I have been doing this long enough to have a SECOND Top Ten of a year list??? And a YouTube Channel with more than 10 videos already?? Yay for me!! (look it’s my birthday -Dec 28th- as I write this so let me smile at my own accomplishments). So, for Year 2 of RuViews (BARS), I am stepping my game up to make 3 end of year lists instead of 1. First up… Honorable Mentions that JUUUUUST missed the top 10.
As always, the provisions to my lists are to be read and understood beforehand before you all come @ me on here, or Twitter, or FB, or Insta (Thanks Tai…) or in person, or whatever:
1) The Movies I have wanted to see this year I just haven’t been able to: Green Book, Ralph Breaks The Internet, Eigth Grade, If Beale Street Could Talk, First Man, Vice, Three Identical Strangers and anything on Netflix
2) The Movies I won’t see that will probably be on every other Top 10 List: A Star is Born, Roma, The Favourite, Annihilation, Hereditary
3) Please remember that my rankings are in the moment of the posts, so VERY big chance that some rankings on my Summer List and past scores don’t match up and
4) Enjoy and comment and let me know what you think (DO NOT MENTION MARY POPPINS! I LIKED IT, I SAW IT, I DIDN’T REVIEW IT, AND I WONT!!! I AM NOT A MUSICAL FAN, SO HUSH)
THE HONORABLE MENTIONED OF THE HONORABLE MENTIONED
21-16 : Bumblebee, Game Night, Molly’s Game, Ready Player One, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Simple Favor
Look, there was a lot of movies I liked this year. So, I am including these 6 before I go into the actual five honorable mentioned. It’s my lists and I can do what I want.
-Bumblebee restored my faith in Transformers and may be the biggest surprise of the year.
-Game Night is the one that hurts the most. Probably the best Comedy of the year and Jesse Plemons is marvelously creepy as hell.
-I almost forgot about Molly’s Game since it was released right at the beginning of the year, but there is nothing forgettable about Sorkin’s dialogue spoken by Jessica Chastain.
-Ready Player One was my Geeky wet dream and I can watch it again and again.
-Bohemian Rhapsody was a great movie to watch for the greatest group of all time, but it could have gone deeper into Queen’s story.
-I just watched A Simple Favor last night and it is a last minute crazy, silly, ridiculous, weird amazingness entry that is the perfect chill at home, "maybe I should have seen this in theaters" film.
I loved a lot about all these films, but couldn’t find a way to put these in front of the other 15.
THE HONORABLE HONORABLE MENTIONED
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
I did not enjoy watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood that much as a kid. But I always knew that if there was ever one person that I prayed to the heavens NEVER had anything bad come out about him, it was Fred Rogers. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? proves that there needs to be more love in this world provided by men and women just like him. The only documentary on these lists, it is exactly what is needed at this time. Fred Rogers was a man different from a lot but accepting of all. The insights into his life both in front of and behind the camera will grow your heart three sizes (whether or not you were a Grinch beforehand). Go put a smile on your face, a tear in your eye, and know that we all like you just the way you are.
Highest Position: #7
Highest Praise: THE cinematic experience everyone needs right now
RuView: None
*Don't forget he's still a Boss
UPGRADE
I really just like saying discount Tom Hardy. This is the best Venom Movie that came out this year. It was one of the best sci-fi movies to come out this year. It was one of the best action movies to come out this year. It was just a great damn movie. Twist, turns, DAAAAAMNs, and laughs galore in a movie that was highly underrated and grossly underseen. Upgrade is a surprise feat of acting (bravo Logan Marshall Green) and a surprise feat of cinematography (bravo Stefan Duscio). See this movie cuz I know you probably haven’t.
Highest Position: #10
Highest Praise: Logan Marshall Green isn’t no longer “isn’t that Tom Hardy?”
Written RuView: https://urimoses.wixsite.com/ruviews/single-post/2018/06/03/Upgrade
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
I watched this movie again and realized how much better it is than the first time I saw it. The Rom-Com has a certain vibe to it, and the 90s Rom-Com has any even better feel (Notting Hill is still UNDEFEATED). Crazy Rich Asians has everything you loved about those 90s classics: Humor, emotion, just the right amount of sap and cheese, and characters you L-O-V-E. Constance Wu is the sweet equivalent to the Boss that is Jessica Huang (her Fresh Off The Boat character). The duo of Awkwafina and Nico Santos are the best friends you wish you had. Take a shot every time you say “what in the rich as hell is that” and you’ll have a great drunk time.
Highest Position: #9
Highest Praise: The Rom-Com is still, and Diversity has ALWAYS been, a box-office draw. Y’all just late
Written RuView: https://urimoses.wixsite.com/ruviews/single-post/2018/08/19/Crazy-Rich-Asians
CREED 2
This could also be called Drago. The chemistry and emotional story between Ivan and Viktor is just as fascinating as Adonis’ relationships. This changed Creed II from the possibly being one of the cheesiest movies of the year (“Really, Getting Drago’s Son to fight Apollo’s son… y’all couldn’t think of anything better?") to being the most “holy shit you pulled this off”-est sports movies ever (“Really, I’m telling you, the Drago-Creed storyline works. Like, it WORKS works"). Michael, Tessa, Sly, and Phylicia are all amazing on their own, but Dolph and “Big Nasty” (that boy is biiiiig) just make them that much better.
Highest Position: #11
Highest Praise: The Surprise that is the Drago’s (that cameo though…)
YouTube RuView: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExJo_j80vHM
SEARCHING
Searching was soooo close to reaching the Top 10. In the end, I had a long debate going back and forth with this and #10. It pulled off the “found footage” way better than its predecessors (Blair Witch Project and Unfriended). But it didn’t rely on the way it was captured to make it a good movie. John Cho and Debra Messing make every part of the movie captivating and stressful. The rewatchability factor is through the roof as you look through every chat, every background image to see if you can solve the mystery before its revealed. Searching is one of the most thrilling movies of the year and should be on Top 10 lists across the webs (just unfortunately not this one).
Highest Position: #7
Highest Praise: Innovative Shooting Style Not Becoming a Gimmick
Written RuView: https://urimoses.wixsite.com/ruviews/single-post/2018/09/09/Searching
Next Up... The Not The Best of 2018