This year was a frustrating one for me. I started off indifferent (or disdainful) towards most of 2015's movies, but December really delivered for awards season. As a result, you'll see most of this year's Best Picture nominees on this list (which usually never happens for me), as well as some movies that definitely should have been nominated. But I'll get to that.
Here they are - AJ's Top 10 of 2015 (plus one honorable mention).
Honorable Mention: Jurassic World
 |
| ScreenRant |
I really, really, really wish this could have been on my Top 10. I had so much fun in this movie - so much so that I'm giving it this honorable mention. While it was not the most impressive, groundbreaking, or well-made motion picture released in 2015, it was a fun and nostalgic adventure that only the overly-cynical can truly hate.
#10: Dope
 |
| SlashFilm |
This clever and smartly-written movie was the best comedy of 2015 (I'm looking at you, The Martian). Like its main character advocates for himself, Dope is not the movie you'd expect. Give it a shot - it's on Netflix.
#9: Room
 |
| ComingSoon.net |
Room not only introduced us to the treasure that is Jacob Tremblay, but it launched Brie Larson into much-deserved stardom. It could have benefited from some tighter editing, but that rug scene (if you've watched it, you know what I'm talking about) is enough to make up for any weaker moments.
#8: Bridge of Spies
 |
| Collider |
Don't underestimate Spielberg. Don't underestimate Tom Hanks. And don't underestimate the Coen Brothers. Put them all together in one movie? You're in for an enthralling screenplay of magnificent scope, complimented by tender performances and a touching story.
#7: Mad Max: Fury Road
 |
| ComingSoon.net |
An amazing action spectacle directed with golden diligence on George Miller's part, Mad Max is exciting and expertly pieced together behind and in front of the camera. The story suffers occasionally, but your eyes won't complain.
#6: The Revenant
 |
I won't lie and say I didn't spend a good chunk of the movie wondering "WTF is happening right now?" Experimental filmmaking and story tangents aside, Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio shine in this frontier epic, filled with jaw-dropping brutality, action, and beauty.
#5: The Hateful Eight
 |
| IndieWire |
This is not Tarantino's best, but it's an engrossing character piece that builds to an amazing second act, and its first act is a tantalizing prelude. In short, it continues Tarantino's legacy with a genius screenplay (that was terribly overlooked at the Oscars) brought alive with his strongest ensemble since Kill Bill.
#4: Spotlight
 |
| RecentMoviePosters.com |
A testament to the power of journalism, Spotlight hits home in the year's best acted film. Its editing keeps things going at a daringly riveting pace. Spotlight will be admired in film school and appreciated by those affected by its real-life subject matter for years to come.
#3: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 |
| StarWars.com |
Considering how much pressure JJ Abrams and the entire cast and crew had on them making this film, Star Wars is - and I mean this in the literal sense of the word - an awesome achievement. Looking past a few storytelling issues, Star Wars is the most fun you will have at the movies in 2015.
#2: Brooklyn
 |
| ComingSoon.net |
Not much can be said about Brooklyn aside from that it is a simply wonderful film that immerses you into its characters' world. Sweet, hysterical, and captivating at all the right moments, Brooklyn is fine filmmaking that proves subtle does not mean boring.
#1: The Gift
 |
| ScreenRant |
Wow. In recent memory, I have not been more shocked or invested in a movie the way I was with The Gift. Joel Edgerton's acting, screenplay, and directing is a triple threat that was sorrowfully overlooked during awards season. You will not see a more thrilling or surprising movie this year. It kept my attention until the very last minute. They payoff is grand, and behind that director's chair Joel Edgerton gives A-list suspense filmmakers like David Fincher a run for their money.
No comments:
Post a Comment