Movies Graded

2018 has been a good year for movies of all kinds. And as it comes to an end, I thought it would be convenient to summarize every single movie I reviewed and categorize them by final grade. There are obviously many more films I need to watch, so this list is not final and will keep getting updated. You can click on any of the titles below to read my review of the selected movie, which I hope will enlighten you and make your viewing experience easier. Thank you all for your ongoing support, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram where I will be publishing my list of favorite movies of the year!  10: Burning Favourite, The 9.5: Climax 9: Avengers: Infinity War Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Blindspotting Capernaum Green Book Hereditary Her Smell Old Man & the Gun. The Other Side of the Wind, The Roma Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Stockholm Under the Silver Lake 8.5: Border Birds of Passage High Life Hotel Mumbai...

Director: David Slade Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe Runtime: 90 minutes (on average) Verdict:  When I first heard of Black Mirror's plans of making an interactive feature about 3 months ago, I went completely nuts. Not only because I'm a huge fan of the show, but because the very idea of getting to decide which path you want to take is one I've only seen done in video games before. Having watched about two and half hours of footage out of the supposedly five shot, I can assure you that " Bandersnatch " is not only great, but also revolutionary. It's by far Black Mirror's biggest achievement and one I'm sure will affect the filmmaking game in the future, especially with the rise of streaming services we've been witnessing in the past few years. Now granted, the story is not as captivating as the concept behind it (keep in mind that I still haven't gone through all the possible paths), but it highlights that con...

Director: Rob Marshall Stars: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw Runtime: 130 minutes Synopsis:  Mary Poppins comes back to take care of Michael Banks' three children. Performances: 7/10 Why? Faced with perhaps her biggest challenge yet in her young but promising career, Emily Blunt is probably the best part of the sequel everyone was eagerly waiting for. Despite lacking Julie Andrews' presence, her performance as the magical nanny who's practically perfect in every way cemented her as being one of this generation's most versatile actresses, having appeared previously in action flicks ("Edge of Tomorrow") and horror films ("A Quiet Place"). The same cannot be said, sadly, about the rest of the cast, which includes a Ben Whishaw betrayed by weak character development, a Lin-Manuel Miranda who basically imitated Dick Van Dyke's acting in the original "Mary Poppins", and finally a Colin Firth whose mustache-twir...

Director: Tamara Jenkins Stars: Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter Runtime: 123 minutes Synopsis:  A couple go through every form of fertility therapy to get pregnant. Performances: 8/10 Why? Led by two of this generation's most talented and underrated talents, "Private Life" confirms the two actors' status as they shine in yet another film that deals with very real themes such as parenthood and married life. They manage through their acting to make their characters extremely relatable and authentic, a must for the movie to work. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the supporting cast who, in my opinion, didn't deliver their lines as convincingly as the main two characters. Screenplay: 7/10 Why? Despite suffering from a few irregularities in its dialogue and way of handling exposition, I found the script to be generally interesting. The themes tackled are well developed and the movie as a whole feels genuine and sincere. If ...

Director: Susanne Bier Stars: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich Runtime: 124 minutes Synopsis:  A mysterious presence drives anyone who sees it to commit suicide. Performances: 6/10 Why? Despite having a cast made up of many A-listers, the acting in "Bird Box" was mediocre at best. Sandra Bullock, definitely not helped by the film's script, gave one of her weakest performances in a while as Malorie, a woman trying to survive what seems to be the end of the world. John Malkovich and Lil Rel Howery were typecast as characters we've seen them portray in the past in much superior films. As for Jackie Weaver and Sarah Paulson, their talent was completely wasted as they play secondary characters with very limited screentime. Trevante Rhodes gave the most interesting performance of the lot, even though it wasn't one I'm going to be remembering in a week's time. Screenplay: 3/10 Why? Where do I even begin? Based on a novel writ...

Director: Travis Knight Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Cena Runtime: 113 minutes Synopsis:  The story of an unlikely friendship between Charlie, an 18-year teenager, and Bumblebee, an Autobot on a mission.  Performances: 7/10 Why? Ever since her big screen debut in the Coen brother's remake of "True Grit", Hailee Steinfeld has had an interesting career, starring in films such as "The Edge of Seventeen" or the "Pitch Perfect" franchise. However, "Bumblebee" marks a new turn in her young career as she proved that she is completely able to carry a blockbuster by herself. She's badass, funny, witty and incredibly likable in the lead role of Charlie making her, in my opinion, the best human character to ever appear in a Transformers movie. The rest of the cast, which includes an always lovable John Cena, did a fine job despite most of them being there either for comedic relief or to further develop Hailee ...

Director: Lars Von Trier Stars: Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman Runtime: 152 minutes Synopsis:  Jack recounts 5 randomly selected incident that cemented his reputation as a psychopathic serial killer. Performances: 9/10 Why? A chilling performance to say the least. Matt Dillon's portrayal of the titular character showed a side of the actor I never knew existed.  Dillon understood Jack. Dillon became Jack.   I was convinced from the very first scene that I was actually watching a character who had killed people in the past with no regrets whatsoever. A character you can't help but despise and admire at the same time. I would've given this category a perfect grade had some supporting characters played their parts a bit more effectively (I'm looking at you, Jeremy Davies), but thankfully, they didn't have that big of an impact on the film to affect it that much. Screenplay: 8/10 Why? Philosophical, violent, and most of all, disturbing, ...

Director: Alfonso Cuaron Stars: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey Runtime: 135 minutes Synopsis:  Follows a maid's life in Mexico during the early 1970s.  Performances: 9/10 Why? Only a handful of actors were able to grab an Oscar nomination for their debut on the big screen, with Barkhad Abdi being the last one to achieve this back in 2014. I have a feeling that Yalitza Aparicio's name will be added to that list. Helped by a wonderful supporting cast, she was able to fully transform into the main character of Cleo, whose complexity and emotional baggage require the acting skills of someone who's been doing this for years.      Screenplay: 9/10 Why? Filled with metaphors and emotionally heavy scenes, one can immediately tell that the story told is a very personal one. Alfonso Cuaron even admitted that about 90% of the film's narrative was based on his childhood in Mexico. And even though it might not be accessib...

Director: Robert Stevenson Stars: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson Runtime: 139 minutes Synopsis:  Mr. Banks hires Mary Poppins, a perfect in every way nanny, to take care of his children. Performances: 8/10 Why? Yes, most performances do feel a bit dated, but the one that matters most aged like fine wine. Julie Andrews, in the role of everyone's favorite nanny, is an absolute joy to watch. She brings the charm, charisma, and magic that made Mary Poppins the iconic character she is today, earning her a well-deserved Oscar win along the way.   Screenplay: 8/10 Why? A near-perfect family movie, "Mary Poppins" has it all. From lovable characters to rich themes that are still relevant today, it's the kind of movie every family should experience at least once together. It will still leave a big smile on anyone's face, despite having a pretty straightforward story.   Special Effects: 7/10 Why? Even though the film won the Oscar...

Director: Wash Westmoreland Stars: Keira Knightley, Fiona Shaw, Dominic West Runtime: 111 minutes Synopsis:  The true story of Colette, a French author forced to publish her novels under her husband's name. Performances: 7/10 Why? Not helped by mediocrely written dialogue,   Keira Knightley still managed to make her character one I was rooting for the entire time. Her ability to stand up to her onscreen bully of a husband Willy, portrayed by an equally excellent Dominic West, while still looking vulnerable and powerless was remarkably achieved. Had the screenplay provided her with better dialogue, I'm certain she would've guaranteed herself an Oscar nomination.   Screenplay: 5/10 Why? Ironically the film's biggest problem in my opinion. While I found the story of Colette a fascinating one that deserves to be given the big screen treatment, I have to say that I was still a bit disappointed with the way it was handled. For starters, the...

Director: James Wan Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe Runtime: 143 minutes Synopsis:  When Arthur Curry discovers his true identity, he sets on a journey to find a powerful trident that will help him stop a war that could cause billions of casualties. Performances: 5/10 Why?  Not helped by sloppily written dialogue and awkward comedy, most of the actor seemed lost in their performances and as a result couldn't nail their deliveries. I also didn't buy any scene that was supposed to be emotional, and while the script is definitely at fault, the actors didn't do much to compensate for it. But hey, at least Jason Momoa seemed to be having the time of his life. Screenplay: 3/10 Why? In a year filled with superhero movies, "Aquaman" had the weakest screenplay of all in my opinion. There wasn't a single aspect of it that felt even a little original. The film "borrows" a lot of plot elements from other much superior blockbu...

Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman Stars: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld Runtime: 117 minutes Synopsis:  Miles Morales teams up with Spider-People from other dimensions to stop a threat that could destroy the entire city of New York. Animation: 10/10 Why?  Ever wondered what it would feel like to watch a comic book instead of reading it? Probably not, but you're going to experience it either way. And let me tell you, it's as glorious as it sounds, if not more. Everything, from the gorgeous character design to the riveting action set pieces, was flawlessly executed in a way I thought could only be done on paper. "Into the Spider-Verse" is a movie every comic book fan will instantly fall in love with, and proves that taking risks in the superhero genre can be extremely rewarding when done right. Performances: 8/10 Why?  Not one single bad performance on the horizon. Even though I never felt that the actors who ...

Director: David Robert Mitchell Stars: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace Runtime: 139 minutes Synopsis:  A young man's life takes a weird turn when his neighbor mysteriously disappears. Performances: 9/10 Why? Andrew Garfield has had an already rich career, starring in films like "The Social Network" or "Hacksaw Ridge". His performance in "Under the Silver Lake", however, is the one that defined him as one of Hollywood's greatest growing talents for me. He showed an entirely new face by pulling a performance that not a lot of people could've gotten right, and was definitely one of the many highlights of the film. The rest of the cast includes names such as Riley Keough (another emerging talent) and Topher Grace who both did an excellent job despite not getting a lot of screentime.   Screenplay: 9/10 Why? By far one of this year's weirdest movies. And the more I think about it, the more I love it. "Under...

Director: Andy Serkis Stars: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch Runtime:  104 minutes Synopsis:  Mowgli, a human child raised by wolves, must prove that he belongs in the jungle by defeating the evil tiger known as Shere Khan. Performances: 5/10 Why? Such a waste of a talented cast. Rohan Chand, while looking the part of Mowgli, did not sell the character as well as Neel Sethi who played the adopted child in Disney's live-action adaptation of the same material. The rest of the main cast, which includes names like Christian Bale (Bagheera), Cate Blanchett (Kaa), Benedict Cumberbatch (Shere Khan), Andy Serkis (Baloo), or Naomi Harris (Nisha) did a fine job animating the animals through motion capture technology, but did not succeed at delivering the voice performances that made the ones present in previous adaptation as likable and iconic as they are. Screenplay: 4/10 Why? By now, everybody must be familiar with the story of Mowgli and hi...

Director: Peter Hedges Stars: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges. Courtney B. Vance Runtime:  103 minutes Synopsis:  Ben, a young recovering drug addict, surprises his family on Christmas Eve by showing up unannounced at their door.  Performances: 8/10 Why? The movie revolved mainly around two characters, played by Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. And while the latter delivered a strong performance only tainted by a few scenes where I felt that his delivery was a bit off, it's Roberts' acting that stole the show for me. Her ability to truly showcase a range of emotions that wide in 100 minutes or so is impressive, to say the least. She delivered her best performance since her Oscar-nominated role in "August: Osage County", and fans of hers will most likely walk out satisfied with what they've seen.   Screenplay: 5/10 Why? It's one of those movies where you can't help but rewrite every scene in your head in a better way. You can see the story...

Director: Clay Kaytis Stars: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis Runtime: 104 minutes Synopsis:  A sister and her older brother go on a journey with Santa determined to save a Christmas they thought they ruined. Performances: 4/10 Why? Kurt Russell's disappointing but okay take on Santa aside, the two other protagonists' performances were unfortunately incredibly magicless. I didn't feel the excitement and joy they were supposed to bring to their characters despite them bearing the heavy task of making their journey one that kids would dream of. Screenplay: 2/10 Why? Santa's elves did the floss, and the big man himself sang an Elvis song in jail. While on paper these scenes sound awesome, they were just two of the many ones that left me wondering why the movie was greenlit in the first place. It's not funny, I didn't care one bit about the characters or their journey, a lot of scenes feel forced and I never sensed that the film knew what ...

Director: Shane Black Stars: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay Runtime:   107   minutes Synopsis:  All hell breaks loose when a kid accidentally summons an alien killing machine. Performances: 4/10 Why? Olivia Munn is the only actress who gave a half decent performance. The rest of the cast, which includes names like Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Kee, or Jacob Tremblay, was definitely hurt by the tone of the film and the script given to them. Their performances fluctuated between over-the-top and serious, much like their deliveries and mannerisms. It definitely feels like they didn't really know what kind of movie they were in, and ended up doing whatever they felt best fits the scene they were in.   Screenplay: 3/10 Why? Although I've never been a fan of the Predator franchise, I do respect the simple hide and seek premise of its first entry back in 1987 and completely understand why it's considered to be o...

Director: Sean Anders Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner Runtime: 118 minutes Synopsis:  A married couple decides to adopt 3 children. Performances: 5/10 Why? Comedic performances are not easy to nail, and both Byrne and Wahlberg have proven in the past that they definitely have the skills to elevate any comedy they're in. Unfortunately, this was not the case in the latest Sean Anders production in which they don't bring anything new to the table and offer very forgettable performances. I did, however, enjoy the chemistry t he couple  had which helped make their characters a bit more relatable despite not benefiting from proper development. Isabela Moner gave a surprisingly solid performance as Lizzy, the eldest of the three adopted children, while the actors playing her siblings weren't convincing at all.  Screenplay: 4/10 Why? "Instant Family" feels like it should've come out 10 years ago. The narrative was presented in a ...

Director: Terrence Young Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna Runtime: 108 minutes Synopsis:  A group of con men try to trick a blind woman into giving them a heroin-stuffed doll they believe to be in her possession.  Performances: 9/10 Why? It's performances like these that make Audrey Hepburn one of the greatest actresses of all time. She was an absolute joy to watch, and made us truly care about a character that went through all sorts of emotions, earning a well deserved Oscar nomination along the way. Alan Arkin is also great as Roat, the man in charge of the operation and whose performance was praised as being one of the "greatest evocation of screen villainy ever" by the master of horror himself, Stephen King.   Screenplay: 8/10 Why? The story is simple, but its execution masterful. Based on a play by Frederick Knott, "Wait Until Dark" successfully manages to blend riveting dialogue with memorable character interactions....