Top Five Movies of 2018

I tend to see a lot of movies during the year- my brothers and I (and my fiance) really enjoying going to the movies, so we do it often. Because of this fact, I get to see a bunch of new movies! So while we are all reflecting on the best parts of 2018, I will present to you my top movies of the year! Please note that all the movies in this list (and up for consideration) were NEW RELEASES for 2018. Any “backlisted” movies will not appear on this list (though I may consider doing a separate one for those next time).

To my knowledge, I saw a total of 19 new movies this year! There were a lot of sequels, and a bunch of book-to-movie adaptations! Let’s check out:

 

5. A Star Is Born

This is like the fourth remake of this classic love story. Bradley Cooper plays alongside Lady Gaga in this modern retelling of this story. Cooper plays a famous (alcoholic) country artist who discovers the talented and kindred spirit, Lady Gaga, performing at a random drag bar in a city he was visiting. The music in this movie was phenomenal, both from Gaga and Cooper! Their huge hit (which plays on the radio all the time) is Shallow, which is a song both characters end up co-writing together, and is Gaga’s character’s debut at one of his concerts. Their performance was deeply emotional and raw. It was utterly devastating and warm all in the same movie. I could watch this over and over and still get emotional. It really was an amazing job by both parties, which is why it is no surprise that it is in talks to receive many awards this awards season.

 

4. The Hate U Give

I am so so happy that this book-to-movie adaptation was done as well as it was. I was so nervous that the movie would not do this phenomenal book justice, but was utterly relieved that it was so good. Amandla Stenberg does an absolutely show stopping job portraying this important character. The Hate U Give is about a young girl, Starr, who witnesses her childhood best friend get shot (and killed) by a police officer. This movie not only tackles the taboo topic of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, but it also finds time to address inter-racial relationships, gang violence, and other tough subjects. Everything about this movie was done well, and is bound to be one of those movies I can watch again and again. The only complaint I had for this movie were about two actors; Anthony Mackie as a tough, don’t cross him, drug lord just did not sell for me. And K.J. Apa (aka Archie on Riverdale) as Starr’s boyfriend was very difficult to get behind. Nothing against either of those actors (I actually really love Anthony Mackie), I just had a hard time believing them as the characters they were cast for. Well, that and the fact that I wanted more time with Khalil. Ya’ll need to see this movie/read this book. I’m serious. It is so important.

 

3. The Avengers: Infinity War

I mean, you knew this was coming, didn’t you? You KNEW this would be on the list. It had to be. This was one of the absolute most anticipated movies of the last few years. It was part one to the epic conclusion of the Marvel Universe’s original arc. And it was epic. It certainly did NOT end the way a lot of people thought it might, but with easy access to information outside the universe such as contracts, and future movie productions, it makes the conclusion to Infinity War and it’s part two, End Game, easier to predict. The movie was fast paced, but also took it’s time. A super hero movie with so many characters mashed together could easily become very muddled and hard to get into, but they somehow pulled it off! For those living under a rock, Infinity War is a super hero movie that takes place in the Marvel (think Stan Lee) Universe. All these characters have come together to put a stop to this ultimate “bad guy” named Thanos, whose main goal is to gain all the infinity stones so that he can wipe out half of the people in the world. The funny thing about this whole plot is that throughout the course of this movie, you get a better understanding of Thanos’s motives, and can almost sympathize with him. I am very curious how they will tie this one all together but found that I was extremely satisfied with Infinity War as a standalone movie.

 

2. Black Panther

I honestly thought that when I saw this, and throughout most of the rest of the year this would end up being my top movie of the year! It was THAT good. I saw it multiple times IN THEATERS and then obviously a bunch on DVD. The character Black Panther was introduced to the Marvel Universe in the movie Captain America: Civil War where he aligns himself with Iron Man in order to avenge his father’s untimely death at the hands of (who he thinks) is the Winter Soldier. Shortly after that, he got his own movie and it was AMAZING. Black Panther was one of the first movies in the last few years to feature a mostly all black cast, and to have characters in hero roles. It was a BIG deal. And it was done SO well. Michael B Jordan as Killmonger was phenomenal but if I am being truthful, this entire cast was perfect. Not only did it feature black characters in hero roles, but STRONG female characters as well! The King’s army (basically his secret service) are an army of all women, which is so awesome. Okoye was also by far my favorite character to come out of this universe in quite some time. Again, ya’ll need to see this movie. Even if you aren’t into the whole Super Hero thing, I think it is worth a try.

 

Now before we get into my top choice, let’s highlight a few Honorable Mentions:

 Creed 2 –

Michael B Jordan, ripped and sweaty. Need I say more? It wasn’t as good as the first one, but it was still pretty good.

 The Incredibles 2 –

Again, I wasn’t super impressed by it, but it was still super hilarious!

 Oceans 8 –

I really enjoyed this one! It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was fun and I loved the cast.

The Crimes of Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts 2) –

This was one of my most anticipated movies of 2018. Sadly, it was not nearly as good as I had hoped. Here’s to hoping the next one is better!

 Dog Days –

This was a surprisingly cute movie! It’s one of those multi-storylines that tie together (Think Love Actually or Valentine’s Day) but with DOGS!

Now without further ado, my top movie of 2018….

 

1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

I have literally watched this movie at least half a dozen times so far this year. IT WAS SO GOOD. It was the perfect combination of cute and funny. The actors were PERFECT (at least for most of the main parts) and I loved everything about it. I read the TATBILB series in it’s entirety last year, (you can see my series review on my book blog here) and instantly fell in love with the main characters, Lara Jean and Peter K. I was all too excited to find out that a Netflix movie was in the works. I watched it (on a plane, on my phone) the day it came out, and immediately wanted to watch it again when it was over. Obviously, if you don’t live under a rock, you know that the male lead Noah Centineo has exploded onto the scene, stealing hearts everywhere. The movie was a HUGE success, so much so that fans are demanding the sequels also be adapted. It is the story of Korean American teenager Lara Jean, who must deal with the repercussions of her secret love letters to past crushes getting mailed out. In order to avoid a completely awkward situation, Lara Jean enters a fake relationship with one of the guys she has written a letter to. Neither of them intend to, but real feelings develop and cause confusion in Lara Jean and Peter’s arrangement. I love this movie. I love these characters. I will be watching this for years and years to come. I do really hope they adapt the rest of the series. I haven’t had enough of these characters yet. Update- it was JUST confirmed on 12/19 that Netflix has officially signed off on the adaption of the second To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before book, P.S. I Still Love You. You can see that announcement here: Netflix picks up TATBILB Sequel!

 

Those are my top movies for 2018. I am hoping to keep better track of the movies I watch, while also watching MORE movies in 2019. Which movies have you watched this year? What are your top five?

 

Top Five Movies 2017

Hey ya’ll! As the year comes to a close, it is almost expected to take a look back on the past year’s accomplishments/happenings. Granted, most people end up ranking their favorite things, and that is exactly what I am going to do for you today. I will look at my favorite movies from 2017, and give you my top five of the year (plus some honorable mentions). 

Let’s get started.

Top Five Movies of 2017

5. 

While it was nominated for a Golden Globe, it was submitted in the Comedies/Musicals category. This is extremely confusing for most people. The director, Jordan Peele, who is usually known for his comedy, spoke out about his disappointment on the categorization of this movie. “What the movie is about is not funny,” he said. “I’ve had many black people come up to me and say, ‘man, this is the movie we’ve been talking about for a while and you did it.’ That’s a very powerful thing. For that to be put in a smaller box than it deserves is where the controversy comes from.” (via Indie Wire) For anyone that saw this movie, it doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense to have it submitted under the “comedy” category. For those who have not seen it, IT IS NOT A FUNNY MOVIE. It is one (granted, rather funny) guy’s perspective of his experience as a black man, among white people. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, it is a must.

4. 

Don’t be surprised that the majority of the movies on this list are (still) super hero movies. It is no secret that Marvel is completely slaying the movie business, especially in comparison to their counterparts over at DC. Sadly for the much darker superheros, DC has had a reputation of putting out sub-par, if not just flat out awful movies that last few years. The newest, Batman and Superman movie- Dawn of Justice, which featured our dazzling Amazonian Goddess, had terrible reviews, so it is no surprise that hopes were not high for this brand new solo film. Boy was this a surprise though! Not only was she bad-ass in the way women desperately needed right now (where are the rest of our female super hero solos?) but it was done so well that it was a top contender among Marvel favorites. Did the Justice League movie (following Wonder Woman this year) do any better in the wake of such a kick-ass movie? I haven’t seen it, but I haven’t heard great things. Certainly not to the standard that Wonder Woman set. My advice to you? Go see this one. You can skip the two that surround it (Batman/Superman and Justice League) but make time to see this one. It is well worth it, especially if you already like the Marvel universe/Superhero take over.

3. 

Can I first say, how awkward I feel for admitting my absolute obsession with this kid? Now before you can say anything, yes, ANOTHER superhero movie! But OMG this was so perfect! I have always liked Spider-man, as far as superheros go. Naturally if you haven’t been under a rock for the last couple decades, you are also well aware of the fact that not one but TWO different reboots of the franchise have been made, in the last ten years no less. That is a few too many different faces for even your biggest superhero fan. And truthfully, many people liked Toby McGuire‘s portrayal of Peter Parker (if they didn’t, they almost deff liked Andrew Garfield‘s). Either of them (both of them) were perfectly FINE. Why they decided to do another reboot of this hero, I don’t know, but I am so thrilled with it that I cannot find room to complain. Tom Holland is funny, and innocent. HE IS A KID FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Which made him the PERFECT Peter Parker/Spider-man. I also loved that they made Aunt May the actual age I would imagine a teenage boy’s aunt to be! If you think about it, May is his mom’s sister. Why then, do they keep making her more like his grandma than his aunt? That has always bugged me, so I am very thankful for Marisa Tomei’s place in all this. Also- this was a superhero movie unlike many we have seen as of late. The world wasn’t in imminent danger. It was just some guys in New York City that were doing some bad things. Yes, they were using alien weapons and there was still a bunch of destruction, but it was not involving the entire world’s demise, which I found rather refreshing. Seriously, go see this movie. You won’t regret it.

also- for your viewing pleasure, here is the  Lip Sync Battle between costars Tom Holland and Zendaya. Enjoy :]

2. 

I only just watched this, this weekend, but YES, it deserves the number 2 spot on this list. OH MY GOD. First I want to acknowledge all the jerks out there who purposely went out of their way to spoil this movie for everyone. Shame on you. Sadly, I did not go into this movie completely blind, I viewed a rude Facebook status that revealed a spoiler for the movie, the day I was going to see it! However. This movie is EVERYTHING. It was so action packed, had you sitting on the edge of your seat the entire time. That being said, if you do not like Star Wars, you may find the first half of this movie to be a bit of a bore. It had a lot of development and will they or won’t they moments that while were nail-biting for fans, may come off as a snooze for others (insert eye roll). ANYWAY. So much drama, so many lives lost. It really puts into perspective, the damage that war does to the lives of everyday people. Actually, if you step back and think about it, the whole series covers the on-going war throughout the galaxy, which is pretty depressing to think about. All this time has passed. All those lives and planets lost. And the war is STILL waging. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I would want to live during that time. Regardless, I need to see it another couple of times before I can truly absorb everything that happened. I WILL NOT post anything that could even remotely spoil the movie for anyone. I will say that you absolutely must see it, and if you have, let’s chat in the comments! (PLEASE NOTE- READING THE COMMENTS MAY RESULT IN STAR WARS SPOILERS. You have been warned).

Now before we get to #1- let’s just take a peak at a few honorable mentions:

 

1.

uhg! I am tearing up just thinking about it. This live-action was everything I could have hoped for and more! I mean, Hermione Granger played Belle! If that wasn’t perfect enough for you, the entire cast is stacked with talented people; Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, the cast is amazing.

I LOVED how they got into both Beast and Belle’s back stories a bit more than the original cartoon allowed. They talked about why Belle’s father left her mother, and a little bit about how Beast became the selfish prince he was when the curse was put on him (and his friends). I loved the visuals, and the music. Some of the originals songs were my absolute favorite in the movie- particularly Evermore which brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. And of course we have to mention Celine Dion’s How a Moment Lasts Forever, Ariana Grande and John Legend’s Beauty and the Beast and Josh Groban’s Evermore.

I can watch this movie over and over again and not grow tired of it (I have already seen it a number of times this year). It easily became one of my all time favorite movies and couldn’t imagine anything else having this number one spot. If you are a fan of the original, you MUST see this one.

That’s all I have for you guys today. I hope that you enjoyed my picks or even agree with some of them. What are some of your top movies from this year? Lets talk movies in the comments!