Every once in a while a film comes along that truly captures your imagination.  For me, Annihilation is that film. It was released in February and has occupied my #1 spot since then.  10 months later, I’m still thinking about certain aspects of this film. To me, that’s the trademark of a film that has really had an impact on me.  Annihilation was directed by Andrew Garland, who directed the equally fantastic Ex Machina. As studios are apt to do, they didn’t love Garland’s vision for the film and decided dump it on Netflix after a brief theatrical release.  I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen and I’m glad I did. Annihilation is one of the more visually stunning films of the year. The film features two standout moments for me. Annihilation isn’t for everyone, but I refuse to spoil things for those who might be interested.  All I will say is that one scene involves a bear and the other is the ending. Oh, boy, the ending. It’s easily one of the most trippy, thought-provoking endings you will ever see in a film. If you’re in the mood for something different, enter The Shimer at your own risk.

A Quiet Place is another film that was released early in the year that stayed high on my list all year.  If you haven’t seen A Quiet Place yet, I’m not sure what you’ve been doing all year. The film is one of the more unique thrillers I’ve seen in years. In short, aliens have come to Earth. The catch? They are blind as a bat but have super good hearing. You make a noise, you’re dead. It’s that simple.  A Quiet Place does more with silence than I’ve ever seen in a film. Director John Krasinski (yes, Jim from The Office) has crafted a master’s class in building tension.  John Krasinski also stars in the film alongside his real life wife, Emily Blunt. The film is really a story about parenthood and at what lengths parents will go to protect their family. Blunt is fantastic as usual and my hope is that her performance is remembered come Oscar night. The Sandra Bullock film Bird Box was just released on Netflix and is getting a lot of people talking.  A Quiet Place tops it in every way.

Has a director ever had a more successful directorial debut?  Bradley Cooper has created a film that has been universally praised by audiences and critics alike.  It’s easy to see why. The film is packed with some fantastic original songs and the actors are all on top of their game. Lady Gaga gives a career defining performance and is almost unrecognizable as a struggling singer who is plucked from her life as a waitress and thrust into the limelight next to a country superstar.  The story and themes of A Star is Born is something we’ve seen before (literally, this is the 4th version of the film) but Cooper has taken such care with every aspect of the production that it feels fresh.  If you haven’t seen A Star is Born yet, change that as soon as possible.

Green Book is one of the more crowd-pleasing films I’ve seen in a long time.  It’s the kind of film Hollywood used to pump out all the time but that we just aren’t getting anymore.  Green Book tells the true story of a bouncer from the Bronx, played by Viggo Mortensen, who is hired to be the driver of an African-American classical pianist, played by Mahershala Ali, on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. Ali and Mortensen are both fantastic and deserving of any awards that come their way. Their chemistry on screen was so great that I could have easily watched another hour of them together. The film is actually surprisingly funny and it gets a lot of laughs out of the oddball pairing of Mortensen’s bullish Italian goomba and Ali’s prim and proper musician. Many will complain that Green Book is too often playing for Oscars, but I don’t care.  Great is great and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film this satisfyingly entertaining for a wide audience.

If The Favourite isn’t a perfect film, then it’s pretty darn close.  From the acting, to the direction from Yorgos Lanthimos, whom might just be the most unique voice in Hollywood right now, to the score, to the set and costume design.  Everything in this film is just perfectly crafted. Yorgos Lanthimos is known for some pretty weird films (Dogtooth, The Lobster, Killing of Sacred Deer) but The Favourite is easily his most mainstream, accessible film, it also might just be his best.  The film is highlighted by a trifecta of powerhouse female performances. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz play cousins jockeying for the affection of the Queen, played beautifully by Olivia Colman. Stone and Weisz give two of the better performances of the year.  I haven’t seen barbs this sharp traded so deliciously since Mean Girls. Lanthimos has taken the typically stuffy period piece and infused it with life. He employs the use of fisheye lenses, tracking shots and steady cams that follow the actors to give the film a fresh, unique feel. The Favourite is also a very timely film.  In a period when men ruled the world and women were considered second class citizens, it’s very interesting to see a woman in power ruling over men.

Mission: Impossible is the rare movie franchise that actually got better as it was going along.  I was never a big fan of the first film and the 2 subsequent sequels were average at best. Then Ghost Protocol happened and put the franchise on another level, followed by the thrilling Rogue Nation.  That being said, Fallout is in a class of its own. It tops the previous installments in every way and is easily the best action film since Mad Max: Fury Road and it might just be one of the best action films in decades.  The last three MI films continue to add fresh faces. Rebecca Ferguson was added in Rogue Nation and the chemistry she has with Tom Cruise is fantastic. The franchise also isn’t afraid to subtract when necessary, Jeremy Renner, anyone?  I know a lot of people don’t like Tom Cruise, but one thing even his detractors can’t take away from him is his dedication to his craft. No other actor puts as much into a role as Tom Cruise. He’s easily the greatest action star of all-time and I for one would love to see a few more films in this franchise.

Hereditary is not the traditional horror film the trailer made it out to be.  It’s much more of a thriller and it’s easily one of the more unsettling films of the year.  There is some imagery in Hereditary that I will never get out of my head. Toni Collette absolutely commands the screen as a grieving mother who is starting to come apart at the seams.  These are the kinds of horror/thriller films we need more of. Films that have something to say and aren’t just trying to scare you with jump scares. The main gripe many people have with the film is the ending, but I completely loved it.  If you haven’t seen Hereditary yet and you’re into the horror/thriller genre, you have to change that ASAP.

The first Rocky film I ever saw was Rocky IV, so that film is especially near and dear to my heart.  It wasn’t until years later that I realized that many people don’t consider it a very good film. People think it’s cheesy and silly.   My answer to that is, of course it is! It’s an 80’s movie and that is honestly part of what makes Rocky IV so great. Rocky literally ends the Cold War! Anyway, because of my love for Rocky IV, it was natural for me to be hyped for Creed II, where Adonis squares off against the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father.  Creed II doesn’t disappoint and actually surprised me quite a bit with its strong themes about fathers and sons. We end up seeing a human side to Ivan Drago, which I thought was really great. Michael B. Jordan had a fantastic year with Creed II and his amazing performance as Killmonger in Black Panther. He’s truly one of the best young actors working today. I also can’t forget about Stallone, who takes a very understated, yet crucial role in both of the Creed films.  I’m not sure where else the franchise can go, but I can tell you I will be ring side.

Overlord is one of those films I had no interest in seeing after watching the trailer.  It looked like another one of those cheesy horror films that was going to be bursting at the seams with cliches.  Well, the trailer did not do the film justice in the least. In fact, the film is much more of a straight war film than it is a horror film. Overlord is easily some of the most fun I had at the movies all year. It’s a shame that even with the schlocky trailer that was aimed at the mainstream horror fanbase, nobody went to see the film, which means we probably won’t get any sequels. Overlord also features one of the more intense openings I’ve seen in a film since Saving Private Ryan. That’s saying something. If you like war films and aren’t afraid of something a little different, give Overlord a shot when it becomes available for rent.

When it comes to movies, sometimes looks can be deceiving.  One aspect that makes Tully so great is something I don’t want to spoil.  All I will say is that on the surface, Tully looks like your standard comedy about the tropes of movie motherhood, but it’s so much more than that.  What I can say is that Charlize Theron gives another career-defining performance. It’s a shame the film came out so long ago because people have forgotten about her performance here, making an Oscar nod an impossibility.  I think at times it’s almost taboo for a woman to admit that being a mother is not always easy. Theron captures the ups and downs of being a mother and the film in general captures the monotony of motherhood to perfection.

BlacKkKlansman tells the impossible, but true story of an African-American police officer who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. The film is directed by Spike Lee, and is easily his best film in over a decade. John David Washington (Denzel’s son) instantly solidifies himself as an actor to watch. I had no idea Denzel even had a son who was acting until I saw this film. It’s hard not to see his dad sometimes.  The cast is rounded out by Adam Driver, who is fast becoming one of the more reliable actors Hollywood has to offer. BlacKkKlansman is one of the more unique films of the year and easily the most timely. It’s sad that a film about the Ku Klux Klan can be considered timely, but that’s the sad truth. Spike Lee doesn’t shy away from mixing in some of the current instances of racism that is still plaguing us as a society.

You know, a funny thing happened when I was putting together this list of my favorite films of 2018 - Game Night wasn’t on it.  I started looking at some of the films I had seen and it was clear to me that I just loved Game Night way more than some of them, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be on my list.  Too often comedies are overlooked for lists such as these, and that’s a shame because my family and I had a blast while watching Game Night. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams have fantastic chemistry and the cast in general is really strong.  Jesse Plemons steals the film as a creepy next door neighbor cop. Good major studio comedies have all but disappeared from Hollywood. Most R rated comedies rely too much on raunchy gross-out humor, Game Night doesn't fall into that trap. It's easily the funniest pure comedy I've seen in a few years with laughs throughout.

Boy Erased is not an easy watch and the fact that the film takes place in the relative present time and not in the 50’s is an even sadder commentary on our current society. Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird) plays a teen forced into gay conversion therapy by his religious parents, played to perfection by Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.  Boy Erased is directed by Joel Edgerton, who also directed The Gift, which I adore. The subject matter here is heavy, but it’s an important film that feels even more timely today.