2018
Intro
The following films appeared on year-end lists in Cinema Scope, Film Comment, The New York Times, and Sight & Sound. Selection for the Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, New York, Rotterdam, Sundance, Telluride, Toronto, and Venice film festivals is noted.
Films
América
USA
Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
Lists: Film Comment (6 - Undistributed, 2018)
Asako I & II
Netemo sametemo
Japan, France
Hamaguchi Ryosuke
Lists: Cinema Scope (Special Mention, 2018) | Film Comment (16, 2019)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Rotterdam (Limelight, 2019) | Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema, 2018)
Ash Is Purest White
Jiang hu er nü
China, France
Jia Zhangke
Lists: Cinema Scope (Special Mention, 2018) | Film Comment (8, 2019)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Rotterdam (Limelight, 2019) | Toronto (Masters, 2018)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
USA
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Lists: Film Comment (14, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Venice (In Competition, 2018)
Bisbee '17
USA
Robert Greene
Lists: New York Times (1 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (US Documentary Competition, 2018)
Black Mother
USA
Khalik Allah
Lists: Film Comment (3 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Rotterdam (Bright Future, 2019)
BlacKkKlansman
USA
Spike Lee
Lists: Film Comment (20, 2018) | New York Times (6 - Dargis / 8 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (13, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | Locarno (Piazza Grande, 2018)
Burning
Beoning
South Korea
Lee Chang-dong
Lists: Cinema Scope (8, 2018) | Film Comment (2, 2018) | New York Times (2 - Dargis, 2018) | Sight & Sound (3, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
USA
Marielle Heller
Lists: New York Times (7 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: Telluride (2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
Capernaum
Cafarnaúm
Lebanon
Nadine Labaki
Lists: New York Times (9 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
Casanova Gene
Casanovagen
Germany
Luise Donschen
Lists: Film Comment (10 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Berlin (Forum, 2018)
Cold War
Zimna wojna
Poland, UK, France
Pawel Pawlikowski
Lists: Sight & Sound (4, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
Colophon (for the Arboretum Cycle)
USA
Nathaniel Dorsky
Lists: New York Times (10 - Dargis, 2018)
Festivals: Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
The Death of Stalin
France, UK, Belgium
Armando Iannucci
Lists: New York Times (8 - Dargis, 2018)
Festivals: Rotterdam (A History of Shadows, 2018) | Sundance (Spotlight, 2018) | Toronto (Platform, 2017)
Donbass
Germany, Ukraine, France, Netherlands, Romania
Sergei Loznitsa
Lists: Film Comment (7 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Un Certain Regard - Opening Film, 2018) | Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema, 2018)
An Elephant Sitting Still
Da xiang xi di er zuo
China
Hu Bo
Lists: Cinema Scope (1, 2018) | Film Comment (13, 2019)
Festivals: Berlin (Forum, 2018) | Locarno (Histoire(s) du Cinema, 2018) | Toronto (Discovery, 2018)
A Family Tour
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia
Ying Liang
Lists: Film Comment (4 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Locarno (International Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018)
The Favourite
Ireland, UK, USA
Yorgos Lanthimos
Lists: Film Comment (19, 2018) | New York Times (10 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (7, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate - Opening Night, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Venice (In Competition, 2018)
Feast of the Epiphany
USA
Michael Koresky, Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman
Lists: Film Comment (5 - Undistributed, 2018)
First Reformed
USA
Paul Schrader
Lists: Cinema Scope (9, 2017) | Film Comment (3, 2018) | New York Times (7 - Dargis / 3 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (5, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Special Events, 2017) | Rotterdam (Voices, 2018) | Telluride (2017) | Toronto (Masters, 2017) | Venice (In Competition, 2017)
Flight of a Bullet
Russia, Latvia
Beata Bubenets
Lists: Film Comment (16 - Undistributed, 2018)
La flor
Argentina
Mariano Llinás
Lists: Cinema Scope (3, 2018) | Film Comment (2 - Undistributed, 2018 / 12, 2019)
Festivals: Locarno (International Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
The Grand Bizarre
USA
Jodie Mack
Lists: Cinema Scope (Special Mention, 2018) | Film Comment (8 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Locarno (Signs of Life, 2018) | New York (Projections, 2018) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
USA
RaMell Ross
Lists: Film Comment (10, 2018) | New York Times (1 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (US Documentary Competition, 2018)
Happy as Lazzaro
Lazzaro felice
Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany
Alice Rohrwacher
Lists: Cinema Scope (7, 2018) | Film Comment (9, 2018) | New York Times (5 - Dargis / 2 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (9, 2018 / 18, 2019)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018)
High Life
Germany, France, USA, UK, Poland
Claire Denis
Lists: Cinema Scope (10, 2018) | Film Comment (7, 2019) | Sight & Sound (11, 2019)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Rotterdam (Signatures, 2019) | Toronto (Gala Presentations, 2018)
If Beale Street Could Talk
USA
Barry Jenkins
Lists: Film Comment (12, 2018) | Sight & Sound (12, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
The Image Book
Le livre d'image
Switzerland, France
Jean-Luc Godard
Lists: Cinema Scope (2, 2018) | Film Comment (18, 2019) | Sight & Sound (11, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Toronto (Masters, 2018)
In My Room
Germany, Italy
Ulrich Köhler
Lists: Cinema Scope (Special Mention, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Un Certain Regard, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Rotterdam (Perspectives, 2019) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
L. COHEN
USA
James Benning
Lists: Cinema Scope (Special Mention, 2018)
Festivals: Berlin (Forum Expanded, 2018) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
Leave No Trace
USA
Debra Granik
Lists: Sight & Sound (6, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (Premieres, 2018)
Let the Sunshine In
Un beau soleil intérieur
France
Claire Denis
Lists: Film Comment (7, 2018) | New York Times (6 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (19, 2017)
Festivals: Cannes (Directors' Fortnight, 2017) | New York (Main Slate, 2017)
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Di qiu zui hou de ye wan
China, France
Bi Gan
Lists: Cinema Scope (6, 2018) | Film Comment (14, 2019)
Festivals: Cannes (Un Certain Regard, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Rotterdam (Bright Future, 2019) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018)
Manta Ray
Kraben rahu
Thailand, France, China
Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
Lists: Film Comment (15 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Rotterdam (Bright Future, 2019) | Toronto (Discovery, 2018) | Venice (Horizons, 2018)
Minding the Gap
USA
Bing Liu
Lists: New York Times (1 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (US Documentary Competition, 2018)
Monrovia, Indiana
USA
Frederick Wiseman
Lists: Film Comment (17, 2018) | New York Times (9 - Dargis / 1 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Toronto (TIFF Docs, 2018) | Venice (Out of Competition, 2018)
The Other Side of the Wind
USA
Orson Welles
Lists: Cinema Scope (9, 2018) | Film Comment (8, 2018) | Sight & Sound (14, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Special Events, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Venice (Out of Competition, 2018)
Our Time
Nuestro tiempo
Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden
Carlos Reygadas
Lists: Film Comment (17 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Toronto (Masters, 2018) | Venice (In Competition, 2018)
Personal Problems [1980]
USA
Bill Gunn
Lists: Film Comment (18, 2018)
Private Life
USA
Tamara Jenkins
Lists: New York Times (4 - Scott, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Sundance (Premieres, 2018)
Reason
Vivek
India
Anand Patwardhan
Lists: Film Comment (18 - Undistributed, 2018)
The Rider
USA
Chloé Zhao
Lists: Film Comment (13, 2018) | Sight & Sound (18, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Directors' Fortnight, 2017) | New York (Main Slate, 2017) | Rotterdam (Voices, 2018) | Sundance (Spotlight, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2017)
Roma
Mexico
Alfonso Cuarón
Lists: Film Comment (4, 2018) | New York Times (1 - Dargis / 5 - Scott, 2018) | Sight & Sound (1, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate - Centerpiece, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018) | Venice (In Competition, 2018)
Season of the Devil
Ang panahon ng halimaw
Philippines
Lav Diaz
Lists: Film Comment (19 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Berlin (Competition, 2018)
Second Time Around
Segunda vez
Belgium, Norway
Dora García
Lists: Film Comment (14 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Projections, 2018)
Shakedown
USA
Leilah Weinraub
Lists: Film Comment (11 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Berlin (Panorama, 2018)
Shirkers
USA
Sandi Tan
Lists: Sight & Sound (14, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (World Cinema Documentary Competition, 2018)
Shoplifters
Manbiki kazoku
Japan
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Lists: Film Comment (6, 2018) | New York Times (3 - Dargis, 2018) | Sight & Sound (14, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2018) | New York (Main Slate, 2018) | Telluride (2018) | Toronto (Special Presentations, 2018)
Sophia Antipolis
France
Virgil Vernier
Lists: Film Comment (13 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: Locarno (Filmmakers of the Present, 2018) | Rotterdam (Bright Future, 2019)
Sorry to Bother You
USA
Boots Riley
Lists: Film Comment (11, 2018) | Sight & Sound (17, 2018)
Festivals: Sundance (US Dramatic Competition, 2018)
Support the Girls
USA
Andrew Bujalski
Lists: Film Comment (15, 2018)
The Task
USA
Leigh Ledare
Lists: Film Comment (12 - Undistributed, 2018)
Western
Germany, Bulgaria
Valeska Grisebach
Lists: Cinema Scope (2, 2017) | Film Comment (5, 2018) | Sight & Sound (5, 2017 / 18, 2018)
Festivals: Berlin (LOLA at Berlinale, 2018) | Cannes (Un Certain Regard, 2017) | New York (Main Slate, 2017) | Rotterdam (Voices, 2018) | Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema, 2017)
What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?
Italy, USA, France
Roberto Minervini
Lists: Cinema Scope (5, 2018) | Film Comment (1 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Spotlight on Documentary, 2018) | Toronto (Wavelengths, 2018) | Venice (In Competition, 2018)
A Wild Stream
Una corriente salvaje
Mexico
Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda
Lists: Film Comment (20 - Undistributed, 2018)
You Were Never Really Here
UK, USA, France
Lynne Ramsay
Lists: Film Comment (16, 2018) | Sight & Sound (12, 2017 / 7, 2018)
Festivals: Cannes (Competition, 2017) | Sundance (Spotlight, 2018)
Your Face
Ni de lian
Taiwan
Tsai Ming-liang
Lists: Film Comment (9 - Undistributed, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Projections, 2018) | Venice (Out of Competition, 2018)
Zama
Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Mexico, Portugal, USA
Lucrecia Martel
Lists: Cinema Scope (3, 2017) | Film Comment (1, 2018) | New York Times (4 - Dargis, 2018) | Sight & Sound (4, 2017 / 9, 2018)
Festivals: New York (Main Slate, 2017) | Rotterdam (A History of Shadows, 2018) | Toronto (Masters, 2017) | Venice (Out of Competition, 2017)