Guillermo del Toro may be an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but, like everyone else, he’s also a fan of movies, and now he’s revealed which films were his favorite in 2018. It’s part of an annual tradition for a growing number of filmmakers — Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and John Waters among them — to offer their take on the “best of” or their “favorite” movies of the year. For many, these lists have become something to look forward to in the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s that will either affirm a reader’s choices in films they saw and enjoyed over the past year, or serve as a reason for them to doubt the cinematic tastes of a famous person. 

It’s been an interesting year for movies. There are some blockbusters vying for space among many people’s lists, like Black Panther, and there are also plenty more awards-friendly fare as well, such as First Reformed, A Star is Born, and The Favourite. But then there are some films that most viewers saw by clicking on their Netflix account that have started making waves among critics and filmmakers alike. Two of those films, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Roma appear on del Toro’s list. 

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The list is an interesting one, to be sure. For starters, del Toro admits he still has some to see and though he has 12 movies on the actual list, he’s not ranking them in any discernible fashion. Check out Guillermo del Toro’s Top 12 movies of 2018:

It’s a solid list, full of films that were favorites of some Screen Rant editors as well, like Paul Schrader’s First Reformed, Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here, and Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy. That Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma made the list is no big surprise, given the filmmakers’ personal and professional connection, and, more importantly, that Roma is a stunning achievement from a celebrated director.

Maybe the biggest surprise on the list is Damien Chazelle’s First Man, a movie that perhaps didn’t get a fair shake this year in the theaters, partly because it was released at the wrong time and got somewhat lost in the shuffle of pre-awards releases. Despite not living up to expectations critically or at the box office, the story of Neil Armstrong still has its passionate fans out there, and who knows if it’ll get some love come the Oscars. At any rate, del Toro got his list of favorite films in just under the wire, as 2018 is set to expire very soon. 

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Source: Guillermo del Toro