The year in entertainment, broken down by search keywords.
Danai Gurira attends a special screening of «Black Panther» at the Museum of Modern Art. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
In the spirit of December, Google has released their very own 2018 “listicle,” assorted by raw data, rather than the opinions of a random online commentator (check out the 5 best sci-fi films of 2018 here).
The full page is pretty interesting, displaying the USA’s most-searched terms of 2018, like a crowd-sourced Rorschach test (to be precise, the lists are based on search terms that had the highest spike this year, as compared to the previous year).
Let’s take a look at 2018 in pop culture, according to Google:
Most-Googled Films
1. Black Panther
No surprise here. From opening day, Black Panther exploded into a pop culture juggernaut, a superhero movie that dared to be different. While this was Marvel’s first film led by a mainly African-American cast, the film really owed its success to the depth of the story, as well as the cultural milestone it represented.
Boasting the very best villain in the MCU, an impressive amount of world-building and killer costume design, the film managed to feel less like an origin story and more like the first chapter of a bold new sci-fi franchise.
The central conflict wasn’t a case of good vs. evil, but saw the constraints of tradition clash against the unrelenting pressure of modernity, ending in an intelligent compromise.
2. The Incredibles 2
The Incredibles remains, in my humble opinion, the best superhero film ever made, and the sequel continued the story of super-powered individuals fighting for the freedom to combat crime, with a commentary on shifting gender roles.
Highlights of the film include Elastigirl’s insane action scenes, the sheer insanity of Baby Jack-Jack, and the chronic exhaustion of Mr. Incredible.
3. Deadpool 2
The original Deadpool changed how we perceive superhero films, by introducing R-rated comedy into the genre, and the sequel far exceeds the original.
A bigger budget allowed this story to go all out and parody superhero tropes, including a standout scene of a star-studded team-up that ends in hilarious, blood-soaked tragedy.
4. Avengers: Infinity War
I’m kind of surprised this one is so far down in the list; at one point, it felt as though everyone on the internet was feverishly discussing the 50% extinction of the MCU; on the other hand, it was an extremely competitive year for superhero films.
But big bad Thanos really managed to stand out, not just because of his unrivaled body count, but his weirdly compelling presence; he was the most interesting character in a film jam-packed with beloved superheroes.
5. A Quiet Place
This sci-fi/horror really stood out, not simply because of the interesting concept, but the masterful execution. The tension was ridiculously high during my screening of the film; the audience was too scared to sip sodas and open bags of chips, which made it one of the most pleasurable cinema experiences imaginable.
