Patrick Howard’s Top 10 Films of 2018

Here is my list, in order of preference, with each title hyperlinked to my review, if such a review exists, or to the movie’s page on IMDb, if I did not review (though I include a short capsule if that is the case).

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Brimming with heart, absurdity, and an innovative and surreal animation style, this is a Spider-Man story that is destined to become a classic among fans of the web-slinger. The film juggles multiple characters, a new visual aesthetic, wacky antics, genuine pathos, and clever action and still miraculously makes it to the top as the best film of the year.
2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
3. Sorry to Bother You
4. Incredibles 2: 14 years after the release of the first Incredibles film, Brad Bird and the brilliant minds of Pixar Studios return to the animated universe of outlawed superheroes and dastardly criminal minds as if they never left. The action is bigger and the family drama of the super family, The Parrs, is even more relatable and poignant than before.
5. Hostiles
6. Black Panther: A Marvel film that never once squanders its potential. Michael B. Jordan is chilling as the film’s lead antagonist Erik Killmonger, and his journey to rediscover his roots evokes relevant and understandable issues of colonialism, slavery, and other types of oppression thrusted upon the African and African-American communities.
7. Annihilation: A challenging and appropriately frustrating portrait of human depression. The tone of the story transcends the definition of “somber.” By the one-hour mark, it latches onto the viewer like a sickness and won’t let go until the end credits roll.
8. First Man: Surprisingly mellow and more reflective than your average biopic. The handheld cinematography by Linus Sandgren heightens the drama of Neil Armstrong’s personal life and grounds the nail-biting tension of the Apollo 11 mission.
9. Bad Times at the El Royale
10. A Motion Selfie

Patrick Howard

Patrick Howard has been a cinephile since age seven. Alongside 10 years of experience in film analysis and criticism, he is a staunch supporter of all art forms and believes their influence and legacy over human culture is vital. Mr. Howard takes the time to write his own narrative stories when he can.