2015 has been a great year for movies. Not necessarily for the big summer blockbusters but that's a story for another time. We got to see the return of mega franchises like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Terminator and saw the introduction of new franchises like Marvel's Ant-Man and Kingsman. After last year's fantastic selection, it's also been a great year for indie flicks like Dope and Me And Earl And The Dying Girl. Some good movies, some bad ones. However today I present my personal 10 best that I've seen from 2015.
Sadly there are a few films that I didn't get a chance to see this year but I think had a big chance of being on my list. For example...
- The Hateful Eight
- Sicario
- The Walk
- Brooklyn
- Legend
- The Lobster
- The Danish Girl
- Carol
- Trumbo
Honourable Mentions: Room
10. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Rogue Nation continues the action-packed franchise and manages to be the best installment of it to this date. All cast members bring their A-game to their respective characters, especially Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg with their chemistry being off-the-charts. The action is phenomenal in particular the motorcycle chase that had me at the edge of my seat. Sean Harris is an awesome villain that brings a sense of fear and terror every time he comes on-screen. The intelligent and thrilling story keeps this spy movie ahead and different from others this year like Spectre or Man From UNCLE. The film never comes to a halt and keeps you never getting bored thanks to the spectacular action and brisk pacing. My biggest pro with this film is Rebecca Ferguson as her sexy and mysterious ass-kicking character that elevates the movie every time she appears.
9. The Revenant:
The Revenant is by far the most visually stunning film of the year thanks to the breathtaking cinematography and gorgeous locations. Although I had some pacing and story issues, the strong performances and thrilling action make it one of last year's best
8. 99 Homes
A movie that went under many people's radars, 99 Homes unfortunately didn't get the attention it deserved. My biggest pro is the performances from both Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield who both bring intensity and humanity to their respective roles. The pacing is fantastic, not once was I bored during the surprisingly short runtime. However the short runtime is a con for me as it could have given more time to delve into Shannon's character but I think that mainly comes from me wanting to see more from his great performance.
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
What more can I say that hasn't been said? Bring on Mad Max 5!
6. Spotlight
Spotlight is about a group of journalists that attempt to uncover a scandal within the Boston Catholic Churches. I've never heard of this story but luckily the film masterfully explains the scandal, how they uncover it and the resolution all in one entertaining film. Tom McCarthy deserves best director for how he manages to tell the story while dealing with the subject, facts and characters so perfectly. All cast members give memorable performances with Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo being standouts. Marvel has really been wasting Ruffalo's talent. The best part of the film is the script which is by far the best of the year (and people said Inside Out was lol). The script gives the film a nice, brisk pace with fully realized characters that we understand why they are doing this while giving you the facts so you leave the film entertained and informed. If I was to give a complaint it would be that it goes on for 5 to 10 minutes longer than it should. But that is VERY minor.
5. The Big Short
The Big Short was a huge surprise as I was worried whether the director who is known only for comedy could handle a subject like this. Thankfully this is one of the best films of the year. Adam McKay directs an all star cast that all showcase their strong acting talent with Steve Carrell and Christian Bale being the best of the bunch. However there are negatives like some characters not being fully realized that brings the pacing to a halt. Back to the positives, the comedy is hilarious and fits naturally into the story. This was an entertaining and insightful look into the 2008 financial crisis that met and then exceeded my expectations. Also expect a pretty cool cameo from someone in a CBM coming this year!
4. Ex-Machina
Ex-Machina was easily the best sci-fi thriller in years. Oscar Issac and Domhnall Gleeson are both great in their roles but Alicia Vikander is the highlight as the AI that brings such intrigue to her role. The overall tone was spine-chilling that keeps you glued to the screen for what happens next. The effects were outstanding and can compete (and win) against big blockbusters for what has the better special effects. What makes it better is that the budget was 15 million so this film shows you that you can have amazing effects on a very low budget. Stop spending so damn much Hollywood! The score was memorizing and perfectly captures the tone and nature of the film. Not one other film this year has made me watch the finishing credits while thinking 'What.the.[frick]?!'.
3. Creed
Stallone better get nominated for best supporting actor. Michael B Jordan is electric in his role and the script and score were top-notch. Marvel get Ryan Coogler for Black Panther! The way he directed his actors in certain scenes was nothing short of amazing. Plus those fight scenes, good god!
2. Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is written by Aaron Sorkin who gives in another brilliant script. You may be thinking this is the same as Aston Bitcher's (I really hate Kutcher) horrible Jobs film but that is not the case, this is a very unique take on the man's life only being set behind the curtain of three major product launches. Michael Fassbender gives arguably the best performance of the year. Even though he looks nothing like the man, I actually thought he was Steve Jobs thanks to his electric performance. Supporting cast like Kate Winslet, Katherine Waterston and Jeff Daniels are also great but Seth Rogen gives a surprisingly good performance as Steve Wozniak. Sorkin does it again with showing comedy stars can do drama. This film contains my personal favorite scene of the year which is right before the launch of the NeXT Cube and Jobs and Jeff Daniel's character John Sculley are having a heated discussion about their past. WOW! That scene is amazing. It showcases both Fassbender and Daniels' talents as performers, the brilliant directing from Danny Bole and Sorkin's great script.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Is this truly the best film of the year from a movie-making point? No. It is certainly not better than Spotlight or Steve Jobs but this is MY list and I just had so much fun watching this movie. Seeing Harrison Ford back as Han Solo and actually ACTING just made me, a huge fan of the franchise, had a bunch of fun. It's not just Han, the new characters are awesome. Rey, Finn and BB-8 are great characters that we care about thanks to them being fully realized and fleshed out. Take note George, Padme sucks. Kylo Ren is one of the most formidable yet emotional villain we've seen on-screen in a long time and seeing him struggle with the light and dark side makes him an even better relatable and developed villain than Vader was in A New Hope! Sure, It is very similar to A New Hope but that doesn't take away from how much fun watching the story unfold and what will happen next to these characters. I hated how Phasma was underused but that really is the marketing departments fault for hyping her up. Another plus on this movie is the cinematography which is gorgeous. John William's score was fantastic especially the 'Jedi Steps' piece. As with the characters and score, the action is top-notch with some natural choreography so it's not just people doing stupid flips everywhere. JJ perfectly blends both practical and CGI effects to make this one of the most stunning movies of the year. Being brought back into this universe made me extremely happy but everything from the great characters, cinematography, effects and action made me put my inner fanboy aside and can actually see that this is a fantastic film from a movie-making standpoint. The point is this is my best film of the year because no movie rvials the amount of fun and enjoyment I got from this.
Well that's all folks! I'd love to know all your lists so comment them below and welcome to 2016...where the flame wars are going to get even worse.