Yeah, so I see a ton of movies at the theaters each year, upwards of 30. So far this year, I’ve gone out and seen 20, and here were the 10 that I enjoyed most.
To be clear, this is not the order of overall quality, just how fun of a time I had at the Theater and my immediate reaction after seeing. In hindsight, many of these films have fluctuated in my perception of their objective quality upon multiple viewings and reflection but the Theater-going experience does funky things to you. Anyway, here we go
10) TAG
A lot of people I know think this movie wasn’t very good but I disagree. I don’t think it’s amazing or a gold standard for comedy, but I laughed consistently throughout and I’m definitely getting it on DVD at some point down the road. Sometimes you have to try to enjoy something for what it is.
9) Isle of Dogs
This was one of my most anticipated films of the year and it was pretty good, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype. Great writing, gorgeous animation and design and a fantastic voice cast but ultimately the narrative was pretty disengaging by the end. I’d still love to own this in my collection.
8) Upgrade
This was non-stop intensity and a pretty great time, it’s just not really my preferred genre and therefore, there’s only a limit to how much I can truly enjoy its merits. I did love it for what it was though, but I don’t know if I’d ever want to own it. I might stream it again at some point though.
7) Sorry To Bother You
STBY is a freaking roller-coaster and I really liked it, but it is extremely layered and also contains tons of biting commentary so as a theater-going experience, it was disorienting at times. Make no mistake though, this is a fantastic film and I will definitely own it at some point.
6) Solo: A Star Wars Story
I actually really liked Solo. It was really easy to absorb and it never really stopped being exciting and fun from beginning to end. I’m a sucker for anything SW and this was a good time.
5) Deadpool 2
So apart from a handful of pretty unnecessary jokes that definitely MISSED the mark, this was doubly gorgeous, doubly funny, and an even better movie going experience than Deadpool. The X-Force stuff really sells it all though and I fear it won’t hold up quite so well without some of the shock value.
4) Black Panther
Hands down the best superhero movie for a very long time, easily top 5 all time. Great to look at, well written, acting was on point, and the soundtrack slaps, but sitting in a theater full of young people of color and feeling just how powerful an effect that positive representation had on them really overshadowed the experience itself. I believe Black Panther was made for everyone to enjoy, but it wasn’t made for ME or for people like me. (To be clear, I’m perfectly fine with that), but the intense socio-political gratitude I have for Black Panther just trumped it as a piece of cinema that day, otherwise, it would probably be number 1.
3) A Quiet Place
The theater is probably the best place to see AQP. It’s an extremely well-crafted suspense horror film and it will be talked about for a long while I think, but nothing beats the silent dread of the room as everyone looked with sheer intensity and refused to eat their snacks or take a drink, lest they miss something important. I truly special experience.
2) Hereditary
What a year for horror films! This was one of the most confusing and intense theatre experiences I have ever had. There’s a very specific 2 or 3-minute span that gets’s drug out to the point of literally palpable tension, as the audience waits to figure if something did or didn’t happen and what that means going forward in the film. I will always remember the feeling I had after this was over. I was up all night.
1) Incredibles 2
I waited 14 years and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. I laughed until I cried during some of Jack-Jack’s funniest scenes, I sat eagerly at the edge of my seat during the entire final 30 minutes, and I loved every single moment of this experience (Including Bao, the confusing but very sweet and touching short film before the shebang).
I’ll probably see at least a dozen more movies this year in the theater but these were the best of the best so far, let me know what you think! 🙂
-JS
JesSee's Movies 