Hello All,
At last, here we are. The last list of 2015. The one we’ve all been waiting for, the best films of the year. Having reviewed 47 films that scored between 8 and 10, this was no easy task, but it's finally here. Before we get started, I want to point out that there will be a slight difference between the formatting of this list and the previous lists, as it was suggested to me that there should be a one or two line plot summary attached to each entry on the list.
So, without further delay, may I present to you….
The Top Ten Best Films of 2015!
10. Dope / Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl
Dope - A geek living in the ghetto find himself thrust into the drug dealing world after a bag mix up at a party.
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl - A self isolating high schooler finds himself in the center of everyone’s view after being forced to befriend a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.
Okay, I know, having two films tie is a bit of cheat, but it’s my list and I’ll do what I want. Besides, it was really hard for me to pick between both of these films because they are basically two sides of the same coin. They are both really good coming of age stories that just tackle the idea differently but really well.
Dope is more of a comedic adventure, that basically plays up the absurdity of the whole situation and takes it to some pretty hilarious extremes. It also Manages to find a way to balance a bit of everything into it, humor, drama, romance, with some pretty spot on social commentary laid on top of the whole thing.
Dying Girl (just for the sake of not having to type out the whole title every time) is a drama with comedic undertones, but it’s a lot more about coming out of your shell and embracing the rest of the world instead of walling yourself off from it. It also plays out a lot more realistically so it’s a lot more relatable for people who’ve been in similar situations.
I decided to put them both together at the bottom of the list because they both deserve more attention than they got, but I also wanted to leave more room for the other entries on this list.
Final Scores - (10/10) & (10/10)
9. The Peanuts Movie
Plot Summary - Based on the 50’s comic strip, The Peanuts Movie sees Charlie Brown trying, over the course of the school year, to win the affections of the new girl who moves to town.
So I may have mentioned it in the original review, but I actually grew up reading my dad's original books of the peanuts comic strips. I’ve watched the specials, and tv show, and I’d read the newspaper comics printings every week. I was really worried when I heard they were making a new movie, but it actually manages to capture both the (impressively improved) animation style and the heart of the originals quite well. It’s also a film that shows kids something that I think are lot of people are trying to avoid them seeing nowadays, that failure is sometimes okay as long as you’re still a good person through it.
The main plot point of Charlie Brown has always been his failure at things. He can’t kick the football, he can’t fly kites, he can’t play baseball, and so on. Sure he gets frustrated, sure he gets mad, hell a running joke is that he even yells out loud from time to time. But throughout it all, he simply overcomes it, and tries again. Sure he gets teased for it, but in the end his friends always have him around, they always support them, and they always stay his friends. In an overly protective world, I think it’s films like this that we need to remind kids that it’s okay not to succeed at everything. Now if only my parents will stop asking me why I’m still single.
Final Score - (10/10)
8. The Hateful Eight
Plot Summary - A bounty hunter handcuffed to his high value bounty finds himself stuck in a cabin with six strangers, one of whom is not who they say they are.
Okay, I’m not doing this to try and make a joke or anything, I’m simply keeping this lower on the list because there are a lot of people who simply do not like Tarantino’s movies. The man happens to be my favorite director so that also keeps it lower because I want to try and make a fair list, but I do truly do think it deserves to be on this list, because who else but Tarantino would make a Western-Mystery? Everything about this film is Tarantino at his best, from the fantastic musical score, to the great cinematography, the well told and interesting story, the fantastic cast that were all on point, I simply just loved everything about this movie. The almost three hour running time felt like a breeze as well, and very few films that are that long don’t flow that well. I simply can’t help it, I just really like this movie.
Final Score - (10/10)
7. Mission Impossible Rogue Nation
Plot Summary - When the spy agency IMF is shut down for dangerous actions, Agent Ethan Hunt finds himself all alone against a group of rogue spies only known as The Syndicate.
So anyone who read my complete series on the Mission Impossible films know, I only watched the previous entries just this past year. For the most part I think it’s an overall good series, although every film seemed to be lacking one or two key elements. That was until I saw Rogue Nation, which I still think is the best film in the whole series. It manages to take all the good aspects of each film and finally bring together in the perfect balance. The premise was really intriguing too, Ethan Hunt on the run from basically everyone. I mean any film that can start off with Tom Cruise strapped to the side of a plane and improve upon it from there throughout, how can you possibly say no to that?
Final Score - (10/10)
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (No Spoilers)
Plot Summary - Actually, I shouldn’t post that here in case people haven’t seen it yet, here’s the original review that has it way down at the bottom just in case http://ryanmovieblogokay.blogspot.ca/2015/12/spoiler-free-first-movie-review-star.html
I won’t go into the plot at all for those of you who still haven’t seen it. I think like most people, I can easily say Star Wars is my favorite science fiction franchise. Although I am still sad that the first one I saw in theatres was Phantom Menace, believe me when I say that this film made up for that in spades. Although it borrows heavily from the previous films, it does so in a way where it still makes it’s own unique mark into the series. I’m really excited to see where they go here, and I’m curious to see what they do with the new stand alone films they do as well.
Final Score - (10/10)
5. It Follows
Plot Summary - After a one night stand, a girl is given a curse where a creature only the cursed can see, continues to follow her at a walking pace, unless she can pass on the curse or kill the creature.
So for years I’ve been suffering from modern horror movie fatigue. It’s no secret that I think most mainstream horror movies suck as they try more and more to appeal to the PG - 13 crowd who jump at their own shadows and call it genius. Nah, It Follows saw that and basically decided instead to literally force you to watch the horror playing out in front of you. It’s such a cool idea wrapped around a real catch 22 situation that basically just makes it so much more grim to watch, but in a really good way. Does it have it’s problems? Maybe, but I was too fucking scared to care. It got me invested into horror movies again, as I find myself feeling the need to go looking for off the beaten path horror films. This movie basically revitalized an interest in a genre I had completely written off, so yeah it’s getting a spot on this list, and yes I did enjoy it more than Star Wars. Come at me bro.
Final Score - (10/10)
4. Inside Out
Plot Summary - Inside Out finds us following the embodiments of the emotions is a young girl’s head as she struggles through moving to a new city.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really think this year was a great year for kids films, and this one was the best of them all. It managed to find the perfect kid movie balance of bright and colorful, interesting and yet being easy enough to follow, and it did something kids films have been afraid to do: Actually make your kids feel sad. There is a surprising amount of it in this movie, and while the movie isn't afraid to show it, it still manages to tell you that in the end things will truly indeed be okay. It actually struck a really deep personal chord with me, as someone who is only barely through a quarter of his life has lived in three different cities and seven different homes, and I’m not to admit I cried a couple of times, but I didn’t feel ashamed, because like I said, the film basically told me that it was okay to be sad. I actually ended up leaving the theatre feeling really happy. I will say that it just misses the top three, as while both kids and adults can enjoy it and get some meaning out of it, it’s definitely more a film that kids should see.
Final Score - (10/10)
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
Plot Summary - In a post apocalyptic future, main character Max finds himself on the run from a warlord and his army, while helping escort a band of imprisoned women to safety.
So, a little behind the scenes info for you, figuring out the top three for this list actually kept me until four in the morning try to decide the order that I wanted to put these in. I consider all three of these films to basically be damn near flawless, and believe me when I say that I can easily recommend any of the top three to anyone as an example of how good this year was. So with that said, let’s resume our regularly schedules countdown.
Fury Road gets the number three spot because it was simply just the most epic fun I had at the movies. This was basically the film equivalent of being strapped into a roller coaster ride that didn’t show you any goddamn mercy. It was the film that showed me that 3D can be awesome (provided it’s in the right theatre), this was the film to me was the epic action extraordinaire that I wanted, because it had a really cool cast of characters, and a really simple yet well pulled off premise that kept you invested in between the action,and yet managed to leave just the right amount of stuff unknown to keep you interested in seeing the next film, which I will do with open arms.
Final Score - (10/10)
2. The Martian
Plot Summary - After a storm forces his crew to flee the planet Mars while he’s presumed dead, Mark Watney finds himself alone, and must figure out a way to survive and get home.
If the big short explained finances to me, then The Martian sat me down, and basically gave me the most entertaining science class lecture I’d ever had. Matt Damon deserves at least a nomination for this role, as he basically carries most of this movie on his shoulders. It also helps that they decided to take the man vs nature concept and simply said fuck it let’s put him on Mars, and made it the most thrilling, humorous, dramatic, intense, and overall heart warming film ever. It shows everything that’s great about the human race, and how in the end when we really need to we can all come together to solve a problem, and it’s made so much better by how much help NASA gave this movie and basically managed to completely renew interest in space travel to the point where they gave NASA a massive budget increase in congress. Writing this now makes me realize that I really need to go out and buy the DVD if it’s not out yet. I gotta get on top of that.
Final Score - (10/10)
So with that being said, what’s the film that kept this off of the top spot? Well, first we have to do…..
Honourable Mentions
- The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? (10/10) /Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (10/10) - Two great documentaries that I highly recommend. I just don’t think they should be on the list because documentaries are basically a different format of film from fictional film. If I had seen ten documentaries, then I would’ve made a whole list just for them.
- Bridge of Spies (10/10) Consider this the #11 of the list, it just falls short just because it didn’t make as big of an impact on me as the other films on the list. It’s still a really well made an interesting adaptation of a true life story that looks at the cold war from both sides of it, through the perspective of an interesting if somewhat controversial person.
- The Big Short (9/10) I really did enjoy this film, entirely because a math illiterate idiot like me had complicated financial stuff explained in a way where I didn’t feel stupid or pandered too, and I really wanna just show it some love somewhere on this list entirely because of that.
- Straight Outta Compton (9/10) I feel I need to have this one on here somewhere, since for a lot of people this is one of the best films of the year, and I really did enjoy this film quite a bit. I think for me it’s just missing that little bit that would’ve put it over the top for me.
- Victor Frankenstein (8/10) I choose this film as basically a representative of the few films I found myself in the minority on liking. Sure it’s flawed, but honestly if you just sit back and embrace the spectacle of it all it’s actually quite awesome. It’s a shame there are other films out there that don’t have that same effect on me (so you can all shut up about me not liking other dumb films now, I’m sorry but I like this one and not those ones.)
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, may I present……
The Best Film of 2015!
- Brooklyn
Plot Summary - In the summer of 1952, Ellis Lacey leaves her home of Ireland to start anew in Brooklyn. Just as she’s finding a life in her new home, tragedy calls her back to her old one.
Yeah, let that sink in for a moment. Look at everything at this list, and then look at this. Me, the guy who is allergic to slow dramas, but a historical period drama at the top of his list for 2015. Above The Martian, Mad Max, Star Wars, The Hateful Eight, so many other films that most people wouldn’t have blamed me if I did, and yet, here we are. Would you like to know why?
I basically went into the movie with only a bit of knowledge about it, but with absolutely no expectations of what it would be like. When it started, I had no idea, but when it finished, my god had I been through an experience. To me, this is the pinnacle of what fantastic filmmaking is, a good story told well, and this just nails that perfectly. Everything about this film is perfect in my mind, from the relatable characters and situations, the phenomenal writing, the beautiful cinematography, the look of the whole film as it captures the era perfectly, I can go on and on about it. It just basically works perfectly from start to finish and I really, really, really, cannot recommend this movie enough.
With a well deserved and irrefutable score of (10/10), I am pleased to present…..
The Best Film of 2015 Award:
Brooklyn
I can’t simply think of a better film to put in that spot for this year.
With the lists now done, I will be taking a few days off before the first batch of 2016 films are rolled out, but never fear, for I shall return for another year of reviewing films, whether they be good, bad, or disappointing.
So until then, I’ll see you folks at the movies.
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