Well, it's nearly the end of January and you all know what that means; I'm late posting my top lists of the year! And as a handful of people often say, it's better late than never.
Here I'll be listing my top 20 favourite films of 2015. These are films that blew me away or just had an insane amount rewatchability, Halfway through the year I thought I'd have the same top 10 by the end but some of it drastically changed as more and more high quality films were being churned out. Some honourable mentions I'd like to include are; Crimson Peak, A Most Violent Year, Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation, Selma, Predestination, Foxcatcher & Deathgasm. All of those are definitely worth seeking out on top of all of these! Anyway, without further adieu, the top 20 best films of 2015.
20. Love & Mercy - Dir. Bill Pohlad
Kicking off this list with a semi-biographical film comprised of two interwoven stories, both revolving around the iconic Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. He's played by both Paul Dano and John Cusack respectively; Dano during the 1960s and Cusack during the 1980s. It was a risky choice to have Cusack as he generally looks nothing like Wilson but there was maybe a year or two in his career where he did so he kinda fit. The 60s portion focuses on the creation of The Beach Boys masterpiece, Pet Sounds while the 80s focuses on his chronic personality disorder and the heinous mental abuse inflicted on him by his therapist (wonderfully played by the ever reliable, Paul Giamatti) as well as the blossoming romance between himself and the manager of a car dealership (Elizabeth Banks).
It's a brilliantly executed story that shifts between the two timelines frequently. The strongest of the two is the 60s where you get an insanely realistic look at how he created the album. Paul Dano is at his best since There Will Be Blood here, he completely embodied everything about Wilson. It almost has a documentary feel to it and it shows the start of his eventual mental issues. The 80s segment has some weak moments of narrative convenience that irked me a bit but it's all held together so well that it definitely deserves it's place in the top 20. If you're already a Beach Boys fan, then this is a must see; if you're not, you will be after this!
19. The Gift - Dir. Joel Edgerton
Even though I've only seen a a handful of Joel Edgerton's performances, I've enjoyed basically all of them (The Thing prequel never happened) - So I was particularly excited to see what he could do behind the camera in his directorial debut. This was a major surprise for me; directing, writing and starring opposite Jason Bateman in one of the year's most tense thrillers. A young wealthy couple, Simon & Robyn (Jason Bateman & Rebecca Hall) are shopping for household items when they encounter an old acquaintance of Simon's from school, the unnerving Gordo. They have the usual awkward small talk and agree to dinner which sets in motion a chain of unsettling and intimidating behavior from Gordo who constantly leaves gifts at their doorstep and appears to have a type of obsession with Robyn. Skeleton's begin to fall out of the closet as a moment from his and Simon's past comes back to haunt them.
It's a hugely original and gripping thriller with some top notch performances from all involved and allows for Bateman to deliver a side to him that is virtually unseen in his usual hopeless father type roles he's constantly taking. Trust me when I say I've left that description fairly unclear as the events in the film are just crazy. Essential viewing!
18. Bridge of Spies - Dir. Steven Spielberg
One of cinema's all time greatest director's, Steven Spielberg is back on top form with this truly adult and mature film... not in an explicit French romance film way but in a film that's actually made for adults and thinkers alike! Not to sound pretentious or anything as that's something I loathe, but it's not often you get a film that is entirely driven by dialogue and exceptional acting & writing and it not be a little bit dull or boring. Tarantino usually lightens up his films (even though the dialogue alone does it) with heaps of action and hilarious set pieces. But this has you fucking riveted just from the words and nothing more. It's unsurprising really that it's so well written given the fact the legendary Coen Brothers wrote it. Set in 1957 during the cold war, it follows a real life lawyer, James B. Donavan (Tom Hanks) who is set to defend Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) in a mandatory trial. James is expected by co-workers and countrymen alike to just allow his client to lose but instead does his job to the fullest of his capabilities to allow for a fair trial as well as a method of exchange for an American pilot who was captured by the Soviets.
By the end of the opening scene, you know you can just sit back and relax cause you're in the hands of an absolute professional. It's almost entirely wordless and has you on the edge of the seat and shows off everything that makes Spielberg great. By the 10 minute mark you get an introduction to the grade A Coen brothers dialogue and you know you're into something truly great. Tom Hanks is always superb and himself and Mark Rylance have the most realistic and inspiring mutual respect for each other throughout that makes the film so rewarding. This is a great weekend film to watch if it's absolutely dogshit outside and you just want to order food and throw on a good, long film. Thomas Newman also provides one of my favourite scores of the year too.
17. Kingsman: The Secret Service - Dir. Matthew Vaughn
This is on the total opposite end of the spy movie spectrum compared to Bridge of Spies. The Kingsmen are an elite spy organisation that specialise in manners, respect, high end suits and ruthless violence to get any mission done successfully. After the death of a comrade on a mission in the middle east, Harry Hart AKA. Galahad (Colin Firth) is sent to deliver the bad news to the widow and her son, Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (Taron Egerton). He promises Eggsy that if ever needed, he will be well looked after by the Kingsmen. It's not until 17 years later that their services are called upon to get him out of a bind with police after a joy riding incident; but luckily for him, he's the perfect candidate for a transformation from lowlife thug, to a Kingsman. Which comes at the ideal time as there is a global threat coming at the hands of an evil tech-mastermind known as Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).
Kingsman is without a doubt some of the most fun shit you're likely to cram into your eyeballs from last year. From the top notch comedic dialogue, to the high quality action, to the extreme and merciless violence to the top quality soundtrack of classic rock goodness; This film has it all! It's rare I enjoy films that are so CGI heavy but this is done wonderfully well. It has without a doubt one of the year's best scenes (pictured above) and is fun from start to finish of it's over 2hr run time. If you enjoyed Kick-Ass (Also directed by Matthew Vaughn) and you're a fan of old school Bond films that were more about gadgets and suave one-liners instead of brutally smashing heads into urinals, then this is the perfect film for you. Sadly the blu ray artwork is atrocious so if you can find a better one online, I'd highly recommend doing so.
16. Hyena - Dir. Gerard Johnson
If there was an award for the most dark, brutal and uncompromising film of 2015, this would win it without question. Drenched in neon style and set in the gritty realistic streets of London, Michael (Peter Ferdinando) is the leader of a task force assigned to take down drug traffickers and he's as corrupt as they come. Him and his team are bonded by their loyalty to each other and regularly take cuts of drug money and/or the drugs themselves. When a ruthless pair of Albanian brothers (both look like Colin Farrell) come in to take over the drug trade and human trafficking business; things begin to get worse for him as his loyalties are tested to the extreme.
It's no surprise that Nicolas Winding Refn is a massive supporter of this film as it echoes his style in both his modern and older films, especially Pusher. There's no comfort given to you in this film at all, you're constantly on edge, repulsed by the extreme violence and angered deplorable people; but you'll be captivated from start to finish. The final act will leave your heart racing for sure. Ferdinando is on top form here, he worked with Gerard Johnson on a miniscule budget horror/drama called Tony which was terrific. There's bigger things ahead of both of them. It's also great to see Stephen Graham going for lower budget stuff again and supporting more up and coming filmmakers. This is as raw and bleak as they come so be warned when watching! If you loved Ben Wheatley's masterpiece, Kill List, Refn's Pusher and Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant, then this film will tick all of the right boxes for you. Uncomfortable but highly rewarding stuff. Sadly it was only released on DVD here with the worst cover ever so it'd be wise to buy online to get a blu ray with decent artwork!
15. Slow West - Dir. John Maclean
The first of two westerns on my list, before you say to yourself "I bet the other is The Hateful Eight" I'll stop you and say it's not; not that I didn't absolutely adore that, but it was released in Ireland in 2016 so it won't be in my list until 2017! Had I seen it at a premiere or if it was released via VOD, it would have been included but alas, no.
Anyway, this oddball western love-story came out of nowhere really. There wasn't much attention given to it other than a small spread in a few movie magazines just saying how Fassbender was working on a western. Before I knew it, it was in cinemas! A teenager from Scotland, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is travelling through America in search of the woman he loves who is currently on the run with her father. On his travels he meets dangerous outlaw, Silas Sellick (Michael Fassbender) who is willing to guide him through the dangerous wild west of America for a fee on arrival.
Channeling some of the quirky charm you'd see from the Coen Brothers and a striking colour pallet akin to what you'd see from the more vivid scenes of Mad Max: Fury Road, this became one of the more delightful and at times, downbeat films of the year. The cinematography is fantastic and it looks especially good on the unusual 1.66: 1 format. Ben Mendelsohn is great as the bounty hunting outlaw, Payne, sporting a mammoth sized fur coat. We're in an age now where westerns are packed to the brim with grit and grime and muted colour tones like someone smeared their arse across your eyes, so it's refreshing to see something that's actually got some colour and vibrancy to it! Top quality independent western.
14. Ex Machina - Dir. Alex Garland
A reclusive billionaire genius, Nathan (Oscar Isaac) hires young computer programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) to help him in a groundbreaking science experiment in artificial intelligence. His job is to analyse female A.I. in a beautiful robot girl, Ava (Alicia Vikander). As the evaluations go on, she begins to suggest that Nathan is not what he seems and should not be trusted; all the while Nathan suggests that Ava shouldn't be trusted and is manipulating him. Caleb must find out whose telling the truth.
Stark, frightening and unnerving all the way through. Oscar Isaac is fantastic and hasn't yet disappointed me at all in his career, which has boomed since Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis. Gleeson's career has also taken off majorly. He's in some of the biggest current features such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Revenant. Good to see a deserving Irish actor make it big! This is stomach churningly tense one minute and light and playful the next; there's always a sense of uncertainty and dread. Brilliant acting and a terrifyingly possible look at the future. Feels almost like a feature length Black Mirror episode.
13. The Martian - Dir. Ridley Scott
While on a mission on Mars, astronaut, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is separated from his team during a massive storm which led them to believe he had died when in fact he was still alive and left alone on the planet. He must use his cunning expertise in botany to grow food and try keep himself alive long enough to contact Earth and arrange for a rescue mission.
Ridley Scott nails outer space yet again with this sci-fi adventure drama... yep, that's what it is. It might be very funny in parts, but it's a fucking sci-fi drama. The Globes calling it comedy as a sneaky way of getting it some awards is a load of bollocks. Sneaky awards guff aside, this is a wildly entertaining and very science heavy flick. I remember thinking it coulda shaved off a bit of the Earth scenes towards the end but it actually does still work well with it. Damon is terrific and sells it so well. He talks to himself like someone in that situation would, rather than as if he's just doing it so the audience know what he's on about. Great looking, great soundtrack and heaps of fun.
12. The Lobster - Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
In a not so distant future, those who want to live in the city must have a romantic partner; those who are single are sent to a hotel and are given 45 days to find one or else they will be transformed into an animal of their choosing and let loose in the woods. As many people will try to escape, those who hunt them down will be rewarded with extra days to continue their search for a partner.
Not really much else to say with this one as much more would ruin it. Easily the most bizarre film of the year but in the most enjoyable way. Colin Farrell is fantastic in it, he's so robotic and monotonous (intentionally) and his delivery of lines is hilarious. It's also nice to see something so unusual shot less than 10 minutes from my house, as the whole thing was shot in Ireland. It's this country the way it's never been seen before! And hopefully won't be seen... Plenty of familiar faces throughout such as John C. Reilly, Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw and Angeliki Papoulia who in Lanthimos' Oscar nominated gem, Dogtooth. And similar to that, this has moments of great comedy that are instantly shut down by really jarring and horribly realistic violence, perhaps less so in this. It's an unusual, grim and quirky film but in all the best ways.
11. Bone Tomahawk - Dir. S. Craig Zahler
While 2015 wasn't exactly a riveting year for horror films (but wasn't bad either), two of the best managed to make my list, with Crimson Peak just barely missing out.
After a lawman, a prisoner and a doctor (Lili Simmons) are kidnapped from a small town in the wild west; the town sheriff (Kurt Russell), his deputy (Richard Jenkins), the doctor's husband (Patrick Wilson) and a suave gunman (Matthew Fox) go on a mission to rescue the captives from a tribe of violent, cannibalistic savages.
While it's a classic western plot line (basically The Searchers but with extreme violence) it still manages to bring a nice chunk ofhuman meat originality to it. The cinematography is great and not too flashy as something too stylized wouldn't have worked quite as well. Kurt Russell is wearing possibly the mustache of his career. Patrick Wilson is a fantastic actor and I think, very under appreciated. He's class in everything he's in. Richard Jenkins is almost unrecognizable, I originally thought it was Jim Broadbent from the poster. Nice to see him play something a little different to his usual "straight laced guy whose very neurotic" character (Which is still great). It's a nice, long and slow burn but once the violence creeps it's way in, it hits HARD. Possibly one of the most realistically gruesome scenes of the year was featured in this, so much so that even low grade publications were writing about it. It almost has the same tone as the Coen's True Grit. Raw, gripping and rewarding.
10. It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
High school student, Jay (Maika Monroe) finally gets to have sex with the boy of her dreams, but it comes with a price; she is now being slowly pursued by an unknown supernatural being that can take the form of anyone in order to get close to her. Only her and other people who it has followed can see it. The only way to evade it is to have sex with someone else and pass it on and warn them to do the same, but if it catches them and kills them, it will come back for her until she is dead.
While it's basically an allegory for the heightened promiscuity among teenagers and the dangers of STD's, it's also one of the most terrifying and effective horrors in years. Not since The Borderlands have I felt the constant dread and feeling of impending doom that this brought to the table. It's set in a time that almost isn't real, with patches of the modern day as well as 70s and 80s culture. It's also very closely shot to the style of Halloween, it's even in the same locations. It's easily one of the most strongest horror films out there and it unfortunately won't appeal to the brain dead Paranormal Activity generation because it doesn't have jump scares every minute. You're constantly on guard watching it; scanning the screen to see if anyone is coming for her, who might just be a normal person, who might not; you can never relax or feel like you're safe. Beautifully shot, brilliantly scored and genuinely unnerving and scary. The best horror film of 2015.
9. Victoria - Dir. Sebastian Schipper
A young Spanish woman, Victoria (Laia Costa) meets a German man, Sonne (Fredrick Lau) in a Berlin nightclub. He's out with his friends celebrating one of their birthdays and she decides to tag along for a drunken adventure. While the two are constantly flirting back and forth, Sonne's friend Boxer (Frans Rogowski) is forced by a man who gave him protection while in prison, to perform a bank robbery; this drags Victoria into the situation as she now must become an accomplice in the robbery.
What sets this aside from other thrillers isn't the completely believable and realistic blossoming love story that's coursing all the way through, but the fact that this 2hr and 20min film is all shot in one single take. While Birdman was littered with incredible takes up to 13 minutes long and edited together to look as if the film was one, this film did it for real. It made the experience far more gripping, like you were actually out with these people watching their night progress in real time. The relationship that builds is far more genuine this way and the moments of tension have you screaming at the screen. Absolutely astonishing film-making and that's not just down to the camera work, everything in the film was truly stellar.
8. Dope - Dir. Rick Famuyiwa
Malcolm, (Shameik Moore) a young teenage geek with an obsession for old school 80s & 90s hip-hop (A man after my own heart) likes to do nothing but listen to classic rap music and play in a punk band with his two best friends Jib (Tony Revelori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons). After him and his friends manage to get into a big undergroud party thanks to local drug dealer Dom (A$AP Rocky). Malcolm ends up in possession of several kilos of Dom's cocaine, leading him and his friends on a hectic chase around L.A. avoiding drug dealers and trying to move the product.
If I was asked what 2015's biggest surprise was, it'd DEFINITELY be this. This had such an old school comedy feel to it while still bringing the modern edge. It's almost like Pineapple Express but with teenagers and weirdly more realistic. The pace of this film is Ferrari speed and it's consistently hilarious all the way through and has some premium quality music from the likes of Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Onyx, Korn and more! I went in expecting it to be a more quirky, indie affair, much like the terrific Me And Earl And The Dying Girl but instead I got a genuine crude and clever comedy. I do have one massive gripe with the film though, but it doesn't spoil everything else about it; the final line of the film doesn't suit at all and was put in like it was trying to send a message that the film wasn't in any way pointing to and it fell completely flat leading to several groans in the cinema. But other than that, this is tremendous!
7. Inside Out - Dir. Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen
Every year Pixar bring out an original animated film and it blows everyone away! In 2015, it brought out what some have considered to be, it's first true flop with the lowest worldwide box office intake... The Good Dinosaur. Luckily for them, they also released Inside Out, which had their third highest box office intake as well as one of their most popular films.
When a young girl, Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and her parents suddenly move to San Fransisco, the emotions inside her brain; Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) & Disgust (Mindy Kaling) all conflict while trying to help her adjust to a new life away from the comfort of her old home.
That's probably the only way to describe it without going into too much detail! This film perfectly captures the inner workings of a young teenager's mind as they start to grow up and lose control of their emotions. It's easily one of Pixar's most intelligent, relatable and heart-wrenching films while being thoroughly enjoyable and fun. The vast majority takes place in her head but the parts that take place in reality are just as involving. The animation as usual is outstanding and it's no surprise that it's regarded as one of Pixar's finest works. An entertaining and important watch for everyone young and old.
6. Sicario - Dir. Denis Villeneuve
A high ranking FBI agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to eliminate a drug cartel that is responsible for the death of her team members following a drug bust. The mission is lead by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) with the assistance of a shady and dangerous man, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). Kate believes that Matt and Alejandro have ulterior motives.
One of the great marvels of the year, so intense you'd bite past your nails and remove your fucking fingers with each bite. I knew Villenueve would follow up Enemy and Prisoners with something just as strong and intense and he did not disappoint. This has some of the best action set pieces I've seen in a long time, each building in tension til you can't take it any longer and each one has a climax that leaves you suitably drained. Del Toro is more intimidating than he's ever been and Emily Blunt is potentially at her career best. While it's more than likely (and totally fair) that Emmanuel Lubezki will win the Oscar for best cinematography for The Revenant, it would be amazing and deserved if Roger Deakins was to win for this. The visuals are absolutely incredible, especially in the third act of the film; numerous times throughout I was shaking my head in disbelief at how he made it look so good. An absolutely top tier cartel crime thriller.
5. Straight Outta Compton - Dir. F. Gary Gray
A biopic chronicling the events of the genre defining hip-hop group, N.W.A following their small beginnings, rise to ultimate fame, controversies, shading dealings with their band manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and internal feuds over several years told primarily from the perspectives of Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell).
Not many musical biopics are this exciting and entertaining; perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the time you're plunged into L,A, in the late 80s and early 90s and you 100% believe that you're there. The look, the music, the wardrobe and the general feel is as old school as they come. I've always been a big fan of N.W.A but there's a lot of their history I was unfamiliar with, mainly to do with the insane controversies and the threats from the FBI. It was incredible to see a fairly accurate dramatization of all of these events. While there is some flair thrown in for cinematic purposes, it all works incredible well and stays mostly true to the real story. The entire cast perfectly emulated the group; O'Shea Jackson Jr. has an obvious natural ability to play Ice Cube as he is his real life son, but Jason Mitchell really went above and beyond to become Eazy-E - it's as if he was reanimated at times when watching. I have yet to watch the director's cut that runs 10 minutes shy of 3 hours, but I'm definitely excited. It's essential viewing for anybody. The older generation get to remember the events and get an inside look, the younger generation get a lesson in the history of hip-hop. Even people who aren't necessarily a fan of the genre will find plenty to love about this story. Truly special stuff.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road - Dir. George Miller
I don't think I've seen a single best of list where this hasn't found it's way into the top 10. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a soldier who ranks high in the command of the evil tyrannical leader of a post-apocalyptic Australia, Immortan Joe, (Hugh Keays-Burn) rebels against him in a bid to rescue a group of female prisoners and bring them to safety in her homeland. While being pursued, she is paired up with a somewhat feral desert warrior, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and a deranged follower of Immortan Joe, Nux (Nicolas Hoult). They must fight off waves of psychotic soldiers and Immortan Joe himself as he chases them down through the desert to reclaim his wives.
There's literally no build up in this film; the second is starts it's an onslaught of chaos, explosions, violence, car chases and more mayhem. What makes this so exhilarating to watch is the fact that about 90% of what you're seeing is happening for real. CGI was only used when really necessary and even then there was a lot of practical going on. While it's mostly focused on Furiosa and her mission, Max is still the driving force behind it all. Tom Hardy does a great job as a more unhinged, grizzled version of Max. Theron was outstanding as Furiosa too. The stunts and choreography are better than anything you'll see this year. It's just a barrage of fire and dirt from start to finish and it's never boring! The cinematography on top of that is excellent and even emulates some of the stylistic bits of the original trilogy. This is no question one of the best films of the year and definitely the best action film. I'm excited for more if there is more coming!
3. Birdman - Dir. Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu
While I mentioned above about how Victoria was legitimately shot all in one take and how this was done with a series of hidden edits, the reason this ranks higher is because it's an absolutely exceptional film, more-so than Victoria, thought entirely different, bar it's style. Actor Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) whose biggest claim to fame is playing the superhero Birdman in a film back in the 90s desperately tries to be taken as a serious actor. To do that he decides to write, direct and star in his own broadway play; an adaptation of Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. We get a look into the madness behind the scenes, the difficulty in creating and casting the play as well as his failed marriage and attempts at reconnecting with his daughter.
Does the plot of this sound kinda familiar to you? Well that's because it's basically about Michael Keaton himself! He's pretty much only known as Batman but now he's since moved away from that and is now Birdman... This was clearly a very personal film to him and you can see he's giving his all throughout and it's fantastic. It's choreographed to perfection and done so with great difficulty. Where Victoria allows for lots of improvisation, this was very carefully planned and had to be done exactly write to get the seamless effect. Ed Norton and Zach Galifanakis are great in this but Emma Stone is one of the biggest scene stealers of the whole film. It's the kind of film that could easily have been done in a conventional way but by doing it in such a stylistic manner really throws you into the story and makes you feel like you're there. It really goes to show the talent that Innaritu has; I've always been a fan of his since Amores Perros, but the fact he made this just as something to do while Leo DiCaprio was working on The Wolf of Wall Street is a testament to just how talented he is. A fantastic film and deserving of the best picture Oscar. It's a real shame that Keaton didn't bag the best actor award but Eddie Redmayne was great too. A tough choice for sure.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Dir. J.J. Abrams
30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, a new and more dangerous threat arises, The First Order; lead by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), he attempts to recreate the legacy of darkness left behind by Darth Vader. It's up to an expert space pilot, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), a lone scavenger, Rey (Daisy Ridley), a rogue Stormtrooper, Finn (John Boyega) and the legendary smugglers, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, to take down The First Order and try to locate Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who has gone missing.
I spent as much time as I could not letting myself get excited for this. But about a week before it's release, I could barely contain myself. I felt like a kid again when I was excited for The Phantom Menace. I was naive back then though and couldn't see what a bag of horse shit it was, so now in my older age, I was harvesting a very, VERY small bit of doubt as to whether or not this would be as amazing as it was - my doubts were ultimately shattered. The night before I watched the original (only) trilogy and then I went straight into this and I have to say, I was extremely emotionally invested. It was definitely one of the most exciting cinema experiences of my life, I felt like everyone else must have felt when they saw the originals for the first time. It was truly something special. But all of that fan-boy shit aside, it's an incredible film. It captured the essence of the original trilogy perfectly and it truly belongs with them. It does have it's hiccups and it is overly similar to A New Hope, but did that bother me? Not in the fucking slightest. It was nostalgic, thrilling, funny and most of all, respectful to the universe it belongs to. You could watch this along with the originals and feel like it should be there. Superb.
1. Whiplash - Dir. Damien Chazelle
Now after that blistering, arse-licking review of The Force Awakens above, you're probably wondering why it's in the number 2 spot? Surely it's the most exciting film I've seen all year? Well, you're right, it is. But it's not the best film I've seen. I went in expecting to love it (even with the minor, MINOR doubts) and I got what I expected. But for Whiplash, this blew me away on a totally different level.
Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an aspiring jazz drummer with incredible talent who wants to make it as a legend in the music industry. He joins a prestigious music academy and is mentored by the most respected professor at the school, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a visceral, mean and abusive teacher who will stop at nothing to get the absolute best from his students, even if it leaves them with severe emotional damage. Andrew must go above and beyond the win the approval of the venomous Fletcher.
I went to this expecting to see a great flick and nothing more and came out my my jaw dangling between my knees. One of the most explosive films I've ever seen, It has the same gut-wrenching intensity that a thriller would have but it's all about respect and jazz music. Who'd a' thunk it? J.K. Simmons unsurprisingly bagged the Oscar for best supporting actor for this rage-filled performance and it deservedly took home the Oscar for best editing due to the mind blowing frenetic work that was done on editing this masterpiece together, It also has one of the best finales to a film you're ever likely to see. It blew me through the wall. Not only do I have more appreciation for jazz drumming, but I have immense respect for Miles Teller, who did all of the drumming himself in the film. It's a truly one of a kind experience and a rather foul-mouthed one at that.
Here I'll be listing my top 20 favourite films of 2015. These are films that blew me away or just had an insane amount rewatchability, Halfway through the year I thought I'd have the same top 10 by the end but some of it drastically changed as more and more high quality films were being churned out. Some honourable mentions I'd like to include are; Crimson Peak, A Most Violent Year, Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation, Selma, Predestination, Foxcatcher & Deathgasm. All of those are definitely worth seeking out on top of all of these! Anyway, without further adieu, the top 20 best films of 2015.
20. Love & Mercy - Dir. Bill Pohlad
Kicking off this list with a semi-biographical film comprised of two interwoven stories, both revolving around the iconic Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. He's played by both Paul Dano and John Cusack respectively; Dano during the 1960s and Cusack during the 1980s. It was a risky choice to have Cusack as he generally looks nothing like Wilson but there was maybe a year or two in his career where he did so he kinda fit. The 60s portion focuses on the creation of The Beach Boys masterpiece, Pet Sounds while the 80s focuses on his chronic personality disorder and the heinous mental abuse inflicted on him by his therapist (wonderfully played by the ever reliable, Paul Giamatti) as well as the blossoming romance between himself and the manager of a car dealership (Elizabeth Banks).
It's a brilliantly executed story that shifts between the two timelines frequently. The strongest of the two is the 60s where you get an insanely realistic look at how he created the album. Paul Dano is at his best since There Will Be Blood here, he completely embodied everything about Wilson. It almost has a documentary feel to it and it shows the start of his eventual mental issues. The 80s segment has some weak moments of narrative convenience that irked me a bit but it's all held together so well that it definitely deserves it's place in the top 20. If you're already a Beach Boys fan, then this is a must see; if you're not, you will be after this!
19. The Gift - Dir. Joel Edgerton
Even though I've only seen a a handful of Joel Edgerton's performances, I've enjoyed basically all of them (The Thing prequel never happened) - So I was particularly excited to see what he could do behind the camera in his directorial debut. This was a major surprise for me; directing, writing and starring opposite Jason Bateman in one of the year's most tense thrillers. A young wealthy couple, Simon & Robyn (Jason Bateman & Rebecca Hall) are shopping for household items when they encounter an old acquaintance of Simon's from school, the unnerving Gordo. They have the usual awkward small talk and agree to dinner which sets in motion a chain of unsettling and intimidating behavior from Gordo who constantly leaves gifts at their doorstep and appears to have a type of obsession with Robyn. Skeleton's begin to fall out of the closet as a moment from his and Simon's past comes back to haunt them.
It's a hugely original and gripping thriller with some top notch performances from all involved and allows for Bateman to deliver a side to him that is virtually unseen in his usual hopeless father type roles he's constantly taking. Trust me when I say I've left that description fairly unclear as the events in the film are just crazy. Essential viewing!
18. Bridge of Spies - Dir. Steven Spielberg
One of cinema's all time greatest director's, Steven Spielberg is back on top form with this truly adult and mature film... not in an explicit French romance film way but in a film that's actually made for adults and thinkers alike! Not to sound pretentious or anything as that's something I loathe, but it's not often you get a film that is entirely driven by dialogue and exceptional acting & writing and it not be a little bit dull or boring. Tarantino usually lightens up his films (even though the dialogue alone does it) with heaps of action and hilarious set pieces. But this has you fucking riveted just from the words and nothing more. It's unsurprising really that it's so well written given the fact the legendary Coen Brothers wrote it. Set in 1957 during the cold war, it follows a real life lawyer, James B. Donavan (Tom Hanks) who is set to defend Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) in a mandatory trial. James is expected by co-workers and countrymen alike to just allow his client to lose but instead does his job to the fullest of his capabilities to allow for a fair trial as well as a method of exchange for an American pilot who was captured by the Soviets.
By the end of the opening scene, you know you can just sit back and relax cause you're in the hands of an absolute professional. It's almost entirely wordless and has you on the edge of the seat and shows off everything that makes Spielberg great. By the 10 minute mark you get an introduction to the grade A Coen brothers dialogue and you know you're into something truly great. Tom Hanks is always superb and himself and Mark Rylance have the most realistic and inspiring mutual respect for each other throughout that makes the film so rewarding. This is a great weekend film to watch if it's absolutely dogshit outside and you just want to order food and throw on a good, long film. Thomas Newman also provides one of my favourite scores of the year too.
17. Kingsman: The Secret Service - Dir. Matthew Vaughn
This is on the total opposite end of the spy movie spectrum compared to Bridge of Spies. The Kingsmen are an elite spy organisation that specialise in manners, respect, high end suits and ruthless violence to get any mission done successfully. After the death of a comrade on a mission in the middle east, Harry Hart AKA. Galahad (Colin Firth) is sent to deliver the bad news to the widow and her son, Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (Taron Egerton). He promises Eggsy that if ever needed, he will be well looked after by the Kingsmen. It's not until 17 years later that their services are called upon to get him out of a bind with police after a joy riding incident; but luckily for him, he's the perfect candidate for a transformation from lowlife thug, to a Kingsman. Which comes at the ideal time as there is a global threat coming at the hands of an evil tech-mastermind known as Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).
Kingsman is without a doubt some of the most fun shit you're likely to cram into your eyeballs from last year. From the top notch comedic dialogue, to the high quality action, to the extreme and merciless violence to the top quality soundtrack of classic rock goodness; This film has it all! It's rare I enjoy films that are so CGI heavy but this is done wonderfully well. It has without a doubt one of the year's best scenes (pictured above) and is fun from start to finish of it's over 2hr run time. If you enjoyed Kick-Ass (Also directed by Matthew Vaughn) and you're a fan of old school Bond films that were more about gadgets and suave one-liners instead of brutally smashing heads into urinals, then this is the perfect film for you. Sadly the blu ray artwork is atrocious so if you can find a better one online, I'd highly recommend doing so.
16. Hyena - Dir. Gerard Johnson
If there was an award for the most dark, brutal and uncompromising film of 2015, this would win it without question. Drenched in neon style and set in the gritty realistic streets of London, Michael (Peter Ferdinando) is the leader of a task force assigned to take down drug traffickers and he's as corrupt as they come. Him and his team are bonded by their loyalty to each other and regularly take cuts of drug money and/or the drugs themselves. When a ruthless pair of Albanian brothers (both look like Colin Farrell) come in to take over the drug trade and human trafficking business; things begin to get worse for him as his loyalties are tested to the extreme.
It's no surprise that Nicolas Winding Refn is a massive supporter of this film as it echoes his style in both his modern and older films, especially Pusher. There's no comfort given to you in this film at all, you're constantly on edge, repulsed by the extreme violence and angered deplorable people; but you'll be captivated from start to finish. The final act will leave your heart racing for sure. Ferdinando is on top form here, he worked with Gerard Johnson on a miniscule budget horror/drama called Tony which was terrific. There's bigger things ahead of both of them. It's also great to see Stephen Graham going for lower budget stuff again and supporting more up and coming filmmakers. This is as raw and bleak as they come so be warned when watching! If you loved Ben Wheatley's masterpiece, Kill List, Refn's Pusher and Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant, then this film will tick all of the right boxes for you. Uncomfortable but highly rewarding stuff. Sadly it was only released on DVD here with the worst cover ever so it'd be wise to buy online to get a blu ray with decent artwork!
15. Slow West - Dir. John Maclean
The first of two westerns on my list, before you say to yourself "I bet the other is The Hateful Eight" I'll stop you and say it's not; not that I didn't absolutely adore that, but it was released in Ireland in 2016 so it won't be in my list until 2017! Had I seen it at a premiere or if it was released via VOD, it would have been included but alas, no.
Anyway, this oddball western love-story came out of nowhere really. There wasn't much attention given to it other than a small spread in a few movie magazines just saying how Fassbender was working on a western. Before I knew it, it was in cinemas! A teenager from Scotland, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is travelling through America in search of the woman he loves who is currently on the run with her father. On his travels he meets dangerous outlaw, Silas Sellick (Michael Fassbender) who is willing to guide him through the dangerous wild west of America for a fee on arrival.
Channeling some of the quirky charm you'd see from the Coen Brothers and a striking colour pallet akin to what you'd see from the more vivid scenes of Mad Max: Fury Road, this became one of the more delightful and at times, downbeat films of the year. The cinematography is fantastic and it looks especially good on the unusual 1.66: 1 format. Ben Mendelsohn is great as the bounty hunting outlaw, Payne, sporting a mammoth sized fur coat. We're in an age now where westerns are packed to the brim with grit and grime and muted colour tones like someone smeared their arse across your eyes, so it's refreshing to see something that's actually got some colour and vibrancy to it! Top quality independent western.
14. Ex Machina - Dir. Alex Garland
A reclusive billionaire genius, Nathan (Oscar Isaac) hires young computer programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) to help him in a groundbreaking science experiment in artificial intelligence. His job is to analyse female A.I. in a beautiful robot girl, Ava (Alicia Vikander). As the evaluations go on, she begins to suggest that Nathan is not what he seems and should not be trusted; all the while Nathan suggests that Ava shouldn't be trusted and is manipulating him. Caleb must find out whose telling the truth.
Stark, frightening and unnerving all the way through. Oscar Isaac is fantastic and hasn't yet disappointed me at all in his career, which has boomed since Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis. Gleeson's career has also taken off majorly. He's in some of the biggest current features such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Revenant. Good to see a deserving Irish actor make it big! This is stomach churningly tense one minute and light and playful the next; there's always a sense of uncertainty and dread. Brilliant acting and a terrifyingly possible look at the future. Feels almost like a feature length Black Mirror episode.
13. The Martian - Dir. Ridley Scott
While on a mission on Mars, astronaut, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is separated from his team during a massive storm which led them to believe he had died when in fact he was still alive and left alone on the planet. He must use his cunning expertise in botany to grow food and try keep himself alive long enough to contact Earth and arrange for a rescue mission.
Ridley Scott nails outer space yet again with this sci-fi adventure drama... yep, that's what it is. It might be very funny in parts, but it's a fucking sci-fi drama. The Globes calling it comedy as a sneaky way of getting it some awards is a load of bollocks. Sneaky awards guff aside, this is a wildly entertaining and very science heavy flick. I remember thinking it coulda shaved off a bit of the Earth scenes towards the end but it actually does still work well with it. Damon is terrific and sells it so well. He talks to himself like someone in that situation would, rather than as if he's just doing it so the audience know what he's on about. Great looking, great soundtrack and heaps of fun.
12. The Lobster - Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
In a not so distant future, those who want to live in the city must have a romantic partner; those who are single are sent to a hotel and are given 45 days to find one or else they will be transformed into an animal of their choosing and let loose in the woods. As many people will try to escape, those who hunt them down will be rewarded with extra days to continue their search for a partner.
Not really much else to say with this one as much more would ruin it. Easily the most bizarre film of the year but in the most enjoyable way. Colin Farrell is fantastic in it, he's so robotic and monotonous (intentionally) and his delivery of lines is hilarious. It's also nice to see something so unusual shot less than 10 minutes from my house, as the whole thing was shot in Ireland. It's this country the way it's never been seen before! And hopefully won't be seen... Plenty of familiar faces throughout such as John C. Reilly, Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw and Angeliki Papoulia who in Lanthimos' Oscar nominated gem, Dogtooth. And similar to that, this has moments of great comedy that are instantly shut down by really jarring and horribly realistic violence, perhaps less so in this. It's an unusual, grim and quirky film but in all the best ways.
11. Bone Tomahawk - Dir. S. Craig Zahler
After a lawman, a prisoner and a doctor (Lili Simmons) are kidnapped from a small town in the wild west; the town sheriff (Kurt Russell), his deputy (Richard Jenkins), the doctor's husband (Patrick Wilson) and a suave gunman (Matthew Fox) go on a mission to rescue the captives from a tribe of violent, cannibalistic savages.
While it's a classic western plot line (basically The Searchers but with extreme violence) it still manages to bring a nice chunk of
10. It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
High school student, Jay (Maika Monroe) finally gets to have sex with the boy of her dreams, but it comes with a price; she is now being slowly pursued by an unknown supernatural being that can take the form of anyone in order to get close to her. Only her and other people who it has followed can see it. The only way to evade it is to have sex with someone else and pass it on and warn them to do the same, but if it catches them and kills them, it will come back for her until she is dead.
While it's basically an allegory for the heightened promiscuity among teenagers and the dangers of STD's, it's also one of the most terrifying and effective horrors in years. Not since The Borderlands have I felt the constant dread and feeling of impending doom that this brought to the table. It's set in a time that almost isn't real, with patches of the modern day as well as 70s and 80s culture. It's also very closely shot to the style of Halloween, it's even in the same locations. It's easily one of the most strongest horror films out there and it unfortunately won't appeal to the brain dead Paranormal Activity generation because it doesn't have jump scares every minute. You're constantly on guard watching it; scanning the screen to see if anyone is coming for her, who might just be a normal person, who might not; you can never relax or feel like you're safe. Beautifully shot, brilliantly scored and genuinely unnerving and scary. The best horror film of 2015.
9. Victoria - Dir. Sebastian Schipper
A young Spanish woman, Victoria (Laia Costa) meets a German man, Sonne (Fredrick Lau) in a Berlin nightclub. He's out with his friends celebrating one of their birthdays and she decides to tag along for a drunken adventure. While the two are constantly flirting back and forth, Sonne's friend Boxer (Frans Rogowski) is forced by a man who gave him protection while in prison, to perform a bank robbery; this drags Victoria into the situation as she now must become an accomplice in the robbery.
What sets this aside from other thrillers isn't the completely believable and realistic blossoming love story that's coursing all the way through, but the fact that this 2hr and 20min film is all shot in one single take. While Birdman was littered with incredible takes up to 13 minutes long and edited together to look as if the film was one, this film did it for real. It made the experience far more gripping, like you were actually out with these people watching their night progress in real time. The relationship that builds is far more genuine this way and the moments of tension have you screaming at the screen. Absolutely astonishing film-making and that's not just down to the camera work, everything in the film was truly stellar.
8. Dope - Dir. Rick Famuyiwa
Malcolm, (Shameik Moore) a young teenage geek with an obsession for old school 80s & 90s hip-hop (A man after my own heart) likes to do nothing but listen to classic rap music and play in a punk band with his two best friends Jib (Tony Revelori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons). After him and his friends manage to get into a big undergroud party thanks to local drug dealer Dom (A$AP Rocky). Malcolm ends up in possession of several kilos of Dom's cocaine, leading him and his friends on a hectic chase around L.A. avoiding drug dealers and trying to move the product.
If I was asked what 2015's biggest surprise was, it'd DEFINITELY be this. This had such an old school comedy feel to it while still bringing the modern edge. It's almost like Pineapple Express but with teenagers and weirdly more realistic. The pace of this film is Ferrari speed and it's consistently hilarious all the way through and has some premium quality music from the likes of Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Onyx, Korn and more! I went in expecting it to be a more quirky, indie affair, much like the terrific Me And Earl And The Dying Girl but instead I got a genuine crude and clever comedy. I do have one massive gripe with the film though, but it doesn't spoil everything else about it; the final line of the film doesn't suit at all and was put in like it was trying to send a message that the film wasn't in any way pointing to and it fell completely flat leading to several groans in the cinema. But other than that, this is tremendous!
7. Inside Out - Dir. Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen
Every year Pixar bring out an original animated film and it blows everyone away! In 2015, it brought out what some have considered to be, it's first true flop with the lowest worldwide box office intake... The Good Dinosaur. Luckily for them, they also released Inside Out, which had their third highest box office intake as well as one of their most popular films.
When a young girl, Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and her parents suddenly move to San Fransisco, the emotions inside her brain; Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) & Disgust (Mindy Kaling) all conflict while trying to help her adjust to a new life away from the comfort of her old home.
That's probably the only way to describe it without going into too much detail! This film perfectly captures the inner workings of a young teenager's mind as they start to grow up and lose control of their emotions. It's easily one of Pixar's most intelligent, relatable and heart-wrenching films while being thoroughly enjoyable and fun. The vast majority takes place in her head but the parts that take place in reality are just as involving. The animation as usual is outstanding and it's no surprise that it's regarded as one of Pixar's finest works. An entertaining and important watch for everyone young and old.
6. Sicario - Dir. Denis Villeneuve
A high ranking FBI agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to eliminate a drug cartel that is responsible for the death of her team members following a drug bust. The mission is lead by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) with the assistance of a shady and dangerous man, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). Kate believes that Matt and Alejandro have ulterior motives.
One of the great marvels of the year, so intense you'd bite past your nails and remove your fucking fingers with each bite. I knew Villenueve would follow up Enemy and Prisoners with something just as strong and intense and he did not disappoint. This has some of the best action set pieces I've seen in a long time, each building in tension til you can't take it any longer and each one has a climax that leaves you suitably drained. Del Toro is more intimidating than he's ever been and Emily Blunt is potentially at her career best. While it's more than likely (and totally fair) that Emmanuel Lubezki will win the Oscar for best cinematography for The Revenant, it would be amazing and deserved if Roger Deakins was to win for this. The visuals are absolutely incredible, especially in the third act of the film; numerous times throughout I was shaking my head in disbelief at how he made it look so good. An absolutely top tier cartel crime thriller.
5. Straight Outta Compton - Dir. F. Gary Gray
A biopic chronicling the events of the genre defining hip-hop group, N.W.A following their small beginnings, rise to ultimate fame, controversies, shading dealings with their band manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) and internal feuds over several years told primarily from the perspectives of Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell).
Not many musical biopics are this exciting and entertaining; perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the time you're plunged into L,A, in the late 80s and early 90s and you 100% believe that you're there. The look, the music, the wardrobe and the general feel is as old school as they come. I've always been a big fan of N.W.A but there's a lot of their history I was unfamiliar with, mainly to do with the insane controversies and the threats from the FBI. It was incredible to see a fairly accurate dramatization of all of these events. While there is some flair thrown in for cinematic purposes, it all works incredible well and stays mostly true to the real story. The entire cast perfectly emulated the group; O'Shea Jackson Jr. has an obvious natural ability to play Ice Cube as he is his real life son, but Jason Mitchell really went above and beyond to become Eazy-E - it's as if he was reanimated at times when watching. I have yet to watch the director's cut that runs 10 minutes shy of 3 hours, but I'm definitely excited. It's essential viewing for anybody. The older generation get to remember the events and get an inside look, the younger generation get a lesson in the history of hip-hop. Even people who aren't necessarily a fan of the genre will find plenty to love about this story. Truly special stuff.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road - Dir. George Miller
I don't think I've seen a single best of list where this hasn't found it's way into the top 10. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a soldier who ranks high in the command of the evil tyrannical leader of a post-apocalyptic Australia, Immortan Joe, (Hugh Keays-Burn) rebels against him in a bid to rescue a group of female prisoners and bring them to safety in her homeland. While being pursued, she is paired up with a somewhat feral desert warrior, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and a deranged follower of Immortan Joe, Nux (Nicolas Hoult). They must fight off waves of psychotic soldiers and Immortan Joe himself as he chases them down through the desert to reclaim his wives.
There's literally no build up in this film; the second is starts it's an onslaught of chaos, explosions, violence, car chases and more mayhem. What makes this so exhilarating to watch is the fact that about 90% of what you're seeing is happening for real. CGI was only used when really necessary and even then there was a lot of practical going on. While it's mostly focused on Furiosa and her mission, Max is still the driving force behind it all. Tom Hardy does a great job as a more unhinged, grizzled version of Max. Theron was outstanding as Furiosa too. The stunts and choreography are better than anything you'll see this year. It's just a barrage of fire and dirt from start to finish and it's never boring! The cinematography on top of that is excellent and even emulates some of the stylistic bits of the original trilogy. This is no question one of the best films of the year and definitely the best action film. I'm excited for more if there is more coming!
3. Birdman - Dir. Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu
While I mentioned above about how Victoria was legitimately shot all in one take and how this was done with a series of hidden edits, the reason this ranks higher is because it's an absolutely exceptional film, more-so than Victoria, thought entirely different, bar it's style. Actor Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) whose biggest claim to fame is playing the superhero Birdman in a film back in the 90s desperately tries to be taken as a serious actor. To do that he decides to write, direct and star in his own broadway play; an adaptation of Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. We get a look into the madness behind the scenes, the difficulty in creating and casting the play as well as his failed marriage and attempts at reconnecting with his daughter.
Does the plot of this sound kinda familiar to you? Well that's because it's basically about Michael Keaton himself! He's pretty much only known as Batman but now he's since moved away from that and is now Birdman... This was clearly a very personal film to him and you can see he's giving his all throughout and it's fantastic. It's choreographed to perfection and done so with great difficulty. Where Victoria allows for lots of improvisation, this was very carefully planned and had to be done exactly write to get the seamless effect. Ed Norton and Zach Galifanakis are great in this but Emma Stone is one of the biggest scene stealers of the whole film. It's the kind of film that could easily have been done in a conventional way but by doing it in such a stylistic manner really throws you into the story and makes you feel like you're there. It really goes to show the talent that Innaritu has; I've always been a fan of his since Amores Perros, but the fact he made this just as something to do while Leo DiCaprio was working on The Wolf of Wall Street is a testament to just how talented he is. A fantastic film and deserving of the best picture Oscar. It's a real shame that Keaton didn't bag the best actor award but Eddie Redmayne was great too. A tough choice for sure.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Dir. J.J. Abrams
30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, a new and more dangerous threat arises, The First Order; lead by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), he attempts to recreate the legacy of darkness left behind by Darth Vader. It's up to an expert space pilot, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), a lone scavenger, Rey (Daisy Ridley), a rogue Stormtrooper, Finn (John Boyega) and the legendary smugglers, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, to take down The First Order and try to locate Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who has gone missing.
I spent as much time as I could not letting myself get excited for this. But about a week before it's release, I could barely contain myself. I felt like a kid again when I was excited for The Phantom Menace. I was naive back then though and couldn't see what a bag of horse shit it was, so now in my older age, I was harvesting a very, VERY small bit of doubt as to whether or not this would be as amazing as it was - my doubts were ultimately shattered. The night before I watched the original (only) trilogy and then I went straight into this and I have to say, I was extremely emotionally invested. It was definitely one of the most exciting cinema experiences of my life, I felt like everyone else must have felt when they saw the originals for the first time. It was truly something special. But all of that fan-boy shit aside, it's an incredible film. It captured the essence of the original trilogy perfectly and it truly belongs with them. It does have it's hiccups and it is overly similar to A New Hope, but did that bother me? Not in the fucking slightest. It was nostalgic, thrilling, funny and most of all, respectful to the universe it belongs to. You could watch this along with the originals and feel like it should be there. Superb.
1. Whiplash - Dir. Damien Chazelle
Now after that blistering, arse-licking review of The Force Awakens above, you're probably wondering why it's in the number 2 spot? Surely it's the most exciting film I've seen all year? Well, you're right, it is. But it's not the best film I've seen. I went in expecting to love it (even with the minor, MINOR doubts) and I got what I expected. But for Whiplash, this blew me away on a totally different level.
Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an aspiring jazz drummer with incredible talent who wants to make it as a legend in the music industry. He joins a prestigious music academy and is mentored by the most respected professor at the school, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a visceral, mean and abusive teacher who will stop at nothing to get the absolute best from his students, even if it leaves them with severe emotional damage. Andrew must go above and beyond the win the approval of the venomous Fletcher.
I went to this expecting to see a great flick and nothing more and came out my my jaw dangling between my knees. One of the most explosive films I've ever seen, It has the same gut-wrenching intensity that a thriller would have but it's all about respect and jazz music. Who'd a' thunk it? J.K. Simmons unsurprisingly bagged the Oscar for best supporting actor for this rage-filled performance and it deservedly took home the Oscar for best editing due to the mind blowing frenetic work that was done on editing this masterpiece together, It also has one of the best finales to a film you're ever likely to see. It blew me through the wall. Not only do I have more appreciation for jazz drumming, but I have immense respect for Miles Teller, who did all of the drumming himself in the film. It's a truly one of a kind experience and a rather foul-mouthed one at that.
Is there anything I missed? What do you think the best films of 2015 were? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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