you shivering in fury and sadness. Incredible.
With the summer coming to a close, we figured we’d rank the top 10 summer films of 2018. We haven’t seen “The Meg” or “Crazy Rich Asians” yet, but we have ten great films regardless that we want to point out and give some attention to. Here we go!