Best Movies of 2018
The time is here. Time to reveal the best movies of 2018. It was another great year with some incredible entries. I actually went back and forth on a lot of the films in the top 10, which explains the long list of honorable mentions. But before we get to the list, some yearly stats.
Stats: I watched 115 new releases (22 more than 2017). I sat down to watch a movie a total 203 times (16 more than 2017). That’s an average of about 17 movies a month. I went to the theater 74 (20 more than 2017) times, which works out to about 6 full days spent in a theater. (Last year I thanked MoviePass, this year I thank AMC's subscription service.) And altogether watched 143 films that I hadn’t seen before.
1. If Beale Street Could Talk
★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10
There’s probably no one who could translate the poetic nature of Baldwin’s novel — about a young black couple so miraculously in love only to be separated by a sheet of glass because of the racism that has terrorized the United States since before it was established — better than writer/director Barry Jenkins. His style feels transcendent, infused with notes of jazz that define the version of the New York City through which Tish and Fonny walk. Though I haven’t read "Beale Street," it’s as if the two men, despite the separation of time and death, are walking in tandem steps telling one story. The spirit that carries over from Baldwin’s non-fiction to his fiction, has been carried to us visually by Jenkins.
2. The Favourite
★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10
The more I think about “The Favourite” the more I see it as a farce. It takes a society governed by a long list of social rules and exposes the seedy, secret things beneath the surface. It points to things that are outrageous, like a hilarious mid-movie dance sequence, and some things that could have happened, but were never spoken of. In either case, there’s a truth there that Yorgos sees and uses to tell his story. Both Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail (Emma Stone) also see their world for what it is and use that knowledge to their advantage, all wile Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) suffers as the powerful pawn stuck between two brilliant manipulators. And as funny as “The Favourite” is, there’s an aching sadness that comes through in Colman’s performance that helps ground the film in something deeper.
3. A Star is Born
★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10
“A Star is Born” starts so incredibly strong with rousing music scenes and a whirlwind romance we can all believe in. And that sets the stage for the devastation that takes root in the second half. Bradley Cooper proves in his directorial debut that he has a very clear vision and the ability to execute it. That along with being the immensely talented actor we knew about. Then there’s Lady Gaga who so shows us that she too can do it all. Even more than with her words, with every note she sings she seems to reveal something about Ally. Without believing small-town Ally is truly a hidden gem the film wouldn’t live up to its name, and Gaga proves that not only Ally, but she herself is a gem worth rediscovering in this film.
4. Black Panther
★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10
If “Black Panther” stopped at being a symbolic film, one worth celebrating for its celebration of black people and strong black women, then it wouldn’t have a place on this list. But on top of achieving all of that, the film is actually incredible. “Black Panther,” despite holding on to the Marvel formula in some way, manages to be the freshest film the Disney/Marvel machine has churned out. It’s a smart, sleek superhero story that’s grounded in traditions and folklore that feel centuries old. Director Ryan Coogler and his team manage to build a world on par with the greatest science fiction and fantasy series. Plus, Michael B. Jordan crafted what is perhaps the best villain of the last decade or more. He’s vicious, inviting, twisted, but makes some sense. It’s this level of complexity that we should expect if we want to begin demanding more of popcorn entertainment.
5. A Quiet Place
★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10
This horror movie is so simple, yet so effective. And it’s less important that it’s effective at scaring us, which is something Director/actor Jon Krasinski certainly accomplishes — he has us on edge the entire time. Where the film succeeds most is allowing us to experience, quite viscerally, just how much these parents love their children. It’s haunting and beautiful.
6. Free Solo
★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10
“Free Solo” comes in as the best documentary of the year. We get a window into the world and mind of Tommy Caldwell, perhaps the best rock climber without ropes (that’s what free soloing is) to ever live. He’s training to climb the toughest free climb ever attempted, one where the likelihood of death is the highest. The documentary helps shed light on how someone who does this for a living physically trains, which is interesting. But more importantly we see how someone who does this maintains relationships, and we begin to understand why someone like Tommy needs to do this.
READ THE REVIEW
7. First Reformed
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10
Paul Schrader’s film about a depressed pastor is so good it’s shocking really. I still, after all these months, can’t figure out how Schrader managed to make a conversation about the irreversible effects of climate change will lead to the end of the world. But the conversation isn’t preach-y. Instead the conversation about depression brings on a deep sadness that’s uncomfortable to sit with. Ethan Hawke, as a lonely, dying pastor, crafts the most quietly engaging character in cinema for the year. We see how one person’s despair is transferred like a debt to another, and how despair leads to something more extreme. I still maintain that Schrader lost me (and the person behind me dying of laughter) in one particular scene. Without that scene, First Reformed might top this list. But nothing could erase all that was accomplished with this film.
READ THE REVIEW
8. Roma
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10
Is this measured film master artist Alfonso Cuarón crafts a beautiful portrait of someone who goes unseen. Cleo, the domestic worker for a well-to-do family in Mexico, lives life bearing the burden of so many. She does this with grace and strength, all but knowing she’ll never be recognized for what she’s able to accomplish. Adding to her pain, she’s often mistreated by the family she works for and by people in her personal life. There’s a scene about two-thirds of the way through the film so intensely heartbreaking proving that Curarón was meant to make this project, and new actor Yalitza Aparicio was meant to play this part.
READ THE REVIEW
9. Hereditary
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10
The thing that gives a film the ability to appear on this top 10 list is something that’s actually quite difficult to put into words. All of these films make feel something in a very real way. How each film makes me feel is different. For Hereditary there’s a sense of terror that’s beyond traditional horror thrills and scares. Throughout this film we feel the growth of something dark and terrible approaching, and when we finally find out what it is, it has the ability to leave us with out jaws agape. Writer/director Ari Aster has made something sordidly devastating, and Toni Collette leads the way in convincing us in the moment that this something is real.
READ THE REVIEW
10. Shoplifters
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10
Hirokau Koreeda’s film aims to redefine the meaning of family. After a multigenerational motley crew living in a run down shack meant for one adds one more, a little girl from an abusive home, to their ranks, everyone has to adjust. What’s amazing is that in a film with so many characters, each one has his or her distinct story and set of problems. No, these people aren’t heroic per se. They’re all doing things illegally just to get by (that’s where the shoplifting comes in), but they care deeply for each other, and have created a family as close as any. Will this, and can this, last? Those are the questions. There’s a scene on a beach about two-thirds of the way through the film that is so beautifully done packed with so much meaning.
Honorable Mention:
Burning (I’ve never seen a story told so sparesely like this before actually work. Masterfully made.) Beautiful Boy (Wrecked me emotionally.) Avengers: Infinity War (If you look close you'll see the film as a gorgeous and artful film.) Won’t You Be My Neighbor (I palpably felt Mr. Rogers’s care for children.) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Visually stunning and so much fun.) Bad Times at the El Royale (Like a satisfying puzzle made up of great performances.) Eighth Grade (Elsie Fischer deserves some awards.) Cold War (Hands down the most beautiful movie of the year. Lukasz Zal’s cinematography is sickening.) Happy as Lazzaro (A weird Italian film anchored by a committed lead performance.) BlackKklansmen (Spike Lee knows how to bring a message home.) Isle of Dogs (Really incredible to watch for so many reasons.) Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are perfection together.) Vox Lux (I don’t understand this movie, but I love it anyway.) Three Identical Strangers (A haunting documentary about something very hard to believe.) A Simple Favor (A real surprising delight made up of some really twisted stuff.) Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Endlessly re-watchable, sleek, and American in the best way) King in the Wilderness (Effectively moving documentary about MLK’s life right before his death.)
Worst Movies of 2018
There will always be bad movies as long as movies exist. And that’s fine. People’s tendency when they see a bad movie is to nostalgically declare today’s film landscape hopeless. But the landscape is no more or less awful than the olden days. Earlier decades simply have the benefit of positive legacy, where the good ones are the only ones that survive time's test. So when reading this list, fear not. For film is not dead.
10. Acrimony
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
Tyler Perry’s "Acrimony" isn’t a bad idea. Perry takes the man-did-woman-wrong premise that has characterized just about every one of his movies and turns it on its head. That part is clever. But "Acrimony" becomes, in its last 30 minutes a wild slasher film out of nowhere. Nothing about the ending is earned.
9. The Nun
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
With a host of great horror movies comes some terrible ones too. "The Nun" is a prequel to the films in "The Conjuring" series, the second of which, at least, is quite good. This film sets out to explain the creepy image of a nun that haunts an exorcist in the ‘70s. To do this we take a trip back to the ‘50s, but where the scares from those other films came from a deeper sense of terror, "The Nun" is pure camp and jump scares, while pretending to hold onto the depth that made the other movies much better.
8. Superfly
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
Nothing about "Superfly" feels fresh, and it actually has nothing to do with it being a remake. The filmmakers try to update things with references to crypto-currency, but the story trappings are the same sort of B-movie tropes we’ve been seeing for years. But even beyond the predictable narrative, nothing about the film is special. Why is this criminal with a heart of gold worth watching? Outside of plot points, things like the way characters are framed and the personality an actor brings to a character all contribute indefinable flourishes that give a film an overall vibe and unique point of view. This movie has none of that.
7. Pacifc Rim: Uprising
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
When you have to change pretty much all the actors, and the fibers by which the sequel is connected to the original film are this thin, just don’t make the sequel. Another indication that a sequel will disappoint is when the word after the colon is as nondescript as "Uprising." The first "Pacific Rim" was surprisingly solid, though it wasn’t great. This movie is what I expected from the first, an excuse to make giant robots fight giants monsters.
6. A Wrinkle in Time
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
It’s hard to know where to begin with this movie. What set out to be a fantastical children’s adventure devolved into nothing short of a travesty. This movie isn’t just not good, it’s actively bad. The main issue is that nothing really makes sense. Yes, this alternate world is not like the world we inhabit, but what are the rules of the world we’re entering? Without guidelines for what’s going on, nothing about this journey makes sense or is surprising because anything can happen. Being unfamiliar with the source material, I can't really say where the ultimate problem lies, but some blame has to be thrust upon director Ava Duvernay, one of my absolute favorites, who is unable to imbue the film with the slightest inkling of soul or deeper meaning.
5. The Outlaw King
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
There are four types of movies that Netflix acquires: Oscar contenders, decent-to-bad high school movies, abysmal Christmas movies (I don't consider them worth critiquing, which is why they're absent from this list), and movies that Netflix hopes will find an audience because a star made a huge career mistake and attached themselves to a forsaken project. "The Outlaw King" not only falls into this last category, but is also the poster child for it. Chris Pine leads, reluctantly I imagine, the cast of this medieval drama so uninspired and derivative that it can hardly be considered a film, because that would suggest it’s art. Yes, it’s based on something from history, but if history is this boring we should really just leave it in the past.
4. The Cloverfield Paradox
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
I respect the producers of this film for knowing that their movie is bad. Since "Cloverfield" made a big impression with audiences back in 2008, the series of films grew into a critical darling with "10 Cloverfield Lane" in 2016. "The Cloverfield Paradox" is a prequel explaining how aliens came to the planet, and a prequel that we did not need if it was going to lack any sense of something momentous. But the producers did everything they possibly could to get this movie seen. Probably recognizing that word-of-mouth and critic scores would ruin any chance for theatrical success, the producers decided to release the film on Netflix by announcing it during a Super Bowl commercial break and releasing the film the moment the Super Bowl ended. This move was the best plot development connected to this project.
3. Life Itself
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
It’s really hard to explain to people how I can both be moved emotionally by films, but also reject sentimentality. My rejection seems cynical, which I admittedly can be, but all in all, I want films to make me feel, just in a real way. James Baldwin wrote, “Sentimentality, the ostentatious parading of excessive and spurious emotion, is the mark of dishonesty.” What he says next is even harsher, but I'll leave it at that. "Life Itself "is the perfect example of gross sentimentality, the kind that is so manipulatively contrived. The film preys on the flimsiness of human emotion in its weakest state by pushing the right combination of buttons to create the kind of shallow emotional experience that writer/director Dan Fogelman traffics in. Why not experience dread and terror ("Hereditary"), a character’s choking desperation ("First Reformed"), or if you want something that’ll make you cry, why not find something that isn’t just sad, but devastating in a way that makes you sit and think for hours ("Roma," "If Beale Street Could Talk"). "Life Itself" wants you to cry, and it wants you to do it when Fogelman says so, because people dying is sad, and laughably ridiculous connections seem clever in the moment.
2. Fahrenheit 451
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
Like some of the other films based on books, I haven’t read the source material. What may have worked in novel form certainly did not in film. The story is set in a high-tech future where firefighters’ sole job is to burn books because of the threat they pose after a second American civil war. Why exactly books are threatening is never convincingly explained. It feels contrived for the purpose of the story. And that’s only the beginning of the film’s problems. HBO films are pretty much always bad, but the network coasts by mostly unscathed because of its sterling reputation for quality television. But like many other HBO films, the story here is thin, and because of that, the characters have no plausible motivations.
1. Venom
★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 3/10
"Venom" is a hot mess. There’s no better way to put it. It feels like a movie that got the green light in 2002, Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams have zero chemistry, and the buddy cop relationship between Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the alien Symbiote Venom is silly at best and vapid in reality. "Venom" didn’t have to be bad if there was even an attempt to create a cohesive tone or a story that made sense. But that work, you know the work needed to tell any story, just wasn’t done. And what makes matters worse is Hardy’s shockingly droll and lofty explanation about how the film is a commentary about the voices inside our heads.
Dishonorable Mention:
Extinction, Slice, Anon, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, Aquaman, Suspiria, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Mama Mia: Here We Go Again,
Most Disappointing Movies of 2018
To be clear, the most disappointing movies aren't necessarily the worst movies of the year. While there is some overlap, that list of worsts is still forthcoming. Most disappointing simply means that I had a certain set of expectations and they were not met. The 10 films below are ordered by how disappointed I was with them. Each description explains why I had expectations and how the film fell short.
10. Annihilation
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
"Annihilation" is Alex Garland’s follow up to 2018’s phenomenal "Ex Machina." That earlier film is unsettling, beautiful, and filled with meaning. "Annihilation" isn’t a bad movie, not even close, but I had very high expectations. "Annihilation" is a lot slower, the meaning less profound and intelligible, and a lot of the intrigue relies on traditional horror thrills and scares.
9. Widows
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10
I enjoyed "Widows," but when Gillian Flynn, Steve McQueen, Viola Davis team up the result should be much better. "Widows" is the perfect Sunday afternoon movie that gets replayed a thousand times on AMC. You know the kind, the ones you don’t really need to pay attention to all that closely. The performances are commendable, the story is fine, and the direction is solid. The problem: it’s sort of soulless.
8. The Girl in the Spider's Web
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
I’ve only seen the original Swedish film based on the first book in the series ("The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo") starring Noomi Rapace, which was great, and I’ve heard the English-language version with Rooney Mara is even better. I guess I shouldn’t have had any expectations with everything changing from actors to directors to even who the source material was written by, but my expectations were still pretty high. "The Girl in the Spider’s Web" is a long and winding road, yet it’s the equivalent of driving in Ohio — you’ve got to struggle to keep your eyes open.
7. Solo: A Star Wars Story
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
I went into "Solo" with an open mind. Despite reports of reshoots, desperate last-minute acting lessons for the film’s star, and a director swap halfway through, I still believed in the potential of "Solo" because "Rogue One," the first Star Wars standalone movie, was really great despite its own set of production issues. "Solo" not only does nothing for the franchise, it actually hurts it. The movie isn’t terrible, but it can’t shake the feeling of purposelessness.
6. A Wrinkle in Time
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
I was excited about "A Wrinkle in Time" for one reason alone. I had never read the book, and I was indifferent about the premise, but the film was directed Ava Duvernay, a huge Hollywood presence who in a very short time made an impact with incredible films like "Selma" (one of my favorites from 2014), and "The 13th" (one of my favorites from 2016). Unlike a lot of films on this list, "A Wrinkle in Time" is actually bad. It’s a jumble of silly characters, none of whom are developed, and a journey at the center that Duvernay can’t manage to get us to care about.
5. McQueen
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
I love a good fashion documentary. They are among my favorite genres of film. "McQueen," though, doesn’t work because it plays out like a collection of events and fashion shows with no driving purpose. We know Alexander McQueen kills himself, but we’re not really building up to that. Because of this, it plays out like a biopic, and If you’ve ever read one of my biopic reviews, you know that’s not a good thing.
4. Deadpool 2
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
I liked the first one. It came in like a rushing wave sweeping away audiences with its mix of brash humor and action movie thrills. But at the heart of this first movie was a good story, even if predictable. With this second one it’s very clear that the writers became consumed with writing jokes instead of writing a movie. The story on this go around is not only thin, it's lazy.
3. The Gospel According to André
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
This was not a great year for fashion documentaries. I had higher hopes for this one than "McQueen" because André Leon Talley is one of the most interesting characters in American fashion. It should have been pretty easy to make this work. But like "McQueen," nothing drives this documentary forward, and it feels like there’s not really a point for the project’s existence.
2. First Man
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
"La La Land" was subject to the annual awards season backlash, but both that film and "Whiplash" were great first and second features from director Damien Chazelle. While the young director didn’t write this movie, I was still very excited for its release because he was connected to the film. "First Man," a film about one of the most momentous occasions in human history, is shockingly boring. Ryan Gosling’s Neal Armstrong is melodramatic and wholly unlikable when he's not meant to be.
1. Suspiria
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
"Suspiria" was one of the films I was most excited about this year. Director Luca Guadagnino obviously made a big impression with last year’s "Call Me By Your Name," but it’s his earlier films that made me a fan: "A Bigger Splash" (2015), and one of my all time favorites, "I Am Love" (2009). "Suspiria" would be a much different film with gorgeous dance sequences, terrifying violence, and an updated moving narrative arc. I saw the original "Suspiria" from 1977 just a few days earlier which made me more excited to see Guadagnino’s version. What it ends up being is a grotesque show of gore and violence with a story so convoluted it’s exhausting. But there are gorgeous dance sequences.
Best New TV of 2018
A new year means a new crop of television hoping to become the next "Game of Thrones" or "Big Little Lies." Both those shows come from HBO, yet only one of the shows listed below come from that network. Though the year was great for that network, others shined in it's place. Here are the best 11 new shows of the year.
And now for some stats:
I watched 1,190 episodes of television (29 more than 2017). I watched 92 seasons (9 more than 2017) start to finish within the calendar year. I watched at least one episode of 106 different shows (25 more than 2017), and kept up with about 17 shows per month.
1. Wild Wild Country (Documentary Series)
Netflix
The show is described in the name. "Wild Wild Country" is the craziest story I watched all year not only because it’s real, but because it’s a buried piece of Oregon and US history that no one really talks about. The six-part documentary series tells the unbelievable story of a cult with origins in Southeast Asia settling in a small town in Oregon and creating a commune to the chagrin of their small-town neighbors. What comes next is shocking: bombings against the commune, an attempt to take over the city by members of the cult, and crazy sexual practices within the commune. What’s perhaps most amazing about the series, beyond its incredible access to members of the cult and the indomitable Ma Anand Sheela, is the fact that it’s really hard t pick a side. The cult is, well, a cult, and full of practices that would certainly rile up the townspeople, but, on the other hand, the townspeople are fueled by racism and prejudiced attitudes, something that Sheela, in a twisted sort of way, was fighting against.
2. Patrick Melrose (Limited Series)
Showtime
I didn’t have any expectations for this five-part limited series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It looked more fun than anything. And while in all episodes it does maintain a stylish lightness about it, it tackles some very heavy things like drug addiction and abuse. It’s this balance that makes the series one to relish instead of one to slog through. Benedict Cumberbatch is phenomenal as is Jennifer Jason Leigh as his detached mother. The series, based on the novels by Edward St. Aubyn, shows the long-term effects of things you can’t control and the things you can.
3. On My Block (Season 1)
Netflix
What a delightful comedy this turned out to be. Netflix’s show about a group of latino and black high schoolers in Los Angeles is probably the funniest show of the year, but like "Patrick Melrose," "On My Block" deals with some heavy topics, like life choices when life doesn’t give you many, and trying to save your friends. All the characters pop with color, but none more than Jason Genao’s Ruby. He’s hilarious, a great dancer, and where the season ends is nothing short of heartbreaking because of the work he did throughout the entire season.
4. Elite (Season 1)
Netflix
This year I watched more foreign-language television and films in an effort to explore the wealth of great content beyond the US and UK. And I am very glad I did. "Elite" is right up my alley in that it's a high school drama, but it surpasses just about any high school show I’ve seen because of how well crafted it all is. Everything we see throughout the season clicks into place by the final episode. The show is both ridiculous (someone's been murdered but we don't know who, and these high schoolers act way too old), but also meaningful as it deals with classism, racism, and all the –isms. The season starts with three kids from a poor Spanish neighborhood who get scholarships to attend a wealthy private school full of rich snobs reminding their new classmates of their station at every turn. What starts as relatively harmless hatred materializes into a twisted and dangerous mystery.
5. Dark (Season 1)
Netlfix
"Dark" is another foreign-language entry, this one hailing from Germany. It’s like a grown-up "Stranger Things." As kids disappear from a German town we begin to suspect something supernatural might be at play. The show is scary, sad, effectively moving, and, dare I say, dark.
6. The Haunting of Hill House (Season 1)
Netflix
We need more horror television series. "The Haunting of Hill House" follows an estranged family, each member haunted by the memories of their time at Hill House. The kids, now grown, pretty much all hate each other, only to be outdone by the hatred for their father, who whisked them away from the house once he finally realized it was haunted and overtaking his wife, who he had to leave behind. The show is scary for sure, but more than anything it’s a deeply felt family drama. By time we get to the final episode our emotions are completely surrendered to the show.
7. Homecoming (Season 1)
Amazon
Sam Esmail has a way of making offices the most dangerous places without ever losing sight of their mundanity. "Homecoming" is about a facility and program that’s supposed to help war veterans deal with their PTSD before returning home. Only there’s much more beneath the surface. We watch as Julia Roberts's Heidi, the project lead, digs back into her past, a past she can hardly remember, to figure out exactly what was going on. What she finds is unsettling and that feeling permeates the entire series. Both Roberts and Stephen James were rightfully nominated for Golden Globes for their great performances.
8. Killing Eve (Season 1)
BBC
What could have been a run-of-the-mill detective-tracks-down-murderer series became something so much more. First, the showrunners gave the show a gorgeous and sprawling European style and aesthetic. Jodie Comer’s Villanelle is a sleek assassin who enjoys toying with the officer obsessed with tracking her down. Villanelle would be the ultimate television hero if she weren’t nuts. And that officer hunting this assassin is the titular Eve. Sandra Oh imbues the character, who very easily could have been a flat, network-type cop, with a sort of neurotic humor. The show has a clear vibe and that’s what makes it work. That and the murder.
9. The End of the F***ing World (Season 1)
Netflix
This little black comedy is why streaming television is the best thing to happen to visual entertainment in a long time. Nowhere else but a streaming service could a show like this exist. It’s about an anti-social teenager who is pretty sure he’s a psychopath with a penchant for murder. He meets and, kind of, befriends Alyssa, an off-kilter teen who wants to find her real dad. This 21st-century odd couple embarks on a wild road trip that ends in one of the most rousing final episodes of the year.
10. Succession (Season 1)
HBO
The beauty of "Succession" is that it doesn’t take itself so seriously that it sucks the fun out of the story. A tale about who will take over a family’s monstrous media company, not unlike Fox Broadcasting Company, should be fun. Will it be the oldest son who’s been cleaning up his act since overcoming his drug addiction? Will it be the daughter who’s sharper and more ruthless than anyone in the family, all while possessing a caustic wit? Will it be the potty-mouthed and spineless younger son? Or perhaps their ailing father isn’t going anywhere. "Succession" is a winding tale about money, power, and family. That could describe a lot of shows, and, like, all of Shakespeare. So no, "Succession" isn’t the freshest new show on television, but it might just be the most enjoyable to watch.
11. Kidding (Season 1)
Showtime
"Kidding" features a dry, desert-like aesthetic, providing a sense of loneliness that characterizes the show. Jim Carey plays a Mr. Rogers type who wears a happy face on television to make America’s children smile, all while his personal life is in shambles. He’s separated from his wife, his son hates him, and his father who produces his "Mr. Pickles" show is one step away from pushing him off the air. The season starts off pretty slow but it begins to pick up about half way through. At episode eight we get to the good stuff. Carey’s performance is so good, as is Catherine Keener’s who plays his sister dealing with her own crappy life.
Honorable Mention:
The Terror (AMC)
Worst of TV of 2018
We may be in the Golden, some would say Platinum, Age of Television, but with the growing list of hits, there is a growing list of shows that stink. While there was plenty of good TV, this year wasn't as strong as last year, which means I spent hours watching some terrible series. Here are the worst 10 TV shows of 2018
10. Riverdale (Seasons 2-3)
The CW
The whole idea of this show is ridiculous, but when it works it leans into the campiness with a sort of dedication that’s commendable. Halfway through season 2, though, it goes so off the rails that it’s neither fun, nor engaging. The only reason this show isn’t higher on the list is because the first half of season 3 has done a lot to redeem the show.
9. Grown-ish (Season 1)
Freeform
Being a woke and stylish person doesn’t mean you have talent. The simple fact is, and I suspected as much while watching "Black-ish," that Yara Shahidi, despite being an incredible person, is not a good actor. Turns out neither are any of the young stars that surround her on the show. Where "Black-ish" feels fresh and revelatory, "Grown-ish" is stale and flimsy. It is constructed, with its head-on-the-nail lessons, like a children’s show despite being about kids on the brink of adulthood.
8. The First (Season 1)
Hulu
Set in the near future when our next frontier is landing on Mars, Sean Penn leads this space exploration drama from Hulu. It’s not all bad, but it mostly is. The characters are reminiscent of the network kind that are shallowly developed. They grandstand and are always crying. The drama is stretched thin over far too many episodes and nothing truly resonates.
7. Maniac (Limited Series)
Netflix
I can appreciate this show for its ambition, but that’s all it gets credit for. The show is tedious, and despite an interesting opening premise, the story is too fractured to coalesce. What does it all mean? The thing is, by the end, you won’t really care.
6. Trust (Limited Series)
FX
"Trust" is a true misfire from FX. Like last year’s film “All the Money in the World,” the show tackles the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his mother’s quest to get his rich grandfather to pay his ransom. Despite the stacked cast and best of intentions, the show is boring, plain and simple.
5. Altered Carbon (Season 1)
Netflix
This science fiction drama suffers from the lack of convincing world building. The story felt too expansive (read: confusing) while the world felt small and suffocating. In essence, it fails everywhere "Game of Thrones" succeeds.
4. House of Cards (Season 6)
Netflix
Rocked by the allegations against the show’s former star, Kevin Spacey, the "House of Cards" showrunners had to pull it out from the ashes. It would have been wonderful if "House of Cards" could have proven that it had what it takes to go on, especially with the talented Robin Wright at the helm. Claire Underwood has been far more interesting than her husband for several seasons now. But what we get is the worst season yet. If we thought there were moments in the past where the show jumped the shark, this season proves we had no idea of the potential of that idiom.
3. Being Serena (Limited Series)
HBO
Serena Williams is a controversial sports figure, but HBO’s short docu-series about her road to motherhood, then to tennis, is a puff piece. Williams narrates, which means she and her team were very aware of what this documentary would become. And because of this, we get a sentimental, sweet, and boring look at one of the most prolific athletes of our times.
2. Castle Rock (Season 1)
Hulu
I simply didn’t have it within me to finish the season. It was supposed to be a terrifying slow burn of a supernatural tale. But it’s just slow.
1. The Looming Tower (Limited Series)
Hulu
This Hulu show, like "Castle Rock," was based on a book. But this one was also based on real life, meant to explore just how US intelligence agencies failed the country in the lead up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "The Looming Tower" limited series is a melodramatic snoozefest. Jeff Daniels gives us his most indulgent performance in a show that is so forced that it’s by far the worst of the year.
Best Returning TV of 2018
A lot of these returning titles get snubbed in their second and beyond seasons to make way for newer, shinier shows. These new shows are good, but it takes a special ability to keep momentum going beyond a great first season. So let's raise a glass to the best retuning TV shows of 2018.
1. The Handmaid's Tale (Season 2)
Hulu
Season 1 of "The Handmaid’s Tale" really put Hulu on the map in terms of original programming. It stuck to the novel in many places, but the showrunners were confident enough to add to and stray from the source material when they needed to. In season 2, we’re well past where the book leaves off, which seems to have only bolstered the showrunners’ ability to fly with this show to a very special place. What’s most incredible, beyond Elisabeth Moss’s flawless performance (that birth episode!!), is Serena’s character development. Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena takes leaps and bounds this season becoming one of the most realistically complicated characters on television.
2. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season 2)
Amazon
It’s really hard to think of a more perfectly made comedy. At the heart of what makes "Mrs. Maisel" so good is that this '50s mother-turned-comedian’s stand up is actually funny. If her career seemed to be at a stand still at the beginning of the season, the story still progresses forward with Midge coming to some important realizations about her life, and her family inching closer to answers about where she goes at night. Both "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "The Handmaid’s Tale" confront changing times for women and we see how different characters struggle with that change.
3. Atlanta (Season 2)
FX
On and individual episode level, "Atlanta" is a great show. But when the season is taken in totality, it is sublime. It’s a pretty remarkable feat when you think about it. Nearly every episode is memorable on its own. Then at the end of the season we begin to see how little things in each episode are connected to the larger story of Earn (Donald Glover) and Alfred/Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry). Episode 10 absolutely wrecked me. I guess that's true about all of these top three returning shows. There was at least one episode that hit my emotions so hard I just had to sit in silence after it was all over.
4. Daredevil (Season 3)
Netflix
"Daredevil" is the comeback kid of 2018. After an amazing first season, and a not-so-great second, I had all but written off "Daredevil." But I figured if I sat and watched all of "Iron Fist" Season 2, I could certainly give "Daredevil" a try. I was completely blown away by what is the show’s best season. (It’s a real shame it’s been cancelled.) The key to the show’s triumphant return is the return to what made the first season great, namely Kingpin, played with a sly finesse by Vincent D’Onofrio, who, if this weren’t a comic book series, probably would have been nominated for his performance. But it’s not D’Onofrio alone. There are four characters (Daredevil/Matt, Kingpin, Karen, and Dex) that the showrunners dig deep into, anchoring the show in something more than just plot developments and fight scenes. This is the very best of comic book television.
5. The Americans (Seasons 6)
FX
This underrated gem came to an end this season. It’s such a satisfying ending for those of us watching since the beginning because we get to see things we’ve been building towards for up to six years. Mainly FBI agent Stan Beeman learning that he’s been living next door to a family of Russian spies for years. If Serena from "The Handmaid’s Tale" is among the most complicated characters on television, Paige from this show is up there with her. She’s been through a trip in the last several seasons and her decisions toward the end are what really make the finale so heartbreaking.
6. Amercan Vandal (Season 2)
Netflix
Season 1 was a huge shock. Somehow a fake documentary solving the mystery of who spray painted a host of penises on the cars in the faculty parking lot of a high school resulted in an Emmy nomination, and rightfully so. So the stakes were high for season 2, and it was no less impressive. What is shocking about the show is 1) that it so cleverly critiques the self-seriousness of these investigative docu-series that we hear in podcasts, and see on Netflix. And 2) with a story about a perpetrator carrying out poop-related attacks (I am aware of how ridiculous it all is), the show manages to draw out meaningful thoughts about truth, innocence, and pre-conceived notions. How they do this, I do not know, but I’m thankful for it.
7. Billions (Season 3)
Showtime
Season 3 of "Billions" is the best yet, plain and simple. The reason this season worked is because it came as a surprise. The cat and mouse chase set up at the beginning of the show dissolved halfway through the season making way for something more complicated and more interesting. This season the characters pop, and I literally had to get a Showtime subscription because I couldn’t not watch.
8. Ozark (Season 2)
Netflix
While season 2 may not be as strong as season 1, it’s still one of the best shows on television. Anchored by incredible performances from Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, season 2 expands the story set up in the first – to stay alive a family becomes money launderers for a drug operation. In season 2 it seems the family is more desperate than ever, making moves just to see the next day. Janet McTeer is a welcome addition, but even more than in season 1, it’s teen character Ruth Langmore that makes the show great. Seriously, 24-year-old actor Julia Garner is the hardest-working actor in television, and her role in "Ozark" illustrates why we need her to stay in this business forever.
9. Black-ish (Seasons 4-5)
ABC
Every time I think about this show, I’m always surprised that it’s been on the air for so long. Not because it’s bad. It’s on this list, so quite the contrary. It’s that it’s so unapologetically black, and on network television no less. The second half of season 4 comes as a surprise. It holds on to its characteristic freshness, putting into a show the conversations black Americans regularly have. But it also becomes incredibly heavy as Bow and Dre deal with a marital funk and contemplate calling it quits. The first half of season 5 has been just okay, but the latest episode (s5e8) was a return to form.
10. The Great British Bake Off (Season 9)
ITV 4/Netflix
I don’t really know what to say about this show other than it’s a simple concept and a true delight. Yes, the show is not the same without Mary Berry, Mel, and Sue, but it’s still wonderful, especially because Kim Joy, one of this season’s contestants, is such a ray of kawaii sunshine.
11. Glow (Season 2)
Netflix
I’ll admit, I didn’t love "Glow" season 1. I thought it was solid, but nothing incredible. This season really took it to a new level. They addressed just how problematic some aspects of the ‘80s show within the show (The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) are, adding depth to characters like Tammé, who plays Welfare Queen, and Arthie, who plays a terrorist in the ring. But it’s Alison Brie’s Ruth and Betty Gilpin’s Debbie who really grow, or shall I say glow, this season.
Honorable Mention:
13 Reasons Why (Season 2), Dear White People (Season 2), Insecure (Season 3), Grace and Frankie (Season 4)