A Year in Review: CMN’s Top Ten Movies of 2018

This year was filled with block buster hits, and our writers covered them all. Here’s the top ten movies of the year from the CMN staff.

1. Black Panther

Marvel’s highly anticipated Black Panther is like the Bible, every message applicable to the world we live in today. The African King that transforms into the first black superhero in mainstream American comic books is just the bait they use to reel you in before you are left flailing in air until you realize you can breathe outside of the water. Read more in Leona Dunn’s review for CMN.

2. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Recently, Netflix has released a flurry of feel-good rom-coms that have captivated their audience. Based upon the book by Jenny Han and directed by Susan Johnson, To All the Boys I Loved Before has especially thrilled viewers with its unique plotline and memorable, lovable characters. However, it isn’t just a cute movie; it also addresses and even breaks tropes associated with the rom-com genre. Here are three reasons why To All the Boys I Loved Before is refreshing and revitalizing the rom-com genre. Read more in Meaghan Lanctot’s review for CMN.

3. Ocean’s 8

This film follows the life of Debbie Ocean (The wonderful and talented, Sandra Bullock), as she devises one of the biggest thefts of her life. In fact, she planned the heist top to bottom for five years, eight months, 12 days and counting. Read more in Julie Rosner’s review for CMN.

4. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Throughout the film, the audience is taken from past to present day. In the past, 1979, the life of young Donna Sheraton is shown embarking on adventures and discovering herself. She was making mistakes, but also learning from them. In the present day, Donna’s daughter Sophie is running her mother’s hotel and finding out more about her late mother’s past. What will she discover? Who else will the audience meet? Read more in Julie Rosner’s review for CMN.

5. Won’t You Be My Neighbor

This documentary shows the life of the remarkable Rogers, who continuously reminded children no matter their situation, they mattered, as well as inspiring people to be better and to do better. This film is full of inspiration, love, and possibilities. Read more in Julie Rosner’s review for CMN.

6. BlacKkKlansman

Director Spike Lee is back with his latest movie, which hit theaters almost one year after the Charlottesville Riots, and it has touched a nerve on race in America. “BlacKkKlansman” tells a true story about how Colorado Springs Police Department’s first African American police officer took down a local Ku Klux Klan group in the 1970s. It is based on the 2014 book “Black Klansman” by the officer himself, Ron Stallworth. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s review for CMN.

7. Roma

Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón, the man behind films such as the blockbuster fantasy Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the bleak dystopian Children of Men, and the sci-fi thriller Gravity, has done it again with his latest masterpiece Roma. With 8 Critics’ Choice Awards nominations, 3 Golden Globes nominations, and an official submission to the 2019 Academy Awards forBest Foreign Language Film, this beautifully camera shot, edited, and written motion picture captures the heart, mind, and soul of the contemporary human condition from a modern past. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.

8. Hotel Transylvania 3

If you read my very first introduction post, I am a rom-com gal. Sure, I tend to step out of my comfort zone here and there, seeing an action or documentary movies, but fantasy movies, not so much. I think the production, creativity, and ideas are clever, as well as the technology used to create the film in the first place. I prefer real life people acting on a screen as opposed to anything animated. But for the sake of my quest, I thought: why not give this movie a shot? Read more in Julie Rosner’s review for CMN.

9. Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story

Produced by married duo Kate McIntyre Clere and Mick McIntyre, the movie presents a critical view of how kangaroos are treated in Australia. While kangaroos are upheld as a national symbol for the country, many Australians view them as everyday, disposable pests, leading to a mass-killing of the marsupials. Read more in Julia Schemmer’s review for CMN.

10. Alpha Class

“Alpha Class,” however problematic, is still an important film for seeing the reality of greek life: the footage is unapologetically real, and generally not selective. This is it’s greatest strength, and an important one to note, since the documentary has received a few bad reviews. While the footage lacks criticism from the brothers/former members on fraternity culture and the current state of greek life, it is still an important text for seeing how hazing and toxic fraternity culture are normalized and proliferated. Read more in Emily Harrington’s review for CMN.