BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition December 2018

Best of 2018
The 10 best films you (probably)
haven’t seen yet
WRITTEN BY HOGAN SHORT
Tully
Beast
Burning
You Were Never Really Here
Upgrade
1. Tully
This story from frequent collaborators Jason Reitman
and Diablo Cody is an honestly told beautiful love
letter dedicated to a rarely explored topic in film; being
a mother. Marlo (Charlize Theron) has a lovely family
but the struggles of being a middle class stay at home
expecting mom proves overwhelming. Tully, (Vancouver’s
own Mackenzie Davis) a free spirited and exceptional
night nanny helps out the selfless Marlo, not just with
motherhood, but to help her remember and love herself.
This lovingly sympathetic ode to motherhood is brilliantly
portrayed until it finishes with one of the best endings of
the year.
2. Beast
A mystery thriller about a small town murder demands a
great end. Beast asks its audience a direct question and for
the rest of the runtime we are left searching and guessing
for ourselves what that answer may be. Along the way we
watch a lonely, misunderstood girl who finally has a friend
and lover who gives her the confidence to be herself. But
is this new boy the killer in town? Could the twist be that
she is? Maybe it doesn’t matter to ether of them. We are
left wondering in suspense until the final moments of this
haunting film with a powerfully satisfying conclusion.
3. Burning
Burning is a commentary on the treatment of women
in society as we follow the interactions of three people.
This film grabs you and clings to you, burning into your
memory. The suspense slowly smolders and cooks,
flickering clues at you until what is beneath the fire
is revealed. Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), with an
electrifyingly subtle standout performance, plays the
mysterious and charming Ben. “Ben from Burning” will
be a common answer in conversations among cinephiles
when asked when talking about their favourite…well,
you’ll see.
4. You Were Never Really Here
This film starring Joaquin Phoenix was directed by the
great auteur Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About
Kevin). Phoenix who plays a low level hit man type
suffering from PTSD who performs his job with brutal
force. A job goes bad and he must fight his way to the
truth. This story shares DNA with films like John Wick and
The Equalizer, but done so with a uniquely crafted artistic
direction. It’s not just the violence that Ramsay keeps
from the audience, but often seemingly pivotal moments.
Our expectations are constantly being subverted in this
merciless interpretation of a familiar action film.
5. Upgrade
Where have all the really smart, really fun science fiction
films gone? Upgrade looks to bring the early-2000’s fun
sci-fi film back with this blast of pulp. Grey Trace (Logan
Marshall-Green) loses his girlfriend along with the use
of his limbs after an accident in a self-driving car and a
gang waiting at the wreckage. A new technology gives
him his mobility backhand with this high functioning
new mobility also comes an AI voice in his mind to help
him seek revenge on those who took everything from
him. Each scene with every victory and stumble for our
protagonist are expertly staged until the end. And every
great science fiction movie from that aforementioned era
has an amazing twist ending. Right?
6. First Reformed
The ending of this movie is really bad. Luckily, the first
90% of this story from a script written by Paul Schrader
(Taxi Driver) is so interesting and ingenious that it is still
one of the best of 2018. First Reformed is about a priest
(Ethan Hawke) who struggles with the church’s lack of
leadership when it comes to the human race destroying
the planet with climate change. This film is subdued and
often just two people speaking calmly. This calmness
changes just like the priests attitude after interacting with
an environmental terrorist. This entire film is exhilarating,
even when it’s just two people speaking around a table.
7. Thunder Road
Thunder Road is an incredibly simple story about a cop in
a small town who, to say the least, has a few issues. He has
just buried a loved one, cannot connect with his daughter,
and doesn’t seem very self aware, even if he is very sweet
hearted. These issues sporadically and unexpectedly
explode like a supernova, which is where this film really
shines. In these moments we see uncut scenes of actor Jim
Cummings crying and screaming and humiliating himself
for up to ten minutes. It is impossible to look away and
one of the best acting performances of the year.
8. Leave No Trace
A father and his daughter live in the woods in the Pacific
Northwest. Will (Ben Foster) teaches his daughter at an
advanced reading level as well as survival skills. They also
seem to live this way because Will doesn’t believe in living
according to the rigors of society and is suffering from
PTSD. They are caught and together are placed into a
program of rehabilitation back into the real world. This
film about a young girl needing to be strong for herself
and her family at such a young age in a tough landscape
has drawn comparisons to the 2010 gem Winter’s Bone.
This film is just as good and happens to be the same writer
and director, Debra Granik.
9. The Wife
There are many films about taking credit for other’s work.
The Wife is a film that expires even deeper to the role a
woman sometimes feels she has to play and what can and
should happen when she is sick and tired of not getting
the credit she is deserved. This movie had essentially no
release but hopefully when Oscar season comes Glen
Close will be given her credit as an actor, and allow this
film the audience that desperately needs this story.
10. Roma
This is a bit of a cheat. The reason you have yet seen
this is because it is not out yet. Roma is about to come
on Netflix and hopefully everyone will watch it. This
Mexican made, semi-autobiographical story from genius
auteur Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) is patiently
waiting to show its inspiration via the laptop screens of
people everywhere laying in their beds. The trouble is it’s
subtitled and in black and white, which doesn’t scream
Christmas cheer. Roma is an original piece of art that can
be appreciated by everyone and that is a beautiful and
rare thing.
December 2018 29