FaVorite Films of 2015
2015 was a pretty solid year for those of us who like watching stuff, so here’s a list of the things that i liked watching the most.
10. Mad Max: Fury Road
Action, Furiosa, explosions, Furiosa, Chrome, Furiosa. Who would’ve guessed the sequel/reboot of a decades old franchise would end up being arguably more of a classic? From its inspiring practical stunt work to its barebones yet ideologically dense story, Fury Road felt like a blockbuster from another era.
9. Maps to the Stars
I’m a sucker for Cronenberg of any kind, but Maps to the Stars delivers one of his most deliciously mean spirited pieces of work in recent memory. Like a kind of poetically hateful inside look into the private lives Hollywood’s elite, Cronenberg plays with an All-Star cast for maximum effect.
8. Love 3D
3D dicks! Gaspar Noe’s relationship epic works almost as the “Anti Nymphomaniac”. Mezmerizing photography and painfully realistic perfomrances blossom into a somehow fresh chronicle of the tried and true tale of “The one that got away”.
7. Ex Machina
2015 seemed to be the year of Oscar Issac, and i’m not complaining. Alex Garland’s intriguing directorial debut might lean heavier on ideas than it does on thrills, but it’s a refreshing take on A.I. nonetheless. Also, from a design standpoint it’s a total win.
6. Lost River
I’ve been pretty vocal with my Love/Hate relationship surrounding Lost River. On one hand, it’s a flawed collage of parts pieced together from much better films, on the other, it’s an incredibly ambitious, visually dazzeling directorial debut from a filmmaker being judged with impossible standards. I’ve seen this film more than any other in 2015 and despite my initial complaints I still find it increasingly haunting with each view.
5. Green Room
Though it won’t actually be released until 2016, I saw Jeremy Saulniers ‘Blue Ruin’ follow up during the 2015 festival circuit, and i can say without a doubt that it’s a movie to keep an eye out for. Punks Vs. Neo-Nazi’s, a story so B-movie simple i’m honestly suprised it hasn’t been told by now. What could’ve ended up as violent shlock takes a more prestigious route thanks to Saulnier’s sure handed direction. Mean spritied and unflinchingly violent, Green Room mixes cheap thrills with and artistic edge to craft the “Repo-man” of this generation.
4. Beasts of No Nation
Fukunaga’s first Post-True Detective piece veers in the opposite direction entirely. Following the dehumanization of a child turned solider, Fukunaga crafts a heartbreaking saga of a tragedy all too real and all too horrific. An experience created to exhaust your emotions while steering clear of violence for entertainments sake, Beasts of No Nation once again proves this young director is one to watch.
3. The Hateful Eight
Western? Check. Mystery? Check. Gratuitious amounts of violence accompanied by snappy dick jokes? Check. The 8th film by Quentin Tarantino delivers about what you’d expect from the “video store auteur”, though ends up being considerably more thoughtful than his previous. Utilizing the single location format of his debut film, and playing with themes that are more relevant than ever, The Hateful Eight proves yet again that this man is incapable of making anything less than entertaining.
2. It Follows
Festival darling turned blistering indie success, It Follows had the ingredients of a horror classic right out of the gate. Sex is terrifying enough when you’re a teenager, and it’s that fear that runs through the viens of David Robert Mitchell’s suburban nightmare. The premise is simple, the soundtrack is superb, and the scares are real.
- The Witch
Again, this film won’t be released until spring 2016 so it might be a cheat for my favorite of 2015, but The Witch is something special. Coming out of nowhere, this tale of puritan horror might be the most unsettling genre film to grace the silver screen in some time. Treating New England Witch mythology with the utmost respect, and delivering on its promise of providing a bone chilling experience, The Witch delivers a kind of thoughtful horror we haven’t seen in years. This is the film we all wanted “The Village” to be. Adding to the list, the film is loaded with fantastic performances (from children no less), hypnotizing cinematography, and a soundtrack that’ll haunt your dreams. Every aspect of this film seems to have been fine tuned into creating an instant classic. First time Director Robert Eggers crafts an atmosphere of dread so dense, one could cut it with a knife, i’ll be awaiting his followup with baited breath.
Other 2015 films I enjoyed: Cartel Land, Spotlight, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Sicario, Faults, Macbeth, The Program, Straight Out Of Compton, The Gift, Victoria, Anomalisa, Bone Tomahawk, The Revenant.