Black Ribbon's Best Films of 2018: Part One

Best Films of 2018: 20-11

Mixing together just under one hundred and fifty films over the course of 2018, the first part of our list for the best of the best from the past twelve months is finally here, splicing together spectacular sequels, Netflix produced works of wonder and gorgeous B-movie splatter-fests for a rather interesting catalogue of cinematic endeavours. Whilst it is always hard to pick between so many films over the course of a whole year, below is numbers 20-11 for those which have really stood out above the rest, beginning with...

20. Widows

Based on Lynda La Plante's television series of the same name, Widows seemed to be one of the ultimate Hollywood team-ups, with 12 Years a Slave director, Steve McQueen, utilising the writing talents of Gone Girl author, Gillian Flynn, for a heist drama which although featured familiar genre-literate notions, was high on style and boasted a catalogue of outstanding performances from the ensemble cast, with Viola Davis and Daniel Kaluuya the standout stars of the show. Featuring a couple of technically savvy set pieces and some interesting plot twists, Widows won't exactly set the world on fire in a similar vein to McQueen's previous Oscar winning work, but it sure is a fine example of expert storytelling and filmmaking at its most naturally observed. 

19. Ghost Stories

Based upon the 2010 stage play of the same name from the directing double act of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson, Ghost Stories is in some way a horror fan's dream, a part portmanteau, full blooded ghost train of a movie which features alarmingly well orchestrated creepy set pieces and a central screenplay with enough twists and turns to keep you hooked until the very last shot. Featuring the talented British chops of Paul Whitehouse and Martin Freeman, Ghost Stories revels in playing with set genre conventions to appease even the most delicate of horror fans, and with some genuinely disturbing imagery and some clever, hidden asides which generate an immediate need for subsequent viewings, Ghost Stories is the kind of movie which shows that with a decent script and enough dedication, even the most low-budget of movies can be frighteningly effective. 

18. Creed II

Following a very familiar pattern to the origins of the entire Rocky franchise, Creed II echoed the successes of Rocky II by being a sequel to a critically acclaimed predecessor which managed to more than effectively hold its' own and further develop characters and plot points beautifully set up in the opening chapter. With Ryan Coogler stepping down from directorial duties after his success with 2016's Creed, Steven Caple Jr. took hold of the reigns of a movie which revelled in the opportunity to reunite old foes whilst adding an unexpected layer of depth and substance, something of which was genuinely unexpected within a movie full to the brim with expertly orchestrated central fight sequences which managed to make you feel every punch, every single round. If this is indeed the end of Stallone's time as one of cinema's most iconic roles, what a superb way to bow out. 

17. Annihilation

When it was announced that Ex Machina director, Alex Garland, failed to make a deal with cinemas in the UK regarding the release of his latest endeavour, many, myself included, were left with a gnawing sense of disappointment, yet thanks to the power of Netflix, Annihilation on the small screen was still a riveting, mind bending experience, a film which followed familiar themes to that of previous Garland led works but undoubtedly was the first to dream so big. With beautiful cinematography, startling imagery and a screenplay which balanced elements of full blooded horror with science fiction, the one real shame regarding Garland's latest was ultimately the complete absence of witnessing it upon the big screen where it undoubtedly belonged. 

16. Molly's Game

The first film of 2018 still holds firm against the many which came after it, with Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut in the form of Molly's Game a thoroughly entertaining and expertly written biographical crime drama based on the memoir from the high stakes poker princess, Molly Bloom. With the always brilliant, Jessica Chastain, really at the top of her respective game with a simply stunning and charismatic central performance, the transition from behind the typewriter to behind the camera seemed to come annoyingly easy for a filmmaker who just knows how to perfect interesting and character driven screenplays whether it be in the halls of the White House or at the table of a multi-million dollar poker game. 

15. Sicario 2: Soldado

When the first murmurs of a sequel to Denis Villeneuve's superb, Sicario, began to surface, an immediate dangling thread of trepidation began to fill my mind, particularly when it was announced that Villeneuve himself wasn't set to be involved in a directorial sense, and whilst Soldado didn't exactly hit the heights of its' predecessor, what a huge relief to see that it instead was a movie which at least dared to come close. Directed by Italian filmmaker, Stefano Sollima, the second installment in a proposed trilogy of movies all written by the interesting, Taylor Sheridan, featured crisp cinematography, a brooding musical accompaniment and two central angst-ridden performances from the macho pairing of Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro, but alas, the most redeeming aspect of Soldado was its ability to pay homage to the mastery of its' predecessor without in any way spoiling its' legacy.  

14. First Man

With Whiplash and La La Land both examples of modern cinematic masterpieces, director, Damien Chazelle, continued his excellent start to his career with First Man, a poignant, intriguing drama in which Chazelle decided to take to the stars for a feature in which constant companion, Ryan Gosling, continued the blossoming bromance between the two with a superbly restrained portrayal of the one and only Neil Armstrong. Reuniting with the superb band of Oscar winning filmmakers including Justin Hurwitz and the editing sensation of Tom Cross, Chazelle's latest may not have hit the lofty standards of his previous two masterpieces but First Man is still a resounding, heartbreaking success with an added Claire Foy. Everything should have a Claire Foy. 

13. Roma

On first watch,  Alfonso Cuarón's chromatic, low-key drama seemed lifeless, yet on second viewing, what a devastating and beautiful picture Roma ultimately was. Given complete control by Netflix, Cuarón returned to his native Mexico for the first time since the start of the twenty first century for a project quoted as his most personal yet, and with the Mexican involved in pretty much every single aspect of its' creation from editing to cinematography, Roma was just that, a technically astute and simply gorgeous epic sweep of a drama made with a soon-to-be Academy Award winning pedigree which thanks to the power and pull of Netflix can be watched anytime, anywhere right now. What are you waiting for?  

12. Black Panther

After the success of both Fruitvale Station and Creed, American filmmaker, Ryan Coogler, was always destined for enormous exposure, and with his handling of Black Panther, Coogler created one of the most iconic and exciting superhero movies ever, let alone in its' own respective franchise. Combining the powerhouse performers of Chadwick Boseman and long-term Coogler favourite, Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther felt like a blockbusting blend of James Bond style action and fantasy cinema world building and with a predominantly black cast at its' core, Coogler's movie was as radical as it was genuinely entertaining. 

11. Mandy

Let's face it, any film featuring a neon fuelled colour pallette, an overly dangerous chainsaw duel and Nicolas Cage drinking an entire bottle of vodka in just one take was always going to win rapturous plaudits, yet the real success of Panos Cosmatos' second feature is in its' absolute love of the genre in which it undoubtedly sits. With Cage once again bringing that hilariously crazed Nicolas Cage performance the American is renowned for to the big screen in a movie worthy of his unquestionable talents, Mandy was half hallucinatory nightmare, half B-movie revenge flick and with some hilarious outlandish set pieces and wonderfully odd imagery, Cosmatos' latest was one of the most unexpected cinematic pleasures of the entire year.

Next Time: Worst Films of 2018 

Film Review: Black Panther

"You Are A Good Man, With A Good Heart. And It's Hard For A Good Man To Be A King..."

Whilst it is now common practice for Disney to hire critically acclaimed and subversive filmmakers in the ilk of Taika Waititi, Shane Black and the Russo Brothers to helm tangent releases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post The Avengers, the decision to choose Ryan Coogler as the leading light behind Black Panther, the eighteenth release within the ever-expanding superhero franchise, is a real stroke of genius, a talented filmmaker with the likes of Fruitvale Station and Creed in his back pocket and most importantly, a director who knows full well the balance between script and spectacle when given the chance to helm pedigree franchises and big budget releases. Utilising an astounding array of raw talent to convey the first standalone depiction of the superhero widely recognised as the first character of African descent in American mainstream comics, Coogler's latest stars Chadwick Boseman (Marshall) as T'Challa, the titular king of the fictional East African nation of Wakanda, who reprises his scene-stealing appearance in Captain America: Civil War as he returns to his homeland in order to address the ceremonial tradition of becoming his country's ruler after the untimely passing of his father, King T'Chaka, but with the emergence of a long lost royalty successor, T'Challa's reign is immediately threatened and challenged, resulting in the possibility of detrimental effects to the outside world that the Wakandan way of life has always refused to become an integral part of.  

With eye-widening spectacle in abundance, a successful blend of drama and humour, and a cultural exploration unlike any world before it, Coogler's latest is one of the most fist-pumping releases in the MCU, a joyous ride of popcorn entertainment with an array of substance and depth, with Coogler's movie undeniably the most thematic based superhero release since Nolan's 2008 masterpiece, The Dark Knight. Working on a script by both Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther explores a wide range of captivating ideas, beginning with T'Challa's sudden rise to power and moving through notions of power sharing, the isolation from the perils of the outside world and with the introduction of Michael B. Jordan's (Creed) physically imposing, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, societal comments regarding the empowerment of the powerless in a world overran with tyrannical rulings and unjust treatment of the voiceless. Celebrating the world of Wakanda in gorgeously designed detail after only being passingly mentioned throughout previous Marvel releases, the visual splendour of the country and the exploration of otherworldly technology is thoroughly entertaining and indulgent, with Letitia Wright's (Black Mirror) Princess Shuri essentially a hipper, suavely comical Q to Boseman's Bond-esque hero figure, with a superbly measured action set piece in South Korea demonstrating the blockbuster scale of tools the people of Wakanda are used to and reluctant to let go. 

With Andy Serkis (War For The Planet Of The Apes) fleshing out his role as the ruthless arms dealer and all round nasty piece of work, Ulysses Klaue, after his minor stint in Age of Ultron, the character's hatred of Wakandan privilege and greedy need for the power of vibranium, the strongest metal on Earth and the core of Captain America's indestructible shield, allows for the introduction of Jordan's Killmonger, the primary antagonist of the piece whose hidden familial ties and lust for revenge sets him on a path of destruction and idealistic plans of world changing possibilities, a narrative point which aside from failing to adhere to the bog standard cliche of world domination is too a scheme which remarkably does seem inherently understandable, offering a conflicting battle between who and what is truly on the side of what can be deemed sufficiently right or wrong. With the CGI at times a tad iffy and an opening twenty minutes which somewhat disjoints the pacing of the action which follows, Black Panther is no means a superhero masterpiece, but with an organic cultural sensibility which opens the door to engaging and overly exciting new characters and a empowered outlook on the Wakandan way of life in which the most brave and bad-ass just happens to be led by The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira as Okoye, an actress so brilliant in last year's All Eyez on Me, Coogler's addition to the Marvel franchise is a riveting and overly cool action adventure, and with Infinity War to come, 2018's superhero calendar has started with a superhero sized bang. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Feature: Looking Forward to Film in 2018

2018 In Film

Whereas 2017 proved that audiences were more inclined to disperse away from a turgid summer blockbuster full to the rafters with trashy, monetary fuelled nonsense and head instead for the likes of interesting, well-made movies in the ilk of Andres Muschietti's It and Christopher Nolan's spectacle epic Dunkirk, particularly within the UK, 2018 is the chance for Hollywood to recompense for their sins in a year which once again features endless amounts of sequels, remakes and franchise continuing cash cows which counteract the release of independant and much more interesting movies which although tend to falter at the box office in comparison, do tend to be the movies which make more of an impact throughout the year. As per the norm at Black Ribbon at the start of a new cinematic year therefore, here we will look forward to 2018 in film, picking out the highlights of a year full to the rafters with new and hotly anticipated movies and attempting to gauge which ones will be the real hits of yet another twelve months of visiting your local cinema.

Beginning the year and acting as a cure for the inevitable celebration hangover is Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game, a dramatic adaptation of Molly Bloom's career as the high-profile poker runner with a brilliant central performance from the ever reliable Jessica Chastain and a supporting cast featuring the likes of Idris Elba and Kevin Costner. If the first day of 2018 is primarily acting as a day of recovery however, the first weekend of the year brings with it a stack load of new releases including the Ridley Scott directed All the Money in the World, featuring a thrown in Christopher Plummer after the much publicised Kevin Spacey debacle, as well as the latest Christian Bale movie, Hostiles from Black Mass director, Scott Cooper. Heading through January and into February therefore, Oscar season sweeps along with the likes of Darkest Hour, Steven Spielberg's The Post, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and of course, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest, Phantom Thread, featuring Daniel Day Lewis' self-proclaimed final on-screen performance, and whilst all are seemingly on show primarily for awards consideration, neutral film fans can take comfort in the release of the Ryan Coogler directed Black Panther just on the stroke of the half term holidays, one of three MCU related releases over the course of the year. 

With the Greta Gerwig directed Lady Bird featuring the radiant presence of Saoirse Ronan, and Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water closing out the end of February with a much anticipated bang, the following weeks bring with it Francis Lawrence's Red Sparrow, an American spy thriller which reunites the director with Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, alongside the likes of the Walt Disney released A Wrinkle in Time and the science fiction spectacle sequel Pacific Rim: Uprising, both of which are guaranteed to light up the box office to some extent before summer hits, even with the likes of the second Spielberg release of the year in the form of Ready Player One acting as healthy competition. Carrying on through to Easter, the latest X-Men installment in the form of the Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams starring, The New Mutants, gets a release, whilst the Martin Freeman starring horror portmanteau, Ghost Stories also comes to cinemas after a handful of trailers which immediately pricked up my attention, yet the holidays will undoubtedly belong to Avengers: Infinity War, the biggest release of the MCU so far which brings together the many plot threads set in place since the franchise's inception back all the way in 2008 and a movie which will undoubtedly break a handful of blockbuster records with a rising wave of anticipation after its' recently released trailer. We can't wait. 

Skimming through May and into June, the money machine which is the Star Wars universe continues with the Ron Howard directed Solo: A Star Wars Story featuring Hail, Caesar! star Alden Ehrenreich as the titular space cowboy, whilst the likes of the ensemble comedy thriller Game Night and Deadpool 2 are sure to find audiences in their own right, particularly the latter after the outstanding commercial success of its' predecessor back in 2016. With A Monster Calls director on directorial duties for the latest Jurassic Park movie in the form of Fallen Kingdom, with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard both reprising their role from the previous installment, the most interesting sequel of the month goes to Sicario follow-up, Soldado, featuring the return of both Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin from the stunning Denis Villeneuve thriller back in 2015, with a screenplay once again from the extraordinary scribing talents of Taylor Sheridan, and if the dark underworld of the American drug trade isn't for you then maybe Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again or Mission: Impossible 6 is indeed the sequel for you. Whilst the latter end of the year does simmer down in terms of possible future releases, the likes of Shane Black's The Predator, the latest adaptation of Robin Hood and the final MCU release of the year in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp, will hopefully all be there to entertain the masses before the final three months of a jam packed year of film. 

With a Star Wars release absent from the Christmas schedule for the first time since 2015, the remaining couple of months of 2018 open the floodgates for a wide range of eclectic releases including the likes of the Tom Hardy starring Venom, Andy Serkis' take on Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book and even the newest release in the everlasting and indestructible Halloween franchise. Sticking on the lines of horror releases, Eli Roth's The House With a Clock In Its Walls will appease an incredibly niche fanboy audience whilst Don't Breathe director, Fede Álvarez takes over from David Fincher on the continuation of the Americanised Millennium series with The Girl in the Spider's Web featuring Claire Foy as Lisbeth Salander. From a personal point of view, Whiplash and La La Land director, Damien Chazelle also returns with First Man, an autobiographical drama focusing on the life of Neil Armstrong, and with both previous releases managing to receive full marks here at Black Ribbon, the bar is set exceptionally high. No pressure. Finishing the year with the likes of Aquaman, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Mary Poppins Returns, it's fair to say 2018 is set to end with a considerable bang, but of course, with so many releases to come, please stick with us for another twelve months of movie reviews as we attempt once again to point you in the right direction of where you should be spending your well earned pocket money. Enjoy!