Best movie of the year? 2015 edition.

Cafe Society
1

We have some time before the end of the year and some major releases are yet to come. Star Wars hasn’t even come out yet, but I don’t mind dropping this thread in again to discuss the best movies released this year.

As with last year, if the movie came out in 2014, but had a limited release or was barely seen, it’s cool to count it as a 2015 movie.

This year, my top movies have been:

Mad Max: Fury Road - probably the best movie released this year
Inside Out - Pixar’s best movie, even better than Toy Story 1, 2, or 3.
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials - Wow, what a sequel!

I have a lot more movies to see, still, though.

What have you enjoyed the most?

2

I refuse to answer until I’ve seen “The Revenant.” I’m also still waiting for “The Hateful Eight” and maybe “Joy.”

3

I’m sorry but unfortunately I didn’t appreciate Mad Max at all, possibly because I really enjoyed the originals (so much so I had a trunk full of black motorbike leathers - I rode a motorbike BTW, not a fetish (much)).

My favourites;

Best Hollywoody film - Southpaw
Best documentary - Amy
Best CGI-laden silliness - Avengers: Age of Ultron
Best Sci-Fi - Ex Machina
Best Indie - Mississippi Grind
Best Stupidity - Wild Card
Best ‘Actually, Surprisingly Good’ movie - Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

4

Well, then I guess you probably won’t answer until January since it looks as if “The Revenant” won’t be wide released until then.

As of today, I’ve seen 55 films in the theater thus far this year. Even though we still have about three weeks left in the year, these are the BEST films I’ve seen so far.

"Phoenix - This is a great film! An amazing story that tackles guilt and betrayal with an ending that you’ll never forget. I can’t recommend this enough.
“Room” - Some of the best performances that you’ll ever see in a film. Brie Larson as the captured woman is wonderful but man, young Jacob Trembley deserves an Oscar nom for sure!
“Inside Out” - After a slew of mediocre films, Pixar is back doing what they do better than anyone. Introducing us to another world and tugging at our heartstrings. (here’s my comic review BTW: http://www.theblabbingbaboon.com/?p=6475 )
“Spotlight” - Great cast, excellent script and an invigorating view of how well the press could and should do their job.
“Brooklyn” - A beautifully shot film with a standout performance by Saoirse Ronan.

5

Inside Out for me, but I considered Fury Road.

6

Spotlight, Inside Out, and Ex Machina for me, in roughly that order, for reasons that even half a dozen posts in have already been mostly covered. If I was filling out a nomination slate of five with stuff I liked, I’d probably go with Creed and The Martian, both of which had some flaws but were a ton of fun and overall really good movies.

(I liked Mad Max but I’m below the consensus - not sure it would make my top ten for the year. Haven’t seen Brooklyn yet and probably won’t until it hits Netflix/Prime; I try to be open minded and see as much as possible, but “1950’s romance/drama” is a setting/genre combo that’s a hard sell when my weekends are largely booked for the next month and a half. Mostly caught up on the big 2015 releases thus far, otherwise.)

Still a bunch to see, of course, but there’s nothing I’m super enthusiastic about down the stretch other than Tarantino. Hoping to be pleasantly surprised by something.

7

Granted that there were a lot of movies this year that I haven’t seen, but The Martian is the best movie I’ve seen in a long time.

8

I have now seen The Martian and Crimson Peak.

Both were really good, with The Martian being excellent.

Still, Mad Max Fury Road is easily the best movie I’ve seen from 2015.

9

AFI has listed their top 10, in no order.

Mad Max Fury Road - I agree since it is my #1 at this point. I see little chance it will be replaced.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Yep, it’s awesome
Inside Out - Pixar’s greatest movie
The Martian - A top, top movie made by people with great skill

I’ve not seen the following:

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Room
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

10

Setting aside the ones that have yet to be released in Canada yet (and Carol), my top three would be:

  1. Spotlight
  2. Mad Max
  3. Sicario - might be the most tense movie I’ve seen all year.
11

Pixels. Funnest movie in awhile.

12

Fury Road is the best film this year.

More than that, I am absolutely certain it will endure and be considered a classic years from now.

13

Mad Max: Fury Road, easily. I haven’t seen the Martian though, just wasn’t feeling like going to movies when it was in theaters. Mad Max is one of the best movies of the whole 2010s for me, I felt like a teenager seeing something utterly new after seeing it. Powerful, crazy stuff.

I liked both Inside Out and Ex Machina but they were merely good movies, maybe 4/5 stars for me.

14

Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight
Creed

I haven’t seen Star Wars, Revenant, or Hateful Eight yet.

Brooklyn is a good movie, but better for its Best Actress contender.

15

The shot of Tom Hardy riding the pole back upwards while an explosion goes off in the background may be the best single shot of the decade.

And it is the best score of the decade, as well.

It’s a true classic.

16

I’ve seen The Martian, Spotlight, Bridge of Spies and Mad Max. The Martian was the most entertaining, but I also liked Spotlight. Bridge of Spies was just another Spielberg/Hanks vehicle, and didn’t really grab me.

17

Spotlight was one of the best movies I’ve seen in the past 10 years.

For pure entertainment, I loved The Martian.

18

Can’t wait to see Spotlight.

19

The Martian was excellent but I have to give the trophy to Mad Max: Fury Road; not only was it a freaking fantastic film, it raises the bar unbelievably high for future action movies (which I consider a very good thing).

20

The Martian and The Man from UNCLE were the only movies I went to this year.