With awards season concluding at the end of February, many
critics are sharing their top then lists and the Movie Sleuth is no
exception. What follows are Kyle Jonathan's top ten favorite films of
2018 and some honorable mentions.
10. You Were Never Really Here
Lynne Ramsey's lightning paced rumination on PTSD is a violent
fable that explores loss and isolation. Featuring the greatest
performance of Joaquin Phoenix's career and one of the most heartbreaking,
unexpected scenes of the year, this is a film that is sure to achieve cult
status in years to come.
Where to view: Amazon Prime
9. First Reformed
Easily Shrader's
best film and inarguably Hawke's greatest performance, this is a tempest of art
house sensibility and lamentations for neo-American society. Somber in
its presentation, dangerous in its revelations, this is an unparalleled
cinematic experience.
Where to View:
Amazon Prime
8. Hereditary
Hereditary is a malefic triumph, not of the soul, but of the
psyche; a terrible, profane mutation of the ritual of consuming cinema.
Expectations are exploited, mutilated, and ultimately obliterated under Aster's
masterful command, the yield of which is something unexpectedly terrifying and
undeniably important. If slow burn, no mercy horror films are something
you enjoy, this is the film for you, however, be warned. Once you invite
Aster and his astonishing cast and crew into your mind, there is no
escape.
Where to View: Amazon Prime
7. Hold the Dark
The dark in this tale is the unthinkable capabilities of the
human race. Underneath social mores and theological doctrines lies base,
animalistic behaviors. While some choose to embrace them, eschewing any
sense of belonging and attachment, others cling to their families, communities,
and personal ideals for respite from the dark. In Jeremy Saulnier's
latest, the darkness is very real, and like the wolves who are plaguing his
protagonist, it is waiting just beyond the door of sanity to devour any who
tread outside.
Where to View: Netflix
6. Tokyo Vampire Hotel
Madness is the
medium and flesh is the canvas during the bulk of Tokyo Vampire Hotel and
genre fans will find much to adore as they allow Sion Sono to draw them into an
insular world of immortal hatred and vague prophecy. The conclusion pulls
the viewer from the depths of limbo into the world beyond, reminding one of the
power of perception and the inherent dangers of the worlds we design around
ourselves, hoping to keep the darkness at bay. Sono is here to remind
everyone, that the darkness is already within us.
Where to View:
Amazon Prime
5. The Favourite
The Favourite is an extraordinary artistic
experience. Combining everything Yorgos Lanthimos is loved (and hated)
for with three once in a lifetime performances yields one of the most powerful
films of the year. Darkly funny, profane, and absolutely merciless, this
one is not to be missed, both by casual movie goers and the most studied film
lovers.
Where to View: Currently still in theaters.
4. The House that Jack Built
Lars Von Triers' brutal self-critique is a vulnerable masterwork
that turns the mirror upon its creator, the end result of which is one of the
bravest films ever conceived. Featuring a career best Matt Dillon as the
eponymous serial killer, what follows is a movie by movie take down of LVT's
controversial filmography, in which each film is symbolized by a brutal
murder. One of the most courageous and fascinating works of the century.
Where to View: Available for Digital Rental
3. Suspiria
Suspiria is truly special cinematic gift. Most certainly
not for everyone, this is a brooding, slow paced descent into the bowels of a
personal hell unlike anything ever committed to the screen. Beyond this
crucible is an angelic ascent, an embrace of the light that exists within each
of us. It is here, amidst the ruins of the flesh, that Luca Guadagnino
once again reminds us that he is one of the most talented artists working
today.
Where to view: Available for Digital Rental
2. Let the Corpses Tan
A lewd triumph in a
time where safe, predictable choices dominate mainstream cinema, this is a
film that will repulse many and this is part of its abrasive charm. The
wonder of this film is in how it explores the divine importance of events that
would otherwise be relegated to a Walmart five-dollar bin. Fate and even
the gods themselves are always at play in Cattet and Forzani's strange and
frightening universe and Let the Corpses Tan is their crown
jewel.
Where to view:
Available for Digital Rental
1. Mandy
Mandy is a pitch-black opus of psychedelic madness. It is
a film that will undoubtedly repulse viewers looking for any sense of a
traditional viewing experience, however, those looking for something utterly
unique will find much to treasure. A poisoned love letter to a decade out
of time that is also one of the most honest films about love and loss ever
conceived, Mandy is a masterpiece and one of the finest films of the century.
Where to view: Available for Digital Rental
Honorable Mentions
2018 was an outstanding year for cinema. Beyond the top ten, there were dozens of solid
entries, such as the Coen brothers’ nihilistic takedown of the American west, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Netflix)
and Benson and Moorehead's Lovecraftian sequel The Endless (Rental). Joseph Kahn’s social justice takedown Bodied (Youtube
Red) and Coralie Forgeat’s stellar Revenge (Rental) present two of the year’s
most social relevant offerings, while The Wild Boys(Rental), Virginia Beach
Native Leonardo Warner’s Madhouse Mecca(Rental), Bad Times at the El Royale(Rental),
BlacKKKlansman(Rental), Apostle(Netflix), and Upgrade(Rental) offer a plethora
of unique cinematic experiences.
--Kyle Jonathan