2015 was a hell of a strong year for movies. I feel that way every year, I'll admit. It would suck if I didn't think that. There's always plenty of great movies. It's tough to know what is going to stick with me though. As I'll get to later on, my top 10 from 2014 is largely in tact, but the order is all different. My 2013 list is quite different now and the 2012 top ten is almost unrecognizable. I can already tell that my top movies this year will change. Most are too fresh in my mind to rate fairly or too distant to remember properly. What I can say about 2015, that makes it a little more special than years past is that over the last couple weeks, I considered each of the top 10 for my top spot. That's the first time that has happened. Normally, there's a top tier that's much smaller. I remember 2014 barely had a top tier at all. I'm not crazy enough to call this my favorite year ever for movies, but it certainly feels like the strongest one since I started this blog.
For a numbers comparison. I saw fewer movies from this year (67) than I did at this point in 2014 or 2013 (74). However, I went to the movie theater the most times ever (66 times), which includes 4 movies from 2014 that rolled out slowly, 1 Fathom event (A special edition of The Iron Giant), and 3 different movies that I saw more than once in theaters (as opposed to seeing nothing twice in 2014, which should indicate something).
Before I begin, I'd like to explain the list real quick. I've ordered everything I saw released in 2015 from best to worst by my own opinion (Mainly by asking myself "What would I most regret having not seen?"). I've divided them up in 4 groups: Top 10, Next Top 10, Bottom 10, and Everything In Between. Try to think of the middle movies as a relative order, because it's hard to compare, say Jurassic World and Carol when I didn't feel strongly about either. However, the top and bottom are more reliable.
2014 Edition
2013 Edition
2012 Edition
2011 Edition
Top 10
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
There's is no way I could pick something else. No movie this year blew me away like Fury Road. Not even close. George Miller is a master and used all that Happy Feet 2 experience to make one of the best action movies ever. It is a wild ride start to finish. I took maybe two breathes total the first time I saw it; A few more the next time; I was back to normal breathing by the third. This is a marvelous film. Tom Hardy gets the namesake but it's Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa who is perhaps the ultimate badass of 2015.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
With Star Wars, it's not just about the quality of the writing or the artistry of the direction. It's emotional, and on that level, The Force Awakens gets it all right. The Prequels are movies set in the Star Wars universe. The Force Awakens is a Star Wars movie. Nothing else on this list leaves me as giddy with thoughts of what's next. The casting and characters are all top notch. The action is fun and lively. I can't say that it will connect for everyone at this level (not everyone saw Episodes I, II, and III as many times in theater as I did), but I can't put it any lower than this. After two weeks, I'm still riding that high.
3. Creed
Sometimes movies get extra points for taking me by surprise. I knew Michael B. Jordan is a good actor. I knew Ryan Coogler is a talented filmmaker, especially when working with Jordan (See: Fruitvale Station). I even knew that Sylvester Stallone could be better than his latest string of B-movies. I didn't know that all this would come together so well. No one can deny that Jordan is a star on the rise after this gripping tale of a son getting out of his father's shadow. Coogler shot the hell out of this movie. I was nearly jumping out of my seat during that final fight. Stallone gives his first great performance in decades. I'm a sucker for a good crowd please. This is a great one.
4. Ex Machina
Some movies just plain haunt you. That is the case with Ex Machina. It's a beautiful, tense, claustrophobic movie that follows a three way battle of minds between Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, and Domnhall Gleeson as the creator, the robot, and the tester respectively. There is no weak link in that cast. That dark and chilling ending had me thinking about it for days. This is Science Fiction at its best.
5. Me & Earl & the Dying Girl
A lot of movies brought me close to tears this year. Only one had me wiping tears from my face. This is a fantastic coming of age story about, you guessed it, an awkward high school senior (Thomas Mann) who is initially forced by his mom to befriend a girl in his class (Olivia Cooke) who has been diagnosed with cancer. The young cast of Mann, Cooke, and RJ Cyler along with veterans like Connie Britton, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and Jon Bernthal add great depth to this crazy, specific world. It's the friendship between Mann and Cooke that cemented this as one of my absolute favorites of 2015 though.
6. Inside Out
I couldn't believe I had Inside Out this low when I looked at my finished list. This makes a strong case for being Pixar's best movie ever. The voice cast, including Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader (I'll stop there) are absolutely perfectly chosen. The script is clever and tight and funny. It's right behind Me & Earl & The Dying Girl as the movie that came closest to making me ugly cry. This might be pound for pound the best movie of the year, animated or otherwise.
7. Tomorrowland
Of the movies in my top ten, this one has jumped around the most. When I first saw it, it didn't love it but I knew I wasn't done with it. A second showing went much better. By the time I was watching the Blu-ray of it, I determined that I just plain like this movie. It's fun. It's optimistic. It's funny. It's motivational. Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, and George Clooney are an underrated trio. It's clear that Brad Bird and David Lindelof had so much more story to tell than what made it into the movie. I'm fine if this world never gets further explorer though.
8. Room
To think, I called Ex Machina claustrophobic. The first half of the movie takes place entirely in a 10x10 foot room. For my money, Brie Larson gives the best performance of anyone this year (male/female, lead/supporting, maybe even TV/movie). Jacob Tremblay gives one of the great performances by a child actor. The movie pulls off the magic trick of having the climax (or high action point) midway through the movie, but manages to stay equally engaging throughout.
9. The Martian
There's always room in my list for a movie that makes you want to jump up and cheer. When I first saw this, I called it a crowd-pleaser of the highest order. I stand by this. It is one of the funniest movies of the year despite not being a "comedy movie". Matt Damon is at peak likability. The cast is so deep that they'll need at least two rows in the theater for the Oscars to seat them all. Just when you think Ridley Scott has lost it (See: Exodus Gods and Kings), he reminds everyone why he's rightly included on the shortlist of greatest living directors.
10. Spotlight
Normally, my tenth spot is reserved for a movie that I can't justify any higher, but I want to be in my top 10. Last year, for example, I had The Interview (technically 9th, but my point stands) due to the ridiculous controversy surrounding it. Two years ago, it was Spring Breakers because I couldn't figure out what that movie was (I'm still not sure what to make of it). This year though, I'm picking Spotlight because I'd feel stupid if it wasn't in there. This is a damn good movie. It's delicately handled, expertly told, intelligently paced, and superbly acted. I thought I knew everything I needed about the Catholic church cover up and scandal in Boston but I was wrong. The systemic and societal complacency uncovered and examined is up there with the best of what David Simon has done in shows like The Wire. Coincidentally enough, Spotlight's director, Tom McCarthy was a recurring character on The Wire playing, you guessed it, a newspaper reporter. I guess Simon rubbed off him.
The Next 10
Pitch Perfect 2
This massive sequel drops the engaging story of the first movie, opting to be an all-out comedy assault instead. This is roaringly funny throughout with some nice acapella to boot.
The Night Before
It's not an exceptionally ambitious movie. It's a pleasant Christmas movie with hints of A Christmas Carol. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Anthony Mackie, and Seth Rogen are a pleasant trio to spend two hours with for a stoner comedy.
Brooklyn
I think Brooklyn stands the best chance to sneak into my top 10 by the time I reexamine this list next year, as time has only increased its appeal. This is a fairly simple movie. It's beautifully shot and Saoirse Ronan is engaging throughout.
Trainwreck
Amy Schumer dominates in this raunchy RomCom. And with a supporting cast including Colin Quinn, Vanessa Bayer, Brie Larson, and Lebron James, how could I not enjoy it?
It Follows
A simple, efficient horror movie that gets under your skin. I haven't trusted a single person walking toward me since I saw this.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Matthew Vaughn's riff on James Bond is so much fun. It's a great introduction to Taron Ederton. I didn't realize that Colin Firth could be such a badass.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mission Impossible is such an odd franchise. It's star driven vehicle in the most literal sense (This is Tom Cruise's baby, not a writer or director's). This might be the best the ensemble has ever been with Cruise still refusing to show any age, Rebecca Ferguson joining to serve as Ethan Hunt's counter-point, Simon Pegg bringing in the laughs, and Ving Rhames is steady as ever.
Ant-Man
Ignore the super-hero elements. This is just a very funny heist movie. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas make a surprisingly entertaining trio.
The End of the Tour
You may have noticed that I keep calling my top movies simple. I don't mean that as a pejorative. Too many movies try to do too much and go too long. The End of the Tour is under 2 hours long and is mostly a series of conversations between the lead characters. That focus allows it to have much greater depth. Jason Segel gives one of the forgotten great performances this year as reclusive novelist David Foster Wallace.
Bridge of Spies
Spielberg and Hanks. Sometimes that all it takes.
Everything In Between
Spy
This is the best use of Melissa McCarthy since Bridesmaids.
Sicario
Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro give great performances in a movie that treads a little too much of the same territory I've seen in plenty of movies (Traffic) and TV Shows (The Bridge).
Tangerine
I could easily have this higher. It's a basic premise and a wild ride. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez is a hoot. If anything, the movie might've just been a sensory overload.
The Wolfpack
90 minutes isn't enough time to spend with this interesting family.
Steve Jobs
Excellent performances from Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslett, Jeff Daniels, and even Seth Rogen. This three act play of a movie is an interesting examination of Jobs as a study of the pitfalls of exceptionalism.
The Danish Girl
There's not a better one-two punch in 2015 than Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander.
Cinderella
This was god-damn delightful.
Straight Outta Compton
In the end, this is a pretty standard Music biopic, but it's well done, with a great sound track, and covers a very interesting time in music.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
This was a solid super-hero story that people made the mistake of thinking was meant to be an end point like the was the first one. It's a busy movie, focused as much on moving pieces into place for future movies as the conflict at hand. The action set pieces were big and the cast was enjoyable to see bounce off one another.
Furious 7
These movies keep getting bigger and bigger. We can't be more than than two movies away from someone uttering the phrase "doomsday device", can we?
Jurassic World
Dinosaurs causing chaos. Chris Pratt being all quippy and action hero-y. Bryce Dallas Howard and those heels. Maybe it wasn't all great, but it was a lot of good.
Krampus
Because I really needed to add Santa Claus to my list of fears.
Everest
One of the two movies this year I was really surprised wasn't a bigger hit. It was well shot with a strong cast and told an interesting true story. What was it missing?
Spectre
Falling short of Skyfall is nothing to be ashamed of.
The Walk
The other movie I thought would be a bigger hit. Sure, Joseph Gordon Levitt's accent was silly (authentic, but silly), but that last act with the walk between the Twin Towers is as gripping a cinematic experience as anything I saw this year.
Carol
Cate Blanchett...I think that makes my argument for me.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
I never could connect with this franchise the way a lot of people did. This was a fitting end though.
Focus
Will Smith and Margot Robbie crackle together on screen.
Unfriended
This is such a clever way to tell a horror story that questioning its effectiveness is almost beside the point.
The Good Dinosaur
The Inside Out comparisons don't help. What really doesn't help is how underpopulated the world is for an otherwise sweet movie.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The fact that this is by far Alicia Vikander's third weakest role this year has more to do with how great a year she's having than anything that's wrong with this retro TV adaptation.
Project Almanac
Pretty teens travelling back in time. I got what I paid for when I bought that ticket.
Concussion
It's good to see Will Smith back in serious acting mode again in a strong role.
Still Alice
I still question calling this a 2015 movie (Julianne Moore won the 2014 Oscar for it, after all), but I'm basing this list off BoxOfficeMojo. This was a performance, not really a movie.
Call Me Lucky
Barry Crimmins' story is an interesting one. I kind of wish I hadn't known any of it going into this documentary so it could pack a bigger punch.
Jupiter Ascending
The Theory of Everything, this, The Danish Girl. Eddie Redmayne has had a strange year.
Joy
Sadly, Jennifer Lawrence wasn't enough to make me like this.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
These young adult dystopias are all a blur to me by now.
The Visit
M. Night Shaymalan's found footage horror movie is technically sound. I just hated the two main characters so much that it tanked the movie for me.
Home
I never imagined I would say this, but Jim Parsons and Rihanna make a good team.
Side Note: I didn't mean to, but apparently I seen Rihanna's entirely filmography all in theaters (Battleship, This is the End, Annie, Home).
Terminator: Genisys
I really liked Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor.
Southpaw
This looks even worse thanks to Creed doing all of it better. It pains me to put something with Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams so low.
Goosebumps
This came out one, maybe even two decades too late.
The Peanuts Movie
I'm not a big Peanuts fan to begin with, and this doesn't reward non-Peanuts fans at all.
Our Brand Is Crisis
Imagine Gracie Hart running a South American presidential campaign.
American Ultra
A perfect example of the pitch being better than the movie.
Results
As with many Sundance movies, this could just as easily have been called "White People Problems: The Movie".
Bottom 10
Fantastic Four
Not even my love of Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, and Kate Mara could save this. I didn't know that a superhero movie could be so lifeless.
Aloha
Ignoring the "Emma Stone as half Asian" of it all, this is kind of a meandering mess. I get not liking Bradley Cooper, but how does a movie with Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, and Bill Murray end up so "bleh"?
The Big Short
A magnificent array of all my biggest pet peeves in one movie. No single movie structurally and tonally turned me off as much as The Big Short. It was saved by a great cast and a script that clearly had a lot of effort put into it.
Get Hard
Will Ferrell plays to the level of the movie around him. Sadly, this wasn't a funny movie and he matched that.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Boy do they love breaking through glass and windows and mirrors in this.
Minions
I really dislike the Minions. An entire movie of them is like my own personal hell. Why did I do this to myself?
Fifty Shades of Grey
Even I had enough of the scenes with naked Dakota Johnson by the end. Thanks Fifty Shades of Grey. You ruined one of the last reliable good things left in my life.
Taken 3
They continue to make the case even stronger that they should've stopped with the first.
Chappie
Not only does Neill Blomkamp keep making the same movie, he makes a worse version of it each time.
The D Train
I nearly walked out of this movie, which I don't do*. One great WTF moment couldn't make up for the rest of this unpleasant movie. I wanted to crawl out of my skin after almost every decision made by Jack Black's character. I'm not sure if it's that I thought he was making decisions that no human not in a movie would make, or that it's all designed to make the audience uncomfortable. Either way, I truly hated watching this.
*This is the one exception.
2014 Revisited
First, from favorite to least favorite, the 2014 Stragglers.
Selma
This is a special movie. Had it not completely fucked up its Oscar campaign, it could've done very well, and I would've been fine with that. These days, it's sad how timely it still is.
Inherent Vice
I'm still not sure what I saw, but I liked it. Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, and Katherine Waterson were all pretty great.
American Sniper
I was an early adopter on the fake baby. It will always be my first talking point for that movie.
Big Eyes
Amy Adams couldn't counter-act Christoph Waltz's hammyness and the dull quirkiness of the movie.
New 2014 Top 10
Not much has changed. Under the Skin still haunts me enough to move into the group. Selma is right on the outside. I just don't have it in me to knock The Interview out. I probably should. The only reason I didn't have Nightcrawler #1 last year was because I feared it wouldn't play as well with repeat viewings. It turns out, it does. Quite well, in fact.
1. Nightcrawler
2. Neighbors
3. Oculus
4. Whiplash
5. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
6. 22 Jump Street
7. Gone Girl
8. Birdman
9. Under the Skin
10. The Interview
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