12 best and worst movies of 2018: All the films you need to see and avoid
This is the absolute best time to catch up on your movie viewing.
The end of the year is the best time to catch up on your movie viewing, but you don’t want to waste precious moments on bad films. Film critic Peter Travers has screened more than 300 movies this year. And he’s put together his list of the very best and worst of 2018 in this annual special edition of “Popcorn with Peter Travers.”
WORST MOVIES OF 2018
6. “Venom”
In Venom, journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) gains superpowers after being bound to an alien whose species is on a mission to invade earth.
“This was a guy that bit the heads off of people. He was just the most vicious, dark, anti-hero out of the whole comic universe," Travers said. "And they made a movie that’s just sickeningly sweet. Everybody was ingratiating. Everybody was just nice. Nobody wanted a Venom who was nice. I know it was successful. You people that paid money to see it. You were wrong.”
5. “Fifty Shades Freed”
“Fifty Shades Freed” is the final installment of the erotic romance "Fifty Shades" trilogy starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.
“I sit here as a person that saw all three of these Fifty Shades movies. And believe me I want to sink in my seat from the hell of this torture,” said Travers, calling it "the most sanitized version of S&M in movie history. I’ve never seen anybody more uncomfortable in the act of sex than these two actors.”
4. “Robin Hood”
By now you know the story of "Robin Hood," the hardened crusader steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx star in this adaptation of the story.
Travers said, “We’ve seen "Robin Hood" so many times and there was no need to make it again. And this “Robin Hood” proves it.”
He added, “they’re doing things to say look how cool and contemporary we are. And you know what "Robin Hood" people? You weren’t cool. You weren’t contemporary. You were just dull. Dull, dull, dull.”
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3. “Jurassic World”
It’s been three years since the destruction of Jurassic World and this time Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) return to the island to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano. And they make a startling discovery.
“It was such a cash grab. I know Hollywood is about the business of making money. But we’re all here, willing to suspend disbelief and have a good time. And you give us this which is without a single second of inspiration,” Travers said.
2. “Gotti”
“Gotti,” starring John Travolta, follows crime boss John Gotti’s rise to become the head of the Gambino Crime Family in New York City.
“This is the most misbegotten biopic probably in movie history,” said Travers. “It wasn’t scary. It wasn’t informative. It wasn’t anything. It was just bad.”
1. “The Happytime Murders ”
This puppet-people crime drama looks at a world where puppets and humans coexist and work together to solve a murder mystery.
“How could this have happened?” asked Travers. “There’s not a single reason for this movie to exist. It has talented people and trashes them for everything we love them for. What better pick for the worst movie? And what better movie for you to ignore for the rest of your moviegoing lives.”
BEST MOVIES OF 2018
6. “Green Book”
Viggo Mortensen plays chauffer to classical musician Mahershala Ali in the deep south where at the time you needed a green book, which told African Americans places they could visit in the south without being harassed.
Travers said, “The comic teamwork of Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen is just perfection. This belongs on any list of the best.”
5. “BlackKklansman”
In Spike Lee’s “BlackKklansman” an African-American detective works with a colleague to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.
“Spike Lee has fun with it. But he also has fury with it. It’s the kind of movie you see that makes you feel exhilarated because the filmmaking is just so terrific,” said Travers.
4. “The Favourite
Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz play ladies in waiting to the queen, played by Olivia Coleman.
“This is like no costume drama you have ever seen," said Travers. "These are incredible performances. The movie is raunchy. It’s sexual. It’s satirical. It’s about power. But it’s about women taking power. And what could be more topical this year than that?”
3. “Black Panther”
After the death of his father, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. But he's soon drawn into conflict putting the fate of his kingdom and the world at risk.
“Here we see black history and we see children that can watch a comic book superhero movie that they can identify with, any child of color can look up and say, 'I’ve waited all my life to see a movie like this'. “Black Panther” to me is the best Marvel movie ever made,” Travers said.
2. “A Star is Born”
In this third remake of the classic film, "A Star is Born," a seasoned musician discovers and falls in love with a struggling artist. He nudges her into the spotlight and changes her life.
Travers said it's "an old fashioned movie done with a new fashioned touch, done with a new director named Bradley Cooper who just surprises us all. And Lady Gaga, everything you did in this movie was exactly right.”
1. “Roma”
“Roma” is semi-autobiographical drama from director Alfonso Cuarón about his upbringing in Mexico City.
“It crosses every border of language and says here’s my story. Here’s your story. It’s the movie this year that made me cry the most, that made me laugh the most and that made me think, movies can do anything. And “Roma” proves it,” Travers said.
Watch the full special edition of "Popcorn with Peter Travers in the video above.
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