Former President Barack Obama has been known to share his favorite books, films, and songs throughout the years. And in 2018, Obama has done it again, and with his film list, in particular, he’s put together one of the most solid Best of 2018 groups we’ve seen so far.
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While he doesn’t rank the films in any specific order (other than alphabetical), the films that Obama has listed for his favorites of 2018 is full of some of the year’s most high-profile (“Black Panther” and “BlacKkKlansman”) as well as some indie favorites that have shamefully been left out of much of the awards season discussion (“Leave No Trace,” “The Rider,” and “Support the Girls”). Obama says the films (along with the books and songs) he chose for his Best Of list were chosen because these are the selections he found “most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved.”
A cynic may say that this list was put together thanks to interns and people around the former President, telling him which to include. But as film fans, we really do hope these are all the movies that Obama loved in 2018. Did he and Michelle feel the cringe of “Eighth Grade?” Did Obama watch “Roma” on his phone or at a theater, as he should have? And most importantly, is he a huge Hirokazu Kore-eda stan like the rest of us?
No matter if this is a list brought together from multiple people or Obama himself, this Best Of 2018 film list is a pretty great grouping of films and serves as a solid checklist for those wanting to experience the year in a nutshell.
Click here for our complete coverage of the best and worst of 2018.
Here’s Obama’s full list of his favorite films of 2018:
Annihilation
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Blindspotting
Burning
The Death of Stalin
Eighth Grade
If Beale Street Could Talk
Leave No Trace
Minding the Gap
The Rider
Roma
Shoplifters
Support the Girls
Won’t You Be My Neighbor