As 2015 comes to a close, it’s time to make some tough choices - and by that I mean picking
our top ten movies of the year!
And if this year picking a top ten seems particularly hard, that’s because 2015 featured the return
of old friends, and exciting new introductions!
You can vote for your own top ten in Beyond The Trailer’s annual poll, the link is in
the video description, and right now I’m going to share my own list.
Like Santa, I’ve checked it twice - and I’ve even made a naughty list!
Be sure to check that out, as well as my list of hidden gems.
So let’s get started!
I’m surprised to say that my number ten?
Is Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight.
I love Hitchcock movies, so imagine my surprise to discover Tarantino has made a Hitchcock
Western!
The writing, the acting, the cinematography, the score - this is masterful filmmaking from
top to bottom.
And perhaps most telling of all, it was so haunting beautiful in its depiction of human
horror the darn thing’s really stuck with me.
Then at number nine, I had to put Jurassic World.
While I was initially underwhelmed by the flick - my expectations were sky-high - after
seeing The Force Awakens I feel Jurassic World does a better job of reviving a franchise.
Sure they both lay on the nostalgia real thick, but Jurassic World ends up being more of its
own independent entity than The Force Awakens.
Plus nobody was able to deliver a star-making turn this year quite like Chris Pratt.
Then again, franchise-wise, I am more excited about Star Wars Episode 8 than Jurassic World
2...
Next for number eight, I gotta put Furious 7.
James Wan is the biggest behind the camera talent to arise since Christopher Nolan, and
he even managed to shift genres!
On top of that, he and the rest of the Fast and Furious crew had the tragic task of making
a movie around Paul Walker’s horrific accidental death - in a manner that mimicked the franchise
no less.
But Wan and company pulled it off, proving that putting family first isn’t just a cool
line spoken by Vin Diesel.
And the farewell to Walker?
There wasn’t a dry eye in any theater across the globe.
Now I know many of you didn’t like Chappie, and many of you didn’t even give it a chance,
but for me it definitely deserves it’s number seven spot.
One of the best movies about artificial intelligence ever made, it also succeeded in breaking Hollywood’s
stereotypical, black and white depiction of gangs.
And while some people couldn’t get past their initial negative impression of South
African rappers turned actors Die Antwoord, just remember that Yolandi Visser has inspired
both David Fincher’s Lisbeth Salander and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
Then another surprise for me was that Kingsman The Secret Service only made it to number
six on my list!
No doubt about it, the movie is revelation for the spy genre, and replaces Kick Ass as
Matthew Vaughn’s signature film.
In fact, the one two punch of Kick Ass and Kingsman has finally allowed Vaughn to “arrive”
as a filmmaker in Hollywood.
And of course, not only does Taron Edgerton seem to be a junior Chris Pratt in terms of
potential star power, but the most famous Mr Darcy of them all finally redefined himself.
So why is it just number six?
Well, 2015 has been that good a year...
For instance, my number five is such a good movie that it’s shocked Hollywood and the
media by becoming an awards frontrunner.
We all thought fan favorite Bryan Cranston was wasting his time with Trumbo, but low
and behold we were fools to doubt him.
Trumbo does THREE important things.
One, it reminds us that screenwriting is a forgotten art.
Two, America isn’t about cherry-picking your freedoms.
And three, that it’s just as important to fight with your wits as it is with your heart.
Who can argue with any of that, especially after seeing Trumbo?!
Then at number four I have Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, which is not just a well-made
film but a perfect marriage of old school and new school filmmaking.
Who can argue with any of that, especially after seeing Trumbo?!
Then at number four I have Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, which is not just a well-made
film but a perfect marriage of old school and new school filmmaking.
Classic set pieces like assassination attempt at the opera and motorcycle car chase are
given a modern update, plus top talent is cemented both in front of the camera with
Rebecca Ferguson and behind the camera with Christopher McQuarrie.
Plus after Edge of Tomorrow, this makes Tom Cruise two for two with genre fans - and puts
him back at the top of his game after hitting rock bottom, something Mel Gibson and Arnold
Schwarzenegger have not been able to do...
Third place?
That has to go to The Martian, which ended up being the real Tomorrowland we all wanted
to see.
While Matt Damon held the center ring masterfully, The Martian actually ended up being a wonderful
ensemble film depicting a not so distant future where everyone works TOGETHER towards a common
goal.
As the real world today seems more and more divisive, this was a welcome dream for a better
tomorrow.
Okay, number two?
Spy!
And the Hollywood Foreign Press Association agrees with me, as Spy is the first straight-up
comedy since, well 2010’s Red to get nominated for Best Picture Musical or Comedy.
Hmm, well, on the surface that doesn’t exactly seem to help me make my point, but keep in
mind that Red was celebrated for promoting older action heroes while Spy is celebrated
for promoting the idea that men and women can be funny TOGETHER!
Plus it’s just an instant comedy classic!
I saw Spy FOUR times this year, and I can’t say that about any other movie that came out
this year - or even in the last few years.
Finally, my number one movie of the year is Mad Max Fury Road, which it seems actually
has a shot at winning some Best Picture awards.
Seven years after The Dark Knight was snubbed, hallelujah!
But sadly, I’m already seeing some fanboys turn on Mad Max Fury Road in an effort to
promote Star Wars The Force Awakens as the best movie of the year.
But while Episode 7 was a great moviegoing experience, that retread of Episode 4 is simply
no match for the sophisticated, unique artistry of George Miller’s apocalyptic tale of survival
at any cost.
Forget the best movie of 2015, Mad Max Fury Road is one of the best movies of all time.
So that’s my list of top ten movies for 2015!
Again be sure to vote for your own top ten via the link in the video description, and
you can check out my list of the WORST movies of 2015, and hidden gems, right now!