I think it’s wrong to compose a Top 32 films of 2018 list without having seen The Mule or Aquaman, but here goes anyway. This isn’t an awards-projection thing but a personal, preferential rundown of films that went ding-ding-ding-DING-DING-DING! Films that felt extra-ballsy or extra-refined, seemed the most beautiful, struck the target dead-center, delivered the most pizazz, generated the most excitement, felt the fullest and most formidable, exhibited the finest forms of discipline, etc. And in this order. BTW: I’m sure I’ve overlooked a deserving title or two…please advise.

1. Pawel Pawlikowski‘s Cold War.

2. Alfonso Cuaron‘s Roma.

3. Peter Farrelly‘s Green Book.

4. Paul Schrader‘s First Reformed.

5. Adam McKay‘s Vice.

6. Ari Aster‘s Hereditary.

7. Nadine Labaki‘s Capernaum.

8. Alice Rohrwacher‘s Happy As Lazzaro.

9. Tony Zierra‘s Filmworker.

10. Damien Chazelle‘s First Man.

11. Steve McQueen‘s Widows.

12. Stefano Sollima‘s Sicario — Day of the Soldado.

13. Chris McQuarrie and Tom Cruise‘s Mission : Impossible — Fallout.

14. Matt Tyrnauer‘s Studio 54.

15. Bradley Cooper‘s A Star Is Born.

16. Yorgos Lanthimos‘ The Favourite.

17. John Krasinski‘s A Quiet Place.

18. Eugene Jarecki‘s The King.

19. Lynne Ramsay‘s You Were Never Really Here.

20. Jason Reitman‘s The Front Runner.

21. Jonah Hill‘s Mid ’90s.

22. Marielel Heller‘s Can You Ever Forgive Me?

23. Wes Anderson‘s Isle of Dogs.

24. Bo Burnham‘s Eighth Grade.

25. Morgan Neville‘s Won’t You Be My Neighbor.

26. Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther.

27. Matt Tyrnauer‘s Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood.

28. Betsy West; Julie Cohen‘s RBG.

29. Antoine Fuqua‘s The Equalizer 2.

30. John Curran‘s Chappaquiddick.

31. Jesse Peretz‘s Juliet, Naked.

32. Gus Van Sant‘s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot.