What makes a movie great? Good performances? A solid script? Unique direction? It’s almost always some combination of the various ingredients that go into making a film, and then of course the strange alchemy of how it all comes together. But most memorable moviegoing experiences are marked by moments you’re able to’t get out of your head. The shark coming out of the water inJaws. The “I am your father” reveal inEmpire Strikes Back. AndTom Cruiserisking his life foryourentertainment in everyMission: Impossiblemovie.
So as we look back on 2018, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate some truly iconic movie moments from the year behind us. These are the scenes that made us laugh uncontrollably, sob with heartache, or shriek in terror. Check out our list below.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Miles Puts on the Mask
Even thoughSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versecomes with all different shapes, sizes, and species of Spider-Person, Sony’s animated acid trip is 100% Miles Morales’ story. That’s part of what makesSpider-Versesuch a triumph; we watch Miles—even more of your average anybody than even Peter Parker—try and fail and try and fail over and over again to earn a Spider-Man costume more legit than your Party City variation. So when Miles, a kid from Brooklyn, finally does put on his Spidey suit? My goodness, I haven’t felt Spider-chills in a theater like that since the words “Go get’em, tiger” in 2004.Spider-Verseis already a gorgeous movie about taking a leap of faith, but because of the way directors Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, and Rodney Rothmanbuild and build Phil Lord’s into a living, breathing candy-colored world, the audience feels like they’re taking Miles’ leap along with him.- Vinnie Mancuso
A Star Is Born – Ally and Jackson Perform “Shallow”
A Star Is Bornis a terrific example of directorial precision, and never is this more evident than in how writer/directorBradley Cooperbuilds to the big performance of “Shallow.” It begins with Ally (Lady Gaga) and her friend getting into a car, then on a plane, then out of a car, then through a backstage area until they’re standing mere feet away from Jackson Maine performing onstage. But the editing throughout, and Cooper’s use of music to build the tension, iseverything, and it tees up this absolutely perfect movie moment when Ally finally comes onstage to sing her original song. It instills this groundswell of emotion in you as an audience member and you’re not exactly sure why.That’sgreat filmmaking. –Adam Chitwood
Mission: Impossible - Fallout - Bathroom Brawl
TheMission: Impossible – Falloutbathroom fight became iconic before the film even came out. From the moment we caught sight ofHenry Cavillreloading his big brawny shotgun arms in the trailer, the bathroom fight became the stuff of film twitter legend and gif royalty, but fortunately,Christopher McQuarriegifted us with so much more than one great. Easily one of the best fight scenes of the year,Fallout’s bathroom sequence is also the best bit of hand-to-hand combat in the creme de la creme of set-piece franchises. Cavill andTom Cruiseteam up for a brutal, impeccably staged fight against stuntman Liang Yang and it’s just the tops. Better yet, McQuarrie puts a blood red button on the moment whenRebecca Ferguson’s scene-stealing Ilsa Faust shows up just in time to save the day and put a bullet in the badie’s head. You might think you’re going to get the standard bloodless Hollywood heroics, but nope, McQuarrie pulls back to reveal the floor is painted in blood, a darkly comic punchline at the end of a breathless bit of action brilliance. —Haleigh Foutch
Crazy Rich Asians - An Intense Game of Mahjong
What a beautiful scene that conveys so much even if you don’t know the specifics of the game being played. In the scene, Rachel (Constance Wu) and Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) have their climatic confrontation over a game of Mahjong. For many Americans, the game and its rules will be foreign to them. The mastery ofJon M. Chu’s direction is to show who’s playing from a strong position and who’s “winning” even if you don’t understand the particulars of the game. The text and subtext are beautifully interwoven as Rachel uses the Mahjong game to prove her point about how there was no “beating” Eleanor, so she had to sacrifice marrying Nick (Henry Golding) to prove her love for him. The Mahjong scene inCrazy Rich Asiansis a master class in editing, camera placement, and tone to convey ideas even if the “language” may be foreign to an American audience. –Matt Goldberg
Eighth Grade - A Totally Chill Pool Party
Oh my GOD,Bo Burnham, why would you do this to us? If you’ve ever wanted to revisit the crippling, devastating awkwardness of being a tween, Burnham conjures the experience like a cinematic sorcerer and plants you right in the thick of it. WatchingEighth Grade’s pool party scene, you can practically feel the ill-fitting bathing suit digging into your thighs and the chlorine stinging your eyes, not to mention the extreme agony of unadulterated, hormone-fueled insecurity. If you’re of the social anxiety variety, this scene should come with a trigger warning. It an absolutely transportive experience and a stunning demonstration of talent in Burnham’s directorial debut. — Haleigh Foutch
Avengers: Infinity War - Thanos Snaps
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe rolls on in the years to come, I don’t know how much the Thanos Snap inAvengers: Infinity Warwill stand out as a defining moment, but it was certainly one of the biggest moments of 2018. It’s rare for a villain to “win”, and whileAvengers: Endgamecould be a gigantic “undo” button, for the time being, Thanos (Josh Brolin) was victorious. And to theRusso Brothers’ credit, they played the scene right. They provided a nice twist with “You should have aimed for the head,” before the snap, admitting that it cost him “everything” when he’s speaking to the child Gamora, and then you slowly see the consequences of the Snap with beloved heroes turning to dust. If you look just at The Snap and ignore the demands of the franchise machine to bring back dusted heroes, then it’s one hell of a payoff to ten years of the MCU. –Matt Goldberg
A Quiet Place – A Silent “I Love You”
Few people went intoJohn Krasinski’s horror filmA Quiet Placeexpecting to sob, but arguably the film’s biggest tearjerking moment comes when Krasinski’s character is, uh, in peril and offers up a moment of pure, unequivocal love for his daughter. The look on Krasinski’s face when he begins to sign, “I havealwaysloved you” broke me into a million pieces. –Adam Chitwood
Mandy - The Bathroom
There haven’t been many more relatable sitcom moments over the years thanCommunity’s attempt to decipher whetherNicolas Cageisgood or badat acting. No matter which side you fall on—I love that man, personally—you have to admit that directorPanos Cosmatoschanneled Cage’s “thing” to perfection in his heavy metal fever dream,Mandy. Somehow, in a movie that features demon bikers, chainsaw fights, and an ungodly amount of cocaine, the most memorable scene sees Cage alone in a bathroom, wearing nothing but a three-quarter sleeve t-shirt and blood-stained tighty-whities, bottle of whiskey in hand. In the immediate aftermath of his love, Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough), being murdered by the Children of the New Dawn cult, Cage’s Red Miller sits on a toilet and goes wild in his grief. It’s a primal, pantsless scream of a scene. What’s truly insane about the scene is how it’s not so insane at all; it’s probably closer to a real depiction of violent grief and loss than most movies would dare to touch on, just raw screaming when words couldn’t possibly be enough. -Vinnie Mancuso
Game Night – “Oh No He Died!”
There is one line delivery inJohn Francis DaleyandJonathan Goldstein’s sorely underseen comedyGame Nightthat will never not be funny, and it’s all thanks toRachel McAdams. As a would-be assassin gets sucked into a plane, McAdams’ character celebrates—she’s free! And then, in a moment meant to remind the audience this is just a group of friends whose game night went horribly wrong and not some band of super agents, she realizes the awful truth: “Oh no he died!” Perfection. –Adam Chitwood
Widows – A Tracking Shot Is Worth 1,000 Words
FilmmakerSteve McQueenis known for his remarkable tracking shots in films likeHunger,Shame, and12 Years a Slave, and while his new filmWidowsis certainly of the popcorn blockbuster variety, he still uses the tracking shot to underline the film’s themes. In an absolutely inspired decision, we watch asColin Farrell’s would-be alderman Jack gets into his car in an impoverished Chicago neighborhood where he’s just been campaigning. But instead of following him inside the car, the camera stays mounted to the hood, and we watch as the car drives only a few blocks to Jack’s “home”, all the while the wealth disparity in this tiny section of Chicago becomes abundantly clear. The shot saysa lotwhile Jack drones on about how he never wanted to be a politician anyway, and the dichotomy between this wealth disparity and the entitlement that allows Jack to be so flippant about his future is not lost on the audience. –Adam Chitwood
