The 2018 Golden Tomato Awards have been announced, with Marvel Studios' Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse coming out strong as winners. Both films recently earned Golden Globe nominations and are expected to be recognized by the Academy Awards later this month.
Established in 1998, Rotten Tomatoes collects movie reviews from approved critics, and then attributes either a “Fresh” or “Rotten” rating to the film. For a film to receive a “Fresh” rating, it must receive at least 60 percent positive reviews. Movies that earn a 75 percent rating or better from at least 80 critics (40 critics for limited releases) are considered “Certified Fresh.” In 2000, Rotten Tomatoes introduced the 1st Annual Golden Tomato Awards, with films being divided into “wide release” and “limited release” categories,” as well as being separated by genre. Last year, Jordan Peele’s Get Out was honored as the best-reviewed wide release film of 2017, and Luca Guadagnino’’s Call Me by Your Name landed the top honor for the limited release category.
Related: Black Panther Named Best-Reviewed Wide Release Of 2018 By Rotten Tomatoes
For the 20th Annual Golden Tomato Awards, Rotten Tomatoes has announced the official winners. Marvel’s Black Panther won for Best Movie Wide Release, while Alfonso Cuarón’s Netflix film Roma won for Best Movie Limited Release. Marvel earned another accolade for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won for Best Animated Movie. In the major television categories, FX’s Atlanta won for Best Returning TV Show and Amazon’s Homecoming earned an award for Best New TV Show.
Best Movies/TV
- Wide Release: Black Panther
- Limited Release: Roma
- Directorial Debut: A Star Is Born
- Spanish-Language: Roma
- Australia: Sweet Country
- United Kingdom: Paddington 2
- Best New TV Show: Homecoming:
- Best Returning TV Show: Atlanta
Movies by Genre
- Best Action/Adventure Movie 2018: Mission: Impossible -Fallout
- Best Animated Movie 2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- Best Comedy 2018: Eighth Grade
- Best Comic Book/Graphic Novel Movie 2018: Black Panther
- Best Documentary 2018: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
- Best Drama 2018: BlacKkKlansman
- Best Foreign-Language Movie 2018: Roma
- Best Horror Movie 2018: A Quiet Place
- Best Kids & Family Movie 2018: Paddington 2
- Best Musical/Music Movie 2018: A Star Is Born
- Best Romance Movie 2018: Crazy Rich Asians
- Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie 2018: Sorry to Bother You
- Best Thriller 2018: Widows
- Best Western 2018: The Rider
TV by Genre
- Best TV Comedy 2018: Barry
- Best Comedy Special 2018: Hannah Gadsby: Nanette
- Best Docuseries 2018: America to Me
- Best TV Drama 2018: Cobra Kai
- Best TV Horror 2018: The Terror
- Best Miniseries, Limited Series & Anthology TV Show 2018: Sharp Objects
- Best TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy 2018: Doctor Who
- Best Superhero TV Show 2018: Daredevil
- Best TV Thriller, Mystery & Suspense 2018: Homecoming
- Best TV Movie 2018: The Tale
While the Golden Tomato Awards are helpful when identifying the best films that receive the most reviews, they don’t necessarily shine a spotlight on smaller films that are “Certified Fresh” and included in critics’ year-end Top 10 lists. For example, Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace currently has a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, but was not included on the list. With that said, Rotten Tomatoes and the Golden Tomato Awards offer insight into which films make the biggest cultural impact from year to year, and also show that films like Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are not only popular but also highly regarded by critics.
As cinematic trends continue to change and streaming platforms allow for immediate viewing, the Golden Tomato Awards represent a helpful tool, but hopefully moviegoers will look beyond the “Fresh” tags to find hidden gems as well.
More: Netflix: Best New TV Shows & Movies This Weekend (January 11)
Source: Rotten Tomatoes