The most talked-about movies of 2018, so far

It's been a busy year for fans of sci-fi, fantasy and superhero flicks, with geeky sequels and series blowing away viewers and box office records. But are those the movies that've set tongues wagging most?

Here're the films with the most user reviews on CNET sister site Metacritic, counted down to the most discussed movie of 2018. Click through the gallery to see the 19 hit flicks that had viewers racing to share their thoughts. 

Fans spread the love for Love, Simon. Based on a hit novel, it's a sparkling story about coming of age, and coming out. 

Wes Anderson's stop-motion fantasy Isle of Dogs had fans talking about the sumptuous visuals, but the film was dogged by criticism for its lack of female characters and problematic approach to the Japanese setting.

The R-rated comedy genre tends to be a tough game in terms of both quality and box office, but Game Night was well-received by viewers for its comic twists and a scene-stealing turn from Jesse Plemons.

People had a lot to say about icy espionage drama Red Sparrow, largely focusing on the repeated indignities inflicted on Jennifer Lawrence's character.

Heist caper Ocean's 8 got people talking, either about the significance of the all-female cast or their fierce style.

A Wrinkle in Time wasn't the hit that Disney might've hoped, but fans loved to talk about the lavish visual effects, the heavyweight supporting cast and the gloriously diverse cast.

Jeff Goldblum and Chris Pratt appear in dino-sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. After an entertainingly strange second half, many fans couldn't wait to discuss the ending that turns the Jurassic Park series upside down.

This noisy and fun, but very silly, sequel had Pacific Rim fans doing the monster mash and praising John Boyega's ultracharming lead.

From the moment it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, viewers couldn't stop talking about how Hereditary was set to be the year's scariest film.

This long-awaited superhero sequel introduced the Incredible clan to a new generation, and fans couldn't stop talking about Elastigirl's increased role in Incredibles 2.

Netflix pulled a fast one when it dropped The Cloverfield Paradox without warning on Super Bowl Sunday, sparking a conversation about the unusual marketing tactic -- anything to distract from the fact the movie is utter tosh.

The popular Lara Croft game had another go-round on the big screen, but this Tomb Raider wasn't actually game-changing.

Another word-of-mouth hit for Netflix, sci-fi novel adaptation Annihilation starred Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson. Most viewers were probably discussing what the heck just happened.

it's ironic that people couldn't stop talking about John Krasinski and Emily Blunt's near-silent thriller A Quiet Place. Just don't talk in the theater when seeing the surprise hit of 2018. 

The Merc with a mouth never shuts up, and neither did fans of zany sequel Deadpool 2. They loved the insane action, X-Men connections and random cameos.

Steven Spielberg's adaptation of best-selling novel Ready Player One is like nerd crack, packed with geeky references from across pop culture.

Much of the chatter around intergalactic origin story Solo was about how the movie underperformed, but the broadly entertaining early days of the Star Wars smuggler still raked in millions of dollars.

Avengers: Infinity War united pretty much all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a crowd-pleasing battle against Thanos, raking in billions of dollars in the process. Fans spent the run-up to the film speculating about who would die, then spent just as much time discussing who hadn't died.

It's a Marvel one-two at the top of the list. The year began with a box office bang as Black Panther exploded into theaters. Fans couldn't get enough of Michael B. Jordan's villainous performance and the thrilling afrofuturism on display, making it Metacritic's most discussed movie of 2018. Wakanda forever!