The onslaught of best-of-the-year lists from guilds and critics groups have only just begun, but one of the few of genuine interest each year comes from a single person: the wonderfully eccentric director John Waters, whose eclectic tastes always includes a mix of the unexpected and underseen.
Topping his list this year is Gaspar Noé’s drug-fueled dance freak-out Climax. Also on his list is Bruno Dumont’s sequel to Waters’ #1 film of 2017, Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc, as well as the latest films from Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodóvar. As he already revealed, his love for Joker is present as is Penny Lane’s documentary on the Satanic Temple and Fatih Akin’s virtually universally reviled serial killer drama The Golden Glove. Curiously, the enchanting off-kilter fairy tale Border made the list, even though it came out last year.
Check out the list below courtesy of Art Forum, who also share Waters’ comments on each pick at their site.
1. Climax (Gaspar Noé)
2. Joan of Arc (Bruno Dumont)
3. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)
4. Border (Ali Abbasi)
5. Amazing Grace (Alan Elliott and Sidney Lumet)
6. Hail Satan? (Penny Lane)
7. Pain & Glory (Pedro Almodóvar)
8. The Golden Glove (Fatih Akin)
9. The Souvenir (Joanna Hogg)
10. Joker (Todd Phillips)