As I sit and contemplate 2015’s cinematic entertainment it is pretty apparent that this was a great year. Superhero movies took a much needed backseat to some original entertainment while PIXAR made a comeback that would make Walt proud. Some very solid Horror (It Follows, Goodnight Mommy, The Visit, Krampus) and NEW TARANTINO 3 hours long! My favorite films of the year is an eclectic mix that mirrors the year’s offerings from an R-rated stop motion animated film that has the best sex scene of the year to some brilliant sci-fi and vampire comedy. A western, a true story that equates to a modern day All The President’s Men and a documentary that puts you right on the streets of Mexico so for you to witness the horror of the drug cartels.
Hell, I even had to add another 10 flicks that deserve to be seen and take this Top 10 list all the way to 20. And with that all said, it was a reboot (!?) that bested them all…
Mad Max: Fury Road – Begins with a 42 second lull before it goes full throttle insane. Cannot remember an action film that contains nothing but PURE action like George Miller’s masterwork. I have watched this film eight times and it is so packed with image and rage that it still sits in my head like a half-remembered dream.
Cartel Land – Matthew Heineman’s griping documentary is nothing short of a miracle. His camera sits as a fly on the wall as we witness a dangerous world unravel around us. Cartel Land does what documentaries exist to accomplish, provide us insight into a reality we would otherwise could never access. Or would ever want to for that matter.
The Hateful Eight – With The Hateful Eight Tarantino ups himself from Django as he limits the storytelling to pure word play. The characters are stuck in a stagecoach then confined to a cabin. So the “action” lives in the dialogue. A return to the Reservoir Dogs template that showcases just how good Tarantino can weave a story.
Spotlight – An important story told with restraint and control. A true ensemble piece as the amazing cast paints the vivid picture in seamless bits and chunks. Never makes light of the subject matter but somehow does not get bogged down.
Inside Out – After something like 17 years (give or take) of remakes from the once Perfect Studio, PIXAR gets right back on track with this lovely tale of mix emotions. Return to form doesn’t do it justice. This mixed with the interestingly harsh The Good Dinosaur makes for very fulfilling year.
It Follows – You can focus all you want on the sexual components of the film as David Robert Mitchell’ film gave us the final word in horror as moral allegory. But my simple mind was struck by the fact that Mitchell crafted a tale where EVERYONE can be the monster and that, mixed with the retro-pulsations of Disasterpeace score, made for the most satisfying horror film of the year.
What We Do in the Shadows – Funniest Fucking Movie of the Year. Done.
Anomalisa – The stop-motion animation is a marvel to look at and allows the film an almost unsettling quality. I found Anomalisa haunting, stuck in my brain for days, running the parallels of Michael Stone’s life to my own. A beautiful nightmare of disconnect that demands your thought and attention.
Ex Machina – Turns out deceit is the most natural element of the human condition. This is the second best horror film of the year with an amazing performance by Alicia Vikander who was THE breakout star of the year.
Room – Imagine the reality of being locked away in one room for years. Now put yourself in the mind of a five year old child who has known nothing else. Room accomplishes this perfectly thanks to a brilliant performance from 9 year old Jacob Tremblay. The film shows us both the horrors and the wonders of the world.
The other Great Movies of 2015…
- Brooklyn
- Amy
- The Revenant
- Magic Mike XXL
- Trumbo
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
- Mistress America
- American Ultra
- The Martian
- Goodnight Mommy