5. Apollo 11
Planting two men on the moon took more than dedication and intelligence. The endeavor was willed into existence through madness, politics, bravery, marketing, grit, creativity, and desperation. Apollo 11 was not the result of a handful of scientists or several handfuls of scientists. Apollo 11 was the work of hundreds and Todd Douglas Miller’s documentary recreates their labor seemingly as the most immersive real-time experience possible. Congratulations, when the film begins, you’ve joined the team.
Apollo 11 uses everything cinema has to offer to resurrect its history. I dare you to find a better score this year, or a better example of editing. Reconstructing and restoring archival footage, and layering those gorgeous images only with words from that era, Apollo 11 is an astonishing achievement in nonfiction entertainment that manages to be as thrilling as any Hollywood narrative. We may not understand the science behind every switch flipped, or even the language uttered by those at mission control, but Miller never lets the emotional impact miss its target. (Brad Gullickson)
4. John Wick: Chapter 3
While most franchises tend to fizzle out by the second or third movie, John Wick continues to leave action fans hungry for more installments. These movies are pure fun, but they also provide exhilarating action and don’t rob viewers of the full experience by cutting out all the good stuff. With the exception of Mission: Impossible, no other Hollywood action franchise is on this level when it comes to embracing what makes the genre so awesome.
The third movie continues the series’ tradition of one-upping itself in terms of sheer spectacle and ridiculousness. Here we get to see Keanu Reeves beat a guy to death with a book and witness some dogs get their taste of the mayhem, too. Of course, there’s more to John Wick than action. The series’ mythology is utterly brilliant and with each passing entry, we get to explore more of this fascinating world. There are strict rules in place here, and seeing our hero break them and overcome the repercussions makes for an action flick that feels like it has some real stakes. Parabellum also deserves credit for reminding the world of just how freaking good Mark Dacascos. Cast him in more big movies, Hollywood. (Kieran Fisher)
3. High Life
For over thirty years, Claire Denis has been a singular force in provocative and thoughtful filmmaking. Her films have ranged from the unbearably tender 35 Shots of Rum to the brutal gut-punch that is Bastards. For a less skilled filmmaker, her oeuvre may suggest that there’s nowhere else to go, but Denis’s latest, her first sci-fi film, and her first English-language film, High Life, demonstrates that she’s still finding ingenious and invigorating ways to beguile audiences.
High Life unfolds in a non-linear fashion that localizes the story around Monte (Robert Pattinson, absolutely brilliant, with a hardened face and soft eyes that make it no surprise Denis wants to work with him again), a criminal who has been sent on a one-way mission to explore a black hole. His journey through time and space puts him in conflict with Dr. Dibs (Juliette Binoche, in a breathtakingly dark turn), a mad scientist obsessed with the creation of life. Denis returns to some of the body horror seen in films such as her 2001 venture into New French Extremity, Trouble Every Day. Among other things, this allows her to explore what it means to be human: a being as capable of love and kindness as depravity and violence, a flesh vessel persistently trying to be more than just base urges. She asks about our drive for self-determination and confronts us with the result when this is in conflict with those we care about. Denis’s investigation of human nature is as devastating and challenging as it is beautiful and rewarding. Beyond just being one of the best of the year, High Life is a film that I imagine we’ll all find ourselves returning to for many years to come. (Anna Swanson)
2. Us
After making a modern masterpiece a director would be forgiven for taking a few years off to ruminate on how to follow that up. But not every director is Jordan Peele. A little over two years after his Oscar-winning debut, Peele doubled-down on his love of horror with a cinematic ballet of violence: Us. Rather than trying to match the tone of his previous film Get Out, Peele gives us a story that feels larger, funnier, more violent, and scarier than its predecessor. One thing is for certain though: Peele has an inherent knack for bringing out the best in his actors with Lupita Nyong’o and Tim Heidecker putting in diametrically opposing performances that are as surprising as they are frightening.
Wherein Get Out was described by Peele as a ‘social thriller’, it’s hard to misconstrue the genre pedigree of Us with its litany of winks and nods to the ultimate fate of the Wilson family — like the VHS for CHUD in the opening shot, cheekily projecting the films villains The Tethered. With vagueries and allegories woven into the fabric of the film, it acts almost like a puzzle box or a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novel about classism and Reagan-era politics, allowing the audience to dissect the hidden meanings from the clues and crumbs that Peele leaves behind. It does what a film is meant to do, spark further conversation, allowing multiple readings on the films many twists and turns. Us is an exciting continuation of Peele’s thoughtful social commentary set to the energy of what could be a budding 1980s-tinged horror franchise. While I don’t need a sequel to Get Out, I could easily watch ten sequels to Us. (Jacob Trussell)
1. Booksmart
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, is as laugh out loud funny as it is genuine. Taking place on an eternal night between the last day of high school and graduation, Booksmart stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as a pair of best friends trying to make the most of their final (and first) high school parties. After realizing that everyone around them was still going to attend Ivy League colleges in the fall, despite partying their way through school, valedictorian Molly (Feldstein) makes it her mission to attend one kick-ass party before graduation. Be it her experience as an actress or just a natural knack at directing, but Wilde does an amazing job of making a somewhat simple premise and turning it into a heartfelt and hilarious coming of age film.
The comparisons to Superbad are apt and inevitable (hell, Feldstein is even Jonah Hill’s little sister), but Booksmart is iconic on its own. It’s truly a teen comedy for its time featuring casual queerness, political awareness, and overt feminism all without ever losing its humor. “We are NOT one dimensional,” Molly screams at Amy (Dever) in an attempt to convince her to go out. And Wilde refuses to let anyone, even the auxiliary characters, be one dimensional. One of the best supporting performances is by Billie Lourd. Playing the eccentric yet lovable Gigi, Lourd is the surprise of the film. She’s a bit of a nutcase in Molly and Amy’s eyes, but she’s nothing but nice to them and Lourd fully commits to the over-the-top charm of the vitamin-snorting socialite. All in all, Booksmart is a film that will be remembered in the years to come. It’s not just the “female Superbad” but a powerhouse of humor and sincerity in and of itself. Molly and Amy’s post-modern friendship is silly but full of love. They both inspire us to ignore the taboos and ways we believe the world has to work, and just have fun in this moment right now. (Kristen Reid)
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