10) Bohemian Rhapsody (dir. Bryan Singer, kind of)
Though the final result was far inferior to my expectations (thanks in large part to one of the best marketing campaigns in recent memory), Bohemian Rhapsody carries an unbelievably and unquestionably ecstatic energy that few films can pull off. While the journey there was a long and winding one – with director Bryan Singer’s firing late into production, among other things – an immersive performance by Rami Malek as Queen’s super singer, Freddie Mercury, dominates the otherwise tame and quirky screenplay.
Whether it was the breathtaking reenactment of Live Aid or just the thrill of witnessing Mercury’s charisma on the big screen, there was a pep in my step walking out of Bohemian Rhapsody that no other movie this year gave me.
9) The Death Of Stalin (dir. Armando Iannucci)
Writer/director Armando Iannucci’s injects one of the darkest corners of modern history with his own particular sense of dark humor to absolute perfection. The film, which follows the political scramble of Josef Stalin’s ministers following his death, is surprisingly quick with its wit, though several jokes are, at face value, not funny. But it’s another great cast, which includes Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffery Tambor and Michael Palin, that lets us laugh at waving corpses and dysfunctional and distasteful dictators. This movie is a riot.
8) A Quiet Place (dir. John Krasinski)
The first movie on this list to be made by a first-time director, A Quiet Place is one of the more convincingly heartfelt productions of the year (certainly a strange title to give a horror film). With married stars Krasinski and Emily Blunt as the lead parents, and a remarkable performance by the young, deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, the pic feels genuine in its familial spirit and bond, and thus, has effective and endearing thrills.
Following a family in the remnants of an apocalyptic invasion by sound-feasting creatures, Krasinski’s A Quiet Place is made all the more impressive in its usage of sound, or lack thereof. It’s methodic, deeply thought out and frightening, as well as heartwarming.
