As we say with most of the Best of 2018 lists we share each year, narrowing down the choices for any film fan is a bit of a problem. How are you supposed to only list your top 10 when there are probably two or three dozen films that deserve some sort of special recognition? Are you a bit of a snob if you leave out objectively good films like “Black Panther” and “A Star is Born?” Is it jumping on the bandwagon to say “If Beale Street Could Talk” is your Oscar front-runner? There’s just so much to weigh in the decision. Which is why Richard Brody of The New Yorker has the right idea.
READ MORE: Time Magazine’s Top 10 Films Of 2018 Shows Love For ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ & Mister Rogers
You see, when Richard Brody published his Best Films of 2018 piece, he threw caution to the wind and decided to leave no stone unturned. That’s the luxury you have when you don’t self-edit your list down to 10 or even 20. Instead, the New Yorker gave him 40 entries (with the caveat that he could add more once he sees some of the late-year contenders).
Want some major hits? He has “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “The Hate U Give,” and yes, “The Spy Who Dumped Me” (perhaps the oddest choice of them all). Are you more interested in those indie films that flew under the radar and never seem to get the awards love they deserve? “Support the Girls,” “Sollers Point,” “Madeline’s Madeline,” and “Minding the Gap” are recognized, as they should be. And lastly, his list features films that many film fans probably haven’t even heard about, including “Infinite Football,” “I Am Not a Witch,” “Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?” and “Werewolf.”
Sure, this is Brody’s list of the best films of 2018, but it’s also a de facto checklist that most film fans can use to see how many quality films they watched in the last calendar year. Because frankly, if you’re someone who’s only seen 25% or less of these films, you have some homework to do.
Here are all 40 of Brody’s choices as the Best Films of 2018:
Madeline’s Madeline
Let the Sunshine In
Zama
Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?
Sorry to Bother You
BlacKkKlansman
Werewolf
Mrs. Hyde
The Old Man & the Gun
Shirkers
Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc
Claire’s Camera
Infinite Football
Monrovia, Indiana
Support the Girls
Sollers Point
Isle of Dogs
Golden Exits
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
I Am Not a Witch
A Bread Factory
The 15:17 to Paris
The Rest I Make Up
If Beale Street Could Talk
Bisbee ‘17
First Reformed
Gavagai
Black Panther
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Notes on an Appearance
The Other Side of Everything
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Scarred Hearts
Pow Wow
A Season in France
Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable
The Hate U Give
The Waldheim Waltz
Click here for our complete coverage of the best and worst of 2018.
