The 25 Best Films Of 2018 You Didn't See - Page 5 of 5

The Sisters Brothers
Based on its $3M domestic gross off its $38M budget, there’s a good chance most people didn’t see “The Sisters Brothers” when it was released a few months back. What those people missed was a strangely poetic Western journey about empathy, brutality, and humanity that continued to show the genre’s longevity and even social and political relevancy. The titular Sisters Brothers (Joaquin Phoenix & John C. Reilly) begin the film as assassins when unforeseen circumstances arise. What follows is a deliberately paced lyrical excursion, designed to peel back the layers of each character. Both Phoenix and Reilly give performances that rank in the upper tier of their work. Additional strong supporting work from Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed make this film’s ensemble one of the strongest of the year. Each character’s path involves the relatable journey of chasing their own legacies or running from their past, culminating in an ending that asks if any of these questions even matter. -Karl Schleider [our review]

Golden Exits
Pitched in a minor key, “Golden Exits” spends the entirety of its runtime elegantly avoiding the closure that its title suggests, playing each unresolved moment off the last for a drama that’s as thick with atmosphere as it is thin in plot. It’s the type of deliriously mood-driven work that you’d as soon describe in music metaphors as you would in terms of character or story, but what little narrative there is stems from the unassuming presence of 25-year-old Naomi (Emily Browning), whose summer internship in New York makes her a catalyst for the anxious navel-gazing of the Brooklynites she meets and works with. As the bourgeois locals project their insecurities and desires onto this young, passive, and ostensibly baggage-free outsider, the film floods with the analytical chatter of characters who can’t stop talking themselves further into their various states of denial, fear, and regret. But while writer-director Alex Ross Perry has a shrewd and ironic way with words, the real meaning of “Golden Exits” lies in the rich textures of the frame and the palpable presence of the cast, who reward every intimate close-up with a mix of vivid emotion and haunting ambiguity. – David Pountain [our review]

Wildlife
You try to never throw an indie studio under the bus for the mishandling of a movie with a big cast, terrific reviews, film festival plaudits and made by a celebrated actor to boot, but it’s been difficult watching the release of IFC Films‘ “Wildlife,” and the muted response. An immaculately crafted and masterfully performed movie about family, dissatisfaction, failure, and heartbreaking disappointment all seen through the eyes of a teenage boy slowly coming of age and losing his innocence as he discovers the many, many jagged flaws of his parents and their broken marriage, “Wildlife” is a movie with an emotional intelligence that is off the charts. Exquisitely directed by actor Paul Dano, his directorial debut no less (co-written by his astute, empathetic partner Zoe Kazan), featuring gut-wrenching performances by Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal and astonishing newcomer Ed Oxenbould, “Wildlife,” is a quiet, restrained film, so graceful and subtle in its examination of the interiority of its character, but it packs such an emotional wallop, like the decades-long passive aggressive, suffocating marriage that has to finally shatter so it and its family members can live. Perhaps its discreetness is why it hasn’t caught on and why this impeccable film isn’t likely up for every major Academy Award across the board, yes, including Best Picture. That’s ok, the Oscars loss will be your gain, so do yourself a favor and do not sleep on this gorgeously composed and essential portrait of family, crisis, and longing. –RP [our review]

“Lean On Pete”
Something about Andrew Haigh’s work to date seems to make him destined for lists like these. Breakthrough “Weekend” only gathered steam due to word of mouth, “45 Years” was a critical smash but didn’t quite break through commercially, and TV series “Looking” got a fraction of HBO’s usual viewership, sadly. But “Lean On Pete” might be the most overlooked of all his films to date. And we can sort of understand why: it was clear from the marketing that this boy-and-his-horse coming-of-age drama (adapted from Willy Vlautin’s novel) was going to be a stone-cold bummer, and that the titular racehorse befriended by Charley (Charlie Plummer, who’s wonderful here) was destined for the proverbial knacker’s yard. But honestly, really do give this a try: it might be a bleak, harsh world that Haigh paints, but his clear-eyed lack of sentimentality, the humanism of his filmmaking, and the sensitivity of the performances (Chloe Sevigny and Steve Zahn stand out alongside Plummer) make it a deeply rewarding watch when you’re in the right mood. – Oliver Lyttelton [our review]

“Skate Kitchen”
As director Crystal Moselle’s narrative debut after her much-praised documentary “The Wolfpack,” “Skate Kitchen” has the loose, authentic feel of a non-fiction film without the aimlessness that often comes in tow. The sun-dappled drama follows 18-year-old skater Camille (Rachelle Vinberg) as she strains against the bounds of her protective mother (Elizabeth Rodriguez) and tries to find her place with the all-girl skate collective of the title. Vinberg and the other real-life members of Skate Kitchen star as versions of themselves, infusing their interactions with a casual, lived-in air and giving their skateboard tricks legitimacy. Frank conversations about bodies and boys (and girls) help the film capture what it feels like to be a teen as you’re discovering who you are and where you fit in the world. Skating is a male-dominated space, but these young women are carving a spot for themselves, unafraid of skinned knees or testosterone-driven resistance on the half-pipe. With cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, Moselle perfectly evokes a carefree summer in New York, the way time somehow both slows down and speeds up in the longest, hottest days of the year. She and “Love” co-creator Leslie Arfin are making an HBO comedy based on the film, but don’t miss out on the vitality of its inspiration here. – Kimber Myers [our review]\

Honorable Mention?
Well, not really, we’ve mentioned enough films, no? That said, again, we did an entire list of 20 of the Best Documentaries of 2018, and we’re going to hazard a solid bet that the mass populace hasn’t seen these films; and they most certainly should. To contradict myself slightly, leftover picks that didn’t make either our Best Films Of 2018 or Best Films You Didn’t See In 2018 list include, to name only a few, Steven Soderbergh‘s “Unsane,” Sebastian Lelio‘s “Disobedience,” “The Hate U Give,” “Foxtrot,” “Outside In,” “Vox Lux,” Bad Times At The El Royale,” “Mid 90s,” “En El Septimo Dia” and “American Animals,” to name a few. We also did a subjective Underrated and Overrated Films of 2018 list where writers chose and wrote about their personal picks for something they believe was overlooked or overhyped and you can read about some of these films (like “Unsane”) on the unsung part of that list. Happy holidays and sincere thanks for reading and sharing in 2018 and continuing to do the same in 2019. Your support keeps us going.

Click here for our complete coverage of the best and worst of 2018.