00:00From a long-awaited Pixar sequel to a Marvel blockbuster and smaller offerings you need
00:12to know about, The Hollywood Reporter's film critics have compiled a list of the best movies
00:17of 2018 so far. And we're taking a look at five of their picks right now in no particular order.
00:23First up is the British thriller Beast. THR's Leslie Felperin notes that first feature director
00:29Michael Pierce takes tired tropes and fashions something fresh, fierce and striking in this
00:35atmospheric British thriller about a young woman drawn to an enigmatic outsider. Fabulous newcomers
00:40Jesse Buckley and Johnny Flynn. Next up is a little-known film called Black Panther. Anyone
00:46heard of it? Critic Todd McCarthy has this to say about the record-breaking Disney-Marvel
00:52blockbuster. With intensity and invention, freshness and brio, Ryan Coogler delivers a fine
00:58superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character starring Chadwick Boseman and boosted
01:04by a spirited supporting ensemble including Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya,
01:10and Danai Gurira. Now let's get into horror mode and no one make any clucking sounds.
01:16I'm serious. Stop it. The film, of course, is Ari Aster's much-discussed and ultra-disturbing
01:22hereditary. As THR's David Rooney puts it, a superb Toni Collette plays a mother left grappling with
01:29a terrifying legacy following the family matriarch's death in writer-director Ari Aster's breathless and
01:35riveting horror debut. The most effective domestic chiller since The Conjuring and The Babadook.
01:41Next up we have Incredibles 2, the long-awaited sequel that powered its way to the biggest box office
01:47debut of all time for an animated film. McCarthy notes that the movie is enjoyable for a wide array
01:53of audiences. Boosted by central characters that remain vastly engaging and a deep supply of wit,
01:59he writes, Brad Bird's sequel to his 2004 Pixar hit certainly proves worth the wait, offering plenty of
02:06crackling entertainment value for viewers from 5 to 95. And finally we have the drama Leave No Trace.
02:13Critic John Frosch explains, directed by Deborah Gronick, this drama about the widening rift between
02:19a woods-dwelling vet and his teen daughter, a beautifully matched Ben Foster and Thomason
02:25Harcourt-McKenzie is a model of unshowy intelligence and emotion. To check out the THR critics' takes on the
02:32complete list of top films this year including Annihilation, An El Septimo Dia, Lean on Pete,
02:40let the sunshine in and the rider. Head to THR.com and let us know your picks for the best of 2018
02:46so far in the comments. Until next time, for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy.
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