I’ve been excited to share this one for a while now, and here it is! What a lovely day.
Several years ago I realised I love films. Sometime later I realised I want to be critical about film, and in 2015 I dedicated more time to film than ever before, seeing more, reading more, and developing my eye for criticism. It was an important year for me, and this list represents the few films that have stuck with me after watching so many.
Since I use two scales in my reviews – one for objectivity and one for personal enjoyment – the ranking represents a combination of both scales.
Honourable Mentions
There were many films that I loved and wanted to specifically praise. But unfortunately we use a base-10 number system so I can’t exactly have a top 13 films of the year. I feel bad that these films didn’t make my list but I wanted to mention them. So, in no particular order:
Kingsman: The Secret Service: Fun, action-packed, violent, and endearing to the genre, Kingsman is another great entry from director Matthew Vaughn.
Macbeth: Totally overlooked by the Academy and featuring some of the best cinematography, performances, and one of my favourite scores of the year, Macbeth delivers a thrilling and respectful adaptation of the Shakespeare classic.
Ex Machina: Gutted that this one didn’t make my top 10. With a sharp, elegant story, Ex Machina explores a theme that’s already been done to death but manages to keep things fresh.
With those out of the way, let’s begin!
#10 – The Lobster
Weird place to start, I know. Starring Colin Farrell, The Lobster is set in a society where everybody must be in a relationship. If you’re not, you are sent to a hotel and given forty-five days to find a match. Failure to do so results in your death and reincarnation as an animal of your choice.
This dystopian satire was one of the most creative and original films I saw all year. While some of the music choices and the intermittent narration scream “artsy”, the great performances and dark comedy shine through to create something quite special. This film deserves more attention so check it out if you haven’t already, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.
#9 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars is great again. I wish I could place this higher on my list, as it was one of the most entertaining films of the year. But I have to criticise its formulaic plotting. None of that stopped me from having a blast with this film however, since it did so many things right that I can’t be too harsh with it.
One of the most well-directed films of the year, JJ Abrams delivered what we all loved about the original films while adding his own flavour to the franchise. Most of all, I loved the new characters, especially an oddly compelling villain, Kylo Ren, who is a much deeper character than Vader was in his first film.
#8 – Joy
One that I still can’t fathom why a lot of people didn’t like, Joy was one of the most touching films I saw all year. It might be clichéd in its feel-good nature but I don’t think it made any effort to subvert that, and any film that makes me walk away with a big smile on my face is definitely worthy of praise.
FULL REVIEW HERE: Joy – Review
#7 – Sicario
On the opposite end of the scale, Sicario is a feel-bad film, and I left feeling dirty and horrible about what I’d watched. Featuring a powerful score and moody cinematography from Roger Deakins, this film was one of the most intense films of the year.
After the excellent Prisoners and the enigmatic Enemy, Sicario also cements Denis Villeneuve as one of the modern directors to get excited about. With dark tones (visually and thematically) and his abilities to create intrigue from simple premises and build lasting, nail-biting tension, his work feels reminiscent of my personal favourite director David Fincher. Let’s just hope he doesn’t screw up the Blade Runner sequel.
#6 – Steve Jobs
Sometimes it feels that the world of film is saturated with biopics, so Steve Jobs had to do something special to shine through. With an exceptional performance from Michael Fassbender who falls seamlessly into the role, Steve Jobs showcases Danny Boyle’s creative direction and Aaron Sorkin’s sharp writing to create a memorable and revealing experience.
I love the current trend with biopics – show the subject at a critical time as opposed to showing their whole life. This doesn’t work when that crucial moment fails to capture the individual and their relevance. However, the slick structure of Steve Jobs perfectly captures the man and his beliefs by showing us just three points in time. The result is a fast-paced, efficient story that constantly moves while continually giving deeper insights into who he was, and most interestingly, how his beliefs regarding people shaped his products.
#5 – The Gift
This film came out of nowhere for me. In what could have been another shameless, money-grabbing, shitty modern horror film, The Gift was actually a subtle study of psychopathy and its place in today’s world. It’s also a quiet, subdued work that made for Joel Edgerton’s perfect directorial debut, establishing him as someone to look out for in the future.
A couple move into a new house, bump into and receive a gift from an old friend, and suddenly weird things start happening. But what follows is a story as cutting and tense as the premise is simple. I love films that can quickly establish a dark tone and threat through innocuous interactions, and The Gift succeeded in unnerving and surprising me to an enormously pleasurable degree.
The Gift also showcases Jason Bateman like we’ve never seen him. We’re used to seeing him in comedic roles, granted usually as the straight man, but after The Gift I believe he has the potential to shift towards drama.
#4 – Bridge of Spies
Bridge of Spies is about as flawless as a film can be. Steven Spielberg makes filmmaking look so easy. With very few directors will you be aware of such beautiful craftsmanship and dedication to creating a scene without actually noticing any of it. Not a second is wasted, and the choice of every shot has meaning and relevance.
Equally as seamless are the wonderful performances from Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, who are totally absorbed into their characters. I laughed, my heart raced, I cared, and I felt awe and inspiration. The characters are also so well realised that Bridge of Spies, while offering a healthy dose of cold war intrigue, is really about human empathy and courage.
Where some of the entries on my list celebrate directorial debuts and rises to brilliance, Bridge of Spies further ratifies Spielberg as one of the great filmmakers of our time. Bridge of Spies took me on a journey, and I can’t recommend highly enough that you take this journey too.
#3 – The Revenant
The cheesy tagline for my blog is that films offer the gift of transportation. The Revenant featured some of the most breathtaking cinematography I’ve ever seen. Combined with fluid long-takes that created white-knuckle tension, The Revenant offered one of the most immersive experiences of the year.
In my opinion The Revenant features Leonardo DiCaprio at his best, committing to arduous filming conditions and letting his turbulent, agonised character engulf him. Tom Hardy is also great despite the internet already starting to mock his accent.
Despite its pacing issues, I was in awe of what I was seeing: A story told with little dialogue, stunning images that burst from the screen, and impressive long takes whose construction baffled me. I love an immersive film experience and The Revenant delivered.
FULL REVIEW HERE: The Revenant – Review
#2 – The Hateful Eight
I’m a huge fan of Tarantino. I love all of his films, except maybe Death Proof but we don’t really talk about that. If there’s somebody that I’m prone to fanboying over, it’s him, and I expected to adore this film no matter how good it really was. But the thing about The Hateful Eight is that it’s a masterpiece of cinema and one that deserves a spot so high on my list.
If I wanted to study how best to write a screenplay, I’d study The Hateful Eight. Through little more than conversations, Tarantino once again created a captivating story filled with interesting and memorable characters performed by one of the best ensemble casts of the year.
Few directors can keep my eyes glued to the screen for three hours. Adding to that is the wonderful cinematography that enabled creative visual storytelling by utilising the ultra-widescreen aspect ratio.
All in all, The Hateful Eight is a powerful example of the great things we’ve come to love about, and expect from Tarantino: Masterfully written dialogue, memorable moments, hilarious characters, loveable homages to classic films, and of course, extreme violence. Nobody entertains like Tarantino, and as I said in my full review, if you’re a fan of film then The Hateful Eight makes for essential viewing.
FULL REVIEW HERE: The Hateful Eight – Review
And here we are, my number one best film of 2015 is…
#1 – Mad Max: Fury Road
Anyone who’s been in the same room as me during the last six months will not be surprised about this entry. Is it the best action film of the year? Obviously. But is it really the best film of the year? Absolutely.
Let me refer you to that quote from critic Roger Ebert: “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” Mad Max: Fury Road did what it set out to do better than any other film I saw in 2015.
And what was it that it set out to do? To tell a story about the plight against a patriarchal society while commenting on how all war and violence is pointless when all we really need to do is survive. How did it do it? Visually, with the most magnificent action filmmaking I’ve ever seen. That’s right, after four viewings I finally feel comfortable saying: Mad Max: Fury Road is my favourite action film of all time.
Let’s look at why it’s a good action film first. The hallmarks of action are all satisfied: Great heroes, villains, and action set pieces.
Our heroes, like all the best action heroes, are relatable in their mission to free slaves but are also vulnerable. They are constantly in peril as they struggle against their haunting pasts while battling hordes of insane wasteland-dwellers through deserts, marshes, and sandstorms.
Our villain, Immortan Joe, is a vile symbol of dictatorship and masculinity. We hate him. But like the best villains he has a clear motive we can get: to continue his legacy in the only way he understands how.
Since our characters are constantly on the move, we have a reason for the action to take place. First it’s an escape, and then it’s a race. The action scenes that occur make sense within the scope of the story. Compare this to Age of Ultron. Did we really need to see Iron Man fight Hulk or was that there just so that we could see the big suit and please the comic readers?
And I barely need to talk about the action scenes themselves. With practical effects, gorgeous, steady cinematography without a trace of shakiness, and some of the best stunt work ever filmed, the action is fluid, tense, exciting, and real. Just as impressive as the visuals is the sound. From the moment Max starts his engine and that dreadful roar fights into our ears, I knew I was going to fall in love with this film.
This is not to mention its mind-blowing production design. Featuring a fleet of customised, fully-functioning cars, creative costumes and set designs, and a man strapped to a wall of speakers playing a fucking flame-throwing guitar, the film has a unique style, the sort of which that’s lacking so much in modern action films. It’s crazy, it’s wild, and it’s glorious.
So it’s a great action film. But why love an action film so much? This is something I’ve heard from all over the place since the film garnered its overwhelming critical praise upon release. My answer: Why not? Perhaps the greatest achievement of Mad Max: Fury Road is that it has shown that we are allowed to take action films seriously. Just because a film has action doesn’t mean it can’t explore dense themes in new and exciting ways. Mad Max: Fury Road did this better than any other film of 2015, choosing a deliberately minimal plot to tell its story visually as opposed to spelling everything out through exposition and dialogue. Films are a visual medium; they should show us a story.
And that’s it! What was your favourite film of the year? And after celebrating the great films of 2015 why not join me in slamming the worst ones?
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