The fact that both films are also celebrations of diversity with people of color at their center is the cherry on top.
This remarkable sturdy type of movie -- the western of our age -- seems here to say or certainly shows no signs of fatigue.
I didn't love every superhero movie I saw this year (I'm looking at you, Deadpool 2) but i have to admit I loved most of them. And as long as filmmakers continue to take real chances with the form, storytellying, performance and visuals (I still think Thanos' walk on water at the end of Infinity War is one of the most striking images I saw all year) -- I will keep shelling out cash to see these blockbusters on the big screen.
Do I lament the loss of quality to films to streaming -- absolutely -- but we so called cinephiles have got to vote with our dollars more. Some really fantastic movies were massive flops this year: Annihilation, You Were Never Really Here, Sorry to Bother You, Boy Erased, First Reformed, Widows, Eighth Grade and First Man all either did barely any business or seriously under-performed, and that's tragic because while they were all acclaimed and somewhat risky, ambitious films, studios will likely avoid making more like them in the future.
Still, there's a lot to be hopeful about when it comes to the previous year in film -- I actually thought it was a great year for movies, even though my top 10 may be a little unconventional. There are several prestige movies I really liked like A Star Is Born, Mary Poppins Returns and If Beale Street Could Talk, some stellar documentaries that moves me to tears and surprise genre smashes like A Quiet Place and Hereditary that were near perfect as far as I was concerned.
And then there was Mandy -- a deliriously trippy movie I can't get out of my head.
But alas I had to narrow it down to the film that just moved me the most... full stop.
10) Creed II - This hit sequel may be the most underrated movie of the year. It was well-received by critics but I think unfairly unfavorably compared to the original. It was maybe the most satisfying crowd pleaser of the last half of the year, with Stallone delivering the perfect swan song for Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan cementing his status as the most charismatic leading man currently working in movies.
9) BlacKkKlansman - Spike Lee hasn't been this funny and focused in over a decade. His accessible police dramedy couldn't have been a more timely indictment of Trumpism, which of course has been with us for years (he's the symptom not the cause). It could have been an amusing modest movie, but that ending -- which draws a bright red line under the events of Charlottesville -- was one of Lee's most surprising and devastating.
8) First Man - For some reason, inexplicably, this riveting space drama about the mercurial Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling, in a great under-stated performance) failed to take off (get it). I thought it was a beautifully restrained movie, which showed that director Damian Chazelle has real range and that there was a way to make this historical material (which has been covered in previous films) can still be majestic and intense as hell.
7) Mission: Impossible Fallout - Speaking of intense as hell, the supernova Tom Cruise managed to make not just possibly the best Mission: Impossible movie, but also one of the best action movies of the decade. Wall to wall stunts are buttressed by a genuinely engrossing spy plot with some immersive camerawork, stunning locales and whip-smart editing. If awards season was just, this movie would be in the broader conversation.
6) First Reformed - An easy-to-misunderstand, intellectual work look at weight themes of religion and the environment, grounded by a career-best performance by Ethan Hawke as a priest whose faith is severely shaken by the lack of purpose and moral clarity around him. A beautifully made opus from director Paul Schrader, and a film that benefits greatly from repeat viewings.
5) Eighth Grade - One of the best, most honest coming of age movies I ever seen. Director Bo Burnham tapped into something profound about the era we're living in and yet managed to also tell a story that felt universal. Elsie Fisher, the breakout star, has a real bright future ahead of her and hopefully this movie will grow to become appreciated for the great comic joy that it is.
4) Sorry to Bother You - A wild, totally unpredictable black comic satire of corporate America from the irascible Boots Riley. Here's hoping he keeps on making strange, iconoclastic movies like this. It is a deeply strange movie, that is certainly not for everyone's tastes, but I had a blast with its funky aesthetic, untraditional narrative and horror show climax. It's a real firecracker thrown in the face of conformity.
3) Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse - No movie surprised me this year than this stunning animated miracle. This movie literally feels like it the future on screen --its one of the most dazzling, innovative and thoughtful animated films I've seen in years, it is hilariously funny, frequently moving and even more exciting than most other superhero movies. It has really raised the bar and permanently proved that 'anyone' can wear the mask and be successful. It's hard to put into words what a special movie this.
2) The Favourite - A flawless movie -- in my opinion. A uproarious satire of period movies that also feels like an homage to Stanley Kubrick at his best, boasting three unforgettable leading performances from Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and scene-stealing Olivia Coleman that all rank among the best of the year. It deserves to be a massive hit, if only audiences give it a chance. It's some kind of masterpiece.''
1) Black Panther -What can be said about this modern classic that hasn't been already said. For me the most apt comparison is 1989's Batman, which is the last time where world building, creative big budget filmmaking and a director's vision coalesced so well. It really feels like the movie of the year and an important moment in our cultural history where a so-called black film denied the odds and became the ultimate crossover success. I saw it twice in theaters, And will be watching it for many years to come. Wakanda forever!
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