Obligatory Best of 2018 Post

Altered Carbon

This one came out of nowhere for me. Not only did I not know anything about the show, but I didn’t even know it was a book series. I didn’t particularly care for Joel Kinnaman in The Killing, and I hated Suicide Squad and the Robocop reboot, so there wasn’t much love going in…but I was pleasantly surprised. And now with Anthony Mackie in season two? I’m in.

Black Panther soundtrack

It’s no secret that I’m a Kendrick fan, but this album is just fantastic. Normally I’m not a fan of soundtracks, especially ones that are created specifically for a film. It always seems like a forced attempt to get your lyrics to mirror the plot, or rhyme with the title. Not only do the songs X and Black Panther work on their own, but All the Stars is one of my favorite songs of the year.

Black Panther

It’s so crazy that if you make a diverse film, it appeals to a diverse audience! WHO KNEW.

But this didn’t feel like Marvel making a film just to “check a box.” They did it right. In fact, you could make an argument that Killmonger is the best Marvel villain of all time. The third act fell apart a bit for me—superpowered human fighting an identical superpowered human—but not so much that it tainted the rest of a brilliant movie.

I’m a Coogler fan, but I’m also a Hannah Beachler fan. Remember that name.

Spider-Man

This one was on the list for a long time. In fact, I bought a PS4 last year in anticipation of its release. I haven’t had this much fun being immersed into a game world since Arkham Asylum, which is fitting, since this is incredibly comparable. Great fighting mechanic, solid story, and for the first time since the Spider-Man 2 game, I really felt like I was swinging and diving throughout NYC. And let’s not forget about his rogue’s gallery. Maybe the best since Batman.

Uproar

I would love to say that this whole album was fire, or that every track evoked a new…nope. It’s all about Uproar. I listened to that song so many times that my neighbors were asking, what the f*** though? Where the love go? Just listened to it again.

And let’s not forget the Uproar Challenge. Thank you, Mills Miller.

Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers. Whoa.

Even if this movie had been terrible—which would have been a tough look, since this isn’t DC—it’s still amazing to think that this is a collection of TEN YEARS worth of stories. And it was fantastically balanced. Everyone seemed to get their own screen time, and they all got a chance to shine.

But nothing shone more than Cap’s beard.

A Quiet Place

Here’s another one that I didn’t know anything about ahead of time, and found equally as surprising. I feel like there should be a name for the new horror genre—films like A Quiet Place, Get Out, and the upcoming Us—because they don’t fit the traditional mold of slasher/creature thrillers.

Jack Ryan

Not gonna lie, the Islamaphobia was off-putting. It’s 2018. I’m done with that trope.

That aside, I read the Jack Ryan novels as a kid, so I was pretty excited to see the newest iteration…and John Krasinski did not disappoint. Wendell Pierce made a great James Greer as well—who doesn’t love Bunk? I also really appreciated the Easter eggs from later in the timeline.

Killing Eve

I was late to the game on this one too, but thanks to a few friends recommendations, I caught on. Notice there’s not a lot of TV on this list? That’s because network TV mostly sucks, and seasons are WAY too long. Thank you to the BBC for making such a great story and keeping it to eight episodes.

I’ve always loved Sandra Oh, and seeing her in a dramatic role like this was just perfect. And hello, Jodie Comer!

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Each of the Mission Impossible movies to this point had been directed by a different person with a different style, and even though they were all Ethan Hunt-centric stories, they all felt different. De Palma dealt with the intrigue, Brad Bird focused on gadgets and tech, etc. But Fallout was the first back to back director, and it still felt fresh.

Maybe the one movie this year that actually lived up to its trailer.

GUN. FISTS.

Queer Eye

This show makes me SO HAPPY.

Makeovers are great and these guys are incredibly likeable, but what I love most is that they help people regardless of background. It’s literally the opposite of bullying and I’m here for that.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Holy crap. I saw this one later than most, and that was my mistake. This movie was AMAZING. The voice casting was spectacular, and we got multiple Spider stories without the need for bogged-down origins. I saw this twice in the theater and it’s definitely a day one purchase.

Upgrade

This is the Venom movie we deserved.

Low budget—and rather gory and violent—but shot in a fascinating way that really captured the

Sabrina

Riverdale started out so good out of the gate, and then quickly devolved into teen drama, so I lost interest. I think that’s one of the reasons I was so excited for Sabrina. I don’t mind teen drama, but it has to be mixed with elements of the supernatural, and what’s more supernatural than witchcraft?