In compiling the following list of favorite/best films of 2018, one question kept popping up in my mind: What is a progressive movie? Forgetting political distinction, I mean, what would qualify as progressive cinema, and why? I shared this on social media, and really only got one response: The Deer Hunter. Of course, it’s a Vietnam War picture with crystal clear reservations about that conflict, but, minus politics, what else does it have? Or rather, are politics mostly what any movie has?
Perhaps the vast majority of films are progressive by default, with the collective goal of driving empathy and being emotionally resonant and being a medium literally and figuratively of forward motion. Perhaps all films are political, being of the time and place they were made. How about I ask: What were the most progressive cinema (movie watching) experiences/feelings I had this past year?
Beyond presentation quality, what movies made me feel the most, good or bad, and made a heavy impression on me? What stories made me consider my own place and arc in the universe?
Better yet, what films were unapologetically and uniquely progressive? The following movies (and hyperlinked reviews) speak for themselves, and we encourage all to seek these out in a hurry:
- Shirkers
- They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead
- A Wrinkle in Time
Bill Arceneaux is the lead content writer for Big Easy Magazine. In addition to this, he has been an independent writer and film critic in the New Orleans area since 2011, working with outlets like Film Threat, DIG Baton Rouge, Crosstown Conversations, and Occupy. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and is Rotten Tomatoes approved. Be sure to check out his film reviews and other articles here.
