By Jason Pyles
*This column was originally printed in the January 2019 edition of The BP Times newspaper.
During 2018 more than 600 films were released in the United States. I only saw about 150 of those new releases. Therefore, while I admit that my Top 10 Movies of 2018 list isn’t exhaustive, I can assure you that the list below contains my favorite filmic experiences of the year.
10. The Clovehitch Killer – A teenage boy begins to suspect that his very own father might be an infamous serial killer who’s still at large. Is he or isn’t he? You’ll be waffling more than IHOP!
9. Bodied – Asian filmmaker Joseph Kahn’s razor-sharp social commentary doubles as a ruthless and unflinching comedy about a Caucasian dude who’s drawn into the world of battle rap! This film is potentially offensive to everybody, as it explores political correctness, racism and who can say what and to whom.
8. Mute – Released on Netflix streaming, “Mute” is a colorful, imaginative, science fiction dystopia that makes it feel like a cousin to “Blade Runner” or “Blade Runner 2049.” But actually, it takes place in the same universe as Duncan Jones’s earlier film, “Moon.”
7. Free Solo – A documentary that depicts the death-defying climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to free solo climb (with no ropes or harnesses!) Yosemite’s 3,000-foot, vertical rock wall, El Capitan! This is technically not a horror film, but it’s scary to watch.
6. Bird Box – In the bleak world of this film, humanity is under attack by some mysterious, malevolent force that proves fatal to onlookers. Sandra Bullock plays a mother who attempts to escort her two small children to safety through a perilous wilderness. Very intense! Streaming on Netflix!
5. Calibre – Also streaming on Netflix, this unsettling film from the UK follows two friends on a weekend trip as they get involved in an unthinkable hunting accident. The suspense of this tense thriller comes from watching the friends try to escape their awful predicament.
4. Sicario: Day of the Soldado – A worthy sequel to “Sicario” (2015), this movie is both enthralling and horrifying. Benicio Del Toro is a force of nature!
3. Tully – Unfortunately, this Jason Reitman theater release just came and went last May with little notice. But I’ve thought about it all year. Charlize Theron plays an exhausted mother of three. The arrival of her newborn baby necessitates the aid of a night nanny. Though it seems to cover universally familiar ground, “Tully” is insightful, poignant and moving.
2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – I know it’s hard to believe that a documentary about the children’s TV personality Mr. Rogers could be life-changing, but it is! I couldn’t hold back my tears during a scene where even a gorilla seemed to perceive that Fred Rogers was a very special person.
1. A Quiet Place – For my money (and I spent more than $1,300 on movie tickets this year), the best movie to me is “A Quiet Place.” It was, without question, the most engaging experience I had with the cinema of 2018. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where ferocious creatures that hunt by sound are devouring humanity, a couple with three young children and a baby on the way try to preserve their family by keeping them quiet. But as anyone with kids knows, it’s impossible to maintain silence with children… More than just a suspenseful monster movie, “A Quiet Place” allegorically explores the parental fears of teaching children how to survive well enough in this dangerous world.
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