Top ten films of 2015

[Taps]

Now that we've had a month to reflect on all the incredible cinematic experiences of 2015 I was wondering what everyone's favorite films were? I thought I'd share with you my personal list of the best films of this year! Every film on this list was either an incredibly entertaining experience, a film that gave me a lot to think about personally, or sometimes both! So without further adieu, here are my favorite films of 2015!

Honorable Mentions: The Hateful Eight, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Creed

The Hateful Eight:

Few movies took more twists and turns this year than The Hateful Eight. It was intriguing, entertaining, surprising and claustrophobic, and everything I would want in a Quentin Tarantino film. The dialogue is consistently great, and it also features perhaps the best Samuel L. Jackson performance since Pulp Fiction.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation-

Tom Cruise surprises me again and again with great performances in some really smart and great action films. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is no exception. It was a great theater experience that surprised me as being more than a guilty pleasure film- it was a great film.

Creed-

I had huge expectations for director Ryan Coogler after “Fruitvale Station” And he did not disappoint me with Creed. Breathing fresh air into the Rocky franchise; Creed benefits from Michael B. Jordan’s charisma, a clear love for the legacy of the franchise, and most surprisingly a terrific performance from Sylvester Stallone.

And now on to my top ten films of the year!

#10- The Martian.

Part survival story, part sci-fi drama, part comedy, The Martian delivers a thrilling man vs. wild sci-fi adventure that stands as one of his best in years. Matt Damon gives one of his best performances as Mark Watney, an astronaut who must survive the harsh realities of mars. Never too serious for its own good, The Martian gave me some of the biggest laughs I experienced in the theater this year. An entertaining and surprisingly artistic film, The Martian delivered on nearly all calibers.

#9- Sicario.

This film was quite honestly hard for me to sit through and experience from start to finish. The story is jarring and dark, the action set pieces are gritty and realistic, and the subject matter is heavy. But perhaps there was no other way to truly share a scarily realistic story about America’s war against the Mexican drug cartel. This film transcends mere entertainment; it is a film that you will have to truly examine to appreciate. It explores the seemingly hopeless and vicious circle that has become our fight against the drug cartel, and asks this important question: How are we willing to go to destroy it, and is it worth it if we become the very thing that we hate? All of these thoughts make Sicario one of my favorite films of the year.

#8- The Revenant.

Known for his Oscar winning film “Birdman” Iñárritu returns this year to deliver another cinematic experience “The Revenant.” The cast and crew endured incredibly harsh conditions to give true realism to this simple revenge story. Excellent cinematography and terrific performances from Domhnall Gleason, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tom Hardy deliver one of the best experiences you can find in theaters.

#7- The Big Short.

If you told me at the beginning of the year that a film about the housing crisis of 2007 would be my number 7 pick of the year. I would probably have just laughed and rolled my eyes. But I give full credit to screenwriter and director Adam McKay for delivering a thoroughly entertaining and informational bio-pic that gave you a true understanding of the sad state of our economy. Steve Carrel continues to impress with an outstanding performance in an outstanding film.

#6- Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

This was easily my most anticipated film of the year, so it hurt me a little to have this in the middle of the list instead of near the top. But that in no way means this movie wasn’t great. On the contrary it was everything I wanted a Star Wars film to be. It was an exciting space adventure fueled by terrific performances from new and old casts alike. It was a story about courage, family, the pull of good and evil, and legacy. Terrifically directed by J.J. Abrams this film has already been received as one of the best Star Wars films to be released. It deserves it.

#5- Mad Max: Fury Road.

Looking at this film by pure spectacle alone, this film deserves to be on my list. This film had hands down the most daring, entertaining, and visually exciting action set pieces of the year. George Miller’s wonderfully weird post apocalyptic world felt so real, so intriguing, it was impossible to resist the allure of this film. Miller succeeds at balancing huge action sequences with quieter character driven moments, and every character moment in this film rings true. Is this one of the best action movies of all time? Probably.

#4- Steve Jobs.

This film surprised me. Instead of attempting to be a huge story about the course of Steve Jobs’ life, containing every event of Apple history, it gave me something very different. It was really, a quiet little play, separated into three acts that over the course of the film are really about the relationship between him, and his daughter. “I’m poorly made” Jobs tells his daughter in the last act. Its beautiful dialogue driven scenes like this that make the film stand out when compared to the rest of this year’s films. The movie is full of dialogue peppered with delightful witticism, poetic truth, and passionate speeches that make this film a delight form start to finish. Led with a terrific magnetic performance from Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs is one of the most delightful films of the year.

#3- Ex Machina.

A film about the startling possibilities of AI, no film completely and wholly captivated me like Ex Machina did. Taken place completely in one research facility, watching the characters interact with each other is a pure delight, and the twists and turns of this film, while predictable, are done with such enthusiastic relish it’s impossible to resist. The film also leaves you with some truly interesting things to ponder. Was Ava, the Artificial Intelligence character in the film, truly able to think on its own? What truly makes a human a human? Where do true emotions and intelligence meet? First time director Alex Garland explores these themes brilliantly, making this the best science fiction thriller in recent memory.

#2- Inside Out.

Pixar’s best film in years, and quite possibly my personal favorite, Inside Out delivers an incredible look into the inside of our human minds. Though a truly hilarious film, where Inside Out truly exceeds expectations are its completely correct views on our emotions, and what we truly value. Joy is obviously our desired emotion as human beings- But can we appreciate true joy without experiencing true sadness? Sometimes are emotions are not just joy, or sadness, or anger, but a mix of all of them, which is what makes us human. Inside Out is truly a genius film, and one of Pixar’s best.

#1-Spotlight.

No film made me examine my own depravity like Spotlight did this year. Telling the story of the Spotlight news team uncovering the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston, this film gives an unsettling but needed look into the reality of people’s twisted hearts. Even priests, are capable of incredible evil when they are not seeking a personal relationship with our Father. Director and Screenwriter Tom McCarthy not only explores the trauma of these victims on a physical level, but also an emotional and spiritual one. Mark Ruffalo’s emotional performance is my personal favorite of the year, as we see through his eyes the true horror of what they uncover. Without the love of Jesus Christ humanity is completely depraved. And no film I have seen has shown that with clearer vision than Spotlight.

[Wretched Sinner]

10. Shaun the Sheep
9. Room
8. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
7. Ex Machina
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
5. The Martian
4. Steve Jobs
3. Love and Mercy
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
1. The Hateful Eight

I have yet to see Spotlight and Sicario.

[Taps]

Great list. I haven't see Room or Love and Mercy, but I have heard great things about both, and there's always a chance they could shift my list around a little bit. There were a lot of excellent films that came out this year.

[The Top Crusader]

I haven't seen a whole lot of 2015 movies yet. >_> I really want to watch The Martian, Hateful Eight, Creed, Inside Out, and Bridge of Spies, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Of what I've seen, without making a real list... none of them were AMAZING MASTERPIECES but I thought Terminator Genysis was a lot better than the reception it got, and Star Wars is Star Wars so that was cool.

Avengers 2, Ant Man, and MI: Rogue Nation were all perfectly serviceable but nothing to write home about. Because who writes home these days?

Mad Max was weird. I saw it because everyone was hyping it up and while basically an entire movie being a chase scene is cool I wasn't as in love with it as the interwebz told me I should be.

Steve Jobs was great in certain ways and obviously the entire point was to highlight three launches, but I felt like there was tons of stuff that happened between them that I really wanted to see, but we didn't get it. Fassbender, Daniels, and Rogan were great in it, though.

Oh, and Man from UNCLE was pretty neat. I absolutely loved the show when I was a kid, so I had some nostalgia going in, and I do get tired of every revival of an old property having to be an origin story... I'd rather everyone and the organization just be established, especially since this bombed and won't get a sequel, but there was still a lot to like about it. Cavill and Hammer did a good job as Napoleon and Illya, and the 1960's setting was fun.

[Joy]

Oh, and Man from UNCLE was pretty neat. I absolutely loved the show when I was a kid, so I had some nostalgia going in, and I do get tired of every revival of an old property having to be an origin story... I'd rather everyone and the organization just be established, especially since this bombed and won't get a sequel, but there was still a lot to like about it. Cavill and Hammer did a good job as Napoleon and Illya, and the 1960's setting was fun.

It's pretty sad that it bombed. I went to see it, and thought it was really funny, and overall a pretty fun movie. That's too bad that there won't be a sequel.

I would highly recommend Bridge of Spies. It was surprisingly amazing, and of course Tom Hanks was fantastic. It told an amazing story really well.

And then Star Wars, obviously. Only movie I watched this year that I already want to see again.

I read the Martian this year, and it was pretty good. Not especially memorable for me, likely due to the fact that I've read the book, and that's what I remember most.

The Good Dinosaur was heartwarming but forgettable. Same goes for the Peanuts Movie, although I liked it much better.

I'm not really good with top (insert number here) lists, especially when it comes to film, so those are my poorly organized thoughts on some of the movies of the past year.

[Wretched Sinner]

Great list. I haven't see Room or Love and Mercy, but I have heard great things about both, and there's always a chance they could shift my list around a little bit. There were a lot of excellent films that came out this year.

Not everyone would enjoy Love and Mercy, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys or even just want to learn more about them then it's a great movie to watch.

It switches between the 1960s and 1980s to show 2 very different sides of the Beach Boys frontman, Brian Wilson. It shows his struggle in the 60s to release an avant-garde masterpiece even with the disapproval of the rest of his band. In the 80s it shows his struggle with mental deterioration due to his abuse of drugs back in the 60s and 70s.

Super interesting movie.