With 2018 put to bed (finally), it's time to look ahead and play our favorite game, "Will Next Year Be Better?" One can only hope it will, because for the first time in a while, I'm feeling apathetic about it. Maybe it's just leftover cynicism, but the year doesn't inspire too much confidence in me. But I'm all for being proven wrong, and seeing that it will be a remarkable year full of wonderful films. I've already seen a couple strong improvements this year. Then again, I've also seen Serenity, so...
Anyway, as always, a countdown of the films I'm most looking forward to in the upcoming year, while keeping my hyperbole in check.
My only rules of exclusion are as follows: It must have either a confirmed release date, or at least have a trajectory to open this year (for this reason, I've left off The French Dispatch and Chaos Walking). It also must have premiered after this list's publication, and I must not have already watched it. Lastly, if it made the list or honorable mentions last year, it won't be eligible for inclusion this year (which explains where Bernadette went).
This list caters mainly to more well known films releasing this year, as independent fare or films releasing during festivals tend to fly under the radar. My personal anticipation may change down the line, but if a film you're looking forward to isn't on here, I either haven't heard of it, I know it exists but it just missed out on the list, or I have little to no anticipation for it (Hopefully King of the Monsters isn't the drudge Godzilla was).
Here are the lucky honorable mentions:
25. Zombieland: Double Tap
24. The Personal History of David Copperfield
23. Frozen 2
22. The Goldfinch
21. The Woman in the Window
20. Ford v Ferrari
19. It: Chapter Two
18. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
17. Under the Silver Lake
16. Yesterday
And now, audience, the top fifteen...
15. Toy Story 4
I have to be excited for any upcoming Pixar film. Not that I like the idea of the studio betraying their perfect ending with number 3, but in my opinion, this series has only gotten better with every new installment, so at least it has that in its favor. Even if I think it might be one entry too many, it won't stop me from buying my ticket, because I'm willing to hold onto some faith that this one will genuinely surprise us, and be no less of a fun, emotionally fulfilling follow-up in the same vein. Also, that stupid spork is just hilarious. I don't even know why.
14. 1917
Sam Mendes spent a very long time submerged in the world of Bond, but here he finally comes up for air in another potentially great use of his talents. No one really knows anything about this movie yet, only that it's to be set in the trenches of WW1. Not a whole lot to go on, but Sam Mendes has proven himself highly capable of a visceral action sense before, and with the backing of Spielberg and his Amblin production company, that's enough for me.
13. Us
Jordan Peele left a wildly entertaining calling card in 2017 with Get Out, and here he returns with another dive into the horror genre, this time with the odd-looking Us. Starring Lupita N'yongo and Winston Duke as parents on vacation with their kids, the film looks utterly bonkers if its trailer is anything to go by, with eerie and bloody doppelgangers following their every move, set to a broody rendition to Luniz's "5 On It", which looks pretty entertaining if you ask me, and here's hoping Peele can keep up his hot streak.
12. The Lion King
I'm not really hot about Disney's slate of live-action releases this year (Dumbo looks like the only one that'll actually be good, but I left it off for some variety). It feels weird saying I'm anticipating The Lion King, because I'm not excited for it. On the one hand, I loved Jon Favreau's update to The Jungle Book, and I'll definitely be there to see a childhood classic remastered in CGI. On the other hand, I'm just watching a childhood classic remastered in CGI. Admittedly impressive CGI, but it looks like the same exact movie, just given a makeover. That just feels like creative bankruptcy to me. So it's on this list, because I love The Lion King, but it's on this list begrudgingly.
11. The Last Thing He Wanted
Dee Rees broke out in a big way with 2017's Mudbound, and here she returns with an adaptation of Joan Didion's book, starring Anne Hathaway as a journalist dropping her workload to aid her dying father. In addition to Hathaway, the film also features a supporting cast that includes Willem Dafoe as her father, and Ben Affleck post-DCEU breakup. I have no familiarity with the book, so I'm not sure what to expect tonally, but I have faith in its lead artist to make another great film.
10. The Irishman
The film that has haunted Martin Scorsese the most, the long-awaited passion project will finally see the light of day through Netflix later in the year. It'll also be sporting a cavalcade of incredible talent, featuring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, and many more bringing the film to life. The only reason that it's not higher is that because it's taken so long to finally get it made, I'm worried the final film won't live up to those expectations. And could the reported CGI de-aging become a distraction? Cause to temper our expectations, but not enough to stop me from being excited.
9. Midsommar
I absolutely adored Hereditary and thought it was the best horror film of the decade, so I'm incredibly eager for director Ari Aster's follow-up in August, following a couple traveling to Sweden for a mid-summer festival that soon devolves into a nightmarish cult. It sounds totally out there, but I'm fully expecting Aster to approach with the same gusto and skill he brought to his debut, and with some talented cast members (including Florenge Pugh, who looks to have a splendid year), I can't wait to wrap my head around it. I just hope I can turn the lights off when I sleep.
8. Against All Enemies
I can't always rationalize why I'm so excited for a film, just that I am. This year's case of that would probably be for Against All Enemies, starring Kristen Stewart as Jean Seberg, the actress targeted by FBI surveillance due to her association with Hakim Jamal, played by Anthony Mackie. Such is not a case I'm familiar with, but one that could potentially be a tense and politically charged thriller, especially with a fine cast that's on display. I'm excited just... because.
7. Proxima
And again, I'm just excited for it, but with a little more reason. The latest film from Mustang director Alice Winocour, the only thing we know about the plot is an astronaut training for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station. Mainly I'm excited for this film because of Eva Green, a gifted actress whose talents have gone underappreciated or underused in my eyes, and the idea of seeing her in a meaty leading role sounds very enticing. Next.
6. Avengers: Endgame
Marvel looks set to have a great 2019, with female-led Captain Marvel taking a bow next month, and Spider-Man: Far From Home... which exists. But inbetween them is the follow-up to their gargantuan Infinity War, as they go for round 2 against the tyrannical Thanos (maybe this time, they'll go for the head). Of course, I'm always hyped to see such eclectic heroes going all out, doing epic battle with the big baddies, but part of me is just the wee bit skeptical. Given what this film would have to do to bring back certain characters, could that make those consequences ultimately feel toothless? Would we really be ready for such an anticlimax? Even so, I'm still always eager to see the latest edition of the MCU, and I still have hope that Marvel will address and expand on the previous film without undermining its severity, and deliver on the same squee-inducing set-pieces. And how did Scott Lang get out of the Quantum Realm? These are the questions that'll keep me up until I see the movie.
5. Little Women
I fell in love with Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, which instantly turned her into one of those directors I'm always excited to hear more from. And while I think her follow-up could have been something other than just another adaptation of Little Women, the idea of her adjusting to the period setting, and the reported ideas she has on her mind for this new installment, has me incredibly eager. Not to mention a remarkable cast that includes golden girl Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, and Meryl Streep filling its extensive cast. This sounds like it'll be right up my alley.
4. Star Wars: Episode IX
Still untitled (watch them announce it the second I publish this list), this one's placed lower not because I'm less excited for it than I was Force or Jedi (nor for the the reasons the internet tells me to be). All the ingrediants sound amazing, with J.J. Abrams returning to close off this new chapter he started, continuing to explore the new relationships forged between all these new characters I've come to love, and one last Star Wars score from maestro John Williams. I'm sure I'll love it, but I do have some slight reservations. After The Last Jedi's hotly divided audience reception, I wonder how safe Lucasfilm is gonna play it. I'm not expecting Abrams to outright retcon Rian Johnson's contributions, but I do wonder if the filmmakers may end up punishing their ambition because of the last chapter's toxic social media reception - and it was toxic, so don't even try to lampshade the Kelly Marie Tran debacle. But again, not enough to kill my anticipation for the film, because at heart I am a Star Wars fan, and I'll never not be excited for a new film. Speaking of Rian Johnson...
3. Knives Out
Johnson has been nothing if not an absolutely gifted filmmaker, not afraid of throwing his audiences for a loop (haha) with every film he makes, and I hope that his newest one will be no different. Its plot is currently being kept under wraps, with the only description being "a modern take on the whodunit mystery thriller." And I'm all for it. I love a good mystery thriller, and I obviously love the cast this movie's rounded up. Starring Daniel Craig as the lead detective, he'll be joined by Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Colette, Christopher Plummer, and more rounding out the supporting cast. While loving The Last Jedi may be controversial, I think it showed an endlessly creative spark in Johnson, which I hope can translate into some fantastic future films.
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino's back! In his follow-up to The Hateful Eight, his ninth (and reportedly penultimate film) will see him recounting a fictionalized version of Hollywood, during the 1969 Manson murders, with a television actor and his stunt double out to become successes in the film industry. It features a whole caravan of impressive talent both in real and fictional roles, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as the leads, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern, Kurt Russell, and many more. I'm not entirely sure how Quentin is going to balance his usual sensibilities, given how sensitive the Manson murders are, and I shudder to think of that man feeling glorified in some way (to be fair, I think Quentin would sooner course correct history and shoot his head off). But I won't worry too much. I still expect it to be as wild and oddly beautiful as anything he's ever done, with the promise of some more fabulous zingers from the best conversation writer in town. I think this might just be his masterpiece.
So what could be number 1? What could possibly have beat Quentin Tarantino as my most anticipated film? The answer may shock you...
1. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
Get it? Because Pikachu's electric, he- never mind! This tops the list not because I think it'll be better than Quentin, but for much more personal reasons. Ever since I was a kid, my dream movie has always been to see an Americanized live-action Pokemon movie, and until Pokemon Go revitalized its popularity, I'd given up hope that I would ever see it. I finally get my wish this May, and while it's not an adaptation of the long-running anime like I wanted (maybe get Dreamworks on that), I'm still happy that it exists. Granted, I'm not holding my breath that it'll be the most spectacular movie ever, given it could very easily tank my expectations. But at least the talent looks impressive, with Ryan Reynolds (despite his Deadpooling) looking to give a charming voiceover for Pikachu. Moreover, I loved the trailer showing off the movie, the visuals look impressive, and the film looks genuinely funny. I just hope it'll be the very best like nothing ever was, that it lives up to the incredible fun I've always loved Pokemon for. Because I need fun, I'll take what I can get, and I hope this movie won't let me down. Please let my childhood dream be amazing!
So that's my list. Now watch half of these get sub-40% on Rotten Tomatoes. On a serious note, I hope I'll love these films, as I always hope to love any film I watch, and that I'll discover more wonderful-looking films across the year. I look forward to taking them all on, and writing about them in the coming months.
And if anyone's curious why the latest How to Train Your Dragon wasn't on here, well... stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment