John Waters is one of the most interesting, unique, and thoroughly opinionated filmmakers in history. Whether you love or loathe his work (most people fall into one of those camps), film fans can’t help but respect the sheer individuality on display by Waters. So, when the man behind “Pink Flamingos,” “Hair Spray,” and “Female Trouble” gives his favorite films of 2018 (via ArtForum), you know to expect a healthy dose of movies that are sure to be just as quirky as the man himself.
And for 2018, Waters doesn’t disappoint. There’s no “A Star is Born,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” or “Green Book” to be found in his top 10. Instead, the most “popular” choices he has are probably “American Animals” and “Blindspotting.” The rest of the list is a mixture of foreign films that flew under the radar and a Nicolas Cage film that isn’t called “Mandy.”
Topping Waters’ list is the film “Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc.” Yep, you know, the French musical about the historical figure? Oh, you don’t? Yeah, probably not. Well, Waters describes it in the most Waters-ian way possible, “An insanely radical heavy-metal grade-school religious pageant that is sung in French from beginning to end.” ‘Nuff said.
When it comes to “Mom and Dad,” the aforementioned Cage film that played second fiddle all year to “Mandy,” the filmmaker explains his choice to put it at #4 by saying, “A surprisingly scary, well-shot, pitch-black comedy about the day all parents in the United States decide to kill their own children. A laff riot!” Truer words were never spoken.
One of the films he chose that is probably going to be featured on quite a few lists this year (especially those international folks) is Xavier Legrand’s “Custody.” Overlooked primarily in the states, Waters adds the film as his #7 choice, with the quote, “This feel-bad movie of the year is so beautifully acted that it made me feel happy, happy, happy!” If that’s not a quote for the DVD box, then we don’t know what is.
And if the people behind the French film “Permanent Green Light” (#10 on Waters’ list) need a quick synopsis of their film that perfectly encapsulates the plot while also feeling utterly intriguing, the filmmaker has you covered. “A slow, quiet, sexual cinematic poem on mopey teenage beauties who love making bombs and wish they could explode themselves,” says Waters about the film. Sold!
Here’s his entire top 10 for 2018 (aka your weekend plans):
1. Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (Bruno Dumont)
2. American Animals (Bart Layton)
3. Nico, 1988 (Susanna Nicchiarelli)
4. Mom and Dad (Brian Taylor)
5. Blindspotting (Carlos Lopez Estrada)
6. The Green Fog (Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson)
7. Custody (Xavier Legrand)
8. Soller’s Point (Matthew Porterfield)
9. Let it Fall: Los Angeles 1982 – 1992 (John Ridley)
10. Permanent Green Light (Dennis Cooper, Zac Farley)