The Best 2018 Movies I Saw

2018 had many great and not so great movies. This article is about the movies I enjoyed from 2018 and why I think they're worth watching. Of course, I didn't see every movie from 2018 so if some really great movies are missing from the article I apologize. The movies listed are arranged in order of release, not in order of any ranks/preferences. Remember that these are only my opinions so if you don't agree with every movie in this post that's alright.

Black Panther

Black Panther was a cultural phenomenon when it released. With Ryan Coogler as director and fantastic performances from Michael B Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, and pretty much the rest of the cast, it's even been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Black Panther was also very different from other MCU movies. One big difference was that the villain's motive and reasons for what he was doing made sense and were enough to resonate with characters and audience members alike. Usually, MCU villains are just carrying out their evil plot for selfish reasons, but in this movie, Killmonger was doing what he believed was beneficial for his people. His beliefs were almost heroic that they even ended up changing T'Challa's views.

Game Night

Game Night is a fun and enjoyable movie. When the murder mystery suddenly turns out to be a real kidnapping the couples must work together to save their host from the shady dealings he's caught up in.

Love, Simon

I'll be honest, at first, I didn't see Love, Simon cause I thought it wasn't my kind of movie, but after a few friends really recommended it I decided to give it a chance. What I discovered was a beautiful coming out and coming of age story, one that can definitely resonate with teenagers going through the same or a similar situation as Simon and maybe help them. Hopefully, it also teaches other teens to be more accepting and/or kinder to friends or classmates going through the same thing.

Ready Player One

I never read the book by Ernest Cline that this movie is based on but my best friend told me that this movie didn't do the book justice at all. That aside Steven Spielberg made an enjoyable movie filled with pop-culture references from the '80s and from today. After the death of the eccentric and intelligent James Halliday, creator of a virtual reality called the OASIS, a video message reveals that he will transfer his life fortune and ownership of the OASIS to the first person to find a hidden Easter egg. Teenager Wade Watts is determined to find the Easter egg with the help of his old friends and a new ally.

A Quiet Place

John Krasinski gave us a different, original take on the horror genre with A Quiet Place. With the lack of dialogue, the slightest loud sound was enough to make the whole theatre jump. Plus it had great performances from Emily Blunt and even the young child actors. In a post-apocalyptic future, most of humanity has been killed by sightless creatures, with indestructible armour and hypersensitive hearing, that kill anything that makes a sound. The movie follows the Abbott family who has adapted their lifestyle in order to survive.

Avengers: Infinity War

Being the culmination of ten years of movies, the Russo brothers had their work cut out for them, and I'm glad to say that they did an amazing job bringing together almost everyone and everything from all previous eighteen movies. Die-hard fans of the MCU would be pleased with all the references and callbacks to the previous movies but they weren't too significant to stop regular moviegoers from enjoying the film. That is until the sad ending. Which is another thing that makes the movie so different: the villain won. But of course, the Russo brothers said that this would be Thanos's movie providing us with his backstory. Much like Killmonger, Thanos was also doing what he believed was right for the entire universe. We were able to see where Thanos was coming from and realize that he wasn't completely wrong but he wasn't completely right either, he was basically doing the wrong thing for the right reason.

Deadpool 2

Topping the first Deadpool movie was a challenge but Ryan Reynolds and director David Leitch did an amazing job with it. The movie was filled with pop-culture references, fourth wall breaks, gore, violence, tropes, and all kinds of humour, so basically everything the first one did but with a new story and new jokes. When a cyborg soldier from the future, Cable, comes to the present to kill an angry orphaned teenage mutant, Russell, Deadpool puts together the X-Force to protect the boy and in the process discovers what it means to be a hero and to have a family.

Hereditary

Following the passing of her estranged mother, Annie Graham begins to unravel the dark secret of her ancestry as her son and daughter begin to suffer from their sinister inheritance. Hereditary is a different kind of horror movie, one that really makes you think. Not to mention the amazing performance by Toni Collete that definitely deserves an Oscar nomination.

Incredibles 2

It took fourteen years but we finally got a sequel to Brad Bird's film we all loved so much. And Bird managed to recapture what we all loved about the first one while telling a new story picking up exactly where the first one left off. After dealing with the Underminer, the Parr family are forced to relocate. Lying low they are approached by a rich businessman who wants to make superheroes adored again. However, his plan features Elastigirl to be the face of the campaign, turning Mr. Incredible (Bob) into a stay-at-home dad. This proves to be a stressful challenge for him especially when Jack-Jack's powers start to manifest.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

After the emotional ending of Infinity War Ant-Man and the Wasp was a breath of fresh air. It's a movie that was all about reminding us how funny MCU movies are. It also introduced us to the Quantum Realm which might play a big part in Avengers: Endgame. Father-daughter duo Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne are determined to rescue their wife/mom, Janet, who has been trapped in the Quantum Realm for around thirty years. To do so they once again recruit Scott Lang, who has been under house arrest following his breach of the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. But this time Scott is not alone in the fight as the Ant-Man as Hope joins him as the Wasp. Together they go up against a new enemy, Ghost, who has the ability to phase through solid matter.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Tom Cruise returned to the role of Ethan Hunt to give us one of the best action movies ever. What more can I say?

Hot Summer Nights

Set in a small town in the '90s , Hot Summer Nights tells the story of a shy, introverted kid who goes from being a nobody to being the biggest weed dealer in town over the course of his summer vacation. He teams up with the town's local weed dealer and manages to transform his business from a side job to earn extra cash into a sustainable career.

BlacKkKlansman

To be honest I went into this film not knowing what it was about. I expected that I wouldn't like it at all but it was an awesome movie based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department, who manages to infiltrate the KKK.

A Star is Born

For a directorial debut, Bradley Cooper did a great job with this remake. Lady Gaga gave a great performance and well I never knew Bradley Cooper could sing and that too really well. A Star Is Born is the modern retelling of an upcoming sensational singer, Ally, and the downfall of an alcoholic has-been, Jack, who helped Ally launch her career.

Bad Times at the El Royale

I know many people disliked this movie but I always enjoyed noir films and the non-linear storytelling approach as you get to put together the pieces yourself. The El Royale is a forgotten hotel right on the border of California and Nevada. One day four guests check-in, each hiding a secret. Over the course of that night, each person's secret is revealed as well as the dark truth behind the mysterious hotel. The movie had great potential but the problem was in its underwhelming ending.

Halloween

After forty years we finally got another good Halloween movie. Jamie Lee Curtis gave a great performance as an older Laurie who has been haunted by Michael Myers for four decades and has been preparing for his return ever since. This long-needed sequel did a great job reminding us what made John Carpenter's original so great while also telling its own story.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Even though Bohemian Rhapsody wasn't historically accurate it was still an enjoyable movie thanks to the inclusion of some of the best songs of Queen and the unforgettable Live Aid performance ending the film. Above all of that Rami Malek's amazing performance as Freddie Mercury was completely on point. Malek did a spectacular job capturing what made Freddie Mercury such a memorable performer.

Anna and the Apocalypse

A Christmas, zombie musical is definitely a first. The movie follows Anna and her friends as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse two days before Christmas. It's a fun genre mashup that has something for everyone, from cafeteria musical numbers that remind you of High School Musical to the gore of teenagers killing zombies.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I don't even know where to begin with this movie, it was just amazing, spectacular and incredible. The story was a beautiful tale of self-discovery, family and friendship, the characters were relatable and the animation made it look like a comic book come to life. One day teenager Miles Morales wakes up with superpowers and becomes the Spider-Man of his reality. He teams up with five counterparts from different realities as they fight to protect the multiverse.

Aquaman

I think we all have to agree no one expected Aquaman to be the hit it is. Jason Mamoa gave us a great performance of the character who was usually considered a joke in the comics of DC. Not to mention director James Wan embracing the cheesiness of the character to give us a great movie. Plus the tone was lighter and more jovial than all the other DCEU films which really made it more enjoyable.

Do you agree or disagree with any of these movies? Are there other 2018 movies you really enjoyed and think are worth watching for me? Feel free to state your views in the comments.