Now that we’ve said goodbye to 2018 and hello to 2019, it is time to dust off my list of 2018 movies to make my final picks for my best for the year. After making a list at the halfway point, I always like to see which movies lasted the whole year and which ones had to say good-bye. And with no further delay, here is my final Top 10 Movies Of 2018.

10. Bandersnatch

This one was a late addition to the list, as this was the last movie I watched before I made my end of the year list. I am a fan of the Black Mirror series and was looking forward to their take on the choose-your-adventure genre. I sat down and had my controller handy as the choices began, and as the movie continued, I got more sucked it and it even influenced me a little, as more choices were given to me. It’s a movie you can watch more than once, changing a few choices here and there, so many outcomes, and listening to a few people talk about the movie, and what they came across, just makes me want to dive back in, and give it another go. This is a movie that is either going to draw you in the farther you go or bore you to death. As you can tell, I end up on the side of liking it.

9. Bohemian Rhapsody

A little story about this movie: My mom has been a HUGE Queen fan ever since I can remember and as soon as the first trailer dropped for this movie, she was counting down the days until it was released. And since she was so excited to see this movie, I took her on a journey to Lincolnshire, so we could enjoy the movie on a real IMAX screen and sound. And as it got closer to start time, my mom was getting more psyched for the movie, and I told her that she now knows how us nerds/geeks feel when there is a new Star Wars or Marvel movie. She loved it and I have to say that I really enjoyed it as well too. There were some emotional moments, which got me a little teary eyed, but that might have been influenced by me sitting in between my mom and an older lady who were crying throughout the movie. Rami Malek brought Freddie Mercury to life on the big screen, and my mom was also impressed by the supporting cast, who really looked like the rest of the band. I think we all spent the following weeks after this movie was released listening to all Queen songs and it was good times for all.

8. Isle of Dogs

The first pick that was able to stay on from my mid-year top ten list was the newest movie from Wes Anderson, which was filled with all the Wes Anderson style and substance that we love. And throw in the usual cast of characters as the voices of the dogs, with a few new additions as well. I think this is a fine example of a movie that deserves to be seen on a big screen in a dark theater — a few other movies on the list fall into that category as well. Lots of fun and emotion, and hey who doesn’t love a crazy movie about dogs, with a heavy Japanese influence on it.

7. Tully

Here’s another mid-year selection that was able to fend off the movies in the later part of 2018. I just recently re-watched this, and it still remains a great movie. A movie that requires a second viewing due to the conclusion, as you can try and find a few more clues and hints along the way. A great performance from Charlize Theron, no surprise there, but a great look into being a stressed-out mom dealing with life and kids. Just another reason to respect all of the moms out there. Sorry for the short explanation for this one, but the less you know about this one going in, the better your first experience watching it will be.

6. Eighth Grade

For those of us who dreaded middle school and high school, this movie will hit close to home. Granted when I was growing up, the internet was not around and thankfully no social media either. A great first-time film from Bo Burnham, and a great performance from Elsie Fisher, who we should see more on the big screen in the future. A movie that will make you laugh in a good way, as well as some awkward laughing and squirming at other parts.

5. BlacKkKlansman

It’s been awhile since I have seen a Spike Lee film, so I was a little hesitant going into this one, but as you can see I ended up liking it way more than I was expecting. A true-life story that seems way too crazy to be real. One of the biggest surprises of this movie is how funny it is — I wasn’t expecting that at all. But the fun and good times come to an end with an ending that hits you like a sack of bricks. It leaves you thinking as you leave the theater, as the past seems to be much like the present right now. Denzel Washington’s son — and boy you can tell that just a few minutes into the movie — John David Washington put in a great performance, and a great supporting role from Adam Driver. And a surprise role for Topher Grace, who has come along way from That ’70s Show.

4. Mission: Impossible — Fallout

All I really need to say to justify why this movie is so high in my top ten for the year is that this is one of the best action movies I have seen in years. Some crazy stunts from Tom Cruise, and even an injury barely slows him down, we still get plenty of Tom Cruise running. This and Rogue Nation are easily my favorites of the M:I series, which seems to be getting better with each one, so I can’t wait to see what comes next. Another example of a movie that deserves to be seen on a big screen; I was lucky enough to see it in glorious IMAX one of the viewings. This was a multiple viewing in theaters for me. Still need to set aside some time to check out the special features on the Blu-ray release, just to see what went into the making of this and all of the things Tom Cruise had to learn to do to film this one.

3. Blindspotting

As we get closer to the top of my list, we have another movie that was high on the list at the halfway point. A gripping and funny tale about a pair of friends who live in Oakland, one who is about to end his probation, played by Daveed Diggs, and the other, a wild guy who seems to always get in trouble, but who also has a softer side when it comes to his family, a great performance from Rafael Casal. Another movie that seems to hit harder in our current world, making us think as well as laugh, so a nice even feeling. Much like another movie on this list, a powerful ending that will leave chills all over your body and send your mind racing. A trend I forgot to bring up earlier, is the fact it was also a great year for soundtracks as well, this was a fine example of one that I had to buy as soon as I left the theater. A few others on this list were added to my iTunes library.

2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

There was a slight shake up at the top, as my #1 at the halfway point has taken a small dive into the #2 spot. Once again, due to our current climate, this is a movie we need right now, another common theme in my top ten movies. We need more people like Mister Rogers in our lives, a positive person who is all about sharing and loving all people of all types and ages, although his work with children goes without saying. He tackles subjects that most would think don’t need to be brought up on a kids show, but children have questions and he wanted to give them answers to some of life’s hard questions.

1. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse

I had some interest in seeing this one after watching the first trailer, and was able to catch a sneak peak a week early, and wanted to immediately watch this as I walked out of the theater. I really wanted to see this in glorious IMAX and in 3D, but sadly was only able to catch it on a LIMAX, but in 3D at least. There are moments in this movie, involving swinging across the city, that bring back memories to the first time I saw How to Train Your Dragon in IMAX 3D, and I was just blown away by the flying scenes. This movie came out just a few weeks ago, and all I wanted to do is see it again, as this was a multiple viewing for me, even though I had other movies I needed to see. In fact, as a reward for getting this list done, I think I may try and see it again this weekend. So many people slept on this film for some reason, but for me, this is not only the best Spider-Man movie, beating out Spider-man 2, but also the best superhero movie of 2018 and perhaps in the past few years. So much to fall in love with in this movie, so much heart and fun, great music and an even more amazing visual style. I never thought my #1 movie of 2018 would have Spider-Ham in it. Lots of feels at the end of this one, with just a few words from Stan Lee, and a great stinger that leaves you in stitches.

There are tons of Top 10 Movies of 2018 lists out there, and I’m glad to see that my picks match a lot of what top movie sites are selecting.

Looks like a slew of great movies are coming our way in 2019, so I wonder what is going to make my top ten list next time. Is it going to be a Marvel movie, or could it possibly be the final installment in the How to Train Your Dragon series? But let’s not forget about those surprise movies that blow us away unexpectedly. Whatever it is, I look forward to checking it all out.