16 Movies I Wish I Had Seen in 2018

I see a lot of movies each year, but I’m often impressed with just how many come out, and all the good ones I manage to miss. Now with streaming services pumping their properties out and the continued slew of good Indie pictures it’s even harder to keep up. There are so many films I wish I’d seen lastyear, and I’m not even going to discuss the really popular movies I missed. I know my list has a lot of horror movies on it, but sue me—I have a type.

My hope here is that someone reading this gets as excited about a few of these films as I did, and that I see all of these before 2019 is over.

 

1. Mandy

Sometimes I need a crazy action movie revenge flick that looks pseudo-artistic, but at the same time feels like it could have come out in the late ‘90s. Other times I just need some classic Nicolas Cage, and we are in luck, because I hear he acts his heart out for this project. It looks like there is a crazy cast of characters, plus an axe, a cult, with a constant red tint on the lens for mood. I’m expecting something “out there” and doubt I’ll be let down. Mandy is directed by Panos Cosmatos, which is just a fantastic name, but I’m giving this one extra points since his father directed Rambo: First Blood Part II and Tombstone, so it’s time to see how far the apple falls from the tree.

 

2. Sorry to Bother You

This is something odd from a brand new director and I think there is more here than just what the trailer offers. The impression we do get is wildly interesting with an engaging presentation of something that looks like it’s going to be a fun comedy, but what if there is more? The visuals are charming, the elements seem wildly interesting, and what is up with those voices? I’m up for most things with David Cross and Tessa Thompson in them, and thankfully Sorry to Bother You is already waiting in my Hulu queue. This film may be the best way to start off 2019.

 

3. Summer of 84

This is another film that was recommended to me after I had already heard about it on a podcast, so it’s moving higher up on my list. The premise is nothing new for anyone who has seen Disturbia or Rear Window, but the presentation seems legit and I am wondering if there is a greater twist or new take on the formula. Taking place in the 80s, this looks to be a fun time capsule with a good soundtrack. I’m also highly interested in Summer of 84 because the directors are the same team behind Turbo Kid, which was also wonderful.

 

4. Assassination Nation

Honestly, I’m not completely sold by the trailer alone. It comes across as a piece missing from the Purge universe, but this scenario is set into motion by a massive malicious hack. Assassination Nation shows an interesting style, but I’m not sure how much substance is behind the presentation. There could be a message here about social media or society in general that the trailer doesn’t want to reveal too much about. I’m hopeful though, and upon hearing that there is a wild Joel McHale sighting in here, I am more inclined to give it a chance.

 

5. Widows

A cool crime drama about three badass women who are going to pull off a heist; now that’s the version of Ocean’s 8 I wanted. Their husbands have all died, but the spouses inherited the debt, so now it’s time to act or die. Widows seems like it will be pretty straightforward, but I love the premise and miss movies like this. The trailer makes me want to watch Heat again. The cast looks good too, with Viola Davis, Liam Neeson—though I imagine his time is brief—and I almost didn’t recognize Colin Farrell.

 

6. Searching

An entire movie taking place on someone’s computer screen doesn’t seem like a new idea anymore, but there is something still drawing me to this one. A father searches for clues to where his missing daughter might be, but the deeper importance might be the discovery of how little he truly knew his own child. I’m honestly not sure how Searching will work out, as others like it have really botched the landing. John Cho pulled me into this though, even if my wife was pissed off by all of the fake looking browser windows.

 

7. Crazy Rich Asians

I feel like someone is judging me on this one. Crazy Rich Asians is a weird love story that explores the world of rich Asian families that I think could be genuinely enlightening and funny. Ken Jeong usually makes me laugh with a little bit of good writing and I hear Constance Wu is good. This could be a bust, as director John M. Chu has been responsible for some duds (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Jem and the Holograms ((producer)), but my wife is pushing for it because the main guy is shirtless a lot I think.

 

8. The Possession of Hannah Grace

Just because she died during the exorcism doesn’t mean the fun is over. If that makeshift tagline doesn’t hook someone enough to give this a shot, we might not be friends. The Possession of Hannah Grace is a claustrophobic looking thriller, one that could take some basic ideas to the next level. That’s the hope at least, assuming it doesn’t fall into certain trappings. Every now and then I need something that feels like an offshoot of The Exorcis, and this should scratch that itch.

 

9. Jonathan

What if the same guy was in love with one girl? No, I mean, the same body, but two personalities? Okay, this one might be hard to explain, but Jonathan has a condition: single body multi-consciousness, more commonly referred to as dual consciousness. The idea has been floating around the neuroscience community for quite some time, but not without controversy. This looks like a psychological thriller with a unique setup. I especially appreciate when someone has to hire a private eye to follow themselves. The main actor, Ansel Elgort, has a cool acting opportunity in Jonathan, and maybe this will finally convince me to see Baby Driver.

 

10. Malevolent

A simple way to setup a horror movie I’ll take a chance on is to say it’s about ghost hunters, especially fake ones that run into some real shit. It’s a premise I still haven’t grown tired of. I like the sibling dynamic presented and it feels like Malevolent will focus on some juxtaposed relationships, like with the old woman. I’m not sure about some of the camera work and I’m hoping this isn’t as jump scare heavy as it appears, but this one won’t cost much for admission, as it is on Netflix. And remember that you are amazing (watch the trailer).

 

11. Pimp

The story is about a female pimp who learned the game from her father and has a lot of social pressures as a woman and lesbian. It reminds me of something like Hustle and Flow with a better love story. It looks like things get deadly serious with a quickness though and that money isn’t made without some bloodshed. One of the stars, Lyrica Orkano, doesn’t just have a cool name, but she’s also my favorite character from Runaways on Hulu, so I’d love to see what she can do in this one and DMX also makes an appearance. Pimp is currently available to stream on Showtime.

 

12. Cam

Another fun and interesting premise that caught my eye, but having a friend strongly recommend it a short time later solidified its spot on this list. What if a popular cam girl got online one day to see a doppelganger doing her show? Let the obvious horror twist commence. The trailer is engaging and uses its music as well as quick cuts for something that should be eerie, psychological, and wonderful. Cam is from another first-time director and is available to stream on Netflix right now, so I’ll be making a night of this soon. Blumhouse didn’t steer me wrong with its last couple of films, so let’s keep that trend going.

 

13. Kin

The keyword for this trailer is ‘escalation’ as it seemingly starts off with a kid having hard times, dealing with a sibling that can’t stay out of shit, but then alien weaponry, chaos, and so on. I love some good sci-fi, especially when the take feels fresher. I’m not expecting Kin to blow me out of the water, but it looks good, I’m interested to see what James Franco, Dennis Quaid, and Zoe Kravits can do, and I doubt it will be boring in any way. For those who enjoy Stranger Things or saw Arrival, this comes from the same producers.

 

14. Bad Times at the El Royale

Almost felt like this one was too big to put on the list, but seems like a lot of people missed it. Seven strangers, seven secrets, one hotel that rests in two states—trust no one. The trailer has an artistic tone I love, reminding me a lot of Smoking Aces if it had a baby with Identity. Bad Times at the El Royale has a star-studded cast and was directed by Drew Goddard. He caught my attention with Cabin in the Woods and I’m hoping he still gets to try his hand at X-Force. I have a good feeling about this one and shared the trailer immediately after I saw it.

 

15. Astral

A dead mother is nothing new in most movie genres, but in the horror genre, it is a guaranteed plot point. However, I had never thought of someone using astral projection to talk to their deceased loved ones, so points for creativity, and there do appear to be a few more traditional horror elements in Astral. I’m interested to see what they do with those and where the story goes, so this is happening soon. The movie also reminded me of the early trailers for The Butterfly Effect, which I honestly enjoy, and hope it is just as depressing.

 

16. White Boy Rick

Sometimes life calls for a good crime drama, and I’m a sucker for a solid undercover story. Rick Wershe’s story stands out, as he was an FBI informant at age fourteen. White Boy Rick is based off of a true story set in the 1980s, where the War on Drugs is raging and there is money to be made with the crack epidemic. This is one of the better trailers I’ve seen in a while. It kept my attention all the way through with its intrigue and time appropriate aesthetics. I am also expecting some entertaining performances out of Bruce Dern and Matthew McConaughey if nothing else.