Top 20 Films of 2015 3 2876

top-20-films-of-2015-header-image

So it’s that time again where everyone takes a look back at the year that was and comes up with their favourites. Although it had its fair share of crap, as ever, for the most part this was a pretty damn good year for film in my eyes, from small films that broke out to become big hits to massive blockbusters that surprised with depth and wit.

Now before I get to the cream of the crop, I just wanna go over some of the films that didn’t quite make the list but I loved/liked a lot nonetheless:

There was Todd Haynes’ Carol, a sumptuous and achingly romantic film about forbidden love in the 1950s; Snowtown and Assassin’s Creed director Justin Kurzel put his definitive, haunting mark on Macbeth; and Charlotte Rampling devastated with her stunning performance in the understated yet powerful 45 Years.

The comedy genre was bolstered this year by a triple whammy of films. There was Spy, the hilarious and surprisingly action-packed hit in which The Stath supremely stole the show in self-mocking fashion; Trainwreck saw Amy Schumer prove she can do comedy just as well on the big-screen as on stage and on TV; and finally The Lady in the Van, the thoroughly British story of an essentially homeless woman who stayed in Alan Bennett’s driveway for a decade and half – Dame Maggie Smith has rarely been better.

One of the more underrated films of the past 12 months for me was A Most Violent Year. It was dismissed by some as too serious and like so many other New York-set crime movies but there was a lot of very interesting things going on in that film about the corruption of power and where that leaves someone trying to do good while also providing a couple of the year’s tensest sequences. Keeping the underrated and crime line going, I thought The Voices was a wickedly dark and very funny little movie with Ryan Reynolds on top form, proving he’s much better in this sort of role rather than being tied to the glossy A-list stuff his good looks suggest.

Going down the more oddball route there was A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, a bizarre segmented film that featured sequences about travelling joke prop salesman and a monkey being scientifically tested in shackles, among others – a surreal Monty Python-esque treat. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night took the vampire horror subgenre and turned it on its head with something that was deeply unnerving and visually striking in its other-worldliness. And Tangerine proved that it doesn’t matter if you have a multi-million dollar camera or an iPhone, as long as you’ve got talented actors and a sharp sense of wit you can make something special.

There were others that impressed me this year including Studio Ghibli’s gorgeous A Tale of Princess Kaguya, Kenneth Branagh’s pleasingly theatrical Cinderella and the sweetly acerbic Grandma, with an irrestistable performance by the great Lily Tomlin. The list could go on for days but I think that’ll do for the runners up…

So without much further ado, here’s my top 20 films of 2015.

Note: As always the list adheres to the UK release schedule so films that may have been 2014 for many were early 2015 for us. Also, that means films like Spotlight, The Danish Girl, Joy, Creed, and Room aren’t included at all because they’re not out until early 2016 here.

top-20-films-2015-sicario

20. Sicario

We’ve seen this sort of Mexican drug cartel thriller before but director Denis Villeneuve took that familiar set-up and turned into one of the tensest, most dread-filled and most unpredictable films of the year with Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro on top form.

top-20-films-2015-amy

19. Amy

I’m not exactly a great fan of Amy Winehouse’s music, nor do I know anything about her life beyond the obvious tabloid stuff, but I found this to be an insightful, complex and empathetic portrait of her. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-straight-outta-compton

18. Straight Outta Compton

Rap music is really not my thing so colour me surprised how much I enjoyed this biopic. A bold film with a ferocious sensibility and absolutely brimming with energy. It contains some of the best music performance scenes in recent memory.

top-20-films-2015-beasts-of-no-nation

17. Beasts of No Nation

Cary Fukunaga takes a brave, no holds barred approach to telling a powerful story, admirably never skimping on the brutal details of what really happens. Idris Elba is great but newcomer Abraham Attah is a revelation.

top-20-films-2015-the-martian

16. The Martian

Matt Damon is great in an intelligent, thrilling and surprisingly funny film that’s more “sci-fa” than sci-fi and one that has all the hallmarks of a modern classic. Ridley Scott’s best film in years, no question.

top-20-films-2015-while-were-young

15. While We’re Young

I’m a big fan of Noah Baumbach anyway but this might be his finest effort for me. It’s breezily enjoyable, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, but has some very meaningful things to say about getting older and acting your age. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-love-and-mercy

14. Love & Mercy

Paul Dano and John Cusack wonderfully play two sides of the same coin that is Brian Wilson in a multi-layered film full of heart, tenderness and a genuine reverence for The Beach Boys music that it presents. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-brooklyn

13. Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan gives perhaps the finest performance of any actress this year in an affectionate, poignant, endearing, effortlessly enjoyable film that so brilliantly hits on the nerve of nostalgic longing people have for their homeland.

top-20-films-2015-slow-west

12. Slow West

Westerns are to be treasured these days and boy was this a cracker. It’s a visually gorgeous, surprisingly swift (despite the title) and pleasingly off-kilter story of one young man’s journey to reunite with his lost love.

top-20-films-2015-it-follows

11. It Follows

David Robert Mitchell’s masterful horror brings together a whole load of influences – from A Nightmare on Elm Street to The Thing – to create a new, deeply unnerving story of an evil presence that just won’t stop.

top-20-films-2015-ex-machina

10. Ex Machina

Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Dredd) turns director in sublime fashion with this slick, complex, thought-provoking piece of modern sci-fi that’s chalk full of ideas and a palpable sense of dread. Alicia Vikander, in one of approximately 9765 roles this year, was astonishing as the lifelike A.I. used to test just exactly what it means to be human. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-the-look-of-silence

9. The Look of Silence

As if The Act of Killing wasn’t devastating enough, Joshua Oppenheimer followed it up with this arguably even more powerful continued exploration of the brutal 1965/66 Indonesian “death squad” killings. Not exactly an easy watch but an important gut-punch of one nonetheless.

top-20-films-2015-steve-jobs

8. Steve Jobs

It may have disappointed some looking for a more straightforward birth-to-death biopic but I loved this unashamedly wordy, supremely economical film. It’s a nigh on perfect marriage of Aaron Sorkin’s verbally complex written approach and Danny Boyle’s playful directorial style, making epic action sequences out of what is essentially people arguing in back rooms.

top-20-films-2015-selma

7. Selma

Just another biopic, you say? Wrong. Ave DuVernay does a magnificent job of exploring a very specific and important point in Martin Luther King’s life in a way that felt both historic and utterly relevant to today’s world, all of which is anchored by David Oyelowo’s stunning central performance.

top-20-films-2015-star-wars-the-force-awakens

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I didn’t grow up loving Star Wars so no one was more surprised how much I loved this. Terrific action, depth of character and a fantastic mix of respecting the old while introducing the new; it all just worked so brilliantly. It was also that rarest of things: a massively anticipated and built-up blockbuster that actually lived up to the hype. Consider me a convert to the franchise. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-fast-and-furious-7

5. Fast & Furious 7

Call me crazy but for me this was one of the most purely enjoyable cinematic experiences of the year. Sure, subtlety isn’t exactly atop the list of priorities but it did what it set out to do and then some, with at least half a dozen spectacularly entertaining set-pieces. It also managed to be a surprisingly emotional and fitting send-off for the late Paul Walker. There was something in my eye at the end, I swear…

Birdman

4. Birdman

My annoyance over it beating Boyhood to Best Picture aside, I loved Alejandro González Iñárritu’s bold and confident exploration of the business of acting and what it means to try to be taken seriously. Michael Keaton gave an all-or-nothing kind of performance at the centre of a film that may have been gimmicky in its  “one continual shot” conceit but, man, what a gimmick it was.

top-20-films-2015-inside-out

3. Inside Out

It turns out Pixar movies are like anything else in life: you wait for ages then two come along at once. The Good Dinosaur was a bit of a let-down but the same can’t be said for this beautiful tale of a little girl in unfamiliar surroundings: told from the perspective of the emotions inside her head. Gorgeously animated and full of all the heart, wit and emotional beats that made Pixar such a beloved brand. An instant classic. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-mad-max-fury-road

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

Nope, it’s not number 1!…

No one was expecting this to be as good as it was, but the sequel/reboot to the franchise was quite simply one of the best action movies this millennium. Led by a brooding Tom Hardy and a heroine for the ages in Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa, this was a relentless two hour long set-piece that was as brilliantly exhilarating as it was technically astonishing. FULL REVIEW HERE

top-20-films-2015-whiplash

1. Whiplash

You have to go right back to January to find what is, in my mind, the best film of the year. This blistering second film from writer-director Damien Chazelle is filmmaking at its absolute best, telling the story of a drumming protégé and his tough-as-nails teacher (J.K. Simmons in an Oscar-winning performance) in refreshingly bold, startling fashion with some of the best sound design in recent memory and a finale that grabs you by the throat and make sure you won’t forget the film in a hurry. As good as the rest of the year may have been, nothing reached this level in my eyes.

Note: Some of this content was previously published on Scotcampus. Head over there for more in-depth thoughts on some of the films.

Well that’s it for my list, what’s yours? Be sure to leave it in the comments below!

Previous ArticleNext Article
I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

3 Comments

Leave a Reply to Ross Miller Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4031

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!

Competition: Win King of Thieves on DVD *CLOSED* 0 3872

***This competition is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The two winners will be contacted soon!

This coming Monday sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of King of Thieves, the latest film from acclaimed director James Marsh (Man on Wire, The Theory of Everything), which features a cavalcade of legendary British actors including Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Paul Whitehouse who team up to pull off a brazen heist. You may know the job from our own headlines as “The Hatton Garden Heist,” described as the biggest and most daring heist in British history.

It’s a good slice of old-fashioned heist movie fun which morphs in its latter half into something with surprising touches of the dangerous and sinister as suspicions and loyalties start to inevitably turn.

To celebrate the film’s release, we have two copies of it on DVD to give away, thanks to the lovely folk at Studio Canal.

thoughts-on-film-king-of-thieves-competition

To enter the competition simply answer the following question: in which classic British film does Michael Caine famously say the line, “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”?

a) Alfie
b) The Italian Job
c) The Ipcress File

Please email your answer to rosstmiller@thoughtsonfilm.co.uk with the subject heading “King of Thieves competition.” Please also include your delivery address details so we can easily send the prize out if you win.

Now for the technical part:

  • UK residents only
  • Entrants must be 18 or over
  • Winners will be chosen at random
  • The prize for each entrant is one DVD copy of King of Thieves
  • Prize is non-transferable
  • Competition ends on Sunday January 27th at 11:59pm GMT
  • Prize will be sent from PR/studio

King of Thieves is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from January 21st. You can already rent/buy the film digitally.

Best of luck on the competition!