The 32 Best Movies of 2018

Way to get the gang together: Everyone from the MCU came out to play, or at least fight, so as to foil Thanos' hunt for the all-powerful Infinity Stones. Clocking in at almost three hours, it’s an epic and unmissable installment in the Marvel superhero franchise, especially thanks to that astounding ending. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

Sorry to Bother You is not a subtle movie—you won’t have an a-ha moment in a restaurant 30 minutes later when you realize what the movie is really about. Boots Riley’s satire is in-your-face confrontational, peeling back your eyelids to make sure you can see the dystopian capitalism that society and politically interested corporations have wrought. The movie, starring Lakeith Stanfield as a code-switching telemarketer (David Cross plays his “white voice”) is one to see as soon as possible, because the horror it speaks of is happening right now. There’s a dramatic twist at the end to really drive this point home, but even without those last 20 minutes its warnings about a technocratic society are crystal clear. —Chloe Hall, Writer and Producer

Not only is the true jump-in-your-seat horror film A Quiet Place directed by John Krasinski, he also stars alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, who gives a stunning performance as a pregnant woman in a family that must stay quiet or risk being killed by hypersensitive creatures. It’s a truly unique way to approach horror, and the two child actors in the movie only raise the stakes as you watch everyone literally tiptoe around their day-to-day life. You’ll cry, you’ll cringe, and you’ll definitely scream into your shirt. —Madison Feller, Staff Writer

They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Who knew the story of two worn-down assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) Parent-Trapping their bosses (played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) so they can do less work—let’s not unpack that millennial can of worms—would single-handedly save the American rom-com? The Netflix jaunt Set It Up will remind you of a time when movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days ruled the box office and, more importantly, will make you laugh just as much, without the dated gender stereotypes. —Emily Tannenbaum, Social Media and Entertainment Editor

Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. Cher. FERNANDO. Cher. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

Morgan Neville, whose electrifying 2013 hit 20 Feet from Stardom put backup singers into the spotlight, turns his gaze toward cultural icon Fred Rogers. While one might expect to discover a seedy dark side or ethical compromises under the surface, Neville's doc instead uncovers a clarity of moral purpose that will break your heart and then put it back together again. A movie so genuine, so optimistic, so clear-eyed it's a wonder 2018 produced it, no other film this year will make you feel better. —R. Eric Thomas, Senior Writer

Based on Becky Albertalli's joyful YA novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Love, Simon gives teenage romance the studio treatment with winning results. Nick Robinson's Simon is a closeted high schooler who strikes up a pen-pal relationship with a mysterious classmate who is also gay. A luminous Jennifer Garner and an appealing Josh Duhamel play his near-perfect parents. This film hits all the right notes as an uncomplicated, frequently funny coming-of-age story with the best intentions. —R. Eric Thomas, Senior Writer

The tagline—“Based on the most awkward year of your life”—of this Bo Burnham delight definitely conveys the clarifying highs and excruciating lows Kayla (Elsie Parker) slogs through in her final year of middle school. An unpopular girl making advice videos nobody watches, she tries to change her destiny as queen bees condescend and boys request nudes. But the gentle upshot of the film is that being a good person is enough—and that if you can be kind to others, you can be kind to yourself, too. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

As a major John Cena fan AND card-carrying girl-power supporter, I didn't want to watch this comedy about teenage girls making a pact to lose their virginities: nerdy Cena and girls objectifying themselves? No and no. I am fully glad I got pulled into watching it, though, because the ensemble was hilarious (even pleated-front Cen) and the messaging was actually about being yourself and taking control of your own body. —Leah Melby Clinton, Director of Branded Content

Even amongst the giant successes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther was something special: a blockbuster film with an almost entirely black cast, which also happened to be the highest grossing superhero movie of all time. Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther and Michael B. Jordan’s villain Killmonger grappled with difficult questions of legacy and power, and audiences approved mightily. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

It’s easy to spot differences from the Jeff Vandermeer novel this moody sci-fi film was based on, but the hazy isolation and otherness of the original remain. With five women in the lead roles, Annihilation was an exploration of new frontiers—both geographical and psychological—the likes of which rarely grace the silver screen. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

Written by and starring Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs (of Hamilton fame), Blindspotting is a powerful, nuanced story about race that balances absurdism, comedy, heartfelt truths, and ice-cold fear from beginning to end. Collins (Diggs) is on his final three days of probation and the world seems hellbent on sending him back to prison. After witnessing a police officer shoot an unarmed black man in the back, tensions rise between him and his best friend Miles (Casal), a volatile white man who can’t seem to grasp the fragility of Collins’ situation. —Emily Tannenbaum, Social Media and Entertainment Editor

This action/comedy/horror film takes the worst situation I can possibly imagine—weekly game nights with Pictionary and the like—and turns it into a legitimate nightmare. A group of hapless rubes (including Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams) get suckered into a drug deal, believing it to be an elaborate murder mystery quest. Game Night is goofy plus gristle: It keeps your attention by never taking its foot off the gas or backing down from some pretty gruesome moments. —Emily Tannenbaum, Social Media and Entertainment Editor

"His eyes were my eyes, and my eyes were his eyes...and it was true." Triplets are rare. Identical triplets who only find out about each other as adults? Almost unheard of, apart from in this gripping documentary about David Kellman, Bobby Shafran and Eddy Galland. But the tale only gets odder from there. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

Nobody needs much enticement to spend more time with the beloved bear from Peru and his friends the Browns, but Hugh Grant's pleasurably plural villain, Phoenix Buchanan, only makes this family-friendly sequel even more fun as he changes up personas in pursuit of treasure. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

It's hard for a movie to make you fall in love with four separate people, but Netflix's teen romance To All the Boys I've Loved Before did just that. First, there's the shy but determined Lara Jean Covey, whose personal life gets more complicated when secret letters she's written to her crushes are sneakily delivered. Then, of course, there's the whoa-whoa-whoa sweet Peter Kavinsky, the internet's new boyfriend. Finally, the actors Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, who portrayed the young duo, captured our hearts as well. Bring on the sequel. —Estelle Tang, Senior Editor

An effective horror movie stays with you long after you see it, and Hereditary is hard to shake. Toni Collette stars as a woman who uncovers a family secret following the death of her mother that puts the rest of her household in danger. The entire cast deliver bone-chilling performances that leave you guessing until the very end—and the ending itself does not disappoint. —Adam Schubak, Partnerships Editor

Bradley Cooper directed and co-starred with Lady Gaga in this third remake about a romance between an aspiring songwriter and an established musician struggling with his inner demons. Gaga has acted before, but her performance as Ally pushes her into full-fledged movie star status. The soundtrack is definitely one of the best albums of the year as well. —Adam Schubak, Partnerships Editor

If there’s any doubt that the rom-com saw a resurgence in 2018, Crazy Rich Asians is all the proof you need. It’s as funny as it is historically important—it's the first major studio movie in 25 years to have an Asian American lead and an all-Asian cast. Fresh Off the Boat star Constance Wu plays a woman who learns her boyfriend’s family is absurdly wealthy when she accompanies him home to Singapore for a wedding. There isn’t a weak link in the entire ensemble cast, which also includes Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, and Ken Jeong. —Adam Schubak, Partnerships Editor

It’s been 40 years since Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers (Nick Castle) came face to face for the first time and she’s been waiting for her shot at revenge. JLC playing a badass grandma who refuses to be a victim is everything we never knew we needed. —Adam Schubak, Partnerships Editor