It’s been a good year for movies. I was able to see and review more this year than ever before. In the past, I’ve offered only a “Top 10,” but this year I felt it necessary to up it to twenty. Too many great films came out this year that I couldn’t contain it to the usual ten (I even considered bumping it up to 25 or 30 – maybe next year).
This countdown is PART ONE of TWO, listing my favorites from number 20 down through 11. Enjoy!
20. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This isn’t a movie based on a comic book character, this is a comic book come to life – filled to the brim with excitement and visual flair that the rest of the genre sorely lacks. READ THE FULL REVIEW
19. Eighth Grade
As much as everyone loves John Hughes and his ilk, 16 Candles (1984) or The Breakfast Club (1985) are hardly realistic. I’m glad somebody has finally taken the time to get it right. READ THE FULL REVIEW
18. BlacKkKlansman
…what Lee has crafted is not only a throwback to his early days but an expert analysis of the contemporary political climate in America. He cleverly – and sometimes not very subtly – draws direct lines from the rhetoric of David Duke in the 70s to the language and attitude of our current administration. READ THE FULL REVIEW
17. First Man
The ‘60s space race has always been a fascination of mine, so I’ll admit that director Damien Chazelle would have had to fail pretty hard for me to dislike his new film. I’m so glad he didn’t fail. READ THE FULL REVIEW
16. The Death of Stalin
It’s not often comedies like The Death of Stalin come along. When they do, notice should be taken because this is the type of black humor and intelligent satire we need. READ THE FULL REVIEW
15. Black Panther
The world needs a hero, and not one wrapped up in the American flag. Real heroes fight real enemies and effect real change. Black Panther has arrived. READ THE FULL REVIEW
14. Minding the Gap
What director and star Bing Liu uncovers over the course of the film is a conversation about masculinity, poverty, racism, and the cycles of domestic violence – and does so with a deft hand and an enormous sense of style and sympathy. READ THE FULL REVIEW
13. Turn it Around: The Story of East Bay Punk
Turn it Around is more than a well-made documentary—it’s a call to action. It captures a slice of what it was like for a certain group at a certain time, but it also issues a challenge. It lives and breathes D.I.Y. ethics, and dares viewers to do the same. READ THE FULL REVIEW
12. Annihilation
Annihilation isn’t so much “Tarkovskian” as it is “Lovecraftian”—it looks out instead of in, hinting at the true and horrible nature of the universe, and the insanity that inevitably follows. READ THE FULL REVIEW
11. Burning
As the plot unfolds, characterizations begin to come into focus, but we still can’t be certain of anything. Regardless of the mystery that we’re certain we’re solving, questions of motivation are left to be deciphered. READ THE FULL REVIEW
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.