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Thread: The Most Underrated & Overrated Films Of 2018

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    The Most Underrated & Overrated Films Of 2018

    Welcome to the 2018 edition of bad takes! Some traditions are noble and entertaining, and some, like this annual feature where we poll individual writers and ask them about their subjective picks for the most overrated and underrated films of the year, are neither. This feature is the one that we call internally, the Give ‘Em Enough Rope piece and let me tell you that many make ample use of the cord and noose. Sometimes there are wildly wrong hot takes, but other times just a fundamentally misguided understanding of what constitutes an overrated or underrated film, no matter how much possible editorial guidance you can give. Past years include takes where indie movies that no one saw were overrated or conversely, some gigantic blockbuster that made billions of dollars, everyone saw and loved and somehow made it into the underrated category, because you know that was the exact kind of choice that need a little boost and support from audiences.

    And look, overrated is a kind of shitty term, we get it, it’s insulting and no good comes from it (though you hope, like a few picks below that its put to good use in an alternate way), but we’ve started this damn tradition for many, many years now and well, now we just have to live with the goddamn thing. So yes, caution sign up ahead, and personally, I’m peacing out for the day, so I don’t have to feel tomatoes. Finally, to reiterate if this was tl;dr for you, these are individual picks from the writer (most of which we disavow) and in no way shape or form represent or speak for the collective identity of the site other than the fact its EIC has been able to just stick a fork in this feature already. Enjoy, be safe, apologies in advance, thanks for reading this year and sharing this year and an extra hug if you wrote in the comments civilly. xo – Rodrigo Perez

    Underrated: “Beginning of the year releases”

    Each year many hardcore film fans countdown the days until the true “crème de la crème” titles appear for that end of the year Academy Awards sprint. Prognosticators warn that history dictates titles should be released in a certain timeframe just to be considered for an award that is supposed to cover the entire year. Luckily, “Grand Budapest Hotel” a few years back and “Get Out” last year have helped buck this trend. This year’s releases pre-May include titles such as: “Paddington 2,” “Black Panther,” “Annihilation,” “The Death of Stalin,” “Isle of Dogs,” “A Quiet Place,” and “You Were Never Really Here.” Each of those films is worthy of consideration for any award category, even Best Film of the Year. The messy side of Oscar season includes the biases expressed from many critics and moviegoers that early months of the year are a dumping ground for films that have no faith from the studio or lack true quality. Hopefully, moviegoers will continue to glean the fact that your favorite movie of the year could be released at any time, eventually resulting in the elimination of these release date biases. Until then, give every movie a shot. Sometimes you will be pleased by the treat that is “Paddington 2,” and other times you will pray for the sweet release of death after sitting through “Peter Rabbit.”

    Overrated: “Oscar bait”

    This year featured the typical mixture of critically beloved award nominees, fun blockbusters with loftier expectations, complete dumpster fire films, and those fringe titles that will be looked back on fondly. However, the emphasis studios have to gun for Oscars continues to take its toll. How many half-true biopics, period piece costume dramas, and historical fiction tales can we withstand? Luckily, the combination of the expanded nominees for Best Picture and the changing of the makeup of the Academy itself has started the shift to more interesting films that were not previously recognized. For example, 20 years ago a romantic historical fiction film won Best Picture in “Titanic.” Last year? A fantasy film involving a woman who has sex with a fish man. Let’s keep making it interesting, Academy.

    Underrated: “The Strangers: Prey at Night”

    The first ‘Strangers’ film was a surprise hit that took a straightforward home invasion premise and turned it into a pretty great horror film. So, with that in mind, many people had high expectations for ‘Prey at Night.’ However, when the sequel finally hit theaters in March, critics ravaged it (40% on Rotten Tomatoes), and the box office was fairly dismal (less than $25 million). Overall fans weren’t happy, saying it has a thin story, bad acting, and leans too much on genre tropes. But what they missed is one of the most stylish, fun, and unique horror films of 2018. Just on style points alone, ‘Prey at Night’ is a film that horror fans should embrace, as it feels like a forgotten film from the heyday of the slasher era. Music from the ‘80s is used to significant effect, the action is almost non-stop once characters have been established, and the filmmaker Johannes Roberts (“47 Meters Down”) leaned into existing genre tropes, often going against them in exciting ways.



    And instead of taking the home invasion premise and doing it again, the sequel put our characters in an off-season campground (still, a genre staple), where the family is all alone against three homicidal maniacs that have no ulterior motives, confusing backstory, or surprise connections to our protagonists. These are three thoroughly deranged killers that seemingly get off on hunting their next victims. End of story. ‘Prey at Night’ also includes one of the best scenes in a horror film in all of 2018, where our killers trap a young man in a public pool. As they hunt him, they proceed to turn on the campy neon lighting (so very slasher-y) and play “Total Eclipse of the Heart” as they stalk our hero. What happens next is tense, shocking, and positively cheer-worthy, all at the same time. Look, “The Strangers: Prey at Night” isn’t as great as “Hereditary,” “Suspiria,” “A Quiet Place,” or “Halloween.” And it doesn’t aim to be. ‘Prey at Night’ is a fun, stylish, quick (85 minutes FTW) horror film that embraces what came before and gives fans something unique.

    Overrated: “Bohemian Rhapsody”

    I have to admit; I was absolutely flabbergasted when the crowd at my screening stood and applauded “Bohemian Rhapsody” as the credits rolled. To be fair, “Bohemian Rhapsody” isn’t the worst movie of the year, as it sits firmly in the mediocre area, and Rami Malek sure does do a lot of capital-A acting as Freddie Mercury. But for the film to go on to become a massive box office hit (sitting at an astonishing $644 million, as of this writing), a critical darling, and awards contender is mind-boggling. The only reason I can think why people would enjoy “Bohemian Rhapsody” as much as they have is that of the long (my god, are they long…) musical breaks in the film. Hell, nearly the entire Live Aid performance is included instead of a real ending. Perhaps these moments act as palate cleansers that allow people to forget the thoroughly tame, uninformative biopic of one of the most legendary icons in music? (The biggest revelation is perhaps Mercury’s real name? Snooze.) Box office alone doesn’t make a film “overrated, but check out these early accolades: 3 Critics Choice Award nominations, 2 Golden Globe Award nods (including Best Picture – Drama…yes, drama), 2 Screen Actors Guild Award noms (one for Malek, which is deserved, but also one for the entire cast, which is generous to say the least), and numerous awards recognition from no less than 10 separate regional critics associations. As I said above, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not necessarily a terrible film. But when you have films like “Leave No Trace,” “The Rider,” “Annihilation,” “You Were Never Really Here,” “Private Life,” “Wildlife,” and probably a dozen more indie films with almost no awards recognition, you have to wonder what’s going on?


    Underrated: “White Boy Rick”

    There were a number of movies this year that undeservedly passed under the radar (“Bad Times at the El Royale,” “Overlord” and “Red Sparrow” almost stole this spot), but no other film that nobody saw in 2018 hit me harder than “White Boy Rick.” Frankly, there’s not one particular element that makes the film stand out for me, but the overall impact of the movie’s messages left lingering whispers in my head that I still find my mind returning to every so often. Taking the thrill-heavy trailers and caliber of the talent into account, “White Boy Rick” seemed like it was set to fit snugly into the glitzy crime caper subgenre. However, the actual product is anything but clean, because this movie is gritty, foreboding and at times, outright depressing. The decrepit landscape of Detroit in the 1980s serves as the perfect backdrop to this melancholy true-life drama, while a brief cameo from rapper Danny Brown serves as a subtle, respectful nod to the city’s enduring culture in 2018. Naturally, Matthew McConaughey delivers a standout performance, while newcomer Richie Merritt manages to hold his own despite momentary setbacks. Regardless of its pacing problems, “White Boy Rick” is a layered film that leaves the viewer with food for thought. Themes of lost innocence, the effectiveness of the war on drugs and the long-term effects of crime all accompany a character-driven, distinctively human story that deserves to be seen. “White Boy Rick” is by no means a classic, but it is a good movie.




    Overrated: “Black Panther” (and critics overhyping movies in general)

    Honestly, I’m still adjusting to the fact that strangers may feel a certain way about things that I say about movies on the internet. But, I have to be truthful: I didn’t love “Black Panther.” Listen, I’m not implying that “Black Panther” is a bad movie, because it’s not; but it’s far from the revolutionary game-changer that many claim it is, artistically speaking. Do I respect the film for portraying black actors in positions of authority and for actively fighting against stereotypes? Absolutely, and as a person of color, I admire any filmmaker’s decision to empower minority talent in Hollywood, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. That being said, no amount of social commentary can disparage the fact that this mediocre action flick features a boring protagonist, a similarly run-of-the-mill villain — Sure, Killmonger may be one of the best Marvel villains, but that isn’t saying much at all — and, in my opinion, would never rank in the top 10 of the genre. Honestly, I just wish people wouldn’t be so hesitant to critique movies that stand for something. Why can’t “Black Panther” simply be considered a good movie instead of an instant classic? Admittedly, I’ve contributed to this sort of hype countless times. At the end of the day, critical acclaim is simply the collective opinions of separate individuals who love cinema. However, if this amount of overinflated attention is automatically required for audiences to take notice of movies that they should be watching regardless, what does that say about the future of the film industry? I don’t have the answers for you, but what I do know is that “Black Panther” is a generic, albeit entertaining superhero movie at best. But, then again, that’s just my opinion, which is all that it should be.




    Underrated: Female directors

    Meanwhile, the best (yet least-recognized) of all the movies flooding pop cultural consciousness throughout 2018 were made by women. Karyn Kusama blew the doors off of the crime drama and directed Nicole Kidman into her one good role of the year with “Destroyer.” “Winter’s Bone” director Debra Granik outdid herself with a quiet, lyrical masterpiece called “Leave No Trace.” Lynne Ramsay upended filmmaking itself, using mesmerizing audio and images to create the trancelike “You Were Never Really Here.” Jennifer Fox basically ripped her still-beating heart out of her chest, served it on a platter, and named it “The Tale.” None of these women made it into the 2019 Golden Globe nominations, nor did most of their movies. (Laura Dern got a nod for “The Tale,” as did Nicole Kidman for “Destroyer.”) Oscar nominations aren’t likely to shake things up, if the last 90 years of awards are any indication.

    And that’s just how it goes for the women who get a good enough reputation to garner financing and/or big-name actors. Most of them are white. Many, even after they get a foot in the door and produce a big-budget movie, have to claw their way back up to square one if that movie flops. Those women who do manage to garner acclaim then have to cling to their artistic integrity, lest they are courted by Blumhouse or entangled by the DC cinematic universe (sorry, Patti Jenkins). Not only should all women be able to make whatever deliriously good, genre-redefining art they want, but they should also actually get some fucking recognition when they do it.

    If you’re reading this super long list of critical opinions here on The Playlist, you probably consider yourself a cinephile. Well, prove it. Go see movies like “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” in theatres. Catch small-fry character studies like “Nancy.” Stream Netflix-only gems like “Private Lives.” Then do it again next year, and the year after that, and tell your friends about all the mind-blowingly good shit you discover along the way. It’s the only way we’re going to keep this industry from plummeting into mind-numbing, Disney-dominated homogeneity.

    Overrated: White male directors

    The time for mincing words is over. In America, white men have been hogging studio money for too long. And what do we, as a society that values art and culture, have to show for it? Summertime nerd circlejerks like “Ready Player One,” the terminally predictable “Halloween” reboot, and “The Motherfucking House That Motherfucking Jack Motherfucking Built.” Let’s face it, white men in Hollywood can pretty much do whatever the hell they want while they sit around waiting for signatures on their blank checks, and “whatever the hell they want” usually involves making mediocre-to-terrible franchise films/sequels/reboots that sideline woman.

    While it’s not every white dude’s fault that Hollywood will soon be subsumed entirely by uncreative, CGI-clogged, instantly forgettable Disney offshoots, 2018 felt like a year when female directors indefatigably challenged and revitalized the medium of filmmaking while white men, well, made “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” In an industry where, for centuries, white men have been given endless chances at greatness no matter how many flops they generate (or how many women/girls they rape), when is enough enough? When will we prioritize actual filmmaking, with vision and challenging content and interesting characters, over directionless drivel? Why do we keep settling for movies that are just fine at best? How is “A Star Is Born” one of the best-reviewed movies of the whole goddamn year?! “You’re generalizing!” I hear you shout. “I can name 50 outstanding, low-budget films made by men this year! How can you just pretend those movies don’t exist?” Take that feeling, multiply it by 500,000,000,000, and maybe you’ll start to understand how it feels to care about female-directed films.

    Underrated: “Widows”

    Steven Soderbergh is a modern master of the heist genre, but there’s rarely a sense of real stakes in his heist films. But with “Widows,” Steve McQueen offers a picture with real narrative, emotional and social heft that somehow still offers the gleeful thrills that are hallmarks of the genre without ever being glib. Part of the fun here is seeing the women of the title – played by Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki – take over their dearly departed husbands’ roles in the criminal world, adapting and scrambling to do their first job. More of the fun is watching the cast: Davis is predictably great, of course, but Debicki, as well as Cynthia Erivo, are the surprise – or they would be if you hadn’t seen them elsewhere (get thee to ‘the El Royale’)– and the chemistry between the four women is full of frisson. There’s so much pleasure in watching the world that McQueen and his co-writer Gillian Flynn have offered, with small details paying off delightfully. McQueen’s fourth feature collaboration with DP Sean Bobbitt boasts some of the pair’s best work to date, particularly in how it sets up the Chicago neighborhood that plays such an intrinsic part of the film as well in how he shoots his stars, allowing them to be simultaneously beautiful, sturdy and entirely human. “Widows” has done so-so at the box office ($41 million at press time) and hasn’t been a blip in the awards season nominations to date, but if we lived in a just world (which we so clearly do not), this would be a blockbuster with bets from all those nerds on Goldderby.com.



    Overrated: “First Man”

    The only thing colder and more endless than space itself is this historical drama based on the life of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and his walk on the moon. Sure, Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “La La Land” is handsomely fashioned and has its moments: the space flight and moonwalk are jaw-dropping, especially if you caught the film in IMAX. The sequence will take your breath away, which is ironic given the airless nature of much of “First Man.” And as Neil’s wife Janet, Claire Foy brings life to the film in every scene in which she appears. But in trying to mirror Neil’s reaction to tragedy after tragedy in his life, Chazelle makes an equally stoic film that keeps the audience at an arm’s length. If you cry at the moon landing (guilty), it’s only because it feels even more impactful for the lack of emotion in the rest of a film that should be more evocative for all that happens. Most critics (88%, per Rotten Tomatoes) liked the movie and its restraint, but I left underwhelmed by most of its overlong 2 hour and 21-minute running time.



    Underrated: “Unsane”

    It sometimes seems that Steven Soderbergh has become so good at his job, that people forget how hard it is to direct a film (and direct it well). That Soderbergh released two interesting projects this year, HBO’s limited series “Mosaic” and his iPhone shot film “Unsane,” to little fanfare, despite relatively positive reviews, is indicative of how technically proficient he has become. He makes it look easy. His feature, “Unsane,” which tracks protagonist Sawyer’s (Claire Foy) involuntary commitment to a mental institution that may (or may not) have her stalker working there, is a great thriller that proves Soderbergh has been reinvigorated by working with genre material recently. A condemnation of the health insurance market, wrapped in a psychological thriller, Claire Foy is given her best role as the improbably named Sawyer Valentini in what has been a hectic year for her. Soderbergh’s decision to shoot on an iPhone, sacrificing visual clarity for intimacy, gets unexpectedly great performances from Juno Temple, Joshua Leonard, and, even more surprisingly, Jay Pharoah. While so much critical attention has been paid to Paul Feig’s “A Simple Plan,” as exemplifying the forgotten Hitchcockian thriller, “Unsane” is an even better embodiment of those throwback psychodramas, and is, I believe, one of the best films from 2018.




    Overrated: “Game Night”

    It took me a while to figure out what film I’d consider overrated, as this year, I think more than most, I tended to agree with critics and audiences. I still cannot fathom the love that John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s “Game Night” got (84% on Rotten Tomatoes, really?) which is not to say that I don’t mind the film, as it’s amusing enough. Perhaps, I can’t stand Jason Bateman as an actor (which is undoubtedly true), but it seemed like Daley and Goldstein wasted one of the best casts of the year on a relatively unfunny film, which uses a hyper-competitive game night, centered around a simulated kidnapping, that becomes an actual kidnapping. The fact that the players don’t know the life and death stakes becomes the inside joke for a lot of the film, which drains a lot of the humor for me. There are some bright stops, though. Jesse Plemons fully commits to his awkward police office character Gary, so much so that I wish the movie were more based around him. Rachel McAdams is, as always, excellent and reminds you that she should be in comedies more often. But the hapless people stuck in a crime story, of which they have no idea about, has been overplayed at this point, and perhaps it’s time to move on from this sub-genre of comedy. Also, if we are going to reunite Coach Taylor and Landry in a film, at least give them some screen time together.


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    Underrated: “Dovlatov” (and pour one out for all the good films buried by Netflix)

    The nature of the Netflix beast means that only a handful of their voluminous acquisitions and original films and series gets up on the marquee, and even then, gets a week in the spotlight. Great movies get lost in the shuffle; case in point, Alexei German, Jr.’s beautiful “Dovlatov,” which disappeared from the festival circuit after a prize-winning showing at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Shockingly, “Dovlatov” isn’t even afforded the ‘auteur cinema’ label by the service’s notorious algorithms. Distinguished by its languid pacing and long, pensive takes, this biopic of the famous Soviet-era author is more suited to the discerning NYFF crowd than Netflix’s autoplay function. Anchored by a magnetizing lead performance on the part of future Euro-star Milan Marić, German, Jr.’s latest finds its protagonist, a burgeoning writer in the throes of discontent, having to choose between state-sponsored success and his own integrity. It’s a prescient theme that ought to resonate with far more viewers globally than “Dovlatov,” in theory, is afforded by its streaming platform. This particular gripe could apply to any number of Netflix’s foreign-language festival pick-ups—“Happy as Lazzaro,” “Illang: The Wolf Brigade,” “Girl”—but “Dovlatov” sticks out as the most undeserving victim of the streaming giant’s limited bandwidth.


    Overrated: “Suspiria”

    As soon as the ’in five acts’ title card appeared at the beginning of “Suspiria,” it was time to check the watch. Luca Guadagnino’s latest is indisputably a bloated affair, and its threadbare pleasures can’t hope to compensate for its butt-numbing duration. It never becomes clear why Guadagnino—by all accounts, an immensely talented and visually-accomplished filmmaker—chose to take on Dario Argento’s classic horror flick (admittedly, a sacred cow for this complainant). For a film that takes up (big breath) postwar Berlin, guerrilla activism, dance and movement, female friendships and conflict, gender-bending, and, of course, witches and horror as its many themes and preoccupations, it simply fails to make any of the above compelling or substantial.

    Moreover, its set-pieces, like the interactions between the dancers, are grotesque and mean-spirited. The dingy production design, and Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography, is startlingly flat and unsightly, all the more disappointing given the fruits of their collaboration on “Call Me By Your Name.” The less said about Tilda Swinton’s shallow dual roles, the better; the only interesting moment of the gimmick is the ‘naked drag’ at the climax of “Suspiria.” There are glimpses of beauty, like the “Volk” dance recital, which at best confirms someone on the production had good taste in choreographers. A curse on Guadagnino if he makes a sequel to this dreck.



    Underrated: “Love, Simon”

    Perhaps it’s churlish to say that a movie that earned 92 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a touching tribute from none other than Xavier Dolan is underrated. Yet “Love, Simon” was only a modest hit and never received proper credit for its grandest achievement: conveying universal truths about the wonder and torment of romance while telling a thrillingly specific story about a closeted teen boy coming of age. That boy is Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), and he’s a romantic for the ages—when he sprints down a hallway after corresponding with his anonymous gay pen pal (who, until the third act, goes by the codename “Blue”), the ecstatic yearning that propels him feels true to life. Yet it’s the moments that could only happen to a gay character that define the movie, including a post-coming out conversation between Simon and his father (Josh Duhamel) that will leave any viewer with tear ducts undone. “Love, Simon,” like so many romantic comedies, is loaded with product placement and slick cinematography. Yet the emotions that power the plot are anything but artificial, especially during the kiss that brings the film to a gloriously tender climax.




    Overrated: “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”

    The sixth entry in the “Mission” franchise was born aloft by a tidal wave of hype during its theatrical run. Yet while “Fallout” is packed with impressively coherent and imaginative action scenes (the film’s climactic helicopter chase conducts a masterclass in the art of controlled cinematic chaos), writer and director Christopher McQuarrie didn’t lavish the same level of attention on the screenplay. Violence—even beautifully choreographed violence—curdles into empty spectacle without emotions to make its outcome matter. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), the daredevil secret agent whose antics have fueled the franchise since 1996, maybe a hero, but he is also a cipher whose personal issues (ex-wife drama, being-a-hero-is-a-gift-and-a-curse drama), are formulaic and meaningless. The movie may have been favorably compared to Christopher Nolan‘s “The Dark Knight” and George Miller‘s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” but those kinetic masterworks prized feelings and ideas as much as adrenaline. Ethan Hunt doesn’t, and that’s why, for all his nerve, he will never truly save the world.



    Underrated: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (2018)

    “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” Although “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” became the top-grossing documentary of 2018, after its small opening in early June, according to Box Office Mojo, the film was overlooked by many moviegoers who were more focused on seeing films such as “Incredibles 2.” Not to be confused with the Tom Hanks film about the host’s life, “You Are My Friend,” in this documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers through interviews and footage of the show. The documentary looks at Rogers for who he was on and off the PBS series and underneath those cozy sweaters through conversations with Rogers’ co-workers, friends, and family. The film begins with Rogers explaining his approach to communicating with children by way of music. The same technique that we find out later saved PBS.

    The film explores the highs and lows of his career, showing us a side that many of us may not remember happening. I, for example, was born in 1993, meaning I arrived for the tail end of Rogers’ life and career and didn’t know about the criticisms that he faced. Seeing all sides of the story reminds us that Rogers was much more amazing and compassionate than anyone knew. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is 90 minutes that you can sit back, smile, and cry over the legacy of a man who inspired millions and serves as a reminder that what we need in the world is more kindness and understanding.




    Overrated: “Deadpool 2” (2018)

    “Deadpool 2” was met with a lot of anticipation this year, after the first installment left audiences amazed by its originality. “Deadpool” was a passion project for star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller that actually conveyed the passion behind it. The sequel, however, fell a bit short. “Deadpool 2” did what is meant to be done with a sequel—expand the universe and introduce new characters. We have melodrama, we have self-discovery, we have a prison fight sequence, and we have Josh Brolin popping in from the MCU as the time-traveling Cable, we meet the X-Force, we have some super fun cameos…we have everything you need to have a great movie, but the plot setup takes its time, causing you to get anxious for something to happen. What was original about Deadpool seems to become conventional in this installment, causing it to fall victim to itself. Nothing new is added to Wade Wilson, and the film itself follows the same tropes of most superhero films. It’s a superhero movie, in the age of superhero movies, setting things up for another installment. It’s not entirely terrible though, taken as a comedy, “Deadpool 2” is a greater success than most comedy sequels.




    Underrated: “The Mule”

    Somehow, we’ve seen two films by Clint Eastwood largely sail past the zeitgeist. His ode to spontaneous heroism, “The 15:17 Train to Paris,” was a noble dud, but his December outing, “The Mule” runs the risk of going completely forgotten. It’s by far the filmmaker’s most rambunctious effort in ages, and doubles as the actor’s grand return to on-screen grimacing after six years solely spent directing. Rather than phone it in with a garble here and a leer there, Eastwood crafts a pitiful old codger that’s all at once footloose and fancy-free and weighed down by burdens of personal failure. He’s basically a party bro who’s gone broke and has run out of people to hang out with and decides to remedy that with drug running. The surprise of the whole affair is how lackadaisical Eastwood plays on-and-off the screen the actual mule-ing. That trailer did not seem like it would lead to a movie where Eastwood inspires a separate car of intimidating drug gangsters to sing Frank Sinatra. He also gets down and boogies at both a polka show and a big cartel party and finds a way to pawn off nasty caramel popcorn on a cop during a potential drug bust. This movie is weird! But you also get “acting Eastwood,” if that’s your thing! It’s something to watch such a typically-formidable screen presence reduce himself to such a pathetic people-pleaser, and a remorseful one at that. One of the great faces in American cinema, in his waning years, made and acted in one of the strangest, carefree adult dramas of the calendar year, and it feels like nobody noticed. It’s high time we give this one a more elevated platform.




    Overrated: “Avengers: Infinity War”

    It’s not that “Avengers: Infinity War” is a bad movie. It’s not; it’s quite good. The film a rebellious somber walk through one of the most successful series of films ever, and the ending reportedly made people openly wail in the theater. It’s bold to kill off all of the globe’s favorite characters and just end things there! Credit to where credit is due! Though, the tragic trick didn’t work as well if you were aware that everyone that got zapped to Kingdom Come still had movies left in their Marvel contracts to honor. The more you knew, the less you felt. It really shouldn’t take two viewings of a movie to really grasp the gravity of what happens in an ending, or even still whether said gravity even exists. For another nitpick, the film delegates its excitement into a few firecracker fights and eschews hard character developments for all but a few of its characters. We get it; it’s a big ensemble. But spread the wealth a little! How did Steve Rogers basically get nothing to do in an “Avengers” movie? When the film works, it’s tapping on the edges of anything in the Marvel-verse that’s come before it. But for a film with one of the decade’s most outrageous climaxes, the film plays as frustratingly anticlimactic. Nothing really happens, until, er, it really does. Is that really good enough to justify calling this elite in a year with sincere accomplishments for the superhero genre? It’s okay to love “Infinity War,” but be wary to overhype it too much. We’re not even done watching it just yet. The “Endgame” is still nigh.



    Underrated: “Juliet, Naked”

    Perhaps the best Nick Hornby film adaptation to date, it’s nothing short of a travesty that “Juliet, Naked” arrived in theaters D.O.A. after a non-existent marketing campaign (if you’ve never heard of this film, and didn’t know it came out, don’t worry: you’re not alone). Ethan Hawke has had a McConaissance-like year with “First Reformed” and his own directorial effort, “Blaze,” yet his strongest, most relatable work in 2018 was “Juliet, Naked.” Playing fictional rock legend recluse Tucker Crowe, Hawke taps into a reservoir of introspection targeted at celebrity-worship and toxic masculinity that define an entire generation of 30- and 40-somethings bros. The movie speaks to the contortions people put themselves through to make peace with who they were, what they’ve become, and what they want to be. Rose Byrne is magnificent in the film as the beleaguered Annie, who is caught between her obsessive Tucker Crowe super-fan boyfriend, and Tucker himself, forming the basis for some (though not all) of the picture’s best sequences. In all, “Juliet, Naked” is a charming, light-on-its-feet comedy with fully formed, arc-rich characters that manages to balance real consequences with a frothy overall composition. The victim of a late-summer release and bare-bones promotional efforts, “Juliet, Naked” deserves full-frontal exposure.



    Overrated: “Mandy”

    A film that relies too heavily on atmosphere, and too little on substance, “Mandy” is like a cake that’s all frosting. Sure, there are delicious bits, and even some enjoyment one can take from the smothering excess of wide anamorphic shots, top-tier Nicolas Cage work, and superb synth scoring from Jóhann Jóhannsson, yet after consumption, one can’t help but to feel somewhat cheated. A tedious hour-long first act that’s in dire need of an edit throws the pacing of the whole effort off its axis and is exacerbated by lazy world-building that leaves more questions for the audience than answers. This in itself isn’t a bad thing, yet if a film is going to spend a full hour setting all of this up, it should at least connect the dots of its own narrative. Are the demon-bikers human, or supernatural? Does the religious cult have any real power vis a vis summoning these beasts, or are they just the product of one man’s acid-fueled megalomania? Yes, things get weird/fun once Cage gets an ax and starts wild-eye rampaging through the baddies, yet it takes far too long to get to this point, and the world the film lives in seems perpetually in conflict with itself. In all, “Mandy” is standard 21st century Nic Cage B-movie fare with some visual polish and a killer score. It’s okay, sure, but hardly the cinematic masterpiece that can stand alongside some of 2018’s best work.




    Underrated: “Destroyer”

    OK, I should say something and participate, despite disavowing this entire feature. Well, Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” starring Nicole Kidman would be my pick, not that anyone’s really seen it yet, it doesn’t arrive in theaters until December 25. That said, it already screened during the fall film festival circuit at Telluride and the Toronto Film Festival, and the response felt polite, but muted. But Kusama puts on a supremely confident, sprawling and muscular L.A. crime drama very much in the key of Michael Mann, Kidman turns in another excellent performance, Sebastian Stan, who I’m not sure how I feel about outside of Bucky, is terrific. There are some odd choices: Kidman’s aged make-up is never quite convincing or at least takes time to get used to and some of the wigs and period piece aesthetics aren’t 100% there, and the plot is a little threadbare. But it is, thanks to Kidman’s performance and Kusama’s direction, emotionally bruising, visceral in its well-staged action scenes, and a sharp examination of trauma, its effects and the long-simmering vengeance and reclamation from a female perspective worth watching. Give a huge shout out to “Leave No Trace,” “Wildlife,” and “The Rider” too, though both made our Best Films of 2018 list, but are still, in the scope of things, underseen.



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