I am speechless.

And no previous show or film I’ve reviewed this year has managed to leave me speechless.

The culmination of every movie, every one-shot, every episode of every television show is here. Thank you, Marvel Studios and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

The darkest hour of the MCU has arrived, and it is beautiful.

There is so much to discuss, but in order to avoid spoiling the experience I’ll keep things brief. “Infinity War” is an epic free-for-all conglomerate of the characters and locations we know and love, with new concepts, villains, and settings seamlessly woven in. Every story arc, from every individual franchise, has all been a setup for this film. All roads have led to this moment.

The best advice I can give to any prospective audience member is forget everything you think you know about this movie. Don’t believe anything you’ve heard, even if the directors (the Russo brothers) themselves said it. To those who have already witnessed it, all I can say is that Thanos demands your silence. Do NOT spoil the movie for anyone.

“Avengers: Infinity War” features the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy facing off against Thanos, the most powerful being in the known universe, as he attempts to amass unlimited power. This movie has the greatest opening weekend box office of all time, both domestically and internationally. The hype surrounding this film is not in any way misplaced.

The third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was characterized primarily by record-setting blockbusters that featured colorful, eye-catching sequences, new characters and concepts, and some of the saddest moments in the entire MCU. “Infinity War” continues all of these trends in a wildly successful, absolutely heartbreaking, totally enthralling visual and auditory experience.

The Russo Brothers proved that they could handle a Titan-sized superhero cast when they directed “Civil War” in 2016, but the cast of “Infinity War” was another beast entirely. Just about every Avenger and the entire Guardians of the Galaxy crew show up to face Thanos. Fortunately, the Russo brothers handle the immense cast expertly by balancing several different simultaneous plot lines through the film.

Juggling separate groups would have resulted in an erratic, awkward movie experience for a lesser directing team, but in “Infinity War” this works to the film’s advantage. By transitioning between the various plot lines, the movie maintains its momentum for the entire two hour and forty minute runtime.

The various members of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy go through a brutally tragic (yet still sometimes hilarious) journey as they try to stop Thanos from gathering the Infinity Stones, the most powerful artifacts in existence.

The fans who have watched and re-watched the movies within the MCU may think they know Thanos already, but “Infinity War” changes everything. His character is easily the most intimidating and relentless villain ever seen on screen, but he is also emotionally intricate and, in some ways, sensitive.

The brief appearance of the Mad Titan in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” where he threatens Ronan, depicted him as a ruthless killer, but the Thanos of “Infinity War” is more than just a genocidal maniac. Thanos as a character is fully realized, and his own motivations for wanting to wipe out half of the universe are clear. If this isn’t an Avengers movie, “Infinity War” is definitely a Thanos movie. His personal journey through this film earns him a seat amongst the greatest villains of all time.

Audiences had briefly seen Thanos before in end credit scenes and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but the Black Order, Thanos’ personal henchmen, are introduced for the first time in “Infinity War.” Their power rivals that of even the strongest Avengers, so they provide the movie a wide variety of thrilling action sequences as they face Earth’s mightiest heroes.

“Infinity War” was the most devastatingly perfect capstone for Marvel’s decade-long journey I could have imagined. Although I can admit this was mostly due to my pre-existing investment in the characters, this film was perfect in my eyes. It was an emotional journey that left me in tears. Do not hesitate to witness this masterpiece for yourself.