3. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, Alex Baldwin, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, and Wes Bentley.
Six instalments in, and the Mission: Impossible franchise just continues to go from strength to strength, with director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise reaching new heights with Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Not only is it hailed as a high point for the franchise, but it’s instantly found itself in contention as one the greatest action films of all time.
“In a movie world in which even the biggest films often feel as if they are holding plenty back for sequels, it’s a joy to experience a blockbuster bonanza that genuinely feels as if it’s tossing absolutely everything it has at the audience in an attempt to deliver pure, unadulterated escapism. It’s possible for a film critic to lose sight of the joy of cinema, for sure, but after I spent the last 20 minutes of Fallout repeating the words “I bloody love movies” in my head, I’d say I’m in a good place for the moment.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
2. You Were Never Really Here
Directed by Lynne Ramsay.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsanov, Alex Manette, Frank Pando, John Doman, Alessandro Nivola and Judith Roberts.
Coming in at number two this year – and appearing in more of our writers’ personal top tens than any other film – is You Were Never Really Here, a stylish, brutal and uncompromising psychological crime thriller from Lynne Ramsay which sees Joaquin Phoenix delivering another exceptional performance as a tortured veteran who finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy to cover up a paedophile ring.
“Satisfactory exhaustion will settle in long before the credits roll cementing You Were Never Really Here as another striking accomplishment from Lynne Ramsay. Some have already compared the film to Taxi Driver, so take it from someone that proudly has that film among his top 10 favorites of all time, this is a modern-day version. You Were Never Really Here is a visually arresting, hypnotic, distressing fever nightmare look at PTSD; Joaquin Phoenix is sensational. This film will never leave your mind.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
1. Avengers: Infinity War
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Don Cheadle, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Karen Gillan, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Pom Klementieff.
And so, our pick for the best movie of 2018 is none other than Avengers: Infinity War. The culmination of the first ten years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Infinity War which sees the Russo brothers deftly weaving together a number of narrative threads and juggling an enormous cast of characters to deliver an epic, action-packed superhero tour de force that builds to a universe-shattering conclusion. It’s blockbuster filmmaking at its very best.
“Joe and Anthony Russo direct a compelling, emotional and visually stunning entry in the MCU with Avengers: Infinity War that hits all the right notes… Overall, Infinity War delivers a great deal of emotion and story into this much anticipated film. The entire cast does a remarkable job, but Brolin steals the show as he gives Thanos a compelling and proper entrance to the MCU.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review here
Click below to continue on for the films which just missed our on a place in the top ten, and our writers’ individual favourites of the year…