Thor: Ragnarok‘s Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson reunite for the reboot of the Men In Black franchise, Men in Black: International. The first official trailer reveals this new MIB film will capture the same tone as the original movies starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. The special effects are, obviously, upgraded but the Men in Black fundamentals are all on display in Columbia Pictures’ first unveiling of footage.
In addition to Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, the cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Emma Thompson, and Liam Neeson. The sci-fi action film was directed by F. Gary Gray from a script by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The film franchise is based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham.
The behind the scenes team includes director of photography Stuart Dryburgh, editor Christian Wagner, and production designer Charles Wood.
Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald produced, and Steven Spielberg, E. Bennett Walsh, and Barry Sonnenfeld executive produced. Sonnenfeld directed the first three films of the franchise, kicking off the story of a secret agency that monitors alien activity on Earth back in 1997. Men in Black 2 followed in 2002, with Men in Black 3 arriving in 2012.
The original film opened to a $51 million domestic weekend and went on to gross $589 million worldwide in theaters. Men in Black 2 barely edged out MIB‘s first weekend, taking in $52 million. That film wound up grossing $441 million worldwide. MIB 3 surpassed the first two films, ringing up $54 million its first weekend and $624 million worldwide.
Columbia Pictures is planning to release Men in Black: International in theaters on June 14, 2019.
The Plot:
The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
2018’s Aquaman is DC’s attempt at capturing the lighthearted fun of Marvel’s 2017 Thor: Ragnarok. Were they successful? Not totally, but at least no one will accuse director James Wan of making a dark, inaccessible drama full of broody characters.
A mostly shirtless Jason Momoa stars in the titular role, diving into the part of a half-human/half-fishperson from Atlantis with as much machismo as he can muster. He’s so much easier on the eyes than Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water fishman, and thankfully he’s not kept in a tank but instead spends the film attempting to stop an impending war between the citizens of Atlantis and the non-amphibious Earthlings.
Whether or not it was James Wan’s intention, Aquaman is pure camp. It’s not as cornball and goofy as Clash of the Titans (either the 1981 or 2010 versions), but it nudges close to that territory. Of course, it’s nearly impossible not to fall into a pit of silliness, given the characters ride around on sharks and seahorses. Add to that the underwater effects that demand time be spent marveling at Amber Heard’s flowing locks or the tiniest of movements from random strands of Patrick Wilson’s tight ponytail. Aquaman’s arrival in his own stand-alone film is obviously not going to be taken as seriously as a Batman or Superman origin story.
The PG-13 film establishes how Arthur Curry/Aquaman came to live among humans. His mom, Atlanna (a smooth as silk Nicole Kidman), fell head over fins for a lighthouse keeper, but the King of Atlantis wasn’t about to let her settle into a life of domestic bliss above the sea. Leaving her baby behind, Atlanna was forced to return to Atlantis where she gave birth to the current king, Orm (Wilson). Orm’s a power-hungry human hater who gathers his underlings and prepares to end the reign of land dwellers.
Fortunately for us helpless humans, Princess Mera (Heard) has a soft spot for our kind. She tracks down Arthur and convinces the reluctant hero to take on his half-brother in a battle for underwater supremacy with the…drumroll, please…fate of humanity (or at least coastal properties) hanging in the balance.
Jason Momoa’s flexing pecs can swim over most of the rough spots in the plot, busting out in a massive smile or tossing his hair as he delivers a smoldering glare to distract from the actual storyline. Momoa’s made for this sort of over-the-top action role, and if we can’t have him back romancing Khaleesi and leading the Dothraki, then an Aquaman outing will just have to suffice.
Amber Heard’s solid as a princess who’s more capable of leading than the men around her. Heard’s Mera, once you tear your eyes away from following the flow of her hair, is the best-developed character in the film. If it weren’t for Mera, men would destroy the planet. Heard, the least campy part of Aquaman, plays Mera as someone who totally understands the fact the fate of the world rests on her shoulders.
Nicole Kidman pops in and out of the film in the pivotal role of Aquaman’s mom. Kidman’s coming off an Emmy Award-winning role in HBO’s Big Little Lies and has two films – Boy Erased and Destroyer – that will keep her busy this awards season. Aquaman’s a smaller part for the Oscar-winning actress, but her presence feels large in the film despite the fact she’s on screen 15ish minutes.
Kudos to Aquaman’s writers for not spending much time on romance. It’s there, but not so much that it steals away focus from what’s really important, the CG-heavy action scenes. Two and a half hours feels about half an hour too long, and there’s a bizarre chunk of time spent trudging through the desert. However, for the most part, the film flows along fairly well. Momoa’s definitely having a good time playing Aquaman and that alone makes the film far more enjoyable than, given the material, it has a right to be.
GRADE: B-
MPAA: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
“Look, people can be terrible about things they don’t understand. If they find you, they’ll probably lock you up in a lab somewhere and it will be bad. Trust me, the only person you can show yourself around is me, okay?” says Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) to Bumblebee (voiced by Dylan O’Brien) after discovering he’s not just some old beat-up VW in the Transformers spinoff, Bumblebee.
The movie starts with an epic battle on the planet Cybertron, home of the Transformers. The evil Decepticons are winning and the Autobots must evacuate if they hope to keep their race alive. The leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), commands his loyal battlebot, B-127, to travel to a well-hidden planet called Earth and get it ready for the Autobots to set up a new base there.
B-127 crash lands in Northern California in the year 1987. Unfortunately, the newcomer to planet Earth not only has the bad luck of crashing in on an army training exercise but also has a Decepticon warrior hot on his heels. They fight and B-127 barely manages to win, losing the ability to talk when his electric vocal cords are severed and he’s badly damaged. About to lose his core memory, B-127 scans the area and finds a VW Bug which he can mimic.
Enter Charlie, a teenager about to turn 18. She feels like an outcast in her own family and is still grieving the untimely death of her father. Charlie’s desperate to have her own car and while out collecting parts at her uncle’s car repair shop, she comes across a broken down, yellow VW Bug.
The following day on her 18th birthday, Charlie pleads with her uncle. She’ll work for free if he gives her the Bug. “No deal. I’m not hiring… It’s yours, kiddo,” replies her uncle (Len Cariou). Thrilled, Charlie gets the car running in no time and drives home in her first automobile.
Later that night, Charlie’s working on the Bug in the garage when she accidentally activates B-127. He turns back into his robotic self but has no memory of who or what he is – or anything else. The unlikely duo are initially scared of each other, but Charlie and Bumblebee (the name she gives him since he can’t remember his) quickly become best friends. The new (bizarre) BFFs spend time together while working to fix the battle-scarred bot and figure out who he is and where he comes from.
Time, however, is not on Charlie or Bumblebee’s side. Two Decepticons have tracked Bumblebee to Earth and are determined to find him and make him reveal where Optimus Prime is hiding before they kill him.
Full of heart and plenty of action, Bumblebee is the best Transformers film of the tired and bloated franchise. The film rests on Hailee Steinfeld’s shoulders and she delivers a terrific performance as Charlie in the touching coming-of-age story at the script’s core. Any fan of the original cartoon and/or a fan of the 1980s will love this movie.
The script is superior to any of the other Transformers films because the writers actually spent time giving the characters real personalities. The action is well choreographed, filmed, and edited so the audience can follow it. There’s no confusion this time as to which robot is which, something that’s been a big problem with this film franchise under Michael Bay’s direction.
The heart and soul of the film is Steinfeld who gives the best performance of her career as Charlie, the sensitive teen who’s detached from her family. Charlie’s a tomboy who desperately misses her father and Steinfeld captures her emotional turmoil and journey. Steinfeld plays opposite the CGI Bumblebee flawlessly and conveys real heartfelt emotion in the scenes in which she confesses the pain she still feels over losing her dad.
Bumblebee is a fresh, fun, and soulful reboot and origin story focusing on the franchise’s most loved Autobot. It’s a true crowd-pleaser of a film.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence
A scene from Netflix’s ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.’
Netflix’s popular romantic coming of age film, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, is getting a sequel. The streaming service confirmed a sequel’s currently in development with Sofia Alvarez returning to write the script.
The first film and the sequel are adapted from Jenny Han’s bestselling young adult trilogy. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before 2 will be an Awesomeness Films, Ace Entertainment, and Overbrook Entertainment production, with Matt Kaplan and Dougie Cash producing.
Lana Candor (Alita: Battle Angel, X-Men: Apocalypse) and Noah Centineo (Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, The Fosters) are returning to lead the sequel’s cast. The first film also featured Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett.
Playing on the film’s love letters, Netflix released its own love note to announce the sequel:
“To All the Fans I’ve Loved Before,
I miss you. I know it’s only been a few months and I swear I wasn’t trying to avoid you; I just didn’t know how to answer your question without lying to you.
The truth isn’t always simple or straightforward – and as we all know too well, dating contracts have a way of quickly getting complicated. But, the letters are out…it’s true. A To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel is coming to Netflix. And yes, you can seamlessly continue to run your #Covinsky fan accounts because your dreamy stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo are in on it too.
So let’s do this. I promise the next chapter will be worth the wait!
Love,
Netflix”
The To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before Plot:
“What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song Covey’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control when the love letters for every boy she’s ever loved – five in all – are mysteriously mailed out.”
The Whisperers in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 9 Photo Credit: AMC)
AMC’s just unveiled the official poster for The Walking Dead season nine part two. The poster features a close-up of a key new character from season nine’s second half: the Whisperers’ leader. Samantha Morton takes on the role of Alpha, and the creepy poster shows her warning everyone to be quiet.
Samantha Morton was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in 1999’s Sweet and Lowdown. She also earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category for 2002’s In America. Morton’s additional credits include Harlots, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and John Carter.
The Walking Dead season nine part two is set to premiere on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT.
The Season 9 Part 2 Plot:
The second half of The Walking Dead Season 9 finds our groups of survivors, both old and new, continuing to deal with the impact of events that took place during the six years that have passed. Since the disappearance of Rick, many of these characters have become strangers to each other, and in some ways, strangers to themselves. What they do know is that they are in undeniable danger. They will soon realize the world just beyond does not operate as they thought. The group’s rules and ways of survival no longer guarantee their safety.
A whole new threat has crossed their paths, and they soon discover it’s unlike any threat they have encountered or endured before. The group will start to question what they think they see. What may appear to be normal in this post-apocalyptic world could actually be more disturbing and terrifying than when the apocalypse first broke out. All that is certain is the stakes are high and numerous.
A Look Back at the Season 9 Part 2:
Last season brought the culmination of “All Out War,” which pitted Rick Grimes and his group of survivors against the Saviors and their cunning leader, Negan. With Negan’s life in his hands, Rick had a character-defining choice in front of him. By making the unilateral decision to spare Negan, Rick upheld the values his late son, Carl, championed in order to build for the future, but created conflict within his group.
Now, we see our survivors a year and a half after the end of the war, rebuilding civilization under Rick’s steadfast leadership. It is a time of relative peace among the communities as they work together, looking to the past to forge the future, but the world they knew is rapidly changing as man-made structures continue to degrade, and nature takes over, changing the landscape and creating new challenges for our survivors.
As time passes, the communities confront unexpected obstacles, danger, and of course, walkers, but nothing quite prepares them for the formidable force they are about to encounter, which threatens the very idea of civilization that our survivors have worked so hard to build.
What’s Hellboy’s special talent? “It smashes things real good,” says Hellboy, now played by David Harbour, in the film’s first official full trailer. Stranger Things‘ Harbour steps into the role played by Ron Perlman for the 2019 revival of the Hellboy film franchise.
“Save the world. Just for the Hell of it.”
Ron Perlman played the comic book-inspired character in 2004’s Hellboy and 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Both films were directed by Guillermo del Toro. The 2019 reboot has Neil Marshall at the helm. Marshall’s film credits include Doomsday and The Descent.
The original Hellboy film opened in theaters on April 2, 2004. The PG-13 film grossed $23 million domestically over its opening weekend and went on to ring up $99 million worldwide before exiting theaters. Hellboy II: The Golden Army arrived in theaters on July 11, 2008, topping the original film’s opening weekend by bringing in $34 million domestically. Overall, the sequel easily beat the first movie’s worldwide gross with a $160 million take by the time its theatrical release ended.
Joining David Harbour in the 2019 horror action comedy/drama are Milla Jovovich (the Resident Evil films) as British sorceress Nimue; Ian McShane (American Gods, the John Wick films) as Trevor Bruttenholm, Hellboy’s adoptive father; Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0) as Ben Daimio; and Sasha Lane (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) in the role of Alice Monaghan. The cast also includes Thomas Haden Church, Penelope Mitchell, Sophie Okonedo, Brian Gleeson, and Kristina Klebe.
Director Neil Marshall’s behind the scenes team includes director of photography Lorenzo Senatore, editor Martin Bernfeld, production designer Paul Kirby, costume designer, and Stephanie Collie. Benjamin Wallfisch handled the film’s score.
Lionsgate’s planning an April 12, 2019 theatrical release.
The Plot:
Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.
Sasha Lane, David Harbour, and Daniel Dae Kim in ‘Hellboy’ (Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate)Poster for 2019’s ‘Hellboy’ (Photo Credit: Lionsgate)
Eric Bana as John Meehan and Connie Britton as Debra Newell in ‘Dirty John’ season 1 episode 5 (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/Bravo)
Bravo’s compelling new drama, Dirty John, continues its first season run on Sunday, December 23, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Season one episode five is titled “Lord High Executioner” and finds Debra still allowing John to remain a part of her life.
The cast of season one is led by Connie Britton (American Horror Story, Nashville) and Eric Bana (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Deliver Us From Evil). Juno Temple (The Most Hated Woman in America), Julia Garner (Ozark, The Americans), Alexander Gomez (Too Old to Die Young), Jake Abel (Love & Mercy, Supernatural), Jean Smart (A Simple Favor, Legion), Judy Reyes (One Day at a Time, Jane the Virgin), and Kevin Zegers (Fear the Walking Dead, Notorious) also star in the dramatic limited series’ first season.
“Lord High Executioner” Plot: John gets clean for Debra. Terra learns John’s back. John puts his sister through the ringer.
The Dirty John Plot:
Based on the articles and breakout true crime podcast from Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard, Bravo’s scripted event series Dirty John tells the true story of how a romance between Debra Newell (Britton) and the charismatic John Meehan (Bana) spiraled into secrets, denial, manipulation, and ultimately, a fight for survival for an entire family.
Their fast-tracked romance creates tension between Debra and her two daughters Terra (Garner) and Veronica (Temple), leaving the girls no choice but to investigate the man who has swept their mother off her feet, while the backstory of Debra and her mother Arlane (Smart) provides insight into why Debra was so vulnerable to John in the first place.
Connie Britton in ‘Dirty John’ (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/Bravo)Juno Temple as Veronica Newell and Julia Garner as Terra Newell (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/Bravo)Joshua Basset as Teenage John, Shea Whigham as William Meehan, and Giorgia Whigham as Teenage Denise (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/Bravo)Joelle Carter as Denise Meehan and Eric Bana as John Meehan (Photo by: Michael Becker/Bravo)Julia Garner as Terra Newell and Connie Britton as Debra Newell in season 1 episode 5 (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/Bravo)
Yael Stone and Ben Sinclair in ‘High Maintenance’ season 2 (Photo: David Russell / HBO)
High Maintenance returns to HBO’s primetime lineup on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 10:30pm ET/PT. (Seasons one and two aired on Fridays.) The third season consists of nine half-hour episodes and stars series co-creator and executive producer Ben Sinclair. Co-creator Katja Blichfeld also executive produces along with Russell Gregory.
Amy Ryan, Gary Richardson, Arthur Meyer, Jen Harris, Micah Sherman and Abdullah Saeed return as guest stars. Joining the series in guest starring roles for season three are Jemima Kirke, Margaret Cho, Guillermo Diaz, Rosie Perez, Kathleen Chalfant, Ken Leung, and Annie Golden.
The Season 3 Plot: The critically acclaimed show uses The Guy, a marijuana dealer (played by Sinclair), to tell a variety of stories about New York lives, including his own. This season, High Maintenance profiles everyday people whose stories of success, failure, love and loss intersect across New York, while delving deeper into personal life of The Guy, who is spending less time on his iconic bicycle and more time in “Steve RV,” a set of wheels gifted to him last season.
Featuring an intricate web of memorable returning characters and unforgettable new faces, the new episodes find New Yorkers exploring their relationship with the city, touching on such themes as death, parenthood, sexuality, fantasy, aging and more.
High Maintenance January 2019 Episode Details
Season 3, episode 1: “M.A.S.H.”
Debut date: SUNDAY, JAN. 20 (10:30-11:05 p.m.)
While spending time away from the city in his RV, The Guy (Ben Sinclair) gets upsetting news, but makes an intriguing new connection. Cori (Erin Markey), meanwhile, tries to adjust to a new reality without her friend.
Written by Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair; directed by Katja Blichfeld.
Season 3, episode 2: “Craig”
Debut date: SUNDAY, JAN. 27 (10:40-11:10 p.m.)
After his bike is stolen, regular customer Marty (Gary Richardson) consults The Guy (Ben Sinclair), whose suggestion sends him down a surprising path. Bored with her mundane life, Darby (Catherine Cohen) finds ways to unnerve and bewilder strangers.
Written by Isaac Oliver & Zack Schamberg; directed by Ben Sinclair.
Fox is set to premiere the new sci-fi drama The Passage on January 14, 2019. The series is based on Justin Cronin’s best-selling trilogy and stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Henry Ian Cusick, Caroline Chikezie, Brianne Howey, and Jamie McShane. The series involves the spread of a virus and the creation of a new race of beings, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar playing a Federal Agent who goes on the run with a young girl, Amy Bellafonte (Sidney), scientists have chosen as a test subject.
The series’ pedigree behind the scenes includes Oscar nominee Ridley Scott and writer/director Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield) as executive producers. Friday Night Lights‘ Liz Heldens writes and executive produces, and executive producer Jason Ensler (The Exorcist) directed the first episode.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Saniyya Sidney were paired up for roundtable interviews at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con. Gosselaar and Sidney’s characters’ storylines are intertwined, and in our interview they discussed preparation for the roles and their knowledge of Cronin’s popular novels.
Did you know the books prior to the series?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “Yes. I read the script first and knew that they were based on the trilogy. The minute I knew there was interest in me playing the character, I did the research and read all three books, much to the chagrin of my wife because it literally consumed every moment of my day.”
What did you find about your character that you could really latch onto?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “It was relatable for me because I had a 12-year-old daughter. I have young kids and I could relate to how Brad could morally and ethically make the decision that he does in the pilot. And then just being a fan outside of my character, I thought the characters Justin Cronin develops and the worlds that he creates and the adjectives that he uses, I just became a fanboy of the books.”
Did you speak with Justin about your character?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “No because the books are pretty much a blueprint for us as actors as well as the writers. I did meet him and, like I said, I was like a fanboy meeting this guy. I remember him coming to set. We were filming a scene at the carnival which is actually in the book where Brad takes Amy. I was just picking his brain – not about my character. I was talking about Peter and Alicia and what happens in the future. He sort of signed off on me and said, ‘You’re a perfect Wolgast.’ Off I went and felt really good about that compliment.”
How would you describe Brad’s emotional journey over the course of the first season?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “I don’t want to give too much away but my character isn’t around a lot in subsequent books. A lot of what happens to my character shapes what will end up happening in the future. What I’ve been told – and I’m being super cryptic about this – is that we will go into the backstory of my character and flash back to his relationship with this ex-wife and their daughter and why he feels the way he does in the pilot.”
What did you find so intriguing about the books?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “He has an amazing ability to leave every single chapter on a cliffhanger, in a way, which makes you then want to read the first three pages of the next chapter. You find yourself reading that whole chapter and then the cycle continues. These characters were so rich and so well developed. I felt like everybody in every single one of his books would come back in some way or another. They would seem insignificant in one and then chapters later they’d be a pillar in another.
I just fell in love with his writing. I fell in love with the characters. They sort of live with you as you’re reading the books and beyond, which makes you want to pick up the second book and the third book. (Laughing) After the third book I went to rehab.”
Did you do anything special to bond for this surrogate father/daughter relationship?
Saniyya Sidney: “I don’t know. Did we?”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “Not really because the story starts off with her being very skeptical and very guarded towards any authority figure.”
Saniyya Sidney: “Which I did when I first met him.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: ”So, it sort of played. We were very fortunate to shoot it in a sort of linear fashion, so we were able to develop our relationship as the story developed as well.”
Saniyya Sidney: “Now I can say he’s one of my best friends, even though he’s a grown up.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “BFF.”
Saniyya Sidney: “BFF. You’re a BFF.”
How would you describe Amy?
Saniyya Sidney: “Amy Bellafonte, as I always say I can describe her in three words. She’s a bad girl, she’s a little girl, and it’s up to her to save the world. That’s what I’m all about.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: (Smiling) “That’s a lot more than three words.”
Did you read the books?
Saniyya Sidney: “I actually read some. My dad read all three.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “Her dad and I would actually geek out about the books. While we were filming the pilot he’d say, ‘Did you get to that chapter yet where this and this happens?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m past that.’ He’s like, ‘What happens?’ I’m like, ‘I’m not going to tell you!’
Her dad was feeding her information.”
Saniyya Sidney: “Pretty much. But I’m waiting to read the books, so I can be surprised what happens to the character…”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: “You’ll be surprised.”
Saniyya Sidney: “…and just see where this journey takes us.”
What makes Amy so special?
Saniyya Sidney: “It takes this one girl to save the world. One top of that, I don’t know how to describe it. Imagine one of you guys having to save all of humanity and it’s up to you. No pressure! But at the same time, she goes through a lot. It’s just up to her. It’s a crazy journey for her and she goes through so much. Over time you can see that she’s matured. She’s not a follower; she’s a leader.”
Ryan Gosling stars in Universal Pictures’ ‘First Man.’
Is there an obvious Oscar Best Picture winner among 2018’s theatrical releases? Roma, Green Book, and The Favourite have certainly increased their odds of snagging an Oscar statuette as they add critics groups nominations/wins to their résumés. However, there’s a lot of jockeying for position among the next 15-20 films thought to be in contention.
My list of 2018’s best movies is all over the place genre-wise. A captivating, timely thriller and a film that builds tension without the use of dialogue made this Top 15 list, along with a Marvel superhero film that not only broke box office records but was culturally significant. The return of a magical nanny, the latest remake of A Star is Born, and a journey into space with Neil Armstrong occupy spots on this year’s best movies list.
A quiet, character-driven tale set in the world of rodeo riders and the heart-wrenching story about gay conversion therapy (that shouldn’t be timely but is) lingered long past the final credits. Christian Bale channels one of the most despicable American politicians in Vice, and this year served up an impressively authentic R-rated coming-of-age tale.
The true story of a writer who turned to forgery to pay her bills and a so-crazy-it-couldn’t-possibly-be-true-but-it-is cop drama entertained while shining the spotlight on two intriguing real stories. Another true story, this time of a jazz pianist and the Italian American bouncer who drove him to concert stops in the deep South during the 1960s, showcased the incredible talents of Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.
My annual disclaimer: This ‘Best Of’ list, with main cast lists and official plot descriptions, represents my personal favorite films of the year. Since it’s a matter of personal taste, your list will most likely be very different from mine. Each of the movies on my Top 15 list sparked conversations or debates, and many introduced a new talent either in front of or behind the camera.
15. First Man starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Patrick Fugit, Ciaran Hinds, Ethan Embry, Shea Whigham, Corey Stoll, and Pablo Schreiber
The Plot: On the heels of their six-time Academy Award-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
Elsie Fisher stars in ‘Eighth Grade’ (Photo Credit: A24)
14. Eighth Grade starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, and Jake Ryan
The Plot: Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school—the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year—before she begins high school.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘A Star is Born’ (Photo by Neal Preston)
13. A Star is Born starring Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott
The Plot: In this new take on the tragic love story, he plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
Emily Blunt is Mary Poppins in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (Photo Courtesy of Disney)
12. Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, and Colin Firth
The Plot: The film is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
11. Can You Ever Forgive Me? starring Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Jane Curtin, Ben Falcone, Anna Deavere Smith, and Stephen Spinella
The Plot: Melissa McCarthy stars in the adaptation of the memoir Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel who made her living in the 1970s and ’80s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Grant).
10. Vice Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Amy Adams, and Sam Rockwell
The Plot: Spanning a half-century, Cheney’s (Bale) complex journey from rural Wyoming electrical worker to de facto President of the United States is a darkly comic and often unsettling inside look at the use and misuse of institutional power. In Adam McKay’s capable hands, the dichotomy between Cheney, the dedicated family man and political puppet master, is related with intimacy, wit and narrative daring.
Guided by his formidable and unfailingly loyal wife, Lynne (Adams) and mentored by the brusque and blustery Donald Rumsfeld (Carell), Cheney insinuated himself into the Washington D.C. fabric beginning with the Nixon administration, becoming White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, and after five terms in Congress, Secretary of Defense for George H.W. Bush. In 2000, he left his position as C.E.O. of Halliburton to run as Vice President to George W. Bush (Rockwell) with the implicit understanding that he would exercise almost unchecked control, a co-president in all but name.
Cheney’s cunning and furtive political maneuvering have altered the American political landscape in ways that will continue to reverberate for decades to come. But it is clear there is more than one Dick Cheney, a man whose reputation in the public Spector belies his private life and obvious devotion to his family.
Adam Driver and John David Washington in Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’ (Photo Credit: David Lee / Focus Features)
9. BlacKkKlansman starring Adam Driver, John David Washington, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Laura Harrier, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Ryan Eggold, Ashlie Atkinson, and Harry Belafonte
The Plot: From visionary director Spike Lee comes the provocative story based on Ron Stallworth’s real life as Colorado Springs’s first African-American police officer who went undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. Unbelievably, Detective Stallworth (Washington) and his partner Flip Zimmerman (Driver) penetrate the KKK at its highest levels to thwart its attempt to take over the city.
Theodore Pellerin stars as Xavier and Lucas Hedges stars as Jared in Joel Edgerton’s ‘Boy Erased’ (Photo Credit: Focus Features)
8. Boy Erased starring Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Cherry Jones, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Emily Hinkler, Jesse LaTourette, David Joseph Craig, Théodore Pellerin, and Britton Sear
The Plot: The film will tell the story of Jared, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a gay conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.
Noah Jupe , John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and Millicent Simmonds in ‘A Quiet Place,’ from Paramount Pictures.
7. A Quiet Place starring Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds
The Plot: In the modern horror thriller A Quiet Place, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you.
6. Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker
The Plot: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa (Boseman) who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
Brady Jandreau in ‘The Rider’ (Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)5. The Rider starring Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandrea, Lane Scott, and Cat Clifford
The Plot: After a tragic riding accident, young cowboy Brady, once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, is warned that his competition days are over. Back home, Brady finds himself wondering what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: to ride and compete. In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brade undertakes a search for new identity and tries to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.
The Plot: After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.
3. Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dimiter D. Marinov, and P.J. Byrne
The Plot: When Tony Lip, a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humor-they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.
The Plot: Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots.
As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.
Marco Graf as Pepe, Daniela Demesa as Sofi, Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo, Marina De Tavira as Sofia, Diego Cortina Autrey as Toño, and Carlos Peralta Jacobson in ‘Roma’ (Photo by Carlos Somonte)1. Roma starring Marina de Tavira and Yalitza Aparicio
The Plot:Roma follows Cleo, a young domestic worker for a family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City. Delivering an artful love letter to the women who raised him, Cuarón draws on his own childhood to create a vivid and emotional portrait of domestic strife and social hierarchy amidst political turmoil of the 1970s.
