by Eternality Tan

My Favourite Films of 2018

Since last year, I have given out imaginary awards to the films I love most or hold in high regard for the year. 

Golden Snoopy – BURNING for Lee Chang-dong

For an enigmatic and haunting mystery that patiently develops and then becomes deeply-intertwined within its own ambiguities, in what is another hypnotic gem by South Korea’s finest working filmmaker.

Silver Snoopy – ROMA for Alfonso Cuaron

For a meticulously-realised period drama that is a testament to cinema’s power to capture life, memory and emotion in a restraint if audacious work that sees a highly-respected filmmaker continuing to operate at his peak.

Silver Snoopy (Special Mention) – HAPPY AS LAZZARO for Alice Rohrwacher

For a truly mesmerising and thematically-dense work of art from one of the most exciting directors working today.

  • Best Director – THE WILD PEAR TREE for Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Runner-up: SUSPIRIA for Luca Guadagnino)
  • Best Lead Actor – CAPERNAUM for Zain Al Rafeea (Runner-up: GIRL for Victor Polster)
  • Best Lead Actress – BORDER for Eva Melander (Runner-up: THE FAVOURITE for Olivia Colman)
  • Best Supporting Actor – NON-FICTION for Vincent Macaigne (Runner-up: THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT for Bruno Ganz)
  • Best Supporting Actress – HIGH LIFE for Juliette Binoche (Runner-up: CAPERNAUM for Yordanos Shiferaw)
  • Best Ensemble Cast – SUSPIRIA (Runner-up: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD)
  • Best Cinematography – ROMA (Runner-up: BURNING)
  • Best Film Editing – SHIRKERS (Runner-up: SEARCHING)
  • Best Original Screenplay – ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (Runner-up: NON-FICTION)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay – BLACKkKLANSMAN (Runner-up: BURNING)
  • Best Production Design – ISLE OF DOGS (Runner-up: SUSPIRIA)
  • Best Costume Design – BLACK PANTHER (Runner-up: THE FAVOURITE)
  • Best Makeup & Hair – BORDER (Runner-up:  THE FAVOURITE)
  • Best Original Score – BURNING (Runner-up: BLACK PANTHER)
  • Best Use of Source Music – THE WILD PEAR TREE (Runner-up: BLACKkKLANSMAN)
  • Best Sound – ROMA (Runner-up: FIRST MAN)
  • Best Sound Design – SUSPIRIA (Runner-up: MANTA RAY)
  • Best Visual Effects – ANNIHILATION (Runner-up: READY PLAYER ONE)
  • Discovery Award (Filmmaking) – SHUT UP AND PLAY THE PIANO for Philipp Jedicke
  • Discovery Award (Acting) – LEAVE NO TRACE for Thomasin McKenzie

Top 10 Films of 2018:

  1. BURNING – Lee Chang-dong (South Korea)
  2. ROMA – Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico)
  3. HAPPY AS LAZZARO – Alice Rohrwacher (Italy)
  4. THE WILD PEAR TREE – Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey)
  5. BLACKKKLANSMAN – Spike Lee (USA)
  6. ONE CUT OF THE DEAD – Shin’ichiro Ueda (Japan)
  7. NON-FICTION – Olivier Assayas (France)
  8. LEAVE NO TRACE – Debra Granik (USA)
  9. SHIRKERS – Sandi Tan (USA/Singapore)
  10. SHUT UP AND PLAY THE PIANO – Philipp Jedicke (Germany/UK)

Special Mention (in alphanumeric order):

  • 3 FACES – Jafar Panahi (Iran)
  • ANNIHILATION – Alex Garland (UK/USA)
  • BLACK PANTHER – Ryan Coogler (USA)
  • BORDER – Ali Abbasi (Sweden)
  • FIRST MAN – Damien Chazelle (USA)
  • HARD PAINT – Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon (Brazil)
  • HEIRESSES, THE – Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay)
  • ISLE OF DOGS – Wes Anderson (USA/Germany)
  • SEARCHING – Aneesh Chaganty (USA)
  • SUSPIRIA – Luca Guadagnino (USA/Italy)

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