Are we really at the halfway mark already? How did that happen?
OK, so January gave way to February which in turn became March and so on. Yet the relatively rapid passing of those months was probably because we’d locked ourselves away (once again) in the darkened confines of a cinema.
Of the 107 new release films we’ve hit up this year, more than half of them have been part of our twin features: Asia in Focus and Australian Film. The former is well represented here, not least of which is because one of them won the Palme d’Or in May.
So without any further preamble, here’s The Reel Bits Official List of Best Films of 2018: So Far™. Disagree? Agree? Got a differing opinion? Sound off in the comments below.
Shoplifters
Funny, heartbreaking, and socially aware, Hirokazu Kore-eda once again shows his mastery of demonstrating the subtle way in which humans do human things. Kore-eda has assembled one of his strongest casts to date, with family and new faces alike pulling in award-worthy performances. Put simply, this is another masterpiece from the king of intimate family dramas. Read full Review >>>
Isle of Dogs
Quirky doesn’t begin to describe Wes Anderson’s second animated feature, a film filled with good doggos that also pays tribute to classic cinema while nipping at the ankles of your emotions. This is a heartfelt tribute to cinema that is fully aware of the legacy that preceded it. These dogs may not have masters, but the film might just have mastered our hearts. Read full review >>>
BlacKkKlansman
“Dis joint is based on some fo’ real, fo’ real shit.” Spike Lee’s joint is powerful. It’s funny. It’s also a chillingly accurate dissection of modern America in the guise of a period film. It is necessary. Read full review >>>
Avengers: Infinity War
Some films change the world, while others just make it more awesome to live in for a few hours. The tenth anniversary Marvel Studios film falls somewhere in between and is a joyous celebration of comic bookery and beloved characters. More than that, it’s the culmination of an idea that began as a post-credits sequence a decade ago. It’s an emotional, sometimes downbeat, and always powerful piece of storytelling. The best part? It’s not over yet. Read full review >>>
Climax
This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Gaspar Noé likes to shock, and that he does in his drug-fuelled dance rave. On one hand, it is the least realistic experience of taking drugs since Refer Madness. Yet anchored by an amazing performance from Sofia Boutella, this is 95 minutes of videos, insane dance, growing madness, and visually assaulting the senses. Noé is most definitely taking the piss here, but still manages to slip in commentary on reactionary politics, France’s toxic masculinity, and rape culture. If you make it all the way through. Now we’ll wait here while you tell us how wrong we are.
We the Animals
A visually and lyrically told coming of age story that sits on the edge of magical realism and heartbreaking reality. Director Jeremiah Zagar’s film won the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance this year, alongside Night Come On, and is one of the most visually arresting films of recent memory. Read full review >>>
Leave No Trace
A mesmerizing piece from Debra Granik, the director of Winter’s Bone. It’s held together by a pair of amazing performances about a father and daughter who want to live on their own terms. Will be expecting big things in the future from young star Thomasin McKenzie.
A Quiet Place
A horror-thriller that transcends the silent gimmick to offer up an original take on the survivalist family genre. there’s rarely a moment in this film when the characters are without their own agency. The script leaves the door open for more, but you can take this as near-perfect self-contained bubble. Now quietly make your way out of the cinema without making a sound. Read full review >>>
Mirai
Another magical, moving, Mamoru Hosoda masterwork is arguably his most intimate, but no less fantastical in its scope or magical realism. In some ways it’s his most straightforward piece, but perhaps also one of his most personal. Read full review >>>
Best of the Rest
There’s be a particularly good run this year already, and here’s a collection of films that we also highly recommend. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE is Lynne Ramsay’s first feature film since 2011’s We Need to Talk About Kevin is a lightning bolt. Led by Joaquin Phoenix’s incomparable performance, this unconventional tale of a hitman will whack you over the back of the head with a hammer and leave you panting for breath in its wake. On the other end of the scale, THE BREAKER UPPERERS is a fiercely proud Kiwi comedy, and unquestionably one of the funniest films of the year so far.
Mari Okada’s MAQUIA: WHEN THE PROMISED FLOWER BLOOMS is a sweeping yet personal saga of unconditional parental responsibility, love, and gratitude. PSYCHOKINESIS, from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, gives us a fresh take on a superhero origin story that combines sharp social commentary, comedy, and some impressively scaled action sequences. WIK VS QUEENSLAND is a powerful documentary that shows is the human element and the social movement that went along with the political football of the 1990s. It is essential viewing for all Australians.
