SAGindie’s Favorite Films of 2018

[UPDATED 12/21/18]

Looking back on 2018, we can’t help but think of the rollercoaster of emotions, the litany of scandals, the abundance of both gains and losses… Yes, we’re talking about MoviePass. Whether that app defined the moviegoing experience for you this year or if it was just a blip on your radar that people wouldn’t stop Tweeting about, theater attendance was nevertheless up in 2018. Thankfully, there were plenty of great films to choose from. So it’s time, of course, to think back on the best cinematic moments we had over the past twelve months.

Here are the SAGindie staff‘s FAVORITE FILMS OF 2018.

Please browse at your convenience. Maybe you’ll find a like-minded staffer of ours, or maybe you’ll get a few viewing ideas. Either way, we’ll see you in 2019 for more movies!

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Darrien’s Favorites:

Maybe not shockingly, I haven’t seen many of the movies I really wanted to see this year. I mostly saw films that my family could see with me. But here goes:

• Black Panther
• Game Night
• Love, Simon
• Sorry to Bother You
• Crazy Rich Asians
• The Hate U Give
• Destroyer
• A Quiet Place
• A Simple Favor
• (I’m just gonna list Creed II. I haven’t seen it, but…)

Eliza’s Favorites:

• Movie that I felt neutral about during, but haven’t stopped thinking about since: Burning
• Most fun movie-going experience: Knife + Heart at Cannes
• Least fun movie-going experience: Caniba
• Best movie I watched on a plane because I wasn’t going to pay to see it in a theater: Game Night
• Best movie I watched on a plane and totally would have paid to see it in a theater if I hadn’t been traveling: The Death of Stalin
• Best movie I loved in the theater and promptly forgot about until I was looking at what came out this year (a tie!): Annihilation and Isle of Dogs
• Movie I laughed the most during: A Quiet Place
• Movie that was as good as the book: You Were Never Really Here
• Movie that was nowhere near as good as the book, what happened here exactly?? (a tie!): The Sisters Brothers and Papillon
• Movie I was pleasantly surprised by (a tie!): Support the Girls and Searching
• Movie I managed to not have spoiled and the “reveal” was worth it: Sorry to Bother You
• Movie I managed to not have spoiled and the “reveal” was underwhelming: Three Identical Strangers
• Movie I haven’t seen yet and feel very guilty about: Roma
• Movies that don’t get a superlative, but that I very much enjoyed: Damsel, Monsters and Men, We the Animals, Skate Kitchen, Happy as Lazzaro, Maria by Callas, I Am Not a Witch, Creed II, Cold War

• Favorite Movie of the Year (Narrative): The Favourite
• Favorite Movie of the Year (Documentary): The Driver Is Red

• Sidebar “If I Haven’t Seen It, It’s New to Meee” “Award” for “What am I Watching, Even??”: The Hot Spot (1990)

Colin’s Favorites:

• The Rider – Did I expect to adore a movie about a sport I have no love for starring non-actors? No, but pleasant surprises sure are grand!
• First Reformed – The movie I couldn’t stop thinking about.
• Hereditary – Best theatergoing experience of the year.
• Her Smell – Give Elisabeth Moss all of your awards!
• The Favourite – Who knew a movie with so many corsets could be this weird and funny?
• Thunder Road – Bravo, Jim Cummings.
• Game Night – Best-directed studio comedy… ever? I demand a Sharon Horgan/Billy Magnussen spinoff.
• Three Identical Strangers – The winner of the “movie I recommended to the most people” award of 2018.
• Minding the Gap/Mid90s/Eighth Grade – Relive all the traumas and joys of adolescence, from doc, narrative, male, and female perspectives!
• Support the Girls – A pleasant watch where you just want to hang out with the characters.
• Unsane/Searching – Two solid thrillers that used their small budgets (and big-name stars) to their advantage.

Shefali’s Favorites:

My top films for 2018, in no particular order:

• Madeline’s Madeline
• Dead Pigs
• Sorry to Bother You
• Blindspotting
• If Beale Street Could Talk
• Bad Times at the El Royale
• Crazy Rich Asians
• The Favourite
• Skate Kitchen
• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Honorable Mentions: Eighth Grade, Hearts Beat Loud, Widows, Searching

Michael’s Favorites:

Absolute faves:

• Roma
• The Favourite
• First Reformed
• The Rider

Next level faves:

• Chained for Life
• Ghostbox Cowboy
• Thunder Road
• The Death of Stalin
• Eighth Grade
• At Eternity’s Gate

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE FILMS OF 2018?

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