Note: This list is based solely off my own personal opinion of what I thought were the best movies released in 2015 and is ordered alphabetically (not including the runner-ups which are listed before the top 10, also in alphabetical order). To qualify for this list, a movie must have had a limited or wide theatrical release in 2015 (festival screenings alone do not count); I would like to mention I was not able to watch every movie released in 2015.
The financial crisis of 2007-10 was one of the worst financial disasters the world has ever seen, and caused the United States to go into its worst recession since the great depression. While the true cause of the crisis is often debated, many consider ground zero to be the collapse of the housing market. So while most of the world didn't see the collapse coming, there were a few that saw it coming; "The Big Short" is about some of those people. Michael Burry was a hedge fund manager in 2005 who was doing research into the housing market, and saw that the whole thing was propped up on bad loans. So he does something unprecedented, he goes against the mortgages of the big banks. Essentially, he takes out insurance on these mortgages that would pay out big time if the mortgages fail. And when word gets out of what he did, a few others start doing the same thing. "The Big Short" manages the impressive task of dumbing down a complicated subject to the point that people can actually understand. An outstanding ensemble cast, a smart screenplay, and a constant string of funny moments makes this one of the best biographical films of the year.
To be honest when I first heard that another "Rocky" film was in the works I had very little interest. While the first film in the series has become somewhat iconic, its successors lacked the charm and heart "Rocky" had. But when I heard that Ryan Coogler would be directing, the man behind the exceptional "Fruitvale Station," I decided that it was at least worth giving it a shot. To my surprise "Creed" didn't just surpass my expectations; it was one of the best movies of the year. The story is about Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of heavyweight great Apollo Creed. Johnson has raw boxing talent and wishes to follow in the footsteps of his father, despite the protests of his adoptive mother; so Johnson leaves his office job to become a boxer full time, and seeks out an old friend of his father for help. "Creed" is probably one of the best boxing movies in years, and like all good boxing movies it isn't just about fighting. You really get a good look into the minds of the characters and why they do what they do. And by the end of the movie you are rooting for them to succeed. On top of that, there are a few great boxing matches that are truly a sight to see. "Creed" manages to do justice to its predecessors, and even surpasses most of them. I've heard rumors that a sequel is possible, and if that's true I'll certainly be seeing it opening night.
Ridley
Scott is often listed among some of the greatest directors of all time, with
films like "Blade Runner, "Alien," and "Black Hawk
Down" in his filmography just to name a few; but over the past decade or
so it appeared that he lost his edge, directing critically panned films like
"The Counselor" and "Exodus: Gods and Kings." So when it
was announced that he would be directing the new space thriller "The
Martian," I wasn't particularly interested. And after watching it, I need
to apologize; because this movie is a return to form for Scott. Mark Watney is
a member of a manned mission to mars and after he is left behind during an
emergency escape to due to a storm, he is left alone on the red planet. Knowing
that rescue is months away, he has to use all of his skills to survive as long
as possible. "The Martian" is one of the smartest and most
entertaining movies of the year. Surprisingly it’s also one of the funniest, so
much so that it was actually nominated for best comedy at the Golden Globes;
but that in no way means that it's not intense, because there more than a few
nail biting moments in this movie. I loved "The Martian," it was one
of my favorite movies of the year; especially since that it showed Scott is
still an amazing director.
There were a lot of spy movies that came out in 2015, probably more than we needed. "Spy," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Spectre," and "Kingsman: The Secret Service;" but the one that stood head and shoulders above the rest would have to be the latest installment in the "Mission Impossible" franchise, "Rogue Nation." A few years after the events of "Ghost Protocol," the IMF is in shambles and about to be disbanded. The former members are under heavy watch, and Ethan Hunt is in hiding. Hunt has become obsessed with finding the head of a group known as The Syndicate, a type of anti-IMF made up of trained killers and former spies. So Hunt gathers his team once again to take out one of the greatest threats facing the world. "Rogue Nation" managed to be the best spy movie and one of the best action movies in a year filled with spy and action movies. Featuring some of the craziest stunts ever performed on camera and non-stop entertainment, "Rogue Nation" actually manages to one up the already fantastic "Ghost Protocol." It's one of the most entertaining and exciting films of 2015, and was some of the most fun I had in a theater this year.
I have never been a fan of Steve Jobs or Apple in general, I think that Jobs was a selfish egomaniac and that Apple makes overpriced, and over hyped products. So when it was announced that another Steve Jobs, I was not interested; but I became interested when I heard that the great Danny Boyle would be directing, and Michael Fassbender would be starring. "Steve Jobs" follows that title character during three product launches over the course of two decades, and the personal and professional problems that surrounded him. "Steve Jobs" was as good as I hoped it would be, it was so good that it actually made me sympathize with Jobs himself and gave me a new found respect for him. But this movie doesn't sugar coat anything, it shows Jobs as a rude and selfish taskmaster. At the end of the day it all comes down to the screenplay by the brilliant Aaron Sorkin, who might win another Oscar for best adapted screenplay for this movie. Expertly acted, perfectly written, and non-stop entertainment, "Steve Jobs" is a highlight in the career of everyone involved.
I
consider myself fairly informed when it comes to what movies will be coming out
soon; but "Ex Machina" was a movie that I never heard of until the
day I saw it. It flew completely under my radar, until one day when I was
looking at movie times and say that it was playing near me. I looked it up and
saw that it had good reviews, so I said "why not?" And "Ex
Machina" proceeded to blow me completely out of the water. Caleb is a low
level programmer working at a company that runs the world's most popular search
engine; one day he gets a notification that he won a contest his company was
holding, the chance to help the company's founder in a top secret project. He
then flies out to the middle of nowhere and meets his boss Nathan. Nathan tells
Caleb that he believes that he created the first true artificially intelligent
robot, and that he wants Caleb to perform a turning test on it (a test designed
to see if a computer is intelligent). Caleb is eager to get started, but soon
discovers things aren't as they appear. "Ex Machina" is a perfect
example of what independent films can offer. It's smart, expertly written, well
acted, beautiful, and incredibly tense. It also manages to accomplish the rare
feat of making me feel uncomfortable in the theater; I can't actually remember
the last time a movie got under my skin like this one. "Ex Machina"
is brilliant, and maybe the only movies this year that deserves to be called a
tour-de-force.
If I had to choose who my favorite director was, it would have to be Quentin Tarantino. One of the most celebrated and influential directors of all time, he has a style all of his own that has made him one of the greats. So as with all of his films, I was incredibly excited for his new spaghetti western. "The Hateful Eight" is about a group of strangers that meet by chance during a blizzard; with little trust between any of them, some start to question if everyone there is who they say they are. Now to be honest, "The Hateful Eight" is not Tarantino's best movie of my favorite one by him; and I question whether or not this movie will be remembered as fondly as some of his others like "Pulp Fiction," "Reservoir Dogs," and even "Django Unchained." That being said, this movie is still fantastic. The script, the dialog, the characters, and the acting is top notch; add in the over the top nature and gratuitous violence, and "The Hateful Eight" is still one of the best movies of the year. While its three hour run time can be a lot for one sitting, those who can make it all the way through will be treated to one of 2015's most memorable films.
One of my favorite genres of film would have to be documentaries, but it's a genre we rarely see masterpieces in. Over the past five years the only three documentaries that were truly outstanding would be "The Imposter," "The Act of Killing," and this year's "The Look of Silence" (which you will see later on this list). But this movie "Human," it is something special. Director Yann Arthus-Bertrand traveled to over 60 countries and interviewed over two thousand people on questions regarding subjects like happiness, religion, war, wealth, poverty, love, and life. The movie is simple, it just consists of the interviews of these people with the occasional footage of beautiful places from around the world. Despite its simplicity, this movie made me feel a wider array of emotions than any movie I have ever seen. I cried five times while watching the four hour extended cut, tears of joy and sadness. Hearing the stories that these people told tore me apart from the inside out, it managed to show the best and the worst of humanity in a way that few films could ever hope of achieving. This is truly one of the most beautiful, emotional, and ambitious films I have ever seen; and it might be one of the best documentaries ever made.
For 20 years, Pixar has been the king of all animation studios. Their filmography includes classics like the "Toy Story" trilogy, "Finding Nemo," "Up," "WALL-E," and more. But after "Toy Story 3" in 2010 up until 2015, they had trouble matching their former glory. But this year Pixar reestablished themselves as the best of the best with "Indie Out." Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust are the five primary emotions living in the head of a young girl named Riley, and they spend their days keeping Riley in check and collecting her memories. With almost no warning Riley and her family move to San Francisco, which Riley has trouble adjusting to at first. After a while things seem to be going fine, until Sadness accidentally turns one of Riley's happy memories sad, causing her to have a breakdown. One thing leads to another, and the emotions accidentally transport Riley's "core memories," the memories that helped mold her personality, to the recesses of her mind. So it's up to Joy and Sadness to get the core memories back to the rightful places before Riley changes forever. "Inside Out" easily ranks among the very best Pixar has ever made, It's smart, funny, emotional, beautiful, and covers thematic elements that add another level of depth. The likely front runner for best animated Feature at the Oscars, "Inside Out" isn't just one of the Pixar's best, it's one of the best animated films ever made.
A
couple years ago director Joshua Oppenheimer released "The Act of
Killing," which easily ranks among the best documentaries ever made. It
told the story of the Coup that took place in Indonesia in 1965; and how not
long after that the new government sanctioned gangsters and para-military
groups to kill anyone who disagreed with them, labeling these undesirables as
communists. "The Act of Killing" followed the men who helped lead
these killings, many of which are actually still in political power today and
are treated like celebrities. I remember watching it and feeling ill listening to how these
men joked about killing around 1 million people, but it was a powerful film to
say the least. "The Look of Silence" is a follow up to that film,
this time talking to the families of the victims. It mainly follows an
optometrist whose older brother was killed during that event just before he was
born, and how he is seeking closure for himself and his sickly parents. While
"The Look of Silence" might not be as powerful as a film as its
predecessor, being that it won't leave you as awe struck, but it is none the
less one that will likely stay with me for years to come.
The
"Mad Max" franchise is the godfather of the post-apocalyptic genre,
it wasn't the first but it mastered the formula. The series is iconic to say
the least, so when it was announced a years back that another was on its way
many fans cringed. The third film in the series wasn't particularly good, so a
lot of people just wanted to put the series to rest. But creator George Miller
was determined, and spent the better part of a decade getting this film made;
and the results were nothing less than amazing. "Fury Road" takes
place many years after a nuclear holocaust that wiped out most of all life, and
the world that is left is quickly running out of resources. Former police
officer Max Rockatansky is kidnapped one day by a group known as the war boys,
ruled by a sickly man called Immortan Joe. Max's purpose is to serve as spare
parts for any wounded war boys. Joe's most trusted warrior, Furiosa, is given
the task to go to a near boy oil refinery in order to get gasoline. Little does
Joe know Furiosa rescued the women he keeps as wives and plan on taking them
far away from him. Joe sends his war boys after her who take Max to serve as a
blood bag for a dying war boy. So it’s up to Furiosa to save these young women;
giving Max a hard decision, help them or fight for his own life. "Fury
Road" is simply put, a masterpiece of the action genre. Everything about
this movie was phenomenal and quickly took the industry by storm when it was
released. The action, acting, set pieces, story, lore, cinematography, directing,
and design were top notch. Upon its release it was met with universal acclaim
from critics and audiences, with many calling it one of the best action movies
ever made. And when 2015 was coming to an end, tons of critics and publications
were calling the best movie of the year and giving it awards. If you were to go
back a year and tell me that a "Mad Max" film was going to be
nominated for best drama at the Golden Globes, I would have asked what you were
on. "Mad Max: Fury Road" is an astonishing wild ride; it isn't just my favorite movie of the year, but the best as well.
"Room"
is a little movie that most people have never heard of, that manages to be one
of the year's most heart wrenching and heartwarming films. Jack is a five year
old boy that has lived his entire life in a small room with his mother Joy, who
was kidnapped at the age of 17 and locked inside of a man's shed. They manage to live
day to day with the bare necessities that are given to them by their captor, a
cruel man named Nick. Joy knows that every day Jack spends inside that room; he
loses a little bit more of his life. So she comes up with an ambitious escape
plan that could free them both, but if it fails Nick will almost assuredly kill
them both. Ever since I first saw the trailer for "Room" I knew it was
going to be something special, a dark look at sad events that unfortunately do
happen in real life. Highlighted by phenomenal performances from the leads and
a great screenplay, this movie shows what independent films can really do.
"Room" is by no means an easy watch, but one that every movie fan
should experience.
Director
Denis Villeneuve first burst on to the scene with 2013's "Prisoners,"
a dark and disturbing crime drama that was one of the year’s best films. In
2014 he directed "Enemy," a fascinating psychological thriller that
was widely acclaimed by many critics. But his 2015 film "Sicario" his
far and away his best movie. The story follows a DEA agent who is asked to be
of a special task force that has been given the job of crossing the border into
Mexico and retrieving a high value target, only to learn that things are much
more complicated than they first appear. "Sicario" might be one of
the most intense movies that I have ever seen; on more than one occasion did I
found myself on the edge of my seat and biting my finger nails. The acting is
also superb with stars Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin giving
some of the best performances of their careers. On top of that, this is one of
the best looking movies of the year, legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins
did an amazing job with the way this movie was shot; and it will be a travesty
if he is not nominated for an Oscar. "Sicario" is a crime thriller at
its best; it is one of the year's most intense and heart pounding movies; and
one that will stay with you long after you see it.
Every
year there is usually one movie that just does everything right; writing,
dialog, acting, directing, plot, etc. 2013 had "12 Years a Slave,"
2014 had "Birdman," and 2015 had "Spotlight."
"Spotlight" is based off the true life story of an investigative team
at the Boston Globe who discovered that the Catholic Church had been covering
up a number of cases where their priests molested young children.
"Spotlight" does everything right, and there are a few things that it
does exceptionally. This movie's screenplay is possibly the best of the year,
and the ensemble cast gives some of the best performances of 2015. Considered
by many to be the front runner at the upcoming Academy Awards,
"Spotlight" blew me away with just how engaging it was. You wouldn't
think that a slow-burn drama would be one of the year's more exciting movies,
but you really do get invested in it. This is one of those movies that has a
lot of people throwing out the term "Oscar-bait," but even if that is
true it doesn't mean it's not exceptional.
I'll
be honest, I am extremely happy to be able to put this movie on this list. The
original "Star Wars" trilogy is one of the most beloved and all
around best trilogies in all of cinema. The prequel trilogy which came years
afterwards on the other hand, was met with less than favorable reception. Now
38 years after the release of the first film in the franchise, we get a full
blown sequel to the original trilogy. Taking place about 30 years after the
events of "Return of the Jedi," a group known as the First Order has
risen out of the ashes of the Empire and are at war with a group known as the
Resistance. The story follows Rey, a scrapper from a desert planet, and Fin, a
former storm trooper of the First Order, as they try to give the Resistance an
important piece of information. "The Force Awakens" exceeded my
expectation in every way imaginable; it is the movie that the prequels should
have been. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film's action, humor, story, and visual
effects are on point, and gives a new generation a story that will stay with
them for years to come. Not to mention the fact that it smashed just about
every box office record, both domestically and internationally. With several
more films in the franchise on the way, now is the best time to be a "Star
Wars" fan since 1977 to 1983.
