The Best Films Of 2018…We’ve Already Seen

“A Ciambra”
Director: Jonas Carpignano (“Mediterranea”)
Starring: Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon
Synopsis: A 14-year-old boy living in Italian slums is torn between the criminal enterprise of his Roman family and an African immigrant he has befriended.
Verdict: Far from the House of Mouse and in the shadow of the Neorealist masters, up-and-coming Italian-American director Jonas Carpignano is building a cinematic universe all his own. “A Ciambra” is an extension of his short film of the same name, as well as a sequel of sorts to his first feature-length effort, “Mediterranea,” also lauded at Cannes back in 2015. The mesmerizing energy of young non-professional actor Pio Amato—playing a fictional variation of himself—makes it clear why none other than Martin Scorsese lent his name to the project as an executive producer. There may be shades of “Mean Streets,” “Bicycle Thieves” and “Rosetta” on display, but Carpignano’s docufiction world-building sets him apart from these antecedents. As noted by our own Nikola Grozdanovic, “A Ciambra” cultivates an ambience that “effortlessly pulls and locks you in its insular world of inconspicuous skid roads, train tracks and geographically ambiguous terrains.” A mite too intimate and shaggy to steal the spotlight from the competition films on the Croisette last May, “A Ciambra” is nonetheless a indie must-see in the early months of 2018.
Our Review: Nik gave it a B at TIFF.
Release Date: January 19th via IFC Films

“Thoroughbreds”
Director: Cory Finley
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift
Synopsis: Two upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems-no matter the cost.
Verdict: In his first feature film, writer/director Cory Finley is introduced with “one of the most assured and impressive American debut movies of the year.” The main draw for this film, besides the introduction of a new impressive filmmaker, is the assembling of such a captivating cast. In the last of his posthumous film roles, Anton Yelchin “gives another twitchy, compelling turn that reminds us why he’ll be missed so much.” He was gone far too soon, but if any solace can be taken after his loss, it’s that his work will continue to impress as viewers discover it in the years to come. The two leads, in Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy, both continue to show why they’re seen as two of the hottest young actors working today. Cooke’s “performance could be flat and monotone as written, but she makes Amanda a far more tragic character,” while Taylor-Joy is “initially the more well-adjusted one, but the actress quickly shows a sociopathy of a sort underneath without ever making her a monster.” With the help of these impressive leads, Finley crafts “a portrait of female friendship that, despite the dark places it goes to, proves to be oddly touching.”
Our Review: Oliver gave it an A- at BFI London Film Fest
Release Date: March 9th via Focus Features — Karl Schleider

“Blame”
Director: Quinn Shephard
Cast: Quinn Shephard, Nadia Alexander, Chris Messina
Synopsis: A substitute drama teacher at a suburban high school develops a taboo relationship with an unstable student, sparking a trail of jealous sabotage from the student’s peers.
Verdict: Calling it now, but quadruple threat Quinn Shephard (who directed, wrote, starred in, produced and financed her first feature film and she’s only 22) is going to follow in the trajectory of Xavier Dolan, another overly ambitious young filmmaker whose fingerprints are all over the entire filmmaking process. First premiering at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, Shephard delivered not only one of the self-assured and impressive directorial debut of last year, but of the last few. There are some bumps along the road as is to be expected with a filmmaker newly minted filmmaker, but the positives far outweigh any detriments. Featuring the embodiment of pure willfulness is an explosive performance from newcomer Nadia Alexander who, with support from the dexteric writing of Shephard, manages to explore and dismantle the cinematic takes on the “mean girl”. An exploratory feature that is both dark, wickedly comedic and moving, it’s a film worth celebrating both because it’s a wonderful film but also to help ensure that Shephard continues to make films. If this was a movie that she began writing as a teenager, what can we expect from her as she further matures?
Our Review: Ally gave it a B+ at Tribeca
Release Date: January 5th via Samuel Goldwyn Films

“Flower”
Director: Max Winkler
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott
Synopsis: A sexually curious teen forms an unorthodox kinship with her mentally unstable stepbrother.
Verdict: Precocious filmmaker Max Winkler follows up the hyper controlled, Wes Anderson-ian “Ceremony,” with the exact opposite, a wild, loose, rough and tumble and unpredictable coming of age tale and very dark comedy. With twists and turns and, laughs and heartache and nearly three films in one, the daring tonal shifts are held together by its star Zooey Deutch who is a force of nature. “Winkler demonstrates his versatility by crafting a freeform and wild movie that could easily be mistaken for the work of a completely different filmmaker.”
Our Review: I gave it a B+ during Tribeca.
Release Date:  March 16th via The Orchard 

“A Fantastic Woman”
Director: Sebastián Lelio
Cast: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco
Synopsis: Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 20 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion.
Verdict: There is simply no denying that newcomer Daniela Vega delivered one of the most stunning and magnetic performances of 2017 and should without a doubt be mentioned in the same breath as Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and more when it comes to potential Oscar nominees. Alas, she isn’t, and unfortunately that’s to be expected. None of that though deflects just how tremendous Vega is in the leading role. Director Sebastián Lelio debuted with the infectious and joyous “Gloria” and now “A Fantastic Woman” demonstrates his range as a filmmaker which will continue to do so with his second film coming out in 2018, “Disobedience”. Visually electric and playing with a Hitchcockian atmospheres, “A Fantastic Woman” is a stirring, exciting and truly remarkable leading performances that says so much with a steely gaze, and shoulders set against an unkind and judgemental world.
Our Review: Jessica gave it an A-/B+ at Berlin
Release Date: February 2nd via Sony Pictures Classics

“Racer and the Jailbird”
Director: Michaël R. Roskam
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts,Adèle Exarchopoulos
Synopsis: Set against the background of a brutal crime gang in Brussels, a tragic love story between Gigi (Matthias Schoenaerts), a high-flying gangster, and Bibi (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a young racing driver with very upper-class roots.
The Verdict: On paper the team up of Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos is an exciting prospect. The later hasn’t been in anything notable since blowing us all the way and delivering one the best performances of the decade with “Blue is the Warmest Color” while the former has quietly been making everything he’s in that much better with films such as “Rust and Bone,” “Far From the Madding Crowd” and “A Bigger Splash.” Together, the reality is that sparks should fly between two performers that have shared immense chemistry with screen partners elsewhere. Luckily for us, they did. Directed by Michaël R. Roskam who has worked with Schoenaerts before on films such as “Bullhead” and “The Drop” has concocted a film as equally languorous  in its pacing as well as exciting in moments of action. With a mind for 70’s noir influenced filmmaking and a romance so all consuming as we watch two characters fall in love that it will lift you up off your feet, “Racer and the Jailbird” is a swooning success that further shows that the two leads are stars.
Our Review: Jessica gave it a B/B+ at Venice
Release Date: TBD via Neon