I wrote about my most Anticipated Movies of 2018, and I thought it was time to revisit the list.

Didn’t That Come Out Last Year?

Three Billboards

Not in the UK, sadly, otherwise I’d have seen them already. That’s the problem with Awards season, some of the best films end up straddling the New Year.

  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Martin McDonagh

I saw it, it courted controversy for its ambiguous ending and portrayal of racism in small-town America, but I loved it.

  • The Shape of Water – Guillermo Del Toro

A beautiful fairytale, no wonder it swept the 2018 awards season.

  • Lady Bird – Greta Gerwig.

I’ve still not seen this, this’ll end up on the 2018 hangover list.

The Main List

Ready Player One Spielberg

  • Untitled Chris Morris Project – Starring Anna Kendrick

Apparently called The Day Shall Come and it’s still not out. I did see Anna Kendrick in A Simple Favor though.

  • Phantom Threads – Paul Thomas Anderson directing Daniel Day Lewis cutting cloth and losing his heart? I’m there.

Reader: I was not there. The more I learnt about the film, and despite being told how wrong I am about this, my inclination to see it diminished.

  • Red Sparrow – It’s been described as Jennifer Lawrence‘s Salt, but I’m sure we can aspire to something a little better than that.

I did not see this, but from what I heard, apparently we could not aspire to something a little better than Salt.

  • Ready Player One – Steven Speilberg‘s back!

But I was not. This was not a successful category for me.

Almost, But Not Quite, A Sequel

Sicario 2 Soldado

I mean, technically, sure, but not really.

  • Untitled Cloverfield Sequel – Another ‘set in the world’ film, as opposed to a direct sequel

This eventually became The Cloverfield Paradox a movie re-tooled for the Cloverfield world, it went straight to Netflix and died there.

  • Sicario 2 – Soldado – No Emily Blunt, and sadly Denis Villeneuve isn’t directing

The above concerns kept me from seeing this, and it seemed to be a largely forgettable event.

  • Mary Poppins Returns – Sicario‘s loss is Disney’s gain.

I have tickets to see this! Not for a week though, because of course I’m going to see this on Christmas Eve!

Franchise Town

Incredibles 2

Franchise Town is a bit like the Hotel California, but if you’re trapped there you may as well have a good time.

  • Solo: A Star Wars Story – I’ll never apologise for Star Wars

I’d like to apologise for Star Wars.

  • Incredibles 2 – I can’t imagine this not being great

I’ve still not seen this, but it seemed to be another excitable blip.

  • Black Panther – The most non-Marvel MCU movie since Guardians of the Galaxy.

This was largely true, except for the cookie-cutter third act, but there was some real difference in there. Shame about the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Mind? Boggled

Annihilation Natalie Portman

Let’s say I’m intrigued, but I’ll wait for reviews…

  • Annihilation – Alex Garland

I was intrigued, I did wait for reviews, I did see it anyway. This was one of my favourite films of 2018.

  • Mortal Engines – Probably sheer morbid curiosity, the trailer looks… special. Is this Two Towers Peter Jackson, or Hobbit Peter Jackson?

Probably not going to catch this in the cinema; I’m still intrigued, but it still sounds crazy.

  • Mute – You had my interest at ‘Blade Runner-neon Berlin’, but I was locked in when I saw it was directed by Duncan Jones.

This didn’t do well, but it’s on Netflix, so I should make an attempt at it. 

And there you have it. Not as good a year in movies as I’d hoped, and I missed loads. But all-in-all I didn’t do as badly as I feared.