Here are Jakpost’s movie favorites of 2018 in no particular order, just in case you want to rewatch them in ringing in the New Year. 

Black Panther

Telling the story of King T’Challa, who returns to Wakanda only to be greeted by a nemesis in a conflict that has global implications, Black Panther soared at the box office. The 18th movie from Marvel Cinematic Universe set itself apart as one of the most important films of this modern age. Although blaxploitation films attempted to feature African-American superheroes in the 1970s, only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s circa 1966 Black Panther comics were able to materialize into a superhero movie in 2018 that successfully set the standard as it welcomed a new era of Marvel superheroes that weren’t white. 

Avengers: Infinity War

All-star, all-superheroes and a lot of action, Avengers: Infinity War is one of 2018’s cinematic highlights. Released in IMAX and 3D, the movie became the first superhero movie to gross over $2 billion globally and was marked as the highest-grossing movie of 2018. Although the ensemble cast garnered praise for their performance, Josh Brolin stole the audience’s attention in his role as Thanos. A sequel titled Avengers: Endgame is slated to be released in April 2019. 

Hereditary

Tony Collette gave a haunting performance in the 2018 supernatural horror Hereditary. Premiered in the Midnight section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the movie raked in more than $79 million at the box office on its $10 million budget. Dubbed one of the scariest movies of 2018, Hereditary also won awards that included Best Actress from the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards, Gotham Awards, International Online Cinema Awards and St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. 

A Quiet Place

Post-apocalypse is a curious realm often imagined by filmmakers. In A Quiet Place, John Krasinski explores the possibility of audio-hyper sensitive monsters that will kill human beings if they make sounds. With a budget of $17 million, the movie enjoyed box-office success of $340.7 million, earned nominations and won several awards, including the Top 10 Films of The Year by the American Film Institute, Hollywood Sound Award and National Board of Review. Emily Blunt is also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role by the Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

Crazy Rich Asians

In September, Crazy Rich Asians which managed to turn its S30 million budget into a staggering $238 million at the box office, featured newcomer Henry Golding as the leading man, with Asian-American actress Constance Wu, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. The movie features an all-Asian cast, the first since 1994’s The Joy Luck Club, which was adapted from a novel by Amy Tan. The movie enjoyed positive global reception and success, which put other Asian movies on Hollywood ’s radar.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Although released on Netflix a month prior, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before enjoyed the Crazy Rich Asians hype. The teenage rom-com that was adapted from a novel by Jenny Han, brought forward a Korean-American lead, Lara Jean Covey, portrayed by Lana Condor, whose love interests include Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) and several other boys. While the story is simple, Netflix, already famous for its diversity in its original features, gently introduced the modern Asian lifestyle through little habits -such as Yakult-drinking and daily consumption of kimchi.

Love For Sale

From the home front, Gading Marten’s well-deserved Citra award came from his portrayal of Richard in the movie Love For Sale. The film tells the story of a bachelor who lives a lonely life, but finally finds love through an online service. The movie ponders love, technology, entertainment and the casualties slain in between. Director Andi Bachtiar Yusuf successfully delivered a romantic comedy from a male perspective. Actress Della Dartyan mesmerizes in her silver screen debut, an unexpected performance that landed her a nomination for Best Actress in the 2018 Indonesian Film Festival.

Dilan 1990

Adapted from a novel by Pidi Baiq, Dilan 1990 brought Indonesian audiences a thick air of puppy love nostalgia in the 90s. The popularity of the movie propelled the names of newcomers Iqbaal Ramadhan and Vanesha Prescilla, putting them on the map of the Indonesian film industry. The teenage rom-com attracted 6.2 million viewers, slating the movie to be one of Indonesia’s most-watched movies of all-time. Production is underway for a sequel, appropriately titled Dilan 1991, scheduled to be released in 2019.

The Night Comes For Us 

Another Indonesian production, The Night Comes For Us graced Netflix screens and became an instant favorite among local and international audiences. The action movie premiered at the Fantastic Fest in September, and shortly after, on Netflix which acquired its distribution rights. Gory details, flawless fight choreography and big names like Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais are surefire elements for an entertaining flick. Elements of surprise such as Dian Sastrowardoyo’s role that takes her out of her usual goodie-goodie roles and Julie Estelle’s appearance are excellent touches carefully made by director Timo Tjahjanto. 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bad reviews from various international media did not wither fans’ spirits to watch Bohemian Rhapsody. The biopic of Freddie Mercury, which was seen as boring by critics, turned out to be a fan favorite, successfully dominating the box office with $637.9 million, from a $50 million budget. Rami Malek’s performance, much like the movie itself, was heavily criticized by experts but praised by fans. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” also became the most-streamed song from the 20th century, with 1.6 billion streams across streaming platforms and services such as YouTube and Spotify.