Here is the first working list of the 20 most important films (excluding documentaries) of 2018, selected for their innovation, quality, & depth. Not all are considered to be “best films” per se, but instead carry the day with their cultural impact & utility for understanding the human material.
Some selections are subjectively driven, although I never ignore my objective grid to better hone the quality of my palate.
Some pack the indelible swords of emotion that leaves leaves unfurled and the test of maturity to be discovered by posterity.
Some are simply technical masterpieces of pace & direction: unbending in its resolve to piece together the prerequisite elements for artistry.
Discussion & disagreement welcome.
And so, without further ado . . .
Roma
Peterloo
First Reformed
The Other Side of the Wind
Cold War
Tully
Annihilation
Mandy
November
Eighth Grade
The Endless
We The Animals
Scarred Hearts
Blaze
First Man
Burning
Madeline’s Madeline
Wind Traces
Hereditary
Thunder Road
*list subject to change
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Vazante, You Were Never Really Here, Wildlife, The House That Jack Built, Nancy, At Eternity’s Gate, Galveston, & Happy as Lazzaro.
