Dactyl's 2018 Movie Roundup

I swore I didn't have time to do this, but now it's 2 hours later and here we are.

26. The Holiday Calendar

The pathetic dialogue almost distracted me from her brother-like love interest's little hair braids.  I did not finish this movie.

25. Annihilation

This synopsis sounded so cool on paper (a team of badass women scientists venture out to find Oscar Isaac!) but the movie itself was just wholly unenjoyable.

23. Avengers: Infinity War

Was not compelled by Thanos.  100% buying a ticket to see part 2.  Dammit, Marvel.

22. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Sincerest apologies to Mr. Rogers, but I dozed off for a bit in the middle.

22. The Incredibles 2

Probably would not have seen this if I didn't have MoviePass.

21. Set It Up

Zoey Deutch and Lucy Liu were luminous.  Glen Powell and Taye Diggs played morons who didn't deserve them.  Also--I'll say it--that pizza looked gross.  For shame, fake-movie NYC.

20. Ocean's 8

Sadly not super memorable considering the cast, but I always give bonus points for Cate Blanchett's cheekbones.

19. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Aww, they fell in love through books.

18. A Simple Favor

Absurd and highly entertaining.

17. Widows

I think I would've enjoyed this more if I hadn't gone in expecting gravitas, but still a very decent action movie.

16. To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I ranked this movie #16.  If I were 16, it would be #1.  But now it kinda makes me feel old.  Definitely a fun addition to the high school rom com canon though.

15. If Beale Street Could Talk

It didn't capture the magic of Moonlight, but it's still beautifully shot.

14. Mary Queen of Scots

I'm biased because Saoirse is always queen in my book.

13. The Princess Switch 

This is everything I want from Netflix.  Kudos to Vanessa Hudgens for selling it.

12. Bohemian Rhapsody

A by-the-numbers biopic, but must-see for the music and Rami Malek's performance.

11. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Bye everyone, gotta go escape to a Greek island and never look back.

10. Love, Simon

Man I really liked this.  Greg Berlanti gets me.

9. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

I don't know how but these MI movies are just consistently great.

8. The Favourite

"Look at me.  Look at me.  HOW DARE YOU.  CLOSE YOUR EYES."

7. On the Basis of Sex

The second-best RBG movie of the year.

6. Searching

A compelling, poignant story #starringJohnCho.

5. RBG

Inspiring, empowering, and just a little bit awkward.  Love you, RBG.

4. A Star Is Born

Simultaneously epic and intimate.  Lady Gaga blew me away. 

3. A Quiet Place

Such a creative concept, beautifully executed.

2. Black Panther

Brilliant in every aspect and worthy of a Best Picture win.  That upside-down shot of Michael B. Jordan entering the throne room is already iconic.  Wakanda forever!

1. Crazy Rich Asians

I could write an essay about how much this movie means to me, so I'll just say this: This was the first time I saw a mainstream movie character embody what it means to be Asian American.  Not Asian, not ethnically-neutral American, but specifically Asian American.  And to see Constance Wu radiate such warmth, empathy, and humanity for those of us so often portrayed as cold, calculating, or cartoonish---I cried buckets.

Saurus's 2018 Movie Roundup

I watched a surprising number of new movies in 2018 (23 is probably a personal record for me) thanks to some combination of Netflix exclusives, Redbox viewings with a friend, and an anomalous December in which I went to the movie theater more times than I think I had all year. Looking back, 2018 was a pretty excellent year for diversity in film, because (duh) representation matters.

Just Bad
23. Life of the Party (37% RT, 46 Metacritic)
I was hesitant about this movie because of its poor reviews, but my friend persuaded me with the thought that "oh, it's Melissa McCarthy, it'll probably be funny." Welp, the good people of RT don't lie, folks. We stopped this movie an hour in during a gratuitously long segment of Melissa rolling around a classroom floor in a public-speaking-induced allergic-like reaction--yes, you read that sentence correctly.

22. Annihilation (89% RT, 79 Metacritic)

Visuals were interesting, I guess? But the plot made no sense to me. And (*spoiler*) who would ever cheat on Oscar Isaac??! 

21. A Wrinkle In Time (42% RT, 53 Metacritic)

God, I wanted this to be good. As noted on Wikipedia, it's the "first live-action film with a nine-digit budget to be directed by a woman of color," Ava DuVernay. Unfortunately, about 15-20 minutes in, one of many stupid lines of dialogue made me realize, "Wow. This is not a good movie."

Mixed Feelings

20. Ibiza (70% RT, 56 Metacritic)

Had this film focused solely on the friendship between Gillian Jacobs and her hilarious pals, the perennial scene-stealer Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson, I think it would've turned out much better. However, they had to go and ruin a good thing with one of the most cringe-inducing, unconvincing romances I've seen on screen. Even Richard Madden's extreme attractiveness did not help.

19. Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald (38% RT, 52 Metacritic)

I love the Harry Potter universe, Jude Law's charms, and Eddie Redmayne's beautiful cinnamon roll face as much as the next girl. That doesn't mean I can overlook a) the casting of Johnny Depp, b) the inclusion of random new spells we've never seen before, and c) oh yeah, an excruciatingly complicated and confusing story that made little sense.

Okay but Forgettable:
18. Alex Strangelove (82% RT, 62 Metacritic)

This Netflix movie seemed to fall in the shadow of the thematically similar Love, Simon from earlier in the year. It's not as emotionally impactful as the latter (not that we should pit the two against each other), but it is still entertaining. 

17. I Feel Pretty (35% RT, 48 Metacritic)

I watched this on the plane back from Europe. Maybe it was the altitude but I thought it was pretty funny and enjoyable for a movie with a fairly dumb conceit.

16. Mary, Queen of Scots (62% RT, 61 Metacritic)

Fantastic acting, especially by our queen Saoirse Ronan, but the plot dragged on. I would sooner rewatch I Feel Pretty.

Decent:

15. The Holiday Calendar (40% RT)

I'm a cheeseball who likes rom-coms, okay?! Yes, this was extremely predictable and the ending was almost too cheesy, but Kat Graham was fun to watch and had impressive chemistry with everyone. 

14. The Incredibles 2 (94% RT, 80 Metacritic)

The animation was wonderful of course, but like most sequels, it lacked the zing of the original. I barely remember when happened. Also, Mr. Incredible is kind of an ass.

13. Ralph Breaks the Internet (88% RT, 71 Metacritic)

Sometimes this felt like more flash than substance what with all the memes, but... the Disney princesses! And Vanellope's song! Also, I admit that the insecurity storyline got me (some people were even bawling in my theater, which was a bit much). 

12. Ocean's 8 (68% RT, 61 Metacritic)

I love all the actresses and fashion in this movie, but somehow the heist wasn't as exciting as it should have been. The low stakes, unclear character motivations, and lack of backstory made me pretty indifferent about whether the team succeeded or failed in their con. As Hannah Gadsby might say, where was the tension?

Pretty Good: 

11. Mary Poppins Returns (78% RT, 66 Metacritic)

This wasn't so much a sequel as a near-remake of the original. Yet Emily Blunt's Mary is delightfully cocky, and Ben Whishaw is moving in his desperate grief. 

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (81% RT, 65 Metacritic)

I didn't expect much from this period piece/Downton Abbey reunion, but it is surprisingly nuanced with its evocative take on wartime losses and new connections.

9. Instant Family (82% RT, 57 Metacritic)

I would have never picked this movie on my own (uh, Mark Wahlberg), but my friend had free tickets. It manages to shine a light on the complex issue of adoption and come across as funny and heartfelt rather than hackneyed.

Top Picks: 

8. BlacKkKlansman (95% RT, 83 Metacritic)

Spike Lee is not at all subtle in using this dramatization of historical events to criticize modern racism and jab at the current administration. Although the ending is particularly heavy-handed, the most powerful imagery I saw in film all year was probably the interweaving of scenes from the KKK and the black student group, each telling their narratives and chanting for white and black power respectively. What a juxtaposition.

7. Love, Simon (92% RT, 72 Metacritic)

This movie was groundbreaking for those kids who finally get to see themselves represented as leads on the screen, but also just incredibly sweet, charming, and funny. I'm thrilled that this has joined the canon of great teen coming-of-age romantic comedy-dramas, pretty much all of my favorite genres in one. 

6. Crazy Rich Asians (91% RT, 74 Metacritic)

Hellz yes, a movie full of beautiful (East) Asian people who do normal people things like fall in love and fight with their family (in stunning outfits), with absolutely no martial arts in sight. It's been a long time coming, and I thought they knocked it out of the park.

5. Set It Up (90% RT, 62 Metacritic)

That's right, friends: I. Love. Rom-Coms. "Predictable" and "cheesy" are easy critiques to make of all romantic-comedies, but are those qualities not intrinsic to the genre, almost by definition? I know they're going to get together in the end, but I want to see how and when and why they fall in love. Set It Up does it so delightfully. 

4. Black Panther (97% RT, 88 Metacritic)

Can you believe (JVN voice) this movie came out in 2018? It's been a helluva long year. This is getting to be a long post and I'm tired, so I'll sum up by saying a) representation, b) hipster Michael B. Jordan with the wire-rimmed glasses, c) an amazing cast whose names I can't all list because that would be ridiculous, and d) Michael B. Jordan again. #thirst

3. Eighth Grade (99% RT, 90 Metacritic)

This is a beautiful, near-perfect little movie with the most realistically awkward depiction of middle school that brought me back to my own pubescent days. Allll the cringes, but in the most painfully real way.

2. A Star Is Born (90% RT, 88 Metacritic)

I'd heard the hype for about a month before I saw it, but Lady Gaga truly delivers. The whole soundtrack is a frickin' earworm and I expect Gaga will win big this awards season. Well done, Bradley Cooper.

1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (96% RT, 64 Metacritic)

Ok, this movie probably should not top my list, but I adore it like the millions of other Netflix viewers who have been hankering for a sequel. It speaks to me in a way it could for anyone who was ever a shy Asian-American teenage girl with unrequited crushes and fanciful daydreams (lol). Even beyond the palpable chemistry of the romantic leads and the charms of new teen hearthrob Noah Centineo (on a separate issue, Lana Condor deserves equal amount of press), I also love the close-knit multicultural family, the intimate sister dynamic, and the generally adorable aesthetic of the whole movie. Don't judge me if I go watch it again; I just might.