When I think back on the movies I've seen, it is usually just a moment that stands ingrained in my mind. A beautiful camera angle. A powerful monologue. A water-cooler moment that lives on in memes and gifs. The list below is not a "favorite movie" list. But they are the moments that have lasted.
10. Possesed, “Hereditary”
Ari Aster’s debut horror-fest was likely too brutal for many viewers. But boy does it pack a punch. After Toni Collette reaches her crescendo, descending into madness as evil forces take over, the camera lands on her sleeping son. It’s a familiar shot, a wide lens, pulled back to mimic the “dollhouse” effect seen at the start of the movie. Nothing appears to be happening other than a boy resting on his bed, until suddenly a figure comes into focus. Toni Collette’s Annie has been there the whole time, shrouded in darkness. Clinging to the ceiling, hovering over her child like a spider ready to leap in for a kill. What follows is a terrifying chase through the house as the son fights to survive against his possessed mother. But there was nothing as scary as this moment, when after scanning the screen, your eyes first discovered Annie hiding in plain view.
9. For Wakanda, “Black Panther”
I almost titled this one "Every Moment Where Danai Gurira Steps Into Frame." It would have been accurate. Her Okoye consistently steals every scene in which she appears. What was so surprising about "Black Panther" is how well crafted the female characters are (these Marvel affairs can be sausage fests after all). Okoye is badass the entire film, but the climactic battle is the best. When she must face off against her husband W'Kabi, he is incredulous that she would fight him: "Would you kill me, my love?" "For Wakanda" she asks. "Without question." The audience erupted into simultaneous cheers and applause at that moment (just one of many such moments in that film). And that's part of what makes "Black Panther" so great. The film has so many small moments, lines, jokes, glances, that enrich the world of the story.
8. Lonely Planet, “First Man
Yes, “First Man” is about an epic space mission. Yes, it’s about a time where our nation had hope and literally shot for the moon. But more than that, it’s the story of a man haunted by grief and loss. Framed around this concept, the moon landing is less about discovering an alien landscape for Neil Armstrong and more about discovering where he feels at home. There’s a powerful frame where he looks out over the rocky desolate stretch before him. There’s nothing for miles, through to the horizon. He is alone. Somehow, having never overcome the loss of his daughter, he feels more at home in this landscape than anywhere on Earth. Because really he’s been alone for a long time. And it takes him until this point, standing at the edge of a crater, to finally let go of the hurt that’s consumed him.
7. The Snappening, “Avengers: Infinity War”
Of course none of us believes that the heroes who vanished in “The Snap” are really dead (you think Disney is going to kill off lucrative Spider-Man and Black Panther franchises before they’ve begun?). But it is still refreshing to see a major studio have the balls to through with such a drastic move with beloved characters. “Infinity War” could have been a bloated mess considering its cast size, but the emotional threads are woven carefully through the gargantuan story to keep it tight, to keep you invested. So when Thanos uses the time stone to negate Scarlet Witch’s sacrifice (Elizabeth Olsen is the unsung MVP of this film tbh) and snaps his completed Infinity Gauntlet, I still gasped. In fact the whole theater did as a collective, as half the Avengers turned into dust. The most affecting vanishing being Spider-Man’s desperate “I don’t want to go” as he fades away in Tony Stark’s arms. It’s a superhero movie, and they failed. How often do you see that?
6. Live-Aid, “Bohemian Rhapsody
There’s a point where Freddie Mercury, reunited with his band, commits to giving such an epic performance that he’ll punch a hole in the roof of the stadium at Live-Aid. When one of his bandmates notes that it has no roof, Mercury defiantly replies: “then we’ll punch a hole in the sky.” It’s this reframing of a concert, a pop culture moment, that we all know, that elevates Bohemian Rhapsody in its final act. No longer is it just a great concert. It’s a dying man literally comes to life before your eyes. There’s a virus inside him that he knows will kill him. But for this one moment in time, he is nothing but life. It pounds out through his fingers, soars through his vocal chords, and ripples into the audience. It’s electricity. He is literally punching the sky, saying “I am here.”
5. Saying Goodbye, “Leave No Trace”
One of the greatest personal joys of this awards season was having the opportunity to interview both Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie about “Leave No Trace.” These two performances are unparalleled in my opinion. Their chemistry so familial that it seems almost impossible that they aren’t father and daughter. And no moment encapsulates it better than their final moment together. They both know they can no longer stay with each other. Tom must work up the courage to leave her Dad behind, the only constant she’s ever known. And her father knows it’s coming. And how on Earth can one say goodbye to the person who has literally been your world for your entire life? It turns out: not with words. Because the actors perform most of the scene just with their eyes. And you feel every moment of it. Moments like this are as close as we mere mortals get to performing magic. Their goodbye is burned into my brain forever.
4. You Get to Exhale, “Love, Simon”
There are so many reasons to fall in love with “Love, Simon.” But this one scene, where mother comforts her worried son, touches the heart in a lasting way. It’s also a beautiful marriage of writing and performance. I can’t say anything more than what the words already convey so beautifully: “I knew you had a secret. When you were little, you were so carefree. But these last few years, more and more, it almost like I can feel you holding your breath. I wanted to ask you about it, but I didn't want to pry. Maybe I made a mistake...Being gay is your thing. There are parts of it you have to go through alone. I hate that. As soon as you came out, you said, "Mom, I'm still me." I need you to hear this: You are still you, Simon...You get to exhale now, Simon. You get to be more you than you have been in... in a very long time. You deserve everything you want.” Someday Jennifer Garner will get an Oscar nomination and I’ll point to this moment and say “what took so long!”
3. Doppelganger Dance, “Annihilation”
Alex Garland's "Annihilation" is a trippy dream-land. But nothing can quite prepare you for Lena's final showdown. From the moment she stares into the singularity, the movie enters into the realm of bizzarely beautiful. I'm not even sure how to describe Lena's confrontation with her metallic doppelganger. Is it a confrontation? Is it a dance? Is it violent or peaceful? Lena appears to ask these same questions as the faceless being mimics her every move. They become locked in a dizzy display, unable to escape each other or the room they're in. The music swells with warped sounding electronica, an alien soundscape. The scene almost exists outside of time and feels as though it may never end. How long have we been here anyway? And what happened when Lena blacks out? "Annihilation" asks too many questions to elaborate on here. But the image of Natalie Portman locked in an eternal dance battle is one of the most haunting visual and aural experiences of the year.
2. That Ending, “BlacKkKlansman”
Spike Lee had a tremendous task before him with ‘BlacKkKlansman.’ The tone morphs from serious to stylized comedy and back, balancing on the edge of a knife the entire time. His biggest coup in this regard is the ending. As Ron and Patrice aim their weapons at a suspected threat outside their door. The camera pans back as the two float down the hallway. The shot segues into the world of today. The horror that descended on Charlottesville. The “both sides” argument the president made. The young Heather Heyer who lost her life protesting voices of evil. “Enjoy the movie?” Spike seems to say, “Well this is still the world. What are you going to do about it?
1. Shallow, “A Star is Born”
I was so worried after seeing the first trailer for “A Star is Born.” Lady Gaga seemed so electric while singing Shallow. I got goosebumps. But I wondered: “Did they just give away the best part of the movie?” The answer was: yes, they did. But it remains so well executed, that the early reveal didn’t diminish its impact one bit. It encapsulates the entirety of the story in one moment. Ally mustering the courage to step out on stage. Timid at first. She can’t believe her lyrics are being sung by this famous legend. But then, she digs down, closes her eyes, and pushes the doubts from her head. When she opens her eyes, she is different and more confident. And she unleashes her voice as she hits the infamous riff, right before the bridge. There aren’t words, just vowels, but in them are the emotions she has been denied to express for years. It’s the moment you go to the movies for.
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