Top 10 Films Of 2008

2008 was a good year for me film wise. I got to visit the theater more than any year previous and managed to see a few smaller flicks I would've missed when I was a bit younger. Also, being a big genre fan I was surprised when a few non-genre picks ended up staying with me throughout the year. So, with that, here are my 10 Favorite Films of 2008.

10. Cloverfield - Cloverfield was a solid way to kick off my year. It set me up with some mildly likable characters and then put me through the ringer. Although I'm not a huge fan of "POV" movies, I dug this and after recently catching it again, it's an enjoyable monster movie I wouldn't mind eventually visiting again.

09. The Signal - A three part horror film that milked it's small but talented cast while mixing bleak humor with some good old fashioned violence. It also put AJ Bowen on my radar as the dude is someone to keep an eye out for.

08. The Strangers - A low key and effective film starring the beautiful Liv Tyler and the likable Scott Speedman. It creeped me out, crawled under my skin and left me feeling drained by the time it was over.

07. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - I'm a little biased to this film as the story hit close to home. It was funny, raunchy and had more heart than a lot of recent comedies. Jason Segal proved he could carry a film and the rest of the cast was spot on.

06. Transiberrian -A throwback to the Hitchcock style of yesteryear. Subtle and beautifully shot the film had me engaged from the first frame and didn't let up.

05. Surveillance - A movie that takes a level of predictability and turns it into a fun, often times funny and vicious ride. Backed with a surprising set of actors that you wouldn't expect and striking imagery, it is a film I cannot wait to see again.

04. Inside - Inside nailed me to the wall and forced me to stay their while it assaulted me with it's absolutely ruthless villain and a motive that is far more fucked up than most.

03. Let The Right One In - Subtle. While I had to endure all the "blah" hype about Twilight, this little vampire film came out of left field. It would have been number 1 on my list had it not spent so much time on useless subplots. It worked best when it kept us with our two young leads and their plight.

02. The Dark Knight - I know it may seem shocking to some that this isn't my number 1. However, don't let that fool you. An incredible film on every front backed up by convincing performances and a vision of Gotham City we have never seen before. Nolan willing, we will get at least one more go at it.

01. REC - A last minute entry onto my list. I can't remember the last time a film scared me silly and have me loving every minute. As I stated, the POV style doesn't do it for me but here it made sense. I even understood and respected why the camera was kept rolling, although at times it should've been put down. That didn't stop this movie from whooping my ass all over.

Honorable Mentions

Timecrimes - A flawed but fun little film that was entirely effortless to sit through.

Rambo - Vicious and realistic, this movie made me question the world around me and wish for more men like John Rambo to clean up the human ugly around us.

Taken - Liam Neeson whooping ass in search of his kidnapped daughter. More than once I found myself saying "GO NEESON GO!" and despite it's tidy ending, I dug the film on almost every aspect.

Hellboy II - Having loved the incredibly flawed first film, I was happy to see this film improved itself in almost every aspect.

Fuck You Movies Of 2008

Max Payne - Despite it's best efforts from Mark Wahlberg and some amazing visual trips, this movie fell flat where it was most needed: a story.

Eagle Eye - An aggravating twist and some of the most boring action I've seen in awhile, this movie ended up being the biggest disappointment for me.

Feast II - I loved Feast. Funny, violent and completely wrong. Somehow Feast II managed to have violent and wrong managed but it forgot to be funny. A shame.