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No Oscar, no problem: 2018’s best of the rest

(WISH) — What constitutes a good film – is it multiple Oscar nominations? Big box office numbers? Great critic and/or audience reception? 

Hundreds of films are released each year, but only 37 feature films were recognized with at least one nomination at the 91st Academy Awards. 

Let’s call these the “honorable mentions.”

Here are ten films to add to your watch list:

22 July

While Roma’s awards prospects weren’t affected by its streaming release, I believe the opposite is true for Paul Greengrass’ latest drama. 

The film opens with the horrific 2011 Norway terrorist attacks and continues with the aftermath of killing 77 innocent people. 

Netflix quietly released the film on October 10 without much promotion or exposure following its debut at the Venice & Toronto International Film Festivals. 

Boy Erased

Lucas Hedges (Golden Globes) and Nicole Kidman (Critics Choice) received precursor nominations, but the film came up short in all categories when nominations were announced on January 22. 

Garrard Conley’s memoir comes to life in this heartbreaking story about a boy sent by his conservative, Christian parents to conversion therapy to try and overcome his gay thoughts. 

Only 14 states have passed laws to ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors. Hopefully Boy Erased can be a stepping stone to the future of equality and LGBTQIA rights. 

Destroyer

Nicole Kidman continues her late-career renaissance with this end-of-the-year independent release from Annapurna Pictures. 

Kidman stars as Erin Bell, an LAPD detective whose past returns to haunt her, and she must finish a job on her own. 

Kidman’s transformative, haunting performance and major twist ending make this a must-see. 

Game Night

Warner Bros. has its major awards contender with A Star Is Born, but don’t forget the studio’s best comedy of the year, featuring one of the year’s best ensembles.  

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams lead the way as a group of friends’ regular game night becomes a real-life mystery after one participant is kidnapped and held at ransom. 

Billy Magnussen and Sharon Horgan bring the best out of each other, but Jesse Plemons steals the spotlight with his uncomfortably sympathetic natures as the next-door-neighbor police officer. 

Game Night is now streaming on HBO GO and HBO NOW. 

The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas’ 2017 novel was adapted into a motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg, who rose to fame as District 11’s Rue in The Hunger Games

16-year-old Starr lives in a black neighborhood but attends a predominantly white prep school. After leaving a party with her childhood best friend, a white police officer stops them. Thinking the boy is reaching for a weapon, the police officer shoots him three times. Does Starr stand up for what is right or does she hide in the background by continually going through the motions?

Even without any Oscar nominations, I have a feeling The Hate U Give will stand the testament of time and turn out as one of 2018’s most important/memorable films.  

Leave No Trace

Rotten Tomatoes is a popular review-aggregation website where critics can share their thoughts on films and television shows. A film/TV show that receives 60 percent of positive reviews from critics is deemed “fresh.” Anything below 60 percent is considered “rotten.”

Leave No Trace scored a rare 100 percent, with all 209 critics positively reviewing the film, the second-most in the website’s history for a film with a 100 percent fresh rating (Paddington 2 holds a 100 percent fresh rating with 221 reviews). 

Ben Foster stars as an Iraq War veteran father suffering from PTSD and creates a life insolation in the forest with his 13-year-old daughter, played brilliantly by Thomasin McKenzie. 

Is the father doing what’s right for his daughter or is he selfishly avoiding contact with the outside world at his daughter’s expense? 

Love, Simon

My favorite film of the year was groundbreaking as the first film from a major Hollywood studio to focus on a gay teenage romance. 

You’ll laugh, cry, and root for Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) to find his mysterious online pen pal in this flawless romantic comedy. 

Natasha Rothwell shines as the eccentric drama teacher, 13 Reason Why’s Katherine Langford blossoms in her first feature film, and Jennifer Garner will bring tears to your eyes as she comes to understand her son’s true feelings.   

Love, Simon is now streaming on HBO GO and HBO NOW. 

On the Basis of Sex

Ruth Bader Ginsburg got her well-deserved attention in Magnolia Pictures’ Oscar-nominated documentary, RBG, but this under-appreciated feature film on her earliest cases shouldn’t be missed. 

Felicity Jones stars as the future Supreme Court Justice as she brings gender inequality to the forefront by proving a man should be allowed the rights to stay home and take care of the children while his wife is working and providing for the family.  

On the Basis of Sex is now in theaters. 

A Simple Favor

If you love the murder mystery genre, such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, this is the next thriller for you. 

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively star in this hilarious, edge-of-your-seat mystery about the sudden disappearance of Emily (Lively). 

Sit back, and watch as the twists and mystery unfold right before your eyes – you’ll never see the results coming! 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

One of the biggest surprises at the revealing of the Oscar nominations was the omission of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? for Best Documentary Feature. 

Once thought to be a frontrunner for the win, this documentary examines the life of a man born well before his time – Fred Rogers. He was a pioneer for popular children’s programming and wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries and limits. 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? will begin streaming on HBO GO and HBO NOW on February 9.