The 2018 Stars & Popcorn Movie Awards

2018 Genre Awards

Best Action/Adventure Movie of 2018- Bumblebee

One of the last movies to hit theaters in 2018 proved to be the film that not only broke the Transformers by being infuriatingly good (only in that is makes you wonder why the others were so damn bad). The movie is everything I could have wanted from the Michael Bay franchise but trading in gaudy effects and explosions for a keen sense of nostalgia and a heartfelt story. Bumblebee features plenty of chase scenes, epic robot fights, and a few explosions for die hard fans. More importantly, though, it’s a feel-good movie that will leave you smiling. It quite literally had everything audiences could want from a great adventure film.

Best Comedy Movie of 2018- Game Night

Speaking of laughs, it was a lot harder to narrow down what the best comedy of 2018 was since there were a lot of good ones. After hours of soul searching, the answer came to me in Jason Bateman’s and Rachel McAdams’ film, Game Night. As someone who enjoys the occasional board game, the film spoke to me with its quirky characters, twists and turns, and laugh out loud comedy. As good as Bateman and McAdam’s were though, it was Jesse Plemons who stole the show as their sad sap neighbor, Gary.

Best Dramatic Movie of 2018- Green Book

I thought Green Book was going to be a good movie when I sat down, but I was ill prepared for just how incredibly enjoyable this dramatic bio-pic from Peter Farrelly. The film portrays the unlikely friendship between genius concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley and Italian American garbage disposal Tony Lip (the man never stops eating). Over the course of their journey together the two learn that you should never judge a book by its cover, a message more could benefit from in this day and age. It’s a delightful film that left me with a lasting smile on my face long after the credits rolled.

Best Horror Movie of 2018- Hereditary

2018 was actually a pretty good year for horror, but the one that left a lasting impression on me was the unnerving film, Hereditary. The film sent chills down my spine as director Ari Aster found exactly the right buttons to push and create an impedning sense of dread from the get-go. Toss in the fact that Toni Collette gives a career-defining performance that proves to be the cornerstone of the film. She’s hardly alone though as the entire cast manages to build the tension until it ultimately pays off in one of the most disturbing endings of the year.  

Best Sci-Fi Movie of 2018- Upgrade

There were some pretty incredible sci-fi films this year. However, I had to give the award to a film that I saw repeatedly on the big screen. Upgrade featured a solid concept that examined the potential negative repercussions of a world with technology a few generations ahead of our own. It’s a devastating revenge film with incredible fight sequences and a performance that will hopefuly skyrocket the career of lead Logan Marshall-Green. It’s the kind of tale that would make even Black Mirror proud and is one of my favorite films of the year.

Best Animated Movie of 2018- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

As of December 1st, I was thinking this award would go to Isle of Dogs or Incredibles 2. That was until Spider-Verse came swinging into theaters. The film is an absolute masterpiece that gives us the Spider-Man movie that comic book fans had been waiting for. It even opened up a whole animated world for Sony to explore and I’m hoping that they take advantage of it. Best of all, it brought Miles Morales to life, a bi-racial hero that proves diversity is in high demand when it comes to the big screen.

Best Family Movie of 2018- Hearts Beat Loud

I always enjoy the Florida Film Festival every year, but this year it gave me the chance to see Hearts Beat Loud. Its a wonderful film featuring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons as a father and daughter trying desperately to navigate the drastic changes happening in their lives as she prepares to leave for college. Both the leads give emotional performances that will leave tears in your eyes for the best possible reasons. More importantly, it’s a tale that showcases how much families have changed over the years, but that the love among them is stronger than ever.

Best Thriller Movie of 2018- Searching

At first, Searching seemed like it might come dangerously close being pretty much the same movie as Unfriended: The Dark Web. Luckily though, what could have easily been a gimmick became an incredible narrative tool in the hands of director Aneesh Chaganty, who weaved an intricate web with the help of a stellar performance from John Cho as a father desperately searching for his missing daughter. The film takes place entirely on a computer screen which reflects just how distant yet connected we all are. It’s a taut thriller that left a lasting impression on me.

Best Superhero Movie of 2018- Black Panther

It was a damn good year at the movies for comic book fans. However, it wouldn’t make much sense for Black Panther to win movie of the year and not dominate it’s own genre as well. The film brought together an incredible ensemble cast to take on some of the most memorable characters in the MCU. Not only that, but the visuals and action sequences proved to rival even Infinity War. It was an incredibly profitable film that set the tone for the rest of 2018 and all the films featuring people of color in lead roles to follow it. Simply said, Black Panther was a triumph.