Lucrecia Martel’s Zama, Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, and Paul Schrader’s First Reformed took the top spots among films released in 2018 on Film Comment’s annual end-of-year survey. Of the films that screened at festivals worldwide but have not announced stateside distribution, Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, Mariano Llinás’s La Flor, and Khalik Allah’s Black Mother received the top rankings.
“There’s a breathtaking ambition and deep emotional drive to what these hugely talented filmmakers have done. Watching the movies that our contributors have voted for should give any movie lover a beautiful picture for the future of cinema,” said Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Rapold. “Film Comment is also proud to have covered these movies over the past year in print, online, and with our podcasts—so you know where to look for next year’s vanguard!”
Film Comment’s Top 20 Films Released in 2018
1. Zama Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/Brazil/Spain
2. Burning Lee Chang-dong, South Korea
3. First Reformed Paul Schrader, USA
4. ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico
5. Western Valeska Grisebach, Germany/Bulgaria
6. Shoplifters Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan
7. Let the Sunshine In Claire Denis, France
8. The Other Side of the Wind Orson Welles, USA
9. Happy as Lazzaro Alice Rohrwacher, Italy
10. Hale County This Morning, This Evening RaMell Ross, USA
11. Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley, USA
12. If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins, USA
13. The Rider Chloé Zhao, USA
14. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Joel & Ethan Coen, USA
15. Support the Girls Andrew Bujalski, USA
16. You Were Never Really Here Lynne Ramsay, UK/France/USA
17. Monrovia, Indiana Frederick Wiseman, USA
18. Personal Problems Bill Gunn, USA
19. The Favourite Yorgos Lanthimos, Ireland/UK/USA
20. BlacKkKlansman Spike Lee, USA
Film Comment’s Top 20 Unreleased Films of 2018
1. What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? Roberto Minervini, Italy/USA/France
2. La Flor Mariano Llinás, Argentina
3. Black Mother Khalik Allah, USA
4. A Family Tour Ying Liang, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore/Malaysia
5. Feast of the Epiphany Michael Koresky, Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman, USA
6. América Claus Drexel, France
7. Donbass Sergei Loznitsa, Germany/Ukraine/France/Netherlands/Romania
8. The Grand Bizarre Jodie Mack, USA
9. Your Face Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan
10. Casanova Gene Luise Donschen, Germany
11. Shakedown Leilah Weinraub, USA
12. The Task Leigh Ledare, USA
13. Sophia Antipolis Virgil Vernier, France
14. Second Time Around Dora García, Belgium/Norway
15. Manta Ray Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, Thailand/France/China
16. Flight of a Bullet Beata Bubenets, Russia/Latvia
17. Our Time Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Germany/Denmark/Sweden
18. Reason Anand Patwardhan, India
19. Season of the Devil Lav Diaz, Philippines
20. A Wild Stream Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda, Mexico