Lots to still catch up on, but here are my favorite films of the year so far.

FIRST REFORMED (Paul Schrader)
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (Lynne Ramsay)
THE RIDER (Chloé Zhao)
THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (The Coen Brothers)
SUPPORT THE GIRLS (Andrew Bujalski)
THUNDER ROAD (Jim Cummings)
LEAVE NO TRACE (Debra Granik)
OUTSIDE IN (Lynn Shelton)
RAY MEETS HELEN (Alan Rudolph)
NANCY (Christina Choe)
LEAN ON PETE (Andrew Haigh)
MANDY (Panos Cosmatos)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (Christopher McQuarrie)
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND (Orson Welles)
THE MULE and THE 15:17 TO PARIS (Clint Eastwood)
SHIRKERS (Sandi Tan)
BLACKKKLANSMAN (Spike Lee)
REVENGE (Coralie Fargeat)
CAM (Isa Mazzei & Daniel Goldhaber)

Other films I liked:
SOLLERS POINT (Matthew Porterfield)
PRIVATE LIFE (Tamara Jenkins)
THE DEATH OF STALIN (Armando Iannucci)
GEMINI (Aaron Katz)
ANNIHILATION (Alex Garland)
ISLE OF DOGS (Wes Anderson)
BLACK PANTHER (Ryan Coogler)
BLOCKERS (Kay Cannon)
PADDINGTON 2 (Paul King)
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER VERSE (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman)

Still need to see/looking forward to:
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST; SWEET COUNTRY; THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT; LET THE CORPSES TAN; ONE CUT OF THE DEAD; DOUBLE LOVER; THE GREEN FOG; HAPPY AS LAZZARO; ROMA; DESTROYER; ZAMA; HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING; NEVER GOIN’ BACK; EIGHTH GRADE; SHOPLIFTERS; IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK; LET THE SUNSHINE IN; FIRST MAN; GLORIA BELL; THE FAVOURITE; FATAL PULSE; TRANSIT; THE COMMUTER; WIDOWS; BLAZE; CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?; SUSPIRIA; UNSANE; MADELINE’S MADELINE; CREED 2; SORRY TO BOTHER YOU; THE SISTERS BROTHERS; HALLOWEEN; THE OLD MAN & THE GUN; WHERE IS KYRA?; HOLD THE DARK; MOM AND DAD; JEANNETTE: THE CHILDHOOD OF JOAN OF ARC; SEARCHING; BURNING; POSSUM; A BREAD FACTORY

Favorite performances:
Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, and Shayna McHayle, SUPPORT THE GIRLS
Harry Melling, Tom Waits, and Zoe Kazan, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS
Joaquin Phoenix, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
Jim Cummings, THUNDER ROAD
Thomasin McKenzie, LEAVE NO TRACE
Edie Falco, OUTSIDE IN
Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried, FIRST REFORMED
Steve Buscemi, THE DEATH OF STALIN
Andrea Riseborough, NANCY, MANDY, and THE DEATH OF STALIN
Nicolas Cage, MANDY
Charlie Plummer, LEAN ON PETE
Kathryn Hahn, PRIVATE LIFE

My favorite first-time viewings of the year (of films not released in 2018):
PERSONAL PROBLEMS (Bill Gunn, 1980)
MOONRISE (Frank Borzage, 1948)
CLUNY BROWN (Ernst Lubitsch, 1946)
TEA AND SYMPATHY (Vincente Minnelli, 1956)
CHOOSE ME (Alan Rudolph, 1984)
A NEW LEAF (Elaine May, 1971)
WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD (William A. Wellman, 1933)
SMITHEREENS (Susan Seidelman, 1982)
LOVE AND BASKETBALL (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2000)
THE UNKNOWN (Tod Browning, 1927)