There’s a feeling from some quarters that 2018 has been a below par one for film quality but I’m having none of it. By anyone’s measurement, we’ve had an astonishing movie year – one that has seen the tectonic plates within cinema begin to shift in fascinating and ground-breaking ways. 

We’ve seen representation come to the fore in unprecedented ways with the huge box office success of Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians; we’ve witnessed a true renaissance in the horror as the genre it continues to break new ground and prove its worth to the doubters; and we’ve watched as Netflix and the streaming world has begun to assert pressure on Hollywood and beyond. 

While 2017 saw the shoots of change within the industry begin to take root, 2018 was the moment things started clicking into gear. There may not be a clear front runner for any major category heading into the awards season, but this just speaks volumes to the strength, depth, and variety of the output this year. 

Unfortunately, several of this year’s big awards hitters like Green Book and The Favourite are yet to be released here in the UK and I have been unable to catch a preview, so there’s every chance this list could alter slightly in the coming weeks but this is what I’ve got so far in my top 10 movies of 2018…

While it may be prefaced with the word Avengers, Infinity War is Thanos’s story all the way. By switching perspective onto their antagonist and balancing our heroes around him, Joe and Anthony Russos have crafted a superbly weighted and surprisingly affecting superhero ensemble piece on a scale hitherto undreamt of.

Although it’ll likely leave newcomers to the franchise cold, for those who have spent the past ten years and eighteen films becoming emotionally invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Infinity War is absolutely everything they could have hoped for. With stratospheric stakes, this a film that ups the ante on everything that’s come before, while never once taking its eye off its emotional core, to put itself at the very top of the comic book movie world.

Tight, thought-provoking, and thoroughly gripping; Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen’s script is a rough, uncompromising triumph in a genre that largely trades in glossy, throwaway thrills. Although Widows knows how to play the heist card when necessary, McQueen’s distinctive style and ruthless delivery shines through to offer something entirely unique.

Backed up by one of the best ensemble casts of the year, Widows’ empowering, feminist slant and hard-nosed approach to politics, class, bereavement, and social deprivation makes for an unashamedly intelligent and thrilling crime caper that gets the job done and packs one hell of a punch while doing so.

Even for the biggest musical sceptics among us, it’s almost impossible to deny A Star Is Born’s charms. Like any romantic musical, the film’s success rides high on the chemistry of its leads, yet the moment Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga/Stefani Germanotta step on stage to rip through a collection of songs that feel both organic and vital, all bets are off. 

Thanks to the couple’s effortless harmony and assured, natural performance, together with Bradley Cooper’s keen eye for direction and visual storytelling, A Star Is Born overcomes the familiarity of its well-worn plot to hit just the right chord.

A tight, emotionally wrought alien invasion horror, A Quiet Place lives up to the hype of its killer premise to ensure it never once slips into gimmickry. Pushing the unique twist of its silent setup to the absolute limit, the film makes the most of its small cast and restricted environment to offer an unrelenting level of tension that few other horrors can match.

Through John Krasinski’s assured direction, a talented cast led by the ever-wonderful Emily Blunt, and an intimate, emotionally charged setup; we’re dragged, kicking and (silently) screaming through the mill, in a tense and satisfyingly terrifying tale of love, survival, and freaky blind aliens.

In terms of pure, unadulterated fan service, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an absolute triumph, yet never loses sight of pleasing even the most casual viewer.

With Phil Lord and Christopher Miller injecting their patented brand of humour into proceedings, while skilfully balancing it with heart and knockout visuals, Into the Spider-Verse looks nothing short of spectacular and represents the perfect introduction of a new generation of web-slinger in Miles Morales – the young and vibrant hero the entire multiverse needs right about now.

As viewing experience go, Hereditary is an incredibly uncomfortable one, yet in exactly the ways you want a great horror to be. Building its scares around suggestion and the unseen, the film’s gnawing terror works precisely because of its lack of tangibility and, while blood, guts, and jump-scares are deployed when necessary, Hereditary operates primarily in the mind.

Hinging on an all-encompassing performance from the unluckiest mum in horror - Toni Collette - stand out performances from its two young cast members, and the thoroughly accomplished directing of newcomer Ari Aster; Hereditary is yet another chapter in the continued renaissance of a much-maligned genre. Devastating, unhinged, atmospheric, and cerebral; Hereditary simultaneously whisks us back to an era when horror messed with our minds as much as our stomachs, while promising an exciting future of the genre.

Without a doubt, Black Panther represents a pivotal moment for black and African representation on the world stage, opening up a world of exciting possibilities for cinema, the superhero genre, Marvel, and every young kid in need of a hero that looks like them.

In a world of turmoil and divide, T’Challa is both the hero and the leader we so sorely need right now and, as we enter a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s safe to assume we’ve found our king to lead us into a bright future.

Littered with tragedy and led by a central figure whose reluctant heroics and closed book demeanour often come off as cold, it’s a credit to Damien Chazelle’s burgeoning prowess as a filmmaker and the unassuming power of Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy’s performances that First Man is the resounding, quietly uplifting, success it is. 

The film’s deliberate pace and resistance to showmanship may not be for everyone, yet they feel like the perfect embodiment of Neil Armstrong himself and allow for a grand tale of universal exploration to be condensed into one of the most devastatingly personal movies of the year.

Less a drama, more a deep, meditation on life - Roma may dispense with the idea of a narrative but it makes up for it in personality and utter beauty. By far the most personal effort to date from director Alfonso Cuarón, Roma draws you in with its magnificence as its long takes and gorgeous black and white cinematography open up an entire world before your eyes, with every scene playing out like an intricate work of art.

Based on Cuarón’s own childhood in Mexico City, the director solidifies himself as one of the most consistent and versatile filmmakers in the game as his film reaches deep to ruminate on life, loss, love, and politics in the most beautifully understated way possible.

In blending all the fury and righteousness that’s long been a staple of his work with a thoroughly accessible and frighteningly topical plot, Spike Lee has turned in both his best effort in decades and the film of the year.

Furious, urgent, and downright hilarious; BlacKkKlansman is truly devastating in all the right ways and a movie that’s far more relevant to the world today than it really should be. Built around a standout lead performance by John David Washington and an effectively lean, enthralling plot, BlacKkKlansman is Spike Lee firing on all cylinders with a darkly comic take on a bizarre, yet incredibly important, slice of history. Not just outstanding, BlacKkKlansman is absolutely crucial filmmaking that will leave you engrossed, entertained, engaged, woke, and thoroughly shaken.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!