The H-Bomb: Well, dear readers, it’s the end of yet another year, and this is about the time when critics start compiling their “Best of” lists. Never being one to miss out on the fun, I’ve compiled one of my own. This is a Top 20 list, because there have been a number of strong films this year, and I want to have room for all of them. Keep in mind, this is my list, my opinion. So don’t get all uppity if don’t see your favorites on here. Even with 20 slots, there’s only so much room. Also, please remember that I haven’t seen every single film from this year, in case you’re wondering why such (presumably) fine pictures like The Revenant, Trumbo, Steve Jobs or Carol are absent.
Honorable Mentions: Ant-Man, Jurassic World, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, People Places Things, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Visit, Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, Ricki and the Flash, The Water Diviner, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, American Ultra, and Cinderella (yes, I liked it. Yes, I am still a man).
So, without further delay, here are my Top 20 of 2015:
20) Maps to the Stars– An over-the-hill actress, a drug addicted child star, a fraudulent self-help guru, and an ambitious-but-not-so-bright limo driver, these are but a few of the denizens in David Cronenberg’s scathing Hollywood satire. After the disaster that was Cosmopolis, the legendary Canadian auteur makes a fine return to form. Yeah, taking satirical potshots at Tinseltown is really nothing new, but very rarely have I seen it done in such a brutally hilarious fashion.
19) Everly– Salma Hayek gets her Beatrix Kiddo on as an army of mobsters tries to blow her out of her apartment. She makes them regret it. This Die Hard in an apartment story might be tough to swallow if you think about it literally, but if you just kick back with a few beers and some buddies, and watch it for what it is, a no-holds-barred B-movie beat down, you will have a kick-ass time.
18) The Salvation– Harsh, grimy, violent western about an immigrant whose family is brutalized by a vicious gang of outlaws, and the bloody revenge he seeks. Mads Mikkelsen is tremendous in a rare hero role and we invest in him all the way. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays the gang leader with cool, sadistic menace. Eva Green, in a mute role, feels a bit wasted, but still conveys a great deal through her facial expressions alone. Definitely a darker western than mainstream audiences may be accustomed to, but totally worthwhile.
17) The Harvest– One of the most under-seen films of 2015, this quiet thriller from the director of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer stars Samantha Morton and Michael Shannon as two over-protective parents caring for their sick son. Morton is ice cold and downright evil, here, and the secret that’s discovered in the closet, around the film’s mid-point, is one of those revelations that packs a real wallop, and completely changes everything that came before it. Seriously, even if this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, take a chance on it.
16) Star Wars: The Force Awakens– After that dreadful fucking prequel trilogy, my interest in this franchise has finally been reawakened. Thanks J.J. Abrams. People are bitching about how it’s too similar to A New Hope and whatnot, I say take that shit and shove it! This movie is something the Star Wars series hasn’t been for quite some time; lively, rousing, and just plain fun. The magic that has been missing for so long is back, and so is Harrison Ford… so quit bitching, damn it!
15) Ex Machina– When I try to think of any films from this year that were genuinely disturbing, my mind keeps coming back to this cerebral sleeper, written and directed by Alex Garland (writer of 28 Days Later). Starring, oddly enough, two actors from the latest Star Wars film, this futuristic twist on the Frankenstein story explores the creation of A.I., as well as the possible dangers and ethical conundrums that could come with it. I might not be quite as crazy about this one as the rest of the world seems to be, but it is a solid, thinking man’s sci-fi flick, and that is something we need more of.
14) Trainwreck– Every “Best of” list usually has at least one film that just completely sticks out like a sore thumb, and this raunchy, R-rated dramedy from writer/star Amy Schumer and director Judd Apatow is that film. As an alcoholic magazine writer who can’t commit to a relationship, Schumer shines. But the real scene stealer, and this is a shocker, is John Cena, who is downright fucking hilarious as one of Amy’s suitors. The bits where he tries to talk dirty during sex… I go into a fit of giggles just thinking about it.
13) The Gift– Joel Edgerton writes, directs, and co-stars in this subdued thriller about a young couple (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall) being stalked by a weirdo that one of them knew in the past. This is one of those films where you think you know where it’s going, when suddenly it throws you a curve ball, and goes in directions you never would have guessed. Much smarter than the average stalker flick, this is an impressively chilling directorial debut by Edgerton, that reveals a dark side of Jason Bateman that we never knew was there.
12) Creed– Who the hell ever thought the seventh Rocky movie would be any good? Not I. I especially had my misgivings about a seventh Rocky movie not written by Sylvester Stallone. I was afraid it would the lack authenticity that only Sly could bring… how wrong I was. Dropping the cheese of the earlier films in favor of a grittier tone, this continues the story of Rocky Balboa in a believable way, while introducing us to a new hero, Adonis Creed, to get behind. And what do you know, it is one of the best movies of the year! Michael B. Jordan is terrific, and Stallone delivers his best performance as the Italian Stallion to date.
11) We Are Still Here– A fine indie horror surprise that I watched on a whim and was absolutely knocked on my ass by. The first act plays out like your typical haunted house thriller, with your shadowy apparitions and creepy bumps in the night. But before long, this thing starts to go in some unexpected directions, and becomes outrageously gruesome. Sick in the best way imaginable. Sissy-ass prudes who are put off by gore should probably just stick to Paranormal Activity, but real horror hounds will sop this up and beg for seconds.
10) It Follows– Death as a sexually transmitted disease. A novel and clever concept, I must concede. One can tell that writer/director David Robert Mitchell had John Carpenter on the brain, as the widescreen cinematography looks like early Carpenter, and the score very much sounds like early Carpenter. On top of that, we have a shocking opening, an uncertain ending, and a seemingly indestructible, inescapable villain… it all adds up to one superbly atmospheric creepshow. And, unlike most modern horror films, the teen protagonists here aren’t just brainless knife fodder, they’re actually sympathetic and proactive… note to would be horror directors, that kind of helps.
9) Beasts of No Nation– Cary Joji Fukunaga, remember that name. He directed the entire first season of True Detective (the good season), to great acclaim. He also wrote and directed this ultra-grim, all-too-real account of a young boy in a war-ravaged African country, who’s taken by a charismatic-but-ruthless warlord (Idris Elba, brilliant) and forced to become a child soldier. Relentlessly raw and brutal, this is hardly a contender for feel good movie of the year, but those who can stomach the sheer ugliness of it, will find it an exceptionally powerful and moving piece of work.
8) The Nightmare– As great as It Follows was, it is not the scariest film of the year. That honor goes to a documentary, of all things. Not just any documentary, mind you, but one made by the director of the bat-shit crazy Room 237 (which I hated). Here, the topic of discussion is sleep paralysis, and the terrifying shit people experience during it. If the stories from the interviewees don’t get to you, the stylish re-enactments will. I’ve experienced sleep paralysis myself more than once in my life, and while I wholeheartedly reject the notion that there’s anything supernatural about it, I will concede that it is scary as hell as it’s happening. The feeling of absolute terror that occurs during sleep paralysis is something that this doc conveys to a T.
7) Predestination– Memento meets Looper in this twist-laden sci-fi mystery that will tie your brain into a tangled pretzel. Ethan Hawke is in fine form, and Sarah Snook is an absolute revelation. The less you know going into this one, the better. I’ll just say, this is one of the great indie surprises of 2015. Pure brilliance.
6) Spectre– I don’t care what anyone out there in Internetland says, I’m sticking to my PPKs on this one, Daniel Craig’s fourth adventure as 007 is double-o-awesome. Fuck you very much. It keeps the intense grittiness of the earlier Craig movies, but brings in a number of the old school elements that longtime fans of the series should appreciate, like the gadgets, and the quips, and the larger-than-life villain (Christoph Waltz) and his larger-than-life henchmen (Dave Bautista). Not to mention, the action is as explosive as ever… I know I’ll get crow for saying this, but fuck it, I like Spectre more than Skyfall. There, I said it. By all means, internet freaks, go ballistic.
5) The Martian– Matt Damon is firing on all cylinders as an astronaut who finds himself stranded on the angry red planet. With the earliest possible rescue being years away, his only hope of staying alive is to science the shit out of this… literally. When you see the film, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I was initially bewildered by the Pia Zadora Awards’ decision to nominate this for Best Comedy, but having watched it, I must concede, it is surprisingly funny throughout, in a good way. It’s also a nail-biting story of survival, with Damon giving one of the best performances of his career.
4) Kingsman: The Secret Service– Matthew Vaughn has turned into one hell of a fantastic director, and his latest is a brilliantly brazen send up of Britain’s greatest contribution to cinema, the spy thriller. What separates this from the likes of Austin Powers and Johnny English? Well, aside from actually being funny, it’s also insanely gruesome. We’re talking Kill Bill buckets of blood, here, and for that, I loved it. Colin Firth makes for a surprisingly believable butt-kicker, and Sam Jackson is a riot as the lispy, McDonald’s loving villain who is so far from being a bad-ass, that he actually is kind of a bad-ass. And the church scene… holy shit… pun intended.
3) Sicario– A hopelessly bleak look at the drug war, this is the film that Traffic desperately wanted to be. Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve masterfully builds tension to an unbearable degree, and Benicio del Toro delivers a shit-your-shorts scary performance. This left me rattled to the core once it was all over, and for days I just could not stop thinking about it. It is dark as hell, and it will make you lose all faith in humanity… so yeah, see it, it’s awesome.
2) Mad Max: Fury Fuckin’ Road– An all out assault on the senses that beats you silly and leaves you in a daze. If you haven’t seen it yet, get off your ass and fix that, pronto! The non-stop pyrotechnics are out of this world, Tom Hardy is perfect as the stoic, cold, and slightly mad Road Warrior, and the one-armed alpha-bitch Charlize Theron holds her own nicely. Ever since it opened, Fury Road has been far and away my favorite film of 2015, and I was sure nothing would top it. Alas, at the eleventh hour, a challenger appeared, and vanquished Max from the top spot. What film from 2015 could have pulled off this impossible feat…?
1) Be sure to tune back in for my next review…
