7. A Star Is Born
Directed by Bradley Cooper.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Dave Chapelle, Anthony Ramos, and Michael Harney.
With his directorial debut, the latest remake of A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper delivered what many have described as the definitive version of the classic musical romance, one that has propelled Lady Gaga onto the Hollywood A-list, and is sure to be a major contender at the Academy Awards.
“Cooper has woven a tapestry ripe in melodrama, playing with the tropes of A Star is Born and giving them much needed energy. It may follow the same blueprints, but it is his version… A Star is Born is a remarkable feat, devastating and beautifully constructed, it may be the definitive version of the story.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
6. Hereditary
Directed by Ari Aster.
Starring Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, and Ann Dowd.
It may not have hit a home run with audiences (potentially due to a marketing campaign that promoted it as a jump scare-packed horror) but critics were certainly enamoured with Ari Aster’s directorial debut Hereditary – as were our writers, with the slow-burning supernatural horror topping three of our personal top tens.
“Hereditary takes all of the modern-day clichés that most filmmakers use for garbage jump-scares and the psychological horror found in timeless classics, pouring them into a melting pot resulting in something that is horrifyingly refreshing. It puts into perspective just how many misfires of the past few decades really could have been something special if someone had decided just to write a worthwhile story around the film. There are familiar elements in Hereditary, but you have never seen them executed like this, and when you do numerous haunting images will be forever seared into your mind.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
5. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman.
Featuring the voice talents of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Kimiko Glenn, Kathryn Hahn and Liev Schreiber.
2018 saw Sony returning to the superhero genre with a bang; not only did the studio launch its ‘Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters’ with the box office smash Venom, but it also unleashed the critically-acclaimed and visually-stunning animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – a film which has been hailed as one of the finest comic book movies of all time (or in Anghus Houvouras’ opinion, the finest).
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse doesn’t just finally give audiences Miles Morales, it throws up many intriguing versions of the superhero that offer fresh takes and insight, whether it be from new emotional dynamics or a monochrome eyesight Nicolas Cage trying to figure out a Rubik’s Cube. Through irreverent humor, progressive creative choices, and emotion Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse succeeds in expressing that anyone can wear the mask.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
4. Annihilation
Directed by Alex Garland.
Starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac and Benedict Wong.
Criminally dumped onto Netflix internationally due to Paramount’s concerns that it was “too intellectual” and “too complicated”, Annihilation is another striking slice of sci-fi from director Alex Garland, whose debut feature Ex_Machina was our writers’ favourite movie of 2015.
That Annihilation isn’t going to be seen in cinemas is a loss for movie goers outside the USA. Settling for second best is never ideal, and the film’s obvious qualities and strengths make that even more obvious. It’s another thought-provoking, visually arresting offering from Alex Garland, one not just for fans of sci-fi and/or horror but for anybody who likes intelligent, bold movies with more than a frisson of tension in their DNA. If only it could be seen in its natural home.
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
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