We've come to the end of the year, so that means its time to dole out the superlatives. These aren't my picks for who I think will be nominated for Oscars (although the Academy's glaring disdain for broad comedies means they'll always overlook performances like Jesse Plemons in Game Night), but really just who stood out for me in a variety of categories.

As always, we have our standard acting and directing categories, and if you want to check out picks for Best Cinematography and Best Scores, I highly recommend reading Adam Chitwood's list. I've also included lighter categories like Best Villain and Best Action Scene among others. I'm sure you'll disagree with some or all of my choices! Enjoy!

Best Actor

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Ethan Hawke as Toller in First Reformed

Runners Up:

  • Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice
  • Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine in A Star Is Born
  • Ben Foster as Will in Leave No Trace
  • Joaquin Phoenix as Joe in You Were Never Really Here

This was a pretty close contest, but I never really was able to shake Hawke’s performance in First Reformed. Hawke’s always been a bit of an underrated actor, and he’s also incredibly difficult to nail down because he jumps between so many different genres, but he took his talents to an entirely new level with his performances Reverend Toller in First Reformed. Watching the slow disintegration of a man who wasn’t doing too great to begin with is not an easy task, but Hawke provides a quiet, internal performance that finally builds to an explosive crescendo.

Best Actress

best-actress-2018

Kathryn Hahn as Rachel Biegler in Private Life

Runners Up:

  • Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite
  • Lady Gaga as Ally in A Star Is Born
  • Nicole Kidman as Erin Bell in Destroyer
  • Carey Mulligan as Jeanette Brinson in Wildlife

For a while, I had Colman as my top pick, and I even put her down on my ballots for Atlanta Film Critics Circle and Southeastern Film Critics Association. But if we look at these kind of “awards” as a way to highlight deserving work, I would hate for Hahn to be overlooked. I’ve already written an article about why her performance is so powerful, but it’s a role I just can’t get over. Hahn is a comic genius, but her dramatic turn here is so immediate and really the soul of the movie. She has an impressive co-star in Paul Giamatti, but a lot of the emotional heavy lifting comes from Hahn and she does it admirably.

Best Supporting Actor

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Sam Elliott as Bobby in A Star Is Born

Runners Up:

  • Nicholas Hoult as Harley in The Favourite
  • Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther
  • Jesse Plemons as Gary in Game Night
  • John C. Reilly as Eli Sisters in The Sisters Brothers

There were so many good supporting actor roles this year that it was tough to keep it to just five. But among these five, there was never really any doubt in Elliott. He’s been around forever, but A Star Is Born shows you how good he is because Bobby really isn’t on screen that much. He has maybe five or six scenes total, but he hits it out of the park every time. And every time, he’s asked to do something different, whether it’s go toe-to-toe with Bradley Cooper or deliver a powerful monologue about the “twelve notes” or just absolutely wreck you with a silent look as he backs out of a driveway. It’s an astounding performance from an actor who’s long overdue for widespread recognition.

Best Supporting Actress

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Regina King as Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk

Runners Up:

  • Cynthia Erivo as Darlene Sweet in Bad Times at the El Royale
  • Thomasin McKenzie as Tom in Leave No Trace
  • Emma Stone as Abigail in The Favourite
  • Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Young in Crazy Rich Asians

I had mixed feelings on If Beale Street Could Talk, but I was absolutely floored by King’s performance. Even if the only scene in the movie was her silently trying on the wig, that would be more than enough to merit her as the Best Supporting Actress of the year. But what she does around that scene is equally impressive, and like Elliott, she’s an actress who deserves to get her due.

Best Director

best-directors-2018

Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite

Runners Up:

  • Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
  • Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
  • Tamara Jenkins, Private Life
  • Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

The Favourite isn’t my favorite movie of the year, but damn does Lanthimos direct the hell out of it. And I’m not someone who loves everyone of his movies. I think Favourite and The Lobster are great while I find Dogtooth and Alps pretty unwatchable while being at a bit of a loss with Killing of a Sacred Deer. But what’s in arguably his most “accessible” film (a low bar), Lanthimos rejuvenates the period drama with a spin that never feels too modern and yet it also never feels staid and tired. Between the fish-eye lenses, the dance scene, and the crazy ending, The Favourite is a film that’s constantly surprising you even if you think you know courtly dramedy inside out.

Breakthrough Performance

breakthrough-performance-2018

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

Runners Up:

  • Cynthia Erivo, Bad Times at the El Royale
  • Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
  • Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians
  • Amandla Stenberg, The Hate U Give

So what qualifies as a “breakthrough performance”? Gaga is one of the biggest stars in the world. I would counter that she’s one of the biggest music stars, but as an actress, she was largely a unknown quantity to the point outside some roles on American Horror Story and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. A Star Is Born puts half the movie on her shoulders and she carries it like an old pro. Yes, it requires her musical talent as well, but she looks like a natural when it comes to every dramatic turn. Gaga had to follow Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland, and Barbra Streisand, and for this character, she ended up outshining them all.

Best Villain

best-villains-2018

Erik Killmonger, Black Panther

Runners Up:

  • The Cult of Paimon, Hereditary
  • Jeremiah Sand, Mandy
  • ScreamBear, The Bear Made of Screams, Annihilation
  • Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War

It’s not just that Killmonger is the best Marvel villain since Loki (not a particularly difficult bar to clear). It’s that Killmonger has an understandable and relatable point of view where his point of view is probably highly sympathetic, not just because of his upbringing, but because of what it says about power. For Killmonger, he’s still an isolationist of sorts, but instead of keeping Wakanda a secret, he wants Wakanda to own the world. He’s seen what happens when Wakanda sits on the sidelines, but for him, the solution isn’t aid, but dominance. He’s clearly the “bad guy”, but it’s rare for blockbuster villains to have motives that are worth discussing. Anchored by Michael B. Jordan giving yet another outstanding performance and you have a villain you won’t soon forget.

Best Action Scene

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Helicopter Chase, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Runners Up:

  • The Battle of Loudoun Hill, Outlaw King
  • Busan Chase, Black Panther
  • Chainsaw Fight, Mandy
  • The HALO Jump, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

I figured it wouldn’t be fair if Mission: Impossible – Fallout took all five slots, but it could have. However, I decided to spread the love around, and Fallout is just the winner. I could have also gone with the bathroom fight or the HALO jump or the motorcycle chase, but the helicopter chase is just absolutely mindblowing. Setting aside that we haven’t really seen that kind of chase before, we then get Tom Cruise risking his life in a helicopter crash for our entertainment. It’s a genuinely thrilling climactic set piece that’s made even more exciting thanks to Cruise doing his own stunts and the way director Christopher McQuarrie shoots the whole thing. I look forward to Mission: Impossible 7 where Tom Cruise wears a suit made of dynamite and walks into a burning building.

Weirdest Disaster

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Image via Amazon Studios

Life Itself

Runner Up: Welcome to Marwen

Best Movie That Didn’t Receive Theatrical Distribution

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Image via HBO

The Tale (Released on HBO)

Runner-Up: Set It Up (Released on Netflix)

Best Joke

Frank’s Pep Talk, Blockers

Runner Up: “How is that profitable for Frito Lay?”, Game Night