2018 is behind us, which of course means the moment to look back at it. A year which was a bit different for me as a blogger since I decided to take a break from it, which ended up lasting for a couple of months. It gave me the time to do other things, like gaming and reading, but I decided to continue after a while. It got me in a new groove just writing whenever I feel like it. But time to get to the good stuff. What were my favourite movies this past year, what were the worst ones I saw?

My Filmviews Tens

It doesn’t happen often that I give a movie a perfect score and this year was not different. There were only three titles which received a ten. These were:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

A movie which I saw various times and enjoyed as much each time I saw it. Beautiful roles, but also a really good story.

Upgrade

A film I had never heard of before, but which turned out to be a wonderful science fiction experience with lots of action and humor, which I suggest everyone to see.

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette

It might be difficult to see a stand up show as a film, but this Netflix special is impressive. The way in which Hannah Gadsby is able to talk about difficult subjects and be completely vulnerable doing so, left me speechless.

The statistics

Taking a break from blogging also meant I didn’t go beyond seeing 300 movies a year as I normally do. I didn’t even make 200 and ended up watching 189 titles, of which I saw 9,5% before. In total I watched 21.907 minutes, which comes down to 365 hours (which is 15,2 days of straight watching).

Worst movies

Of course not every movie can be a masterpiece and I watched a couple which disappointed. These were HBO’s Fahrenheit, Netflix with Mute, Mowgli, Tau and The Land of Steady Habits. But the four movies below really were extremely hard to get through:

Mile 22

This was a true hurricane of images which was hard to comprehend. It is supposed to be action, but it only disappointed me.

A Wrinkle in Time

At the end of 2017 the hype around this movie by Ava DuVernay was huge. A lot of people were looking forward to seeing it, but I couldn’t understand why after watching. Too much CGI and a story that didn’t convince at all.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

The dinos are back, but it would have been better to have left them alone to die on that island. I can’t remember the last time I was so frustrated while watching it and really was wondering if this was the best idea the writers could come up with.

Pacific Rim: Uprising

Benicio Del Toro’s original Pacific Rim was a fun movie to watch, but this sequel was anything but. The CGI wasn’t convincing and the acting against green screens reminded me of the Star Wars prequels.

Top 10

2018 was such a great year for film that I never had it as difficult while making this top 10 list picking just ten titles. That meant that titles like A Quiet Place, I, Tonya, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Bodied, They Shall Not Grow Old and The Florida Project. I ended up picking my favourites, movies which impressed me.

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10. Cold War

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Initially this was a movie which I thought wasn’t for me, but as you get to know the main characters, hear the music and experience the problems they face, you are pulled into its beautifully realised world of a couple decennia ago, shot in beautiful black and white.

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9. The Guilty

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A film which is set in one location and consists of phone conversations might not sound like an exciting film, but thanks to a great script, great acting, voice work and sound effects, this is a thrilling film where your brain brings everything you hear to life.

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8. Bad Times at the El Royale

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Just the hotel this movie is set in is a character. When you hear the bell boy talk about its history you immediately can imagine why this was the place to be. A movie where you have no idea about who the characters are and why they are staying here, but where you slowly get to know more in a style which reminded me of Tarantino.

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7. Mission: Impossible – Fallout

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It’s still unbelievable that the Mission Impossible films are still as great after so many sequels. It also crazy to see what Tom Cruise is willing to do when it comes to executing his own stunts. Whether that’s riding a motorbike, flying a helicopter of hanging on below it, he all does it himself. And you feel that. No CGI, but a man who is willing to risk his life for entertainment. A great film which makes you feel the adrenaline.

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6. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

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In a year where Black Panther, Infinity War, a new Ant-Man and a couple of other superhero movies were released, this Spider-Man movie was the best one to me. I watched it twice in the cinema and its style of animation felt fresh and new, was filled with humour and made the concept of various version of Spider-Man together, work.

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5. Blindspotting

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Unfortunately violence is a part of society. We all know the videos in which police officers might use their guns too soon. The Black Lives Matter movement became back and against that backdrop Blindspotting is a relevant movie in which an ex-con has to try to get his life back together while still on parole. Something which is hard. It leads to an amazing climax during which the main characters has some lyrics which left me speechless.

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4. The Shape of Water

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Benicio Del Toro is one of those directors who is able to create worlds filled with details, making you forget everything around you. In The Shape of Water he takes you into the sixties and tells a story in which his love for movies becomes really clear. The moments the characters watch dance movies, but also the water monster and the love between two beings is beautifully realized.

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3. Roma

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With Roma Netflix has succeeded in bringing one of the best movies of the year into millions of homes. Roma might not be for everyone, but if you give it a chance it might get you into its spell. Days after you’ll still be thinking about it and it even made me increase the score I gave it. A film which seems simple and isn’t, but Alfonso Cuarón makes it look effortless like a magician performing complicated technical tricks.
[Mijn recensie]

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2. Upgrade

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I’ve mentioned this title before, but it’s one I couldn’t get enough of. A great action movie with a concept similar to Venom, but way better executed. A must see for any fan of action and science fiction.

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1. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

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Frances McDormand plays one of her most memorable roles, for which she even received an Oscar, but also Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson are a joy to watch. My favourite movie of 2018.

How was your film year and what were your favorites?