By Danilo Castro
2018 has been a watershed year for Netflix when it comes to original content. What was once considered a hub for pre-existing films and TV has become one of the most exciting distributors in the medium, whether it be through cutting documentaries or delightful romantic comedies. Given the quality and range of entertainment that Netflix released this year in what is sure to go down as a banner year for them, we’ve decided to put together a list of the best feature-length films that you can currently check out from the comfort of your living room. Here are the ten best Netflix original films of 2018. 10. Apostle
“Apostle” was a welcome addition to the Netflix roster come Halloween. The film, directed by Gareth Evans, follows a man named Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) as he travels to a remote island to rescue his sister from a religious cult. What the skeptical Richardson finds, of course, is anything but a simple ransom case.
Anyone familiar with “The Wicker Man” (either version) will note the similarities in terms of plot, but Evans does well to distance his film with an emphasis on atmosphere and the sort of foreboding dread that stays with the viewer long after the jump scares have worn off. Nothing revelatory, but effective storytelling nonetheless. 9. Cam
While “Cam” may be another horror outing a la “Apostle”, the two films couldn’t be less alike. Where “Apostle” focused on buildup and dread, the engrossing “Cam” causes fear through psychological strain and isolation. The film takes us into the world of internet pornography, where Alice (Madeline Brewer) works as a “camgirl” with strict policies as to what she will and will not do.
Things get complicated, however, when a mysterious woman who looks just like Alice begins to take over her channel. Brewer gives a knockout performance, capturing the fear of a woman who gets sucked into the anonymity of the internet against her will. The writer/director duo of Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber also come through in a big way, leaving us with a glitchy fable for the millennial generation. 8. The Land Of Steady Habits
While Ben Mendelsohn has become the default hire for blockbuster villains (“Ready Player One”, “Robin Hood”, the upcoming “Captain Marvel”), Netflix’s “The Land of Steady Habits” is a reminder that he is at his best when playing the troubled everyman. Here he portrays a hapless businessman who decides to quit his job and leave his wife in the hopes that it will renew his zest for life.
In the process, he befriends a teenage drug addict and is faced with having to choose between the freedoms of his new life and the responsibilities of his old one. Mendelsohn underpins the tragedy of the character with flickers of charm that make him impossible to hate, while the supporting work done by Edie Falco and Thomas Mann effectively round things out. A mid-life crisis drama that is done right. 7. 6 Balloons
Though simple in its premise, “6 Balloons” is a surprisingly delicate tale of siblings bound by circumstance. The film takes place over a single night and focuses on the relationship between Katie (Abbi Jacobson) and her drug addict brother Seth (Dave Franco), who needs to be driven to a detox center. What follows is a string of brutally honest and at times darkly comedic take on the standard “road trip” flick.
Marja Lewis-Ryan’s direction is taut and lively, as is her tightly-wound script, but it is the lead performances by Jacobson and Franco that really enables “6 Balloons” to take off. Their chemistry together bears the annoyances and resentments that come with being real siblings, while their comedy chops break up the dreariness of the plot with streaks of genuine affection. 6. The Other Side Of The Wind
“The Other Side of the Wind” has the distinction of being the last film Orson Welles completed before his death. It collected dust for over forty years before Netflix bought the rights and completed it per Welles’ leftover notes. The result is a meta-experimental odyssey that can’t help but be intertwined with the bizarre nature of its own production.
“The Other Side of the Wind” tells the story of an aging director (John Huston) who struggles to get financing for his latest film and, in a darkly prophetic twist, dies before he gets a chance to finish it. The film repeatedly blurs the line between fantasy and reality, from the casting of Welles associates Peter Bogdanovich and Oja Kadar as sinister versions of themselves, to the deconstruction of the “great man” mythos that Welles himself pioneered with “Citizen Kane.” Trust me, one viewing won’t be enough to take it in. 5. Set It Up
|
BEST PICTURE Nomadland (32) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, DFWFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LEJA, LFCC, LVFCS, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, OFCS, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, TIFF, VENICE, VFCC, WAFCA Promising Young Woman (9) - AACTA, COFCA, HCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, SCA, SDFCS Minari (4) - NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, UFCA Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Da 5 Bloods (2) - CIC, NBR First Cow (2) - FFCC, NYFCC The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2) - DFCS, HFCS Another Round - EFA Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS Rocks - BIFA Small Axe - LAFCA The United States vs. Billie Holiday - AARP BEST DIRECTOR Chloé Zhao (42) - AACTA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BFCC, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, MSFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Spike Lee (3) - CIC, HFCS, NBR Regina King (2) - BFCC, UFCA Emerald Fennell - NFCS Darius Marder - SCA Steve McQueen - LFCC Andrew Patterson - GOTHAM Kelly Reichardt - ICS Aaron Sorkin - AARP Thomas Vinterberg - EFA Remi Weekes - BIFA BEST ACTRESS Frances McDormand (23) - AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, LFCC, LVFCS, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Carey Mulligan (20) - AACTA, AFCC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, HCA, HFCS, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, NBR, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, PFCS, SCA, SDFCS, StLFCA Viola Davis (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Sidney Flanigan (2) - BSFC, NYFCC Maria Bakalova - IPA Paula Beer - EFA Nicole Beharie - GOTHAM Andra Day - GG Sophia Loren - AARP Rosamund Pike - GG Wunmi Mosaku - BIFA Isabel Sandoval - ICS BEST ACTOR Riz Ahmed (19) - AFCC, COFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LVFCS, NBR, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Chadwick Boseman (19) - AACTA, AWFJ, BFCC, CFCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, IFCA, LAFCA, LEJA, LFCC, MSFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Delroy Lindo (9) - BOFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, NCFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, PFCC Anthony Hopkins (5) - AARP, BIFA, BSFC, FFCC, NFCS Sacha Baron Cohen (2) - GG, IPA Mads Mikkelsen - EFA Aditya Modak - ICS Steven Yeun - NTFCA BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Youn Yuh-jung (26) - AWFJ, BFCC, BSFC, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IFCA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, PFCS, SCA, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Maria Bakalaova (15) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS, IFJA, LFCC, MCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, TFCA, UFCA Amanda Seyfried (4) - DFWFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCC Ellen Burstyn (2) - DFCS, NYFCO Jodie Foster (2) - AARP, GG Kosar Ali - BIFA Sônia Braga - ICS Glenn Close - NFCS Olivia Colman - AACTA Olivia Cooke - HFCS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Paul Raci (17) - AFCC, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, NBR, NSFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, StLFCA Daniel Kaluuya (10) - DFWFCA, GG, LEJA, LVFCS, NFCS, OAFFC, PFCS, SFCS, TFCA, VFCC Leslie Odom Jr. (9) - AWFJ, BFCC, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, NYFCO, OFCS, UFCA, WAFCA Sacha Baron Cohen (7) - AACTA, DFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NTFCA, SEFCA Chadwick Boseman (4) - CIC, IPA, NYFCC, PFCC Francisco Barreiro - ICS Demián Bichir - AARP D’angelou Osei Kissiedu - BIFA Shaun Parkes - LFCC Glynn Turman - LAFCA BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nomadland (14) - AWFJ, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, WAFCA The Father (5) - BIFA, IPA, NFCS, SCA, SDFCS I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (5) - BOFCA, BSFC, FFCC, StLFCA, UFCA First Cow (4) - DFCS, ICS, PFCC, SFBAFCC One Night In Miami (4) - HCA, LEJA, LVFCS, PFCS Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2) - BFCC, CIC News Of The World - NBR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Promising Young Woman (19) - AFCC, AWFJ, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (10) - AACTA, AARP, CIC, DFCS, GG, HFCS, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA, VFCC Minari (9) - BFCC, FFCC, LEJA, NBR, NCFCA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, TFCA Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always (6) - CFCA, GWNYFCA, IFJA, NSFC, NYFCC, OAFFC Another Round - EFA Bacurau - ICS The Forty-Year-Old-Version - GOTHAM Fourteen - GOTHAM Judas And The Black Messiah - LVFCS BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nomadland (29) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Mank (4) - FFCC, IPA, OFCC, SCA Tenet (4) - BFCC, HFCS, NFCS, NTFCA Small Axe (2) - LAFCA, NYFCC Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS First Cow - SFBAFCC Hidden Away - EFA Saint Maud - BIFA The Vast Of Night - KCFCC BEST COSTUME DESIGN Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (5) - CIC, HFCS, LVFCS, PFCS, SFCS Emma. (3) - CFCA, LEJA, SDFCS The Personal History Of David Copperfield (2) - HCA, IPA Hidden Away - EFA Misbehaviour - BIFA BEST FILM EDITING Nomadland (9) - AWFJ, BOFCA, GWNYFCA, LEJA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (8) - CIC, COFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA The Father (2) - BIFA, LAFCA I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2) - BSFC, CFCA The Invisible Man (2) - MCFCA, SDFCS Once More Unto The Breach - EFA Sound Of Metal - LVFCS Tenet - WAFCA The Wasteland - ICS BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3) - CIC, HCA, LEJA The Endless Trench - EFA Mank - HFCS Misbehaviour - BIFA BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Soul (25) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HMMA, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, NCFCA, OFCC, OFCS, PFCS, SCL, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Tenet (4) - HMMA, IFJA, MCFCA, SCA Mank (3) - DFWFCA, HFCS, NDFS David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2) - HMMA, IFMCA Minari (2) - BSFC, HMMA Berlin Alexanderplatz - EFA Blizzard Of Souls - SCL The Call Of The Wild - IFMCA Fukushima 50 - IFMCA The Invisible Man - HMMA The Midnight Sky - IPA News Of The World - HMMA Nomadland - IFCA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - IFMCA Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time - ICS Wolfwalkers - IFMCA Wonder Woman 1984 - IFMCA BEST ORIGINAL SONG One Night In Miami (8) - CIC, DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, PFCS The Life Ahead (3) - GG, HMMA, IPA Eurovision (2) - HCA, SCL Giving Voice - HMMA Judas And The Black Messiah - LVFCS The Outpost - HMMA Over The Moon - NDFS Trolls: World Tour - HMMA BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Mank (16) - CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HCA, HFCS, IPA, LAFCA, LVFCS, MCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA First Cow - SFBAFCC His House - BIFA Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - LEJA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - EFA A Portuguesa - ICS BEST SOUND Sound Of Metal (4) - HFCS, ICS, IPA, LEJA Little Girl - EFA The Reason I Jump - BIFA BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Tenet (10) - DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, NCFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA The Invisible Man (5) - CFCA, CIC, HCA, LEJA, LVFCS The Platform - EFA Possessor - FFCC BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Soul (29) - AFCC, AWFJ, BFCC, CCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, LEJA, LVFCS, MSFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA Wolfwalkers (14) - BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NYFCC, OAFFC, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Josep (2) - EFA, ICS The Wolf House - BSFC BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Another Round (16) - AFCC, AWFJ, CFCA, EFA, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Minari (10) - COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCS, SFCS, VFCC La Llorona (5) - BSFC, HCA, IPA, LEJA, NBR Bacurau (3) - BOFCA, NYFCC, TFCA Collective (2) - AARP, NSFC The Life Ahead (2) - HFCS, SDFCS And Then We Danced - NDFS A Sun - HFCS Beanpole - LAFCA His House - CIC Identifying Features - GOTHAM Jumbo - PFCC Los Fuertes - FFCC Martin Eden - OFCC Night Of The Kings - BFCC BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Time (11) - AFCC, BFCC, DFWFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, LAFCA, NBR, NYFCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA Collective (9) - BSFC, EFA, IPA, LFCC, OAFFC, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC Dick Johnson Is Dead (8) - CCA, CFCA, COFCA, IFCA, IFJA, NCFCA, OFCS, UFCA Boys State (6) - CIC, DFCS, LVFCS, OFCC, PFCS, WAFCA All In: The Fight For Democracy (4) - AWFJ, HCA, NDFS, NTFCA The Dissident (2) - KCFCC, NFCS The Painter And The Thief (2) - AWFJ, BOFCA Beastie Boys Story - HFCS Class Action Park - HCA Crip Camp - IDA The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition - SFCS Mucho Amor - LEJA My Octopus Teacher - HFCS The Reason I Jump - BIFA A Secret Love - AARP The Social Dilemma - MCFCA A Thousand Cuts - GOTHAM The Way I See It - NYFCO The Year Of The Discovery - ICS You Don't Nomi - FFCC AuthorsNicole Ackman Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|