Tl;dr: movies are awesome, scroll down to see my own list of notable ones in the past year, further down for a list of all the movies I watched in 2018 with links to my thoughts and reflections on Letterboxd, and a list of movies I’m looking forward to in 2019 at the very bottom.
Refer to here for last year’s post.
Similar rules as last year:
- Each film can only be awarded the winner in one category; each category can only have a singer winner
- Film can be runners-up to any number of categories
- I try to limit the runners-up to 3 maximum
- Priority goes to newer films
Best Novel Adaptation
Read the book just 2 months prior to watching the film. Really liked the book and it was amazing to see how the story was portrayed in the film. More than cats, the film explored the ideas of relationships of different form and it’s a story that we can all draw something upon to help ourselves live and feel better in our lives.
Runners-up: To Live
Other adaptations include Ready Player One, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, and Blade Runner but I haven’t read any of those so wouldn’t put them here.
Best Visuals
Master of colours Zhang Yimou is back this time, abandoning the bright colours he became so known for and going for a monochromatic look which turned out to be incredibly stunning. It’s like admiring a Chinese ink painting and the whole film is truly an absolute treat to the eyes.
Runners-up: Blade Runner 2049, Cashback, Human Flow
Best Based on True Story
A really interesting way to tell a true story by weaving narratives and interviews from the real-life counterparts. Exciting buildup and a really fascinating story to learn about. Thought that this film is kinda under the radar so really wanna recommend it to everyone.
Runners-up: The Disaster Artist
Most Tearjerking
Firstly this is not a horror. An intriguing title is 50% of what makes a good movie. Okay not really, but instead of simply being a romantic film with tearjerking elements scattered around to make you cry, I thought that the film portrayed much more and is worth a watch.
Runners-up: If Cats Disappeared from the World, Shoplifters
Hmm there’s something about Japanese films and making people cry…
Most Human Nature
So glad I managed to catch this. A really beautiful story about people, family, bonds and relationships. Also, it won the Palme d’Or, need I say more?
Runners-up: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, To Live, The Square
Best about Filmmaking
One of the best of the year. Simply amazing and I’m glad I didn’t have to wait till 2019 to catch it but I would still seriously consider going for it at the Japanese Film Festival or watching it again when it’s commercially released. That’s how good it is. You guys have to catch it!!!! JFF ticket sales has started!!
Runner-up: The Disaster Artist
Most WTF Movie
This film touches on so much and is so exciting and fun and clever and sharp and wonderful. This is a film that will blow you apart and really make you think about what is going on in the world.
Runners-up: In Fabric, Coherence
Most Interesting Premise
This was a 2006 film but I really liked it and thought it deserves a mention. A really unique film and one that’s rather under the radar. It’s also such films that make me wonder how do people have such amazing feature film debuts (happens to multiple films on this list)?!
Runners-up: One Cut of the Dead, Coherence, A Ghost Story
Favourite Director
2018 was the year I started, and finished, watching Wong Kar-wai. He’s now one of my favourite directors and probably the only one whom I’ve caught all the films of. A true master.
The Movie I’ll Watch Again
If I have to pick one
Mindblowing. I feel like not enough people know of this film but I wouldn’t wanna say too much either to spoil. Just watch it and be convinced of how great this film is, and why it warrants rewatch after rewatch. I shall rewatch it again sometime soon.
Filmed with a cast of improv actors who have never met each other, without scripts, shot in the director’s own house using Canon 5Ds in 5 days with a $50,000 budget. If One Cut and The Disaster Artist doesn’t inspire you to make films, this totally should.
Films Watched in 2018
The Square (2017)
To the Fore (2015)
If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016)
Memoirs of a Murderer (2017)
Chungking Express (1994)
Days of Being Wild (1990)
Ready Player One (2018)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
2046 (2004)
Ashes of Time (1994)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Chaos Theory (2008)
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Fight Back to School (1991)
Fight Back to School 2 (1992)
Fight Back to School 3 (1993)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Human Flow (2017)
To Live (1994)
Cashback (2006)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Fallen Angels (1995)
Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017)
Coherence (2013)
American Animals (2018)
Open Windows (2014)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Shadow (2018)
Happy Together (1997)
A Ghost Story (2017)
Shoplifters (2018)
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)
Cities of Last Things (2018)
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Ten Years Thailand (2018)
Asako I & II (2018)
In Fabric (2018)
The Disaster Artist (2017)
As Tears Go By (1988)
My Blueberry Nights (2006)
The Grandmaster (2013)
Really sad to have missed out Lady Bird, Isle of Dogs, and First Man which were on my 2018 watchlist. Also didn’t get to catch Burning, and a few others during SGIFF due to my schedule. Really gotta catch Shirkers too.
Total of 45 films with a good mix of English, Chinese, and Japanese films. Shall try to explore more Korean and European films this year. 2018 was the year of Wong Kar-wai; maybe now I will be ready for 2019 to be the year of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Coming Soon in 2019
Glass (M. Night Shyamalan)
The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos)
A Land Imagined (Yeo Siew Hua)
Chaos Walking (Doug Liman)
Avengers: Endgame (Russo brothers)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Simon Kinberg)
Mid-90s (Jonah Hill)
The Goldfinch (John Crowley)
Radegund (Terrence Malick)
Thanks for reading — please intro and jio for awesome films in 2019~
