So this is my top 13 movies. It’s the best out of the 60 movies I’ve watched this year. Now, this top 13 isn’t just a straight up list of the top 13 movie. So 12 of the 13 movies are the best releases from each month and #13 is a wildcard. This may not be 100% to what is the best movies of 2015 but this is still a pretty damn good list that will hopefully give folks some good recommendations.
Biggest reason I do the special listing is cause I’m sick of seeing list where 80% of the movies on the list came out in the last two months of the year. I get that’s the time of the year where studios do an Oscar dump but I feel part of it also short term memory. Although a bit messy cause some release dates could be argumentative, I feel it gives more movies a chance that are forgotten due to their early releases.
13. American Sniper (January) – 2nd A Most Violent Year
This was an excellent patriotic(just waiting for people to get upset just cause of that adjective) film that was held by a strong performance by Bradley Cooper. His character was that of a typical redneck, who loves America no matter what. It’s a somewhat alpha male movie but Cooper knows how to keep it humble despite his merits. The film puts depth for a lot of things as the training it takes to become a seal and how they have to go out of the way for each in the War.
This is where a big chunk of my investment comes in. I guess I can see the controversy citizens had to be put aside for the safety of the troops but understanding that is big hook into the movie. This movie is bit similar to Hurt Locker, another great ‘in the line of duty’ film but has a more cohesive story. What makes this stand out from Hurt Locker is the 3rd act, Cooper’s rehabilitation from the by helping others. It was a best outcome in a no win situation such as war.
Clint Eastwood put together another great military themed film story making it no surprise getting on the list but with Hurt Locker amongst others recently coming out the film doesn’t come off as innovative as others on this list.
I didn’t necessarily avoid this film but at the same time I really had no interest in seeing either. Matt Damon doesn’t get me excited like he used to when he first came onto the scene with the Bourne movies. Saying the though, I certainly enjoyed this movie. Matt Damon played likable Matt Damon and Michael Pena was not the kiss of death. Now, it wasn’t necessarily the character who made Martian good, although it was a great cast, it was the step by step problem solving both sides went through to save Matt Damon.Just see this epic effort to do something that’s never been done before was very enticing.
This does end on the lower end of the list because although it was innovative in seeing how one could realistically survive in Mars I had no particular investment in it like the other stories in my list. Ridley Scott knows what he’s doing with his space films and I’m glad this year he had a more cohesive script to work with.
11. Inside Out (June) - 2nd Spy
Another instant classic by Disney Pixar. Hard to have any negative about this. It’s a flick that knows how to play with one’s emotions especially when there’s emotions as the direct characters. Even the short before the film had me strung out questioning if such a film would be able to be handled by children due to the harsh story.
Like most comedies that have me hooked, I was the loudest one laughing in theaters. Analysis of the mind maturing was great. With the creativity and cleverness of this world would make Inside Out almost an impossibility in missing this list. Not sure we were supposed to be on Sadness’ side the whole time but I was rooting for her character to get the fair chance it deserved.
This easily out did the previous film in creativity but doesn’t cross the 10 mark due to the film story structure being sort of a one way track.
This movie has the movie negative critical reviews on my list. I don’t care cause I was having a blast throughout this movie. Honestly going into this I didn’t have the most positive outlook. I’m a ridiculous Terminator fan and the trailers to this movie seem to spit on everything I loved about the franchise and they were spoiler heavy. Reluctantly I went to this and was so please I did. It ended being a fantastic popcorn movie.
Although I don’t think a Terminator movie should be described as such but with them T5 being at a disadvantage not having Linda Hamilton and plainly repeating scenes, that couldn’t be done better, it was done the best a movie in this situation could’ve been done. Heck I was even appalled they brought back Sarah Connor character. One of the most badass female characters and no one could replace Linda Hamilton. It even seemed they cast Emilia Clarke from the popular show Game of Thrones.
In the end like I mentioned it was no comparison but it still worked.The story flowed well enough and certainly had me engaged. Also, the glue to this 5th installment was Arnold Schwarzneggar. This man can do no wrong and gave the film a whole new energy the young actors could. Between Arnold’s comedic timing, his typical baddassery and the most sincere part to me is his connection to Sarah Connor, he made this movie worth watching.
This movie shouldn’t have won me over like it did but I’m glad I saw it cause it was a heckuva rollercoaster.Cause I enjoyed the grand scheme of things in this movie, whatever little details the movie may have slipped with the time traveling loop was easily forgotten cause I was much more worried about where this movie was going than how it got there.
Oooh, this one didn’t almost make the list. At first the twist felt pretty childish but after a couple days thinking about it, it is a movie I do want to watch again and wouldn’t mind owning. The days following the movie the premise became more thought provoking than the ending had me initially believe. My enjoyment for this chilling film didn’t come all from post. During the film I was going back and forth of whose side to be and not in a ridiculously forced way like The Gift. This movie by no means was a pile of cheap thrill.
A lot setup that leaves the imagination to create one’s own fear but then the film takes over and gives suggestions, which one isn’t sure how much is truth or the mind. Although the first act does leave much to the imagination the imagery of the mother’s bandages are creepy enough to make a comic book villain from but by no means is the mother a two dimensional character creating one of 2015′s most enticing films that gives the audience a change to get their fair share of mental abuse as they attempt to choose what moral are fair in this scenario.
It does end up on the lower end due to my initial reaction and there is one scene which was holding me back from being in the position I should’ve been in the third act. I suppose it was my fault but at the same time the film knew what it was doing with that suggestion.
8. Turbo Kid (August) 2nd – Straight Out of Compton
From here on out are movies I was pleased for about at least 95% of the viewing. Turbo Kid was certainly a bunch of fun in the schlockiest way. It basically is a story about a loner underdog, which I’m always a sucker for when not forced. The story isn’t necessarily the movie strongest point but with this type of movie it doesn’t need to be. The eye patch villain and his ghetto badass lt were obvious with the underdog hero and girl being incredibly likable. They even have a red herring for a hero that is a combination of Indiana Jones and Man with no name(who kind of stunk as the hero hilariously). When these two parties collided it was epic.
The action although not crisp was super entertaining and had great effects. Tension was certainly in the air when the good and evil collided. This film had me laughing, applauding and smiling thoughout the whole thing. I would certainly regard this as one of the more fun movies of 2015 if one can handle extreme violence and gore(although done in a very over the top fashion)
I thoroughly enjoyed this comedy. Going into I only thought of the color. Although the opening scene through me off by the fact this movie was shot on a freaking iPhone. Really though, I grew incredibly nervous with the opening scene but that was quickly forgotten as the story starts with Sin-Dee ferociously hunting the girl who was trying to steal her man.
Both main characters had great chemistry. Even though these are transgender hookers, they brought forth some very relateable situations. The characters were great and I wanted to see what happened to them even if there wasn’t a strong direction for this story. I was definitely invested and found myself laughing at almost all of the scenes of ridiculousness.
6. It Follows (March) - 2nd Run All Night
The simplicity yet effectiveness of this movie was incredible. I was freaking so bad while watching this but at the same time trying to contradict myself. ‘They’re just walking, why you scared?’ In a time where horror relies on effects so much this was a breath of fresh air not just cause of it’s effectiveness as a horror movie. It does what a horror movie is finally supposed to do.It if the best horror move of 2015 and hopefully this throwback will be remembered as a modern classic.
5. What we Do in the Shadows (Feb) – 2nd Kingsman
This was funny as hell(um no pun intended). This was another one where I was constantly laughing at the ridiculousness of this character. When vampires are being desecrated this movie does a great job protecting the lore by making fun of them. This is genuine too. This movie does take place in modern day asking the question of how do these relics survive in our modern society.
The character’s interaction with characters from the past and present. It’s said that a majority of this film was improv, which is somewhat a surprise it worked so well. Usual raw emotions connect the best to audience but it was reported they had to through 120 hours of footage to put this movie together. I feel it was certainly worth it cause I was laughing at the original material they had and the way they tainted different legacies of vampires all worked.
The crew from flight from the choncord although using characters based on previous came up with one of 2015′s best comedies, which I am more than pleased to have on my list.
4. Room(Nov) - 2nd Hunger Games [SPOILER WARNING]
So I went into this movie with my only hope being that it wasn’t prequel to The Room. tehe. The beginning initially annoyed me I must shammingly admit. It basically seemed like the mom was the biggest hippy in world. Her little boy’s hair longer than most women and his toys were made of egg shells. I was rolling my eyes thinking ‘oh great, this movie is going to show us what a wasteful society we live in and how she can raise her son with just the resources of a room. Then Old Nick came into the picture and I felt like the biggest A hole.
This movie was an incredible story about discovery and we get it from two vastly different perspectives. Here we see how one takes in the world for the first time and the other is someone rehabilitating of sorts back to our society. It’s a vastly different experience. The screenwriting was very compelling and didn’t just make things happen because they’re conventional. For example, the boy doesn’t get a hair because that’s what boys are supposed to so, he get it in hopes that it would make his mother feel better when she is ill.
The acting was excellent but subtle. Even William H Macy makes an appearance; it’s short but I very much understood what he was going though. The child’s persona was great too. He whined like a kid but showed excitement for simple things because it was his first time seeing them. Brie Larson was outstanding in her role as a mother. She went through so much but was used to putting on a strong face to protect her son. Once she could let her guard down, she doesn’t know how to adjust.
Putting this as #4 wasn’t a difficult could between the smart screenwriting and effectiveness of its theme. It reminded me of Boyhood with the fact it’s about a boy’s discovery about the everyday world but compared to that this film had a much stronger narrative where even the smallest decision had strong support. It’s a big time gem with a minimalist execution
3. Ex Machina (April) - 2nd Furious 7 [Spoiler Warning]
Wow, this movie gave me chills. Just the simplest line of dialogue or visual could change the perspective of what was happening here. This is one I wish I saw on the big screen. Usually I get taken out of AI shows cause most of the times the film’s message is so forced it makes the character so flat so it seems that the AI robots are real. This film didn’t have to do that cause it had more going for it than ‘shouldn’t they stop mistreating her just cause she’s not a human being?’
This movie does an excellent job of sucking it’s audience into its eerie atmosphere. At the beginning it almost seems like a fun vacation only to turn into something incredibly serious. As Caleb discovers more and more the environment becomes a lot more dangerous. What really puts this film as one of the best in 2015 is Isaac Oscar’s character and portrayal of such. A big chunk of it is his own self destruction. The man essentially wants to play god but it’s taken a toll on his. We don’t see the downfall throughout the but Isaac Oscar present a character whose lived that and understanding that makes what happens in the film somewhat satisfying in the end.
I was shaken by this film and when a movie does that it makes me excited. For me this had a great possibility of #1. Think it just did too much and I wasn’t able to appreciate and not appreciate things until the end. This is a flick that will leave one pondering what just happened in the next few days following its viewing.
2. Hateful 8 (December) - 2nd Star Wars
So happy this was the last movie I saw in the theaters this year. Between the ridiculous over the top action and vast landscapes of Wyoming. Due to the big mystery in this film it reminded of a more over the top and stylized version of Reservoir Dogs. Now I suppose the biggest complaint of the film is the somewhat intimidating running time of the film of almost 3 hours. Honestly I didn’t feel it all. I wanted to learn about all these characters past and how it ties into the major plot of Kurt Russell surviving this blizzard with his prisoner. We don’t know how dangerous they are or how they landed in this tiny haberdashery in the first place. I even found myself changing the my strong first impressions on some characters and I’m usually not that easy to persuade.
A very important aspect of the film is the time period and because of that race. A small hipster crowd likes to jump on Tarantino for his language over the subject matter. It’s an annoying complaint cause if you actually pay attention to the dialogue, it’s not being pointlessly used and that’s a major factor here. Part of the mystery of Hateful Eight is figuring out the alliances and with this taking place just after the civil war, the side these characters was on for the war does create incredible tension. It’s another exciting variable Taratino creates in this clue like environment.
Like usual Tarantino does create film that is different from 90% of what we see in the theaters. Compares to all other films in 2015, Hateful 8 had the dirtiest characters, the most enticing storylines and an atmosphere that locks its audience in like no other. It was very hard to not make this #1. I’m not bothered that it’s getting soft praise but if you can handle the over the top violence and a malapropos scenario here and there, this movie is certainly worth viewing. The visuals are pretty, the characters are exciting and the mystery makes the 3 hour running time a non subject.
Now, we’re at #1. So happy this movie came out this year. I just fell in love with it so much and couldn’t just see it in a theater once. Fury Road is the reason movie theaters exist. This film did have a slight advantage since Road Warrior is one of my favorite films of all time but similar to It Follows, it stands out as a film that sticks to what it can film on set and not what it can do it post production.
The atmosphere created for Max’s Homeric adventure is a very enthralling experience for the audience. It legit does not slow down. Part way through the film I had to take a moment and check my heart cause it beating out of control as if I was on a rollercoaster. Such a feeling is exactly why go to the movies. The fact that these vehicle legitimately exist is so cool. Of course cg was used but it was mostly background stuff. The worst part about movies today is that when cg is used I don’t believe it’s actually there. The situation almost becomes play like, where the audience has to pretend what they’re being told is there is there while in Fury Road pretending is not needed. When a spear is being thrown, we actually believe that car is legitimately exploding because of it.
Not only were the effect the most stimulating of 2015 but the atmosphere is what will make this movie memorable. The War Boys were so awesome. They just added to the legacy of the villain but at the same time I pumped due to their mad vigor.
The story was simple but it didn’t need to be convoluted to keep me invested. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron carry a strong narrative with simple line and strong facial expression. Theron did a great job but I feel Hardy is getting dismissed cause at the start his character was boiled down to a talking gorilla. I thought his simplicity carried over a lot of the past Max lived in. It’s why newcomers to the series had no need to see the previous films. I was very happy with his performance. A lot of it even reminded me a bit of Gibson’s portrayal.
In the end this movie had me on the edge of my seat like no other film in 2015 could. It wasn’t a tough decision cause even with a 2 hour running time I wanted more of the same thing given to us in Fury Road between the stellar stunts, captivating characters and an ambiance that stands out despite the numerous post apocalypse stories we’ve been given.
Thanks for reading. Would love to see your list and what you may think I may be missing or what you feel I may have overrated. These list are a blast and hopefully they portray the best of 2015 despite my odd format.
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