Welcome back! Today we tackle 2018, a year of massive, earth-shaking blockbusters. It was the year the MCU reached its tragic crescendo, Tom Cruise risked his life (again) for our entertainment, and a quiet horror movie made popcorn-chewing the most stressful activity on earth.
From the hidden technological utopia of Wakanda to the silent farmhouses of upstate New York, 2018 was a year where genre films dominated the conversation.
Here are the 14 films from 2018 that made my top 150 list.
Avengers: Infinity War
Rank: #5 Director: Anthony & Joe Russo
Infinity War is the Empire Strikes Back of this generation. Juggling over 20 superheroes in a single film should have been a narrative disaster, but the Russo Brothers pulled off a miracle by making the villain the main character. This is Thanos’s movie. Josh Brolin brings a weary, terrifying conviction to the Mad Titan, making him the most compelling antagonist in MCU history.
The film is relentless, bouncing from New York to space to Wakanda without ever losing momentum. But it is the ending that defines it. In a genre where the good guys always win, watching our heroes turn to dust in dead silence was a genuine cultural shock. It remains one of the boldest endings to a summer blockbuster ever filmed.
Did You Know? The filmmakers kept the script so secretive that Tom Holland (notorious for spoilers) wasn't even allowed to read the script. For the scene where he turns to dust, he was simply told to act like he didn't want to go, and his famous line "I don't feel so good" was improvised on the spot.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Rank: #10 Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Just when you thought the franchise had peaked, Fallout arrived to set a new high-water mark for action cinema. It is a masterpiece of practical stunts and escalating tension. The plot is standard spy fare, but the execution is flawless.
From the "HALO" jump (filmed by Tom Cruise actually jumping out of a plane 100 times) to the helicopter chase, the film is visceral and exhausting in the best way. Henry Cavill is a fantastic addition as the brute-force antagonist August Walker. The bathroom fight sequence, featuring Cavill "reloading" his arms, is arguably the best hand-to-hand combat scene of the decade.
Did You Know? Tom Cruise broke his ankle jumping between buildings during the London chase sequence. The shot of him slamming into the wall, breaking the bone, and limping away is the actual take used in the final film.
A Quiet Place
Rank: #11 Director: John Krasinski
John Krasinski reinvented himself as a horror auteur with this high-concept thriller. The premise is simple and terrifying: if they hear you, they hunt you. The film turns sound into a weapon, creating an atmosphere where every creaky floorboard or snapped twig feels like a bomb going off.
Krasinski and his real-life wife Emily Blunt anchor the film with incredible emotional performances, conveying years of trauma and love almost entirely without dialogue. It was a theatrical experience unlike any other, where audiences were terrified to even open a candy wrapper.
Did You Know? To maintain the authenticity of the character Regan, the filmmakers cast Millicent Simmonds, who is deaf in real life. She was integral to the production, helping the cast learn American Sign Language and teaching the director how sound (and the lack of it) is perceived.
Black Panther
Rank: #46 Director: Ryan Coogler
Black Panther was more than a movie; it was a cultural phenomenon. Ryan Coogler created a world in Wakanda that felt rich, lived-in, and distinct from the rest of the MCU, blending futuristic technology with African tradition.
Chadwick Boseman is regal and steady as T'Challa, but the film is elevated by Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. Killmonger is widely considered the best Marvel villain (alongside Thanos) because his motivations—anger at the oppression of Black people worldwide—were understandable, even if his methods were extreme. It changed the landscape of what a superhero movie could be and who it could represent.
Did You Know? The Xhosa language spoken in Wakanda was chosen because it is the native language of John Kani, the actor who played T'Challa's father, T'Chaka. He taught it to Chadwick Boseman during the filming of Civil War.
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Rank: #66 Director: Rich Moore & Phil Johnston
This sequel expands the world of the arcade into the limitless chaos of the World Wide Web. The visualization of the internet—with pop-up ads as annoying salesmen and Twitter birds as literal birds—is incredibly clever and inventive.
While the plot meanders a bit more than the original, the film hits a high point with the "Disney Princess" scene. Seeing every princess from Snow White to Moana in the same room, self-deprecatingly mocking their own tropes ("Do you have daddy issues?"), is hilarious. Ultimately, the film delivers a mature lesson about toxic friendship and letting people grow apart.
Did You Know? Disney brought back almost all of the original living voice actresses for the Disney Princesses, including Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O'Hara (Belle), and Linda Larkin (Jasmine), some of whom hadn't voiced their characters in decades.
Game Night
Rank: #77 Director: John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
Game Night is the surprise comedy hit of 2018. It takes a standard "wrong place, wrong time" premise and elevates it with stylish direction and a sharp script. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams have fantastic chemistry as a hyper-competitive couple, but the MVP is Jesse Plemons. His portrayal of the creepy, divorced neighbor Gary is instantly iconic and steals every scene he is in.
The film is visually distinct, often using "tilt-shift" photography to make the suburban neighborhoods look like game boards, a brilliant touch that separates it from visually flat comedies.
Did You Know? Rachel McAdams was actually driving the getaway car during the chaotic escape scene. She performed a 180-degree spin herself, surprising her co-star Jason Bateman who didn't know she had stunt driving skills.
Ready Player One
Rank: #93 Director: Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg returning to big-budget sci-fi adventure is always a cause for celebration. Based on the novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One is a visual feast of pop culture nostalgia. The "OASIS" is a playground where the Iron Giant fights Mechagodzilla, and the DeLorean races the bike from Akira.
While the story is a straightforward "chosen one" narrative, Spielberg’s mastery of set pieces is on full display. The sequence that takes place inside the movie The Shining is a technical marvel, recreating the Overlook Hotel with uncanny precision. It’s a fun, dazzling ride through the collective subconscious of geek culture.
Did You Know? Spielberg had trouble securing the rights to Star Wars properties for the film, which is why there are surprisingly few Star Wars references despite it being a huge part of 80s culture. He decided to lean heavily into properties Warner Bros. already owned, like The Iron Giant and Batman.
Operation Finale
Rank: #104 Director: Chris Weitz
This historical thriller dramatizes the 1960 mission by Israeli Mossad agents to capture Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust, who was hiding in Argentina. Oscar Isaac plays the haunted agent Peter Malkin, and Ben Kingsley is chillingly banal as Eichmann.
The film excels in the psychological cat-and-mouse game between the two men during Eichmann’s captivity. It avoids becoming a simple action movie, focusing instead on the moral weight of justice versus revenge and the trauma carried by the survivors.
Did You Know? To prepare for the role, Ben Kingsley carried a picture of Anne Frank in his pocket during filming. He said that looking at it reminded him of exactly what his character was responsible for destroying.
Bad Times at the El Royale
Rank: #121 Director: Drew Goddard
Bad Times at the El Royale is a stylish, neon-soaked neo-noir that feels like a spiritual successor to Tarantino. Set in a gimmicky hotel that straddles the border of California and Nevada, the film weaves together the stories of seven strangers, each hiding a dark secret.
The cast is stacked—Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, and Dakota Johnson—but Chris Hemsworth shines as a charismatic, shirtless cult leader who arrives to unleash chaos. The film is a slow burn of tension, music, and sudden violence that oozes cool.
Did You Know? The entire hotel set was built from scratch on a massive soundstage in Vancouver. The cinematographer lit the set so they could shoot 360 degrees without seeing any film equipment, allowing for the long, uninterrupted takes.
Aquaman
Rank: #123 Director: James Wan
After the gloom of Justice League, Aquaman arrived to inject some neon-colored insanity into the DC Universe. Director James Wan embraced the inherent silliness of the character, delivering a movie that features an octopus playing drums, people riding sharks, and underwater battles that look like Star Wars beneath the sea.
Jason Momoa oozes charisma, reinventing Arthur Curry as a rock star of the ocean. It’s loud, visually overwhelming, and unapologetically fun. It proved that you didn't need to be dark and gritty to be cool; you just needed spectacle.
Did You Know? The underwater hair movement was a massive technical challenge. Special effects teams had to create software specifically to simulate how hair moves in water for every single character in every single frame, which was one of the most time-consuming parts of post-production.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Rank: #124 Director: Bryan Singer / Dexter Fletcher
Despite a troubled production and mixed critical reviews, Bohemian Rhapsody became a massive crowd-pleaser for one reason: Rami Malek. His transformative performance as Freddie Mercury is electric, capturing the strut, the voice, and the vulnerability of the rock legend.
The film culminates in a near-perfect recreation of Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance. It’s a sequence that pulses with energy, reminding everyone why Queen was the greatest stadium band in the world. It’s a standard biopic in structure, but the music and the lead performance elevate it.
Did You Know? Rami Malek had a set of false teeth made to mimic Mercury’s famous overbite. He started wearing them weeks before filming began to get used to talking and singing with them, and he kept the teeth cast in gold as a souvenir after filming wrapped.
Den of Thieves
Rank: #128 Director: Christian Gudegast
Den of Thieves is a gritty, muscular heist movie that makes no secret of its love for Heat. Gerard Butler plays "Big Nick," a law enforcement officer who is just as dirty and dangerous as the bank robbers he’s hunting.
The film is surprisingly effective, delivering a complex heist plot and a intense, ear-shattering final shootout in a traffic jam. It’s a throwback to the macho action thrillers of the 90s, delivering exactly the kind of tactical action and tough-guy posturing fans of the genre want.
Did You Know? To build tension between the two groups, the actors playing the cops and the actors playing the robbers were kept separated during pre-production boot camps. They trained, ate, and socialized separately so the animosity would feel real on camera.
Instant Family
Rank: #133 Director: Sean Anders
Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne star in this surprisingly heartfelt comedy about a couple who stumble into the world of foster care adoption. Unlike many Hollywood depictions of adoption, Instant Family doesn't shy away from the difficulties, the tantrums, and the trauma, balancing the chaos with genuine laughs.
It strikes a difficult tone, managing to be funny without making light of the system. The chemistry between the leads and the kids feels earned, delivering an emotional payoff that leaves few dry eyes in the house.
Did You Know? The film is based on the true story of director Sean Anders, who adopted three siblings out of the foster care system with his wife. Many of the specific chaotic moments in the film were lifted directly from his real life.
Blockers
Rank: #136 Director: Kay Cannon
Blockers flips the script on the teen sex comedy. Instead of focusing on the boys trying to lose their virginity, it focuses on three teenage girls making a pact to do it on prom night—and their panicked parents trying to stop them.
John Cena proves once again that he is a comedic force, willing to do anything (including the infamous "butt chug" scene) for a laugh. But the movie is surprisingly sex-positive and sweet, treating the girls' agency with respect while letting the parents be the ridiculous ones. It’s a smart, modern update to the American Pie formula.
Did You Know? This was the directorial debut of Kay Cannon, who wrote the Pitch Perfect movies. She became the first woman to direct an R-rated studio comedy in nearly a decade.