2018: A Year in Review

To say 2018 has been a rollercoaster year is putting it mildly. Marvel once more ruled the summer roost with both Infinity War, Black Panther, and Ant-Man and the Wasp ringing the box office bell. Lady Gaga showed that she is worthy of awards contention and movies like Hereditary and A Quiet Place showed us that a new breed of horror is rising. There were welcome returns for both Spike Lee and Paul Schrader and Damien Chazelle became a Hollywood elite at only 33!

Here is Closer to the Edge's Best of 2018

Top 10 Movies of 2018 

1. A Prayer Before Dawn (UK, USA, France, China, Dir: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire) 

Quite possibly the most overlooked treasure of 2018, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire created a masterpiece which blended gut-churning tension with a thoroughly uplifting theme of redemption. Based on British prisoner Billy Moore's experience being locked in Thailand's notorious Bangkok Hilton, the movie orbits around a stunning central turn from Joe Cole. Often a shockingly violent and unpleasant watch, Sauvaire makes us unable to look away.

2. Green Book (USA, Dir: Peter Farrelly) 

A road trip movie with a big heart, Peter Farrelly takes the story of two men traveling the deep south and steals our hearts. With two big central performances from a hulking Viggo Mortensen and a refined yet introverted Mahershala Ali, the movie finds its fair share of laughs. An effective and moving story about the friendship of renowned pianist Don Shirley and Tony Vallelonga- Farrelly shows us how two men from vastly different worlds can forge a bond that will last a lifetime.

3. First Man (USA, Dir: Damien Chazelle) 

Unlike many biopic films, First Man showed us a very different side to the legend that is Neil Armstrong. Ryan Gosling was out of this world as the famed Commander and showed us with gritty realism the shy side of this man and his reluctance to embrace the celebrity thrust upon him. Chazelle also did a fine job of emphasizing the danger and risk that the 'Space Race' bestowed upon its pilots and how a safe return to Earth wasn't guaranteed. Riveting viewing which put its audience through the wringer.

4. BlacKkKlansman (USA, Dir: Spike Lee) 

After so many years of providing middle of the road movies, Spike Lee finally remerged triumphantly. One of the most unusual yet utterly engaging concepts of 2018, Lee provided a social commentary which extends to the volatility of Trump's America. John David Washington excels as the charismatic Ron Stallworth- a 1970's black cop who convinced KKK officials he was white. Adam Driver also turned in a complex performance as Filip Zimmerman. Part ticking time bomb, part detective thriller- it feels great to have the real Spike Lee back!

5. First Reformed (USA, Dir: Paul Schrader) 

Paul Schrader was another filmmaker who found his way back this year and gave us an absorbing thriller. Ethan Hawke turned in a multi-layered performance as the deeply conflicted priest Ernst Toller. Tending to a slowly decaying church and facing a crisis of faith Toller's disgust with the world slowly becomes increasingly potent. Schrader showed us the darker side to humanity and how sometimes even people of faith question their own role in the world. With an atmospheric soundtrack by Lustmond, this was one thriller which left us with our own crisis of conscience afterward.

6. Roma (Mexico/USA, Dir: Alfonso Cuaron) 

Emotionally harrowing and thoroughly relatable, Alfonso Cuaron went back to his roots for this portrayal of family life. Set in 1970 Mexico City, Cuaron made full use of the difficult political backdrop and coaxed a magnificent performance from newcomer Yalitza Aparicio. The notion of having to keep strong when everyone around you is falling apart gave this movie a more devastating feel. A slow burner but worth each moment of your time, this piece showed us why Hollywood needs more filmmakers like Cuaron.

7. Annihilation (UK/USA, Dir: Alex Garland) 

After experimenting in the director's chair with his previous effort Ex Machina, Alex Garland showed he is meant for a life behind the lens. Anchored by a strong turn from Natalie Portman, Garland's sci-fi was one of utter suspense. It's setting 'The Shimmer' provided all kinds of bizarre and disturbing scares. Animals crossing with humans and a chilling sequence when Portman comes face to face with a chrome mimic. Garland has arrived on the big stage and his future looks bright.

8. The Guilty (Denmark, Dir: Gustav Moller) 

One of the most claustrophobic pieces of 2018, Gustav Moller's single room setting provided tension by the bucket load. Jakob Cedergren made for a fine anti-hero as Asgar, a cop forced to man the phones who eventually comes across a call which will change his life. Moller provides his audiences with many twists and turns with devastating results. Sadly already slated for US remake with Jake Gyllenhaal, this movie shows how Europe still provides superior thrillers!

9. Whitney (USA/UK, Dir: Kevin MacDonald) 

Many of us thought we knew of the story of Whitney Houston. Kevin MacDonald however, lifts the lid on this starlet's dramatic rise and fall and show us a far more difficult story. Seeing her descend from a fresh-faced singer with that powerful belting voice to becoming the permanently sozzled source of media mockery is horrific. Let down by those closest to her, MacDonald shows the audience that the root cause of her problems began long before she laid eyes on Bobby Brown!

10. Black Panther (USA, Dir: Ryan Coogler) 

WHAT, NO INFINITY WAR! Yes, yes I understand that many Marvel fans will be shocked that I left off the ultimate showdown that was Infinity War. Black Panther was a superhero movie of a very different kind. Embracing the African heart and soul of the character, Ryan Coogler brought Wakanda to life in stunning fashion. Chadwick Boseman was the strong yet charismatic king that this franchise so badly needs and thanks to a fantastic rivalry with Michael B Jordan this was an action movie that felt almost Shakespearean! Wakanda Forever!

Best of the Rest 

11. A Star is Born (USA, Dir: Bradley Cooper) 

Narrowly missing the top 10- Bradley Cooper brought us a movie that threatens to give remakes a bad name. Excellent in front of the camera as well as behind it, Cooper found the perfect vehicle to show of the talents of Lady Gaga. Together the result is a movie that shows how love can tear us apart. Currently an awards front-runner, it would be hard to disagree if this swept the Oscars.

12. McQueen (UK, Dir: Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedqui) 

Designer Alexander McQueen was a man who was capable of providing fashion shows that disgusted, amazed and always captivated us. Directors Bonhote and Ettedqui go deep into his simple past as an East End boy in London to show the desire and hunger that propelled him to the top and would eventually lead to his tragic suicide. His shows are the real star of the piece and years on they still stand up.

13. A Quiet Place (USA, Dir: John Krasinski) 

Possibly the most unique concept of this year, John Krasinski emerged as a multi-talented performer after one. Set in a world where Monsters kill based on sound, this whole movie was a bucket of tension which kept even its audience silent. With wife Emily Blunt helping to anchor this piece, this was one family affair which kept us lost for words long after the credits rolled.

14. Hereditary (USA, Dir: Ari Aster) 

Despite not being the out and out horror that fans expected, Ari Aster's movie was two hours of sheer mind fuck. Delving into ancient mythology of demons and examining how family problems go far beyond the surface, Aster gave us a newer and more intriguing breed of horror. Toni Collette gives an excellent lead performance which scares as much as it captivates us.

15. You Were Never Really Here (UK/USA/France, Dir: Lynne Shelton) 

Lynne Shelton is a director who never seems in a big hurry to make movies- seven years had passed since We Need To Talk About Kevin. The long wait was worth it as thanks to Joaquin Phoenix's morally complex turn, this was a picture that took us to the dark depths of humanity. In one part this is a story of a man trying to redeem himself, the other part is a movie that shows the desperate length some men will go to attain their desires. Come back sooner next time Lynne!


Male Star of 2018: Chadwick Boseman

Starring in not one but two of 2018's biggest films, this year belonged to Chadwick Boseman. Always a capable actor in biopics like 42 and Get On Up, Boseman became the new Marvel king in swift fashion. Having an undeniable presence on screen and capable of stealing the show away from Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, Boseman is a big star for the future.

Female Star of 2018: Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman already has an Oscar and is highly regarded as a Hollywood elite actress. However, 2018 produced some of her best work to date. Tough and unrelenting in Annihilation and jaded, vulnerable and insecure in Brady Corbet's Vox Lux (review incoming), Portman showed a whole new side to her talent. Also, let's not forget that second brilliant rap on SNL!

Best Director: Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman) 

While I so badly wanted to give this honour to Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire- Lee just sneaks it here. BlacKkKlansman saw him finally getting back to the socially conscious and thought-provoking movies he previously delivered. This picture shows how the ongoing issue of racism and violence is still alive over 40 years later. If anyone deserves an Oscar this year its definitely Spike Lee.

Scene of the Year: First Man- Agena Spin 

Damien Chazelle gave us a scene that was beautiful as it was frightening to watch. When Neil Armstrong and David Scott attempt to dock their Gemini 8 ship with the vessel Agena- what starts as a by the book effort eventually descends into something far worse. Rarely does the camera leave Gosling's face and audiences will feel as if they've taken a ride in a spinning top.

We're No Angels: Review of First Reformed

First Reformed

Director: Paul Schrader

By Alex Watson

Very few men are able to tap into the dark subconscious of a man like Paul Schrader. His most recent effort First Reformed goes the core of a man riddled with doubts. Like Taxi Driver if Travis Bickle donned religious cloth, the very question of our existence and whether humanity is worthy of redemption surround this movie. Anchored by a stand-out turn from Ethan Hawke, this is a movie that deserves academy consideration.

Father Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a priest at the run-down Dutch First Reformed church which is soon to celebrate its 250th anniversary. Suffering from cancer and riddled with self-doubt, Toller is a solitary figure who is questioning the faith he used to believe in. Parishioner Mary (Amanda Seyfried) asks him to counsel her activist husband Michael (Philip Ettinger). Soon after, Toller begins to descend into a spiral which could make not just himself fall apart.

Filmed against a stark and wintery upstate New York, First Reformed is a movie which demonstrates the decay of society and how its foundation is crumbling. Often in Schrader's movie, we see imagery of rusted buildings and toxic waste dumps. The intent is clear, the world is being ruined by industrialists and if money talks, it will happen. Toller is a man who frequently expresses his doubts in voiceover. Often sat in dimly lit rooms drinking a glass of whiskey, it becomes clear that he has strayed from the path sometime previously. Still haunted by the death of his son which he may have inadvertently caused, Toller is a man who wonders whether God can forgive the human race. His meeting with the radical Michael seems to set off a dangerous spark within him. Michael believes that his pregnant wife shouldn't bring a child into 'such a fucked up world'.

His stand-off against Pastor Jeffers (an excellent Cedric The Entertainer), the leader of the bigger and more influential church Abundant Life is often pulsating. His church is ridiculed as a 'Souvenir Shop' despite being an important historical landmark. His disgust at their celebration being funded by a major pharmaceutical corporation is plain as day and Jeffers simply wants him to keep quiet. As the tension builds, we see Toller sulking the night like a wolf and the narration gives a window into the soul of a man on the verge of something unclear. The pumping electronic score by Lustmond fills the atmosphere with a dark sense of dread. Frequently Schrader drags his audience to the depths of despair and like our protagonist we are filled with anguish.

Toller is a man taking a one-person stand against society. Frequently he pushes away any sense of comfort- his vicious verbal attack on the kind Esther (Victoria Hill) who has feelings for him is particularly savage. Mary seems to embody the purity of humanity that he feels has been lost to the world. As First Reformed develops, so does the pair's chemistry. While Schrader excellently builds the suspense to stifling levels, the ending is more abrupt than some may expect. While there is a glorious yet baffling sequence set against the hymn 'Leaning on Everlasting Arms' it feels almost deflating after such a chest-tightening ride.

Already one of Hollywood's most underrated leading men- Ethan Hawke gives a career best as the conflicted Toller. Bringing everyone into his conscience and plagued with illness and doubts, Hawke's face frequently tells the whole story. This is the role that he was born to play and Hawke is a powerful force whenever he is on screen and does a masterful job of showing the strain of keeping up appearances. Amanda Seyfried also makes for solid support, but its Cedric the Entertainer (credited here as Cedric Kyles) who makes the most impression. Jeffers is a man who puts the face of the church above morals and Kyles makes for an excellent sparring partner for Hawke.

First Reformed is a welcome to return to cinema for Paul Schrader and shows there are few filmmakers who can show the plight of society better than him.