The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2018

90. “Red Sparrow”
Director: Francis Lawrence (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling
Synopsis: A Russian spy falls in love with a CIA agent and considers defecting… or does she?
What You Need To Know: When the Cold War ended, it left something of a villain vacuum in Hollywood, so if there’s any silver lining to the whole the-Russians-are-manipulating-the-world-like-puppets-and-probably-helped-to-steal-an-election thing, it’s that it provides something of a creative well for thrillers, and “Red Sparrow” is one of the big beneficiaries of that. The best-selling novel by former CIA agent Jason Matthews attracted the attention of David Fincher and Darren Aronofsky before landing in the hands of Francis Lawrence, who reteams with his “Hunger Games” star and namesake Jennifer for this sexy spy thriller with a classy cast. It was bumped back in the release calendar a bit, which can be troubling, but the trailer was promising enough, and Lawrence is a better director than most give him credit for, so we’re interested to see how this turns out.
Release Date: March 2nd, 2018.

89. “Sicario 2: Soldado”
Director: Stefano Sollima (“Suburra”)
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Catherine Keener, Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine
Synopsis: Undercover operative Alejandro Gillick and shifty CIA agent Matt Graver reteam to bring down a cartel smuggling terrorists across the U.S./Mexico border.
What You Need To Know: A movie like Denis Villeneuve’s existentially despairing thriller “Sicario,” which premiered in competition in Cannes, isn’t the sort of thing that usually gets a sequel. But the movie was such an unexpected sleeper hit that backers Black Label Media and Thunder Road were keen to go back for more, though Sony will be distributing this time around. Emily Blunt and Daniel Kaluuya won’t be returning this time, with Benicio Del Toro’s angel-of-death killer and his mission of vengeance at the center now. And while Villeneuve isn’t back either (Italian helmer Stefano Sollima steps in), Taylor Sheridan has again written the script, and between the original, “Wind River” and “Hell & High Water,” he’s on a hell of a run at the minute.
Release Date: June 29th, 2018.

88. “Venom”
Director: Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”)
Cast: Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Reid Scott
Synopsis: Eddie Brock gains terrifying powers after bonding with an alien symbiote.
What You Need To Know: We’ll be honest: we need a “Spider-Man” spin-off about 90s-favorite villain/anti-hero Venom like we need a thumb in the eye. And director Ruben Fleischer has never delivered on the promise of his first film “Zombieland,” with his last feature “Gangster Squad” being particularly brutal. So how come “Venom” makes this list over other rival superhero movies? Well, you can’t deny that a hell of a cast has come together: Tom Hardy plays the title character, with the great Riz Ahmed rumored to be his nemesis Carnage, and Michelle Williams in a rare blockbuster role, plus Jenny Slate and “Veep” star Reid Scott also on board. And apparently, the studio isn’t sweating the Spider-verse connections too much, which is probably a good thing. Could this be a “Deadpool”-like surprise? Or simply a desperate cash-grab that paid great actors enough that they couldn’t say no?
Release Date: October 5th, 2018

87. “Mary Magdalene”
Director: Garth Davis (“Lion”)
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taharm Rahim, Hadas Yaron
Synopsis: The story of Mary Magdalene, often referred to as the thirteenth disciple, the first person to see Christ after his resurrection, and potentially a former prostitute.
What You Need To Know: Perhaps because of the backlash faced by movies like “The Last Temptation Of Christ,” or because of the opposite firestorm caused by “Passion Of The Christ,” too few serious filmmakers try to take on stories about Jesus and those around him, or other Biblical figures, despite the big bucks made by religious movies in recent years. But step in “Mary Magdalene,” a take on the most prominent woman in the gospels, and someone who’s been the focus of much debate over the years. “Lion” director Garth Davis is the man in charge here, and while we didn’t click to his breakthrough feature completely, he’s definitely a talent, and he’s brought along ace DP Greig Fraser from that film — the kind of photographer a film with a cast as superb as this deserves. Could this be the rare movie about religion and faith that has real artistry behind it too? That trailer was pretty, though a little dull perhaps?
Release Date: Well, here’s the rub: it’s currently set for a March 30th release, but by… The Weinstein Company. Maybe it’ll get “Paddington 2”-ed and picked up by another distributor without any delays, but don’t be surprised if it slides back.

86. “Mandy”
Director: Panos Comatos (“Beyond The Black Rainbow”)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Bill Duke, Richard Brake
Synopsis: A grieving man hunts a religious sect who killed the love of his life.
What You Need To Know: It feels like a long time since a movie starring Nicolas Cage made this list: maybe David Gordon Green’s “Joe” back in 2013? The one-time Oscar-winner has made no fewer than 19 films since then, but almost all of them have been straight-to-video dreck, with Paul Schrader’s “Dog Eat Dog” the closest thing to quality. But “Mandy” feels like something different. Sure, that synopsis might sound like more Millennium-backed VOD fare, but this comes from the director of bizarro sci-fi cult classic “Beyond The Black Rainbow” (plus writer Aaron Stewart-Ahn), will be scored by the great Johann Johannsson, and is described as a “surrealist, heavy-metal soaked story of battle axes and demon bikers.” Sold! Could this (and well-liked TIFF horror “Mom & Dad”) finally serve as the start of the Cage-back?
Release Date: Premiering at Sundance.

85. “Mid-90s”
Director: Jonah Hill
Cast: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges, Jerrod Carmichael, Alexa Demie
Synopsis: A young teenager growing up in the mid-90s tries to befriend a group of skateboarders while dealing with his relationship with his mother.
What You Need To Know: This might be the first time you hear of Jonah Hill’s “Mid-90s” described as ‘this year’s “Lady Bird,”’ but it probably won’t be the last time. Like Greta Gerwig’s movie (which starred Hill’s sister Beanie Feldstein), it’s a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age directorial debut by a familiar comic star, like that film it’s being released by A24 and was produced by Scott Rudin, and the two even share a cast member, in Lucas Hedges. But it sounds like they could be quite different in tone: Hill has talked about “Kids” and “This Is England” as influences, and has Kelly Reichardt’s DP Christopher Blauveldt shooting the picture. Sunny Suljic, who was so good in “Killing Of A Sacred Deer,” plays the young Hill surrogate, Hedges his bullying older brother, and Katherine Waterston (stepping in for Michelle Williams), in a just-about-biologically-possible bit of casting, plays their mother.
Release Date: Telluride or TIFF, assuming this follows the “Lady Bird” model.

84. “Domino”
Director: Brian DePalma (“Body Double”)
Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Carice Van Houten, Guy Pearce
Synopsis: A Copenhagen cop seeks vengeance on the killer of his partner, a CIA operative who was tracking an ISIS cell.
What You Need To Know: It’s been six years since Brian De Palma directed a movie (the little-seen “Passion”), and, while your mileage may vary, a lot longer since we really loved anything he did. But we’re always rooting for the great filmmaker to blow us away once again, and with some heat after Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow’s great love letter/documentary “De Palma,” the director returns in 2018 with this Scandi-thriller starring Jaime Lannister himself. It seems like an intriguing sort of story that plays into DePalma’s strengths while doing something new, the cast seems fun, and it should look gorgeous: Almodovar DP Jose Luis Alcaine, who also shot “Passion,” returns here.
Release Date: DePalma’s last three movies all premiered at Venice: that seems like the safest bet.

83. “Loro”
Director: Paolo Sorrentino (“The Great Beauty”)
Cast: Toni Servillo, Riccardo Scamarcio, Elena Sofia Ricci, Ricky Memphis
Synopsis: A biopic of Silvio Berlusconi, the controversial media tycoon and billionaire who became a populist politician.
What You Need To Know: Paolo Sorrentino is one of those directors who’s frustrating in his inconsistencies: for every project that flirts with greatness like “The Great Beauty” or his recent HBO series “The Young Pope,” there’s an embarrassing misfire like “This Must Be The Place” or “Youth.” But “Loro,” is promising not just because it sees the return of the director’s muse Toni Servillo, but also because it returns to Italian politics, the subject of Sorrentino’s best film “Il Divo.” It’s timely too: the ever-controversial Berlusconi (currently on the comeback trail) was something of a proto-Trump in his colorful nature, scandal-racked tenure and authoritarian tendencies. Could this be the “Citizen Kane” that we need right now?
Release Date: Sorrentino’s a Cannes regular: this feels destined for there if it’s done in time.

82. “The Miseducation Of Cameron Post”
Director: Desiree Akhavan (“Appropriate Behavior”)
Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, John Gallagher Jr, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle
Synopsis: A young Montana girl is sent to a conversion therapy camp after she comes out to her conservative aunt.
What You Need To Know: With Mike Pence a well-done-steak-clogged-artery or two away from the White House, it’s perhaps no wonder that the ludicrous idea of conversion therapy to change your sexuality has been on filmmakers’ minds, with two major movies about the subject set to arrive this year. The first is this adaptation of Emily M. Danforth’s YA novel that marks the return of Desiree Akhavan, who made such a striking arrival a few years back directing and starring in “Appropriate Behavior.” She’s only behind the camera this time — Chloe Grace Moretz has the lead, presumably aged up from the book, where the lead is 12 — but the supporting cast, including “American Honey” breakout Sasha Lane, is more than promising, and the subject entirely vital right now.
Release Date: A Sundance premiere.

81. “Slice”
Director: Austin Vesely
Cast: Chance The Rapper, Zazie Beetz, Joe Keery, Paul Scheer, Will Brill
Synopsis: After a pizza delivery guy is murdered, suspicions fall on a werewolf.
What You Need To Know: In the rough last year or two, we really can’t tell you what a balm the ever-joyous, utterly charming presence of Chance The Rapper has been in our world. As his recent acing of the SNL-hosting gig proved, he’s as talented at acting as he is at music, and his inevitable movie debut, filmed in secret and set to be released by A24, is finally set to arrive this year. Details are still thin on the ground, but the recent teaser trailer suggests a B-movie horror riff, with Chance’s music video collaborator Austin Vesely at the helm, and a cast including fast-rising star Zazie Beetz and “Stranger Things” breakout Joe Keery.
Release Date: A24 have too untitled horror films set for March and April: this’ll likely be one of those, maybe with SXSW first?