2015
Movies From 2015
2015
The Top 10
#1 Room
Score: 10
In other years, the battle for the number one spot might have been difficult. This year, it was trivial. Room is the best film of 2015 by miles. It’s about a boy and his mother, both captives in a shed, and how they rediscover the incredible world around them, the world that the boy, born in the shed, has never seen in his entire life. From the performances to the incredible writing, this film was utterly perfect.
#3 Sicario
Score: 9 ½
This film is so beautiful, yet tells the harsh story of border battles between the U.S. and Mexico. I don’t know if it accurately portrayed this struggle, but it looked and felt real, thanks to the incredible direction from Denis Villeneuve, gorgeous cinematography from Roger Deakins, and a standout performance by Benicio del Toro.
#5 Spotlight
Score: 8 ¾
Though it has some problems in its narrative, Spotlight is an expertly directed, written, and acted film that follows investigative journalists at The Boston Globe as they uncover a string of Catholic priests and their habits of molesting children. The way this story is told is just sickening and affecting, in a way that just leaves you haunted with the memory of watching the movie. If it weren’t for a major lapse in focus in the middle of the film, Spotlight would be a near-perfect film.
#7 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Score: 9
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is full of things I think I would have done differently, but only because it did such a good job on its own that I kept thinking about it. This film perfectly sets up unique characters and puts them on journeys that leave you begging for more. If the next movie was set to play right after I saw this one, I would be the first on line to go see it.
#9 Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Score: 8 ½
With great stunts, excellent action, and a story that keeps the movie moving along without pause, Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation was one of the most entertaining films of 2015. It didn’t have much else to offer on top of the action, so it’s a good thing the action was as good as it was.
Worth checking out!
#2 Mad Max: Fury Road
Score: 9 ½
#4 '71
Score: 9
#6 The Martian
Score: 9 ½
#8 The Big Short
Score: 8 ½
#10 The Walk
Score: 9
An action masterpiece with a surprising amount of heart, Mad Max: Fury Road was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a movie theatre. This film features pitch-perfect action that is meticulously crafted and masterfully captured. Charlize Theron is incredible in the movie, bringing such a varying amount of emotion from her stares, as if you can understand her character just by looking into her eyes. I loved this film from start to finish and have rewatched it many times.
This film, more than any of the others on this list, is a film nobody saw. What a shame. ‘71 is an incredibly brutal, scary, and intimate story of survival. It’s about Private Hook, a British soldier who is separated from his troops during the 1971 Belfast riots. Pursued by deadly enemies, he struggles to find people who can empathize with him, even as he has to fight against other men who are really no more than children.
The Martian is about Mark Watney, a botanist stranded on Mars and how he gets rescued. This film manages to take its dour subject material and make it hilarious. The definition of popcorn fun, The Martian was an excellent time in the theatre with very few problems. It may have been more superficial than other entries on this list, but it was an excellent time.
The Big Short was hilariously entertaining, but still managed to make you really care about the fraud and greed going on at investment banks. It’s helpful if you already understand some of the terminology though, because this subject matter is dense and the film is a little spread too thin to cover it effectively. Still, this film was an incredibly good time at the theatre and I would see it again in a heartbeat.
The Walk is split between a decent first half and an excellent second half. If I could make a movie out of the second half alone, it would probably be up there with Room and Mad Max: Fury Road as the best movie of the year; it was tense, beautiful, and incredibly cinematic. Robert Zemeckis is an underrated director who succeeds here with an incredible visual treat.