Year-End Lists

Nashville Scene: The 2018 Jim Ridley Film Poll. "Dedicated to late Scene editor and critic Jim Ridley, our poll asks critics, cinephiles and industry insiders about the year in film."

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2017]

1. The Favourite
   Yorgos Lanthimos
2. Roma
   Alfonso Cuaron
3. Mandy
   Panos Cosmatos
4. You Were Never Really Here
   Lynne Ramsay
5. If Beale Street Could Talk
   Barry Jenkins
6. Hereditary
   Ari Aster
7. Suspiria
   Luca Guadagnino
8. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
   Joel & Ethan Coen
9. Annihilation
   Alex Garland
10. Happy as Lazzaro
    Alice Rohrwacher
11. First Reformed
    Paul Schrader
12. BlacKkKlansman
    Spike Lee
13. Blindspotting
    Carlos López Estrada
14. Leave No Trace
    Debra Granik
15. Madeline’s Madeline
    Josephine Decker
16. Minding the Gap
    Bing Liu
17. Sorry to Bother You
    Boots Riley
18. The Other Side of the Wind
    Orson Welles
19. Shoplifters
    Hirokazu Kore-eda
20. The Rider
    Chloé Zhao
21. Burning
    Lee Chang-dong
22. Eighth Grade
    Bo Burnham
23. Paddington 2
    Paul King
24. Shirkers
    Sandi Tan
25. Support the Girls
    Andrew Bujalski

Steven D. Greydanus: Top Films of 2018, as published by The National Catholic Register

[see also 2019 • 2012]

1. The Rider
   Chloé Zhao
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
   Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
3. I Am Not a Witch
   Rungano Nyoni
4. The Guardians
   Xavier Beauvois
5. Lean On Pete
   Andrew Haigh
6. Paddington 2
   Paul King
7. Leave No Trace
   Debra Granik
8. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
   Morgan Neville
9. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
   Christopher McQuarrie
10. 22 July
    Paul Greengrass

10 Honorable Mentions

• Blindspotting
  Carlos López Estrada
• Custody
  Xavier Legrand
• The Death of Stalin
  Armando Iannucci
• First Man
  Damien Chazelle
• Free Solo
  Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
• Incredibles 2
  Brad Bird
• Puzzle
  Marc Turtletaub
• Science Fair
  Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster
• Shirkers
  Sandi Tan
• Sweet Country
  Warwick Thornton

10 Runners-Up (unranked)

• Black Panther
  Ryan Coogler
• Chosen: Custody of the Eyes
  Abbie Reese
• Eighth Grade
  Bo Burnham
• First Reformed
  Paul Schrader
• Hale County This Morning, This Evening
  RaMell Ross
• Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc
  Bruno Dumont
• Minding the Gap
  Bing Liu
• A Quiet Place
  John Krasinski
• Ralph Breaks the Internet
  Rich Moore and Phil Johnston
• Roma
  Alfonso Cuaron

Simran Hans: The Best Films of 2018, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

[see also 2019]

• High Life
  Claire Denis
• Minding the Gap
  Bing Liu
• A Star Is Born
  Bradley Cooper
• Shirkers
  Sandi Tan
• The Rider
  Chloé Zhao

Special Mentions

• An Impossible Love
  Catherine Corsini
• Sorry to Bother You
  Boots Riley

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Best Films of 2018

Erika Balsom: The Best Films of 2018, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017]

• The Image Book
  Jean-Luc Godard
• L. Cohen
  James Benning
• Shakedown
  Leilah Weinraub
• First Reformed
  Paul Schrader
• Happy as Lazzaro
  Alice Rohrwacher

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Best Films of 2018

Mallory Andrews: Best Films of 2018, as posted to Letterboxd

[see also 2019 • 2017]

1. First Reformed
   Paul Schrader
2. The House That Jack Built
   Lars von Trier
3. Minding the Gap
   Bing Liu
4. Burning
   Lee Chang-dong
5. Shoplifters
   Hirokazu Kore-eda
6. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
   Christopher McQuarrie
7. The Favourite
   Yorgos Lanthimos
8. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
   Morgan Neville
9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
   Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
10. If Beale Street Could Talk
    Barry Jenkins

Reverse Shot: Best Films of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Zama
   Lucrecia Martel
2. Let the Sunshine In
   Claire Denis
3. If Beale Street Could Talk
   Barry Jenkins
4. Burning
   Lee Chang-dong
5. Happy as Lazzaro
   Alice Rohrwacher
6. First Reformed
   Paul Schrader
7. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
   Joel & Ethan Coen
8. Western
   Valeska Grisebach
9. Roma
   Alfonso Cuaron
10. Hale County This Morning, This Evening
    RaMell Ross

Alicia Malone: Favorite Films of 2018, as posted to Letterboxd

[see also 2017]

• Roma
  Alfonso Cuaron
• Cold War
  Pawel Pawlikowski
• Burning
  Lee Chang-dong
• The Favourite
  Yorgos Lanthimos
• Shoplifters
  Hirokazu Kore-eda
• The Rider
  Chloé Zhao
• Happy as Lazzaro
  Alice Rohrwacher
• Shirkers
  Sandi Tan
• You Were Never Really Here
  Lynne Ramsay
• Eighth Grade
  Bo Burnham
• The Death of Stalin
  Armando Iannucci
• Wildlife
  Paul Dano
• First Reformed
  Paul Schrader
• Sorry to Bother You
  Boots Riley
• Suspiria
  Luca Guadagnino
• Mandy
  Panos Cosmatos
• Private Life
  Tamara Jenkins
• Border
  Ali Abbasi
• Destroyer
  Karyn Kusama
• If Beale Street Could Talk
  Barry Jenkins

Scout Tafoya: Favourite Films of 2018

[see also 2021 • 2017 • 2016]

1. Black Mother
   Khalik Allah
2. Personal Problems
   Bill Gunn
2. Something Good - Negro Kiss
3. Piu Piu
   Naima Ramos-Chapman
4. If Beale Street Could Talk
   Barry Jenkins
5. Widows
   Steve McQueen
6. 24 Frames
   Abbas Kiarostami
7. Barbara
   Mathieu Amalric
8. High Life
   Claire Denis
9. Scarred Hearts
   Radu Jude
10. First Reformed
    Paul Schrader
10. Dark
    Paul Schrader
11. Shoplifters
    Hirokazu Kore-eda
11. The Third Murder
    Hirokazu Kore-eda
12. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    Joel & Ethan Coen
13. Leave No Trace
    Debra Granik
14. You Were Never Really Here
    Lynne Ramsay
15. Sweet Country
    Warwick Thornton
16. The Guardians
    Xavier Beauvois
17. Your Face
    Tsai Ming-liang
18. BlacKkKlansman
    Spike Lee
18. Pass Over
    Spike Lee
19. The Other Side of the Wind
    Orson Welles
20. Sorry Angel
    Christophe Honoré
21. Mosaic
    Steven Soderbergh
22. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
    Stephen Nomura Schible
23. Creed II
    Steven Caple Jr.
24. All Square
    John Hyams
25. The Mule
    Clint Eastwood
26. The Image Book
    Jean-Luc Godard
27. The Land of Steady Habits
    Nicole Holofcener
28. Mr. SOUL!
    Melissa Haizlip & Sam Pollard
29. Blockers
    Kay Cannon
30. Music When the Lights Go Out
    Ismael Caneppele
31. Dovlatov
    Aleksey German
32. A Family Tour
    Ying Liang
33. Support the Girls
    Andrew Bujalski
34. Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer
    various artists
35. Hale County This Morning, This Evening
    RaMell Ross
36. Happy as Lazzaro
    Alice Rohrwacher
37. Diane
    Kent Jones
38. Bisbee '17
    Robert Greene
39. Monrovia, Indiana
    Frederick Wiseman
40. The Miseducation of Cameron Post
    Desiree Akhavan
41. The Green Fog
    Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson
42. The Endless
    Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
43. Annihilation
    Alex Garland
44. Private Life
    Tamara Jenkins
45. The House That Jack Built
    Lars von Trier
46. Early Man
    Nick Park
47. The Favourite
    Yorgos Lanthimos
48. Illang: The Wolf Brigade
    Kim Jee-Woon
49. The First Purge
    Gerard McMurray
50. Sorry to Bother You
    Boots Riley
51. Searching for Ingmar Bergman
    Margarethe von Trotta
52. Where Is Kyra?
    Andrew Dosunmu
52. Nancy
    Christina Choe
53. The Death of Stalin
    Armando Iannucci
54. Ray Meets Helen
    Alan Rudolph
55. Shadow
    Zhang Yimou
56. The Predator
    Shane Black
57. The Little Drummer Girl
    Park Chan-wook
58. The Wild Pear Tree
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
59. Dark River
    Clio Barnard
60. Game Night
    John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
61. Waiting for the Barbarians
    Eugène Green
62. Manhunt
    John Woo
63. Isle of Dogs
    Wes Anderson
64. Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
    Gus Van Sant
65. Incident in a Ghostland
    Pascal Laugier
66. Laplace's Witch
    Takashi Miike
66. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable
    Takashi Miike
67. Unrest
    Philippe Grandrieux
68. The 15:17 to Paris
    Clint Eastwood
69. Disobedience
    Sebastián Lelio
70. Crazy Rich Asians
    Jon M. Chu
71. Unsane
    Steven Soderbergh
72. Cruise
    Robert Siegel
73. Paddington 2
    Paul King
74. Hotel by the River
    Hong Sang-soo
75. Between Worlds
    Maria Pulera
76. Cold Skin
    Xavier Gens
77. A Bread Factory
    Patrick Wang
78. Transit
    Christian Petzold
79. Classical Period
    Ted Fendt
80. In My Room
    Ulrich Köhler
81. They Shall Not Grow Old
    Peter Jackson
82. Las Sandinistas!
    Jenny Murray
83. Upgrade
    Leigh Whannell
84. Ash is Purest White
    Jia Zhang-ke
85. 3 Faces
    Jafar Panahi
86. The Captain
    Robert Schwentke
87. A Very English Scandal
88. Sol Alegria
    Tavinho Teixeira
89. The Glass Note
    Mary Helena Clark
90. Outrage Coda
    Takeshi Kitano
91. A Gentle Creature
    Sergei Loznitsa
92. Halloween
    David Gordon Green
92. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
    Christopher McQuarrie
93. Outlaw King
    David Mackenzie
93. Apostle
    Gareth Evans
94. Thunder Road
    Jim Cummings
95. Mom and Dad
    Brian Taylor
96. The Inhabitant
    Guillermo Amoedo
96. The Witch in the Window
    Andy Mitton
97. The Misandrists
    Bruce La Bruce
98. Winchester
    Michael and Peter Spierig
99. Marfa Girl 2
    Larry Clark
100. Gemini
     Aaron Katz

David Sterritt: Ten Best Films of 2018, as aired on Films in Focus

1. BlacKkKlansman
   Spike Lee
2. Roma
   Alfonso Cuaron
3. Suspiria
   Luca Guadagnino
4. Capernaum
   Nadine Labaki
5. Hereditary
   Ari Aster
6. Border
   Ali Abbasi
7. Three Identical Strangers
   Tim Wardle
8. First Reformed
   Paul Schrader
9. Nico, 1988
   Susanna Nicchiarelli
10. Lean On Pete
    Andrew Haigh

Michael Sicinski: Top 50 Films of 2018, as posted to Letterboxd

[see also 25 Great Experimental Films of 2023 • The Best Experimental Films (That I Saw) in 2022 • The 30 Best Avant-Garde Feature Films of the 2010s • Top 30 Experimental Films of 2018 • Top 25 Films of 2017 • Top 10 Films of 2016 • Top 12 Films of 2014 • Top 10 Films of 2013 • Top 12 Films of 2012]

1. The Grand Bizarre
   Jodie Mack
2. Colophon (for the Arboretum Cycle)
   Nathaniel Dorsky
3. Gens du lac
   Jean-Marie Straub
4. Bisbee '17
   Robert Greene
5. A Return
   James Edmonds
6. The Image Book
   Jean-Luc Godard
7. Transit
   Christian Petzold
8. If Beale Street Could Talk
   Barry Jenkins
9. Fainting Spells
   Sky Hopinka
10. Season of the Devil
    Lav Diaz
11. Dead Souls
    Wang Bing
12. Walled Unwalled
    Lawrence Abu Hamdan
13. BlacKkKlansman
    Spike Lee
14. In My Room
    Ulrich Köhler
15. Grass
    Hong Sang-soo
16. Sorry Angel
    Christophe Honoré
17. Fatal Pulse
    Damon Packard
18. What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?
    Roberto Minervini
19. Hoarders Without Borders
    Jodie Mack
20. A Bread Factory
    Patrick Wang
21. Terror Nullius
    Soda_Jerk
22. A Leaf is the Sea is a Theater
    Jonathan Schwartz
23. The Wild Pear Tree
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
24. Sketches and Portraits for Jean Michel
    Ephraim Asili
25. Binary Stars
    Andrew Busti
26. ALTIPLANO
    Malena Szlam
27. Sorry to Bother You
    Boots Riley
28. Life After Love
    Zachary Epcar
29. Anna’s War
    Aleksei Fedorchenko
30. Now, At Last
    Ben Rivers
31. Burning
    Lee Chang-dong
32. Mahogany Too
    Akosua Adoma Owusu
33. Fountains of Paris
    Stephen Broomer
34. Donbass
    Sergei Loznitsa
35. Kinshasa Makambo
    Dieudo Hamadi
36. Goddess
    Kevin Jerome Everson
37. Happy as Lazzaro
    Alice Rohrwacher
38. Private Life
    Tamara Jenkins
39. Blue
    Apichatpong Weerasethakul
40. Diamantino
    Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt
41. Insect
    Jan Švankmajer
42. Black Mother
    Khalik Allah
43. The Tale
    Jennifer Fox
44. Edge of the Knife
    Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown
45. Self-Portrait: Sphinx in 47 Km
    Zhang Mengqi
46. Support the Girls
    Andrew Bujalski
47. Knife+Heart
    Yann Gonzalez
48. Treasure Island
    Guillaume Brac
49. Unsane
    Steven Soderbergh
50. Atomic Garden
    Ana Vaz