Cahiers du Cinéma Best 2018 Films: ‘The House That Jack Built,’ ‘Phantom Thread’
Zack Sharf
Legendary French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma has released its official list of the 10 best films of 2018, and per usual it’s a surprising mix of American films and international favorites. The group chooses from films released over the last 12 months in France, which is why Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” are included despite appearing on U.S. critics’ lists in 2017.
Topping the 2018 Cahiers du Cinéma top 10 is “The Wild Boys,” from writer-director Bertrand Mandico. The film is Mandico’s feature directorial debut and centers around five young boys — all played by women — who band together to overthrow their repressive captain aboard a haunted sailboat. Bruno Dumont’s four-part limited series “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans” landed in the number two position. Cahiers du Cinéma has blurred the line between film and television in the past, naming David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” its top film of 2017. Dumont’s “Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc” ranked second last year as well.
“Phantom Thread,” widely recognized on numerous American lists of the best films of 2017, came in third on the 2018 Cahiers du Cinéma list. The movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis as an obsessive fashion designer and Vicky Krieps and his new love interest and muse, had its French theatrical release in February of this year. “Phantom Thread” was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and won the award for Best Costume Design. “The Post,” another Best Picture nominee earlier this year, appears in the sixth spot on Cahiers du Cinéma list.
The most controversial entry on the Cahiers du Cinéma is no doubt “The House That Jack Built,” directed by Lars von Trier. The movie stars Matt Dillon as a serial killer and earned controversy at the Cannes Film Festival for its depiction of graphic violence against women, children, and animals. IFC Films opened the director’s cut of the film in theaters for one night only on November 28. An edited R-version opens in theaters and on demand December 14.
Check out the 2018 Cahiers du Cinéma top 10 list below.
1. “The Wild Boys” (Bertrand Mandico)
2. “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans” (Bruno Dumont)
3. “Phantom Thread” (Paul Thomas Anderson)
4. “Burning” (Lee Chang-dong)
5. “Paul Sanchez est revenu!” (Patricia Mazuy)
6. “The Post” (Steven Spielberg)
7. “On the Beach at Night Alone” (Hong Sang-soo)
8. “The House That Jack Built” (Lars von Trier)
9. “Leto” (Kirill Serebrennikov)
10. “Treasure Island” (Guillaume Brac)
