Slashdot Asks: Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows of 2018?

Several remarkable movies and shows hit the theaters and TV this year. We had "First Man", "Black Panther", new "Incredibles", "Avengers: Infinity War", more "Star Wars" and "Mission: Impossible" hit the cinemas. On TV, we saw the conclusion of "The Americans", continuation of "Westworld" on HBO, and "Homecoming" arrive on Amazon Prime Video. "Money Heist" on Netflix, "Barry" on HBO, and "Detectorists" on AcornTV garnered good reviews from critics, too. What did you like this year?

Also in this year-ender series: Slashdot Asks: What Are Some Good Books You Read This Year?

Comments

Re:My 2 cents

[JackieBrown]

If you liked Westworld, watch person of interest while waiting for the next season. The first season is pretty procedural but builds the characters and foundation of the show. By the end of the show, it's full AI and how it can direct/control a civilization. It's by the same people.

My favorite of 2018

[Anonymous Coward]

is Trump's new "you're fired" show. Not sure what it's called. The casting is pretty hilarious. Lots of dumbasses who can't find their ass with both hands and a flashlight, running things into the ground. All punctuated by a new "you're fired!" weekly. I can't wait to see who'll be next!

Movies on way out/Streaming coming in to it's own

[mykepredko]

In terms of the "big movies", I only really liked First Man. Nice adaptation of the book. As for the other "Block Busters", I enjoyed Black Panther, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, The Mule. Ant Man and the Wasp. Solo & Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. There were quite a few I could have lived without ("Mission Impossible: Fallout", comes to the top of the list).

Where I was really impressed was with (streaming) shows including:
- Altered Carbon
- Westworld (Second Season)
- Preacher
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (this seems to be straddling the line between "Movie" and "Streaming")
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Maniac
- Better Call Saul
- The Good Place
- Glow
- Orange is the New Black
- The Orville (it's a lot better than I would have expected)

With a good big-screen setup at home, there's a lot more, better and cheaper entertainment out there than going to the movies.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

The Good Doctor

[fearm0nger]

For a TV shows I would say Young Sheldon & The Good Doctor are both worth watching. For a movie I am going to agree with Cartman and say Black Panther.

Atlanta

[Anonymous Coward]

Atlanta and Sorry to Bother You have both been standouts and feature Lakeith Stanfield.

There were plenty more shows I liked but I started watching both of those with modest expectations that were easily surpassed.

Bad Times at the El Royale

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are looking for a good drama and thriller to watch. Consider this. Watched this over the weekend last week. Very intense and gratifying. First Man was a very important and decent movie. I am looking forward to watching the Vice movie. If you want to kill some time, Aquaman is good, too.

Re:Movies on way out/Streaming coming in to it's o

[SirAstral]

Yea I would go ditto's on
Altered Carbon, Buster Scruggs, The Good Place, & Orville.
I would add...
Castlevania
7 Deadly Sins
F is for Family

No Movies of note, while I did enjoy watching many of the Marvel movies, hi-tech but still in your face hand to hand combat as they swat off weapons fire like they are nothing. It is just too immersion breaking for me I guess or I am just not able to suspend a high enough level of disbelief. And don't get me started on the trash that happened in Starwars... Hollywood rarely produces anything better than gutter trash anyways, being that Hollywood is mostly trash to start with.

Travelers

[iCEBaLM]

I love this show so much, and I'm happy Netflix picked it up. My only issue with streaming sites making episodic TV is that they release all the episodes at once, I binge them because I have no self control, and now I have to wait a year+ for more episodes!

Re:Travelers

[fat_mike]

I'm old but I vote Voyagers! The ! is actually part of the name.

The Expanse.

[Anonymous Coward]

The Expanse!

Superheros

[110010001000]

What is the deal with all the Superhero movies? It is like everyone regressed to being a 12 year old boy.

Re:Superheros

[Pablopelos]

Have you seen the new spiderman, very good, maybe even great, kind of going a different way than ALL the other hero movies out there.

Re:Superheros

[citylivin]

"What is the deal with all the Superhero movies? It is like everyone regressed to being a 12 year old boy."

I have a theory that it has to do with the death of god, and people inventing new modern age "gods" to fill that roll. You can see it in how people dress up as their "gods" for conventions, religiously skip work to attend first day showings of any new "chapter" in the odyssey, and discuss and debate the motivations of the characters as related to the cannon.

A set of metaphysical beings with "super" powers that they use to help or hurt humanity. Pretty much spot on analogous to polytheistic religions. Also explains why I hate the fakeness of superhero movies (and most religions).

Black panther was good though, just as a pure movie. Its the only super hero movie i have liked in recent memory. You didn't need to know all the backstory and depth of the universe to appreciate it.

Re:Superheros

[imperious_rex]

I think the reasons for the success of superhero movies are that (A) The movies have a pre-established fanbase, just like the LOTR and Harry Potter movies had their fanbases well before the movies came out (B) Special effects technology has finally reached the point where the superpowers and battles can be done right without appearing cheesy or lame. (C) the "shared universe" concept of crossovers between characters has been around for ages in comics but it had never really been done before in cinema until Marvel took a HUGE gamble with the idea (and it paid off handsomely). (D) Treating the characters and stories with respect. It's all too easy to go camp with superheroes, like the 60's Batman TV show did and it took decades for the genre to shake that off. But Marvel steered way clear of camp and treated the characters (and by extension, the fans) with respect and delivering quality stories.

"Superhero" movies are more than just "tights and fights" and can accommodate a variety of story types. Winter Soldier was a thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy was sci-fi, Dr. Strange was fantasy. Ant-Man was mostly a comedy.

Finally, what's so bad about 12 year old boys' taste in entertainment? I'm over 40 and can appreciate a well told action movie as much as any kid.

Re:Superheros

[imperious_rex]

If he were still among us, Stan Lee would respectfully disagree.

Re:Superheros

[houghi]

Nothing wrong with it. Great for people who enjoy it. I don't. But then I didn't when I was 12 either.

(Here comes the part that brings in all the downvotes: an unpopular personal opinion)

I liked LOTR a bit better, because some of the heroes actually died (and stayed dead). Not enough for my taste. I do not mind some sort of happy end, but if there is danger in a story, it has to be real danger, where people can die and you do not know if the character does not die halfway.

Unless it becomes a gimick, like in The Stainless Steel Rat.

I know the super heroes will live (yes, there is the odd exeption) because they are needed in the next movie. So why should I care if their fight is hard?

I would be more interested in the person whose house was just flattened by a super hero struggle. How does a city actually recover from that. But for that we do not need the super heroes. We can look at cities where these kind of destructions took place and what happend when the spotlights went out.

I do watch them, but to me for what they are: pulp.

Re:Superheros

[AmiMoJo]

In the 80s we had Action Heroes, unrealistic tough guys who defied the laws of physics and medical science but who were immensely popular. In the 90s and 2000s it went a bit more goth, with movies like The Matrix and of course Blade. And now it's back to spandex, because somehow we reached the point where we can tolerate the costumes... Maybe they don't look quite so cheap and toy-like any more.

The Expanse

[Greyfox]

Was that 2018? That's when I discovered it. They have the spaciest space I've ever seen in a sci-fi show. You get a sense of the harshness of the environment and the difficulties living in it. Definitely worth checking out if you like good sci-fi.

Haunting of Hill House

[bigdavex]

Netflix's Haunting of Hill House episodes 1-5 is my favorite horror of all time. The child actors are excellent. The characters are interesting and likable. The director trusts the actors to carry scenes that in other lesser shows and movies other directors focus on effects.

To me, the series feels over after episode 5. The rest of the series answers questions I didn't have and undoes some things I liked.

Re:Movies on way out/Streaming coming in to it's o

[AmiMoJo]

The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime is rarely mentioned but actually great. Just starting season 3. Season 1 is a little slow but 2 is excellent.

Daredevil season 3 was pretty good too, and Luke Cage season 2.

History channel and Discovery

[pgmrdlm]

Curse of Oak Island

New myth busters

More love for...

[vell0cet]

One show that I absolutely loved but hasn't gotten much recognition on these lists/polls is Cobra Kai. I hope they do more of these "non-reboots" where actors reprise their old roles (arguably, the new Halloween was this as well).

Re:More love for...

[Black LED]

Cobra Kai is fucking awesome. I'm looking forward to the new season next year.