Best Films Of 2015
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- DirectorJody ShapiroTommaso RosselliniStarsNorika FujiwaraIsabella RosselliniIsabella Rossellini's takes her educational series about the mating habits of different animals on the road.Wow, this is great! Isabella shatters countless religious and cultural ideas, and even Darwinism itself with a mind blowing onslaught of truths regarding the wild kingdom and how it behaves and procreates. Not that an evolution of species is disputed, it certainly isn't, in fact it is capitalized! However our current knowledge of how many species behave has completely destroyed the Darwinian idea that we all evolve in order to compete, survive, and reproduce. Not exactly new knowledge to everyone, but here it is clearly proven wrong by pure observation of the animal world. Common bonds between the behavior of males and females, or even all species in general are much trickier to find than the human race has long believed. Very few commonalities people believe in are really true at all. The way Isabella humbly, open mindedly, and intelligently puts it all together here is a beautiful thing to witness. Grand, mind blowing stuff here! 9/10
- StarsDerek MullerHost and physicist Dr. Derek Muller unlocks the mysteries of uranium, one of the Earth's most controversial elements.A fascinating docu about one of the most amazing elements in the world...The good, the bad, and the ugly. 9/10
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsEmily BluntJosh BrolinBenicio Del ToroAn idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.One of the best films I've seen from 2015. Denis Villeneuve has become one of the most interesting directors living on the planet today. 8.5/10
- DirectorMatt BrownStarsDev PatelJeremy IronsMalcolm SinclairThe story of the life and academic career of the pioneer Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, and his friendship with his mentor, Professor G.H. Hardy.This film is better than most of the reviews in my opinion. There is a lot of beautiful subtle aspects here that many unfortunately will completely miss. According to his legend, Ramanujan often stated that, "An equation for me has no meaning, unless it represents a thought of God." I would agree with some that there is room for improvement here. An even better film of Ramanujan could possibly be made, nonetheless this film is pretty great as it is. For one thing, I liked how it showed the very real political side of the elite level academic world. 8.5/10
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.It takes a village to raise a child, and a village to abuse a child. This is an echo heard around the world wherever those in powerful places are taking advantage of people or even the earth. If we do nothing or just keep quiet and mind our own business, we are all to blame for letting them ruin our species and our home planet. 8.5/10
- DirectorAdam McKayStarsChristian BaleSteve CarellRyan GoslingIn 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the United States mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.In lies and paper, and a desire to control, society trusts. 8.5/10
- DirectorAlex GarlandStarsAlicia VikanderDomhnall GleesonOscar IsaacA young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.Be warned, this is not an action sci-fi popcorn film to just enjoy without thinking. Avoid this if that's what you're looking for. This is a fairly deep and thought provoking film. If you don't like films that make you think and question things, then this is not for you; However if you love thought provoking film, this is an absolute must see. 8/10
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsJake GyllenhaalNaomi WattsChris CooperA successful investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. With the help of a customer service rep and her young son, he starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.Unique, thought provoking, and entertaining. 8/10
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsChanning TatumMila KunisEddie RedmayneA young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an ancient and destructive industry.Visually unique and beautiful. I found this to be a real fun and somewhat thought provoking film, just as most of the Wachowski's films are. 8/10
- DirectorAndrew CividinoStarsJackson MartinNick SerinoReece MoffettWhile spending the summer in cottage country on the shores of Lake Superior, three teens cope with boredom by testing the limits of their experience.A fairly great indie film from Canada. Growing up in the movies rarely feels so real. A superb cautionary tale for young and/or troubled teens. 8/10
- DirectorNatalie PortmanStarsNatalie PortmanGilad KahanaAmir TesslerThe story of Amos Oz's youth, set against the backdrop of the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. The film details the young man's relationship with his mother and his beginnings as a writer, while looking at what happens when the stories we tell become the stories we live.Beautiful, but dark for certain. 8/10
- DirectorTim Blake NelsonStarsSam WaterstonKristen StewartCorey StollMultiple lives intersect in the aftermath of the violent mugging of a Columbia University philosophy professor.7.5/10
- DirectorS. Craig ZahlerStarsKurt RussellPatrick WilsonMatthew FoxIn the dying days of the old west, an elderly sheriff and his posse set out to rescue their town's doctor from cannibalistic cave dwellers.
- DirectorStefano SollimaStarsPierfrancesco FavinoElio GermanoClaudio AmendolaA gangster known as "Samurai" wants to turn the waterfront of Rome into a new Las Vegas. All the local mob bosses have agreed to work for this common goal. But peace is not to last long.
- DirectorMarielle HellerStarsBel PowleyAlexander SkarsgårdKristen WiigA teen artist living in 1970s San Francisco enters into an affair with her mother's boyfriend.A refreshingly honest look at realizing the importance of loving oneself, and for a change, it comes from a true female perspective. Usually coming of age films of this sort out of Hollywood are written by men, and it's like their sort of fantasy-like perspective of the young female. Even as a man myself, I enjoyed this gritty, more authentic coming of age story from a female perspective a lot more than most films of this sort. Here it just feels so messy and real, a tale of a real human young woman discovering herself and what is actually important to her. A wonderful film.
7.5/10 - DirectorIlya NaishullerStarsSharlto CopleyTim RothHaley BennettHenry is resurrected from death with no memory, and he must save his wife from a telekinetic warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.7.5/10
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.While the film is grand in many ways, it also does have its share of flaws. Some of the action scenes here are some of the most intense and realistic ever filmed. The story is good but at times over done and at other times under done. 7.5/10
- DirectorJay ChapmanStarsCraig FergusonIn his second comedy special for EPIX, Craig Ferguson puts his sometimes cheeky, always irreverent spin on universal topics from sex and drugs to rock & roll-including his hilarious experiences with Mick Jagger and Kenny G.
- DirectorCraig ZobelStarsChiwetel EjioforChris PineMargot RobbieIn the wake of a disaster that wipes out most of civilization, two men and a young woman find themselves in an emotionally charged love triangle as the last known survivors.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsNatalie PortmanJoel EdgertonEwan McGregorA woman asks her ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from a gang out to kill him.7/10
- DirectorScott CooperStarsJohnny DeppBenedict CumberbatchDakota JohnsonThe true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.7/10
- DirectorJoel EdgertonStarsJason BatemanRebecca HallJoel EdgertonA married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts.A well crafted film. 7/10
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsBradley CooperRachel McAdamsEmma StoneA celebrated military contractor returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him.Mostly panned by critics, I have to say, I really didn't mind this film at all. The critics are simply wrong here, at least to my tastes they are. A few aspects may not have worked so well, sure, but I feel many aspects did work quite well. I enjoyed the vast subject matter, the entertaining cast, and the unique energy this film has. The storytelling here in my view is another interesting one in a long line of good and different Cameron Crowe films. When most of Hollywood is making very safe and predictable films, at least we still have a few American directors willing to do something different and willing to bring attention to often overlooked or even new issues. Most of all though it is the very down to earth human feelings in Cameron Crowe films that really make them work for me. This is no exception. To me this was a fun, somewhat thought provoking and heartfelt film. The critics can keep giving mindless films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mad Max good reviews, but for me, this film kicks both their asses easily. 7/10
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
- DirectorGavin HoodStarsHelen MirrenAaron PaulAlan RickmanCol. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.An interesting and well executed take on a very touchy subject. In fact the film changed my perspective in at least one way. See it for yourself, it's worth it. 7/10
- DirectorDaniel EspinosaStarsTom HardyGary OldmanNoomi RapaceA disgraced member of the Russian military police investigates a series of child murders during the Stalin-era Soviet Union.
- DirectorAfonso PoyartStarsAnthony HopkinsJeffrey Dean MorganAbbie CornishPsychic John Clancy (Sir Anthony Hopkins) works with the F.B.I. in order to hunt down a serial killer.As far as fantasy thrillers go, this one was actually very entertaining and fun if you can go along with the premise. In the end you may sort of wonder why people who can see the future so well aren't putting their gift to even better use, but still the film is quite good if you just go with it. 7/10
- DirectorMichael DwyerKaitlin McLaughlinStarsVeronica SixtosJulio Cesar CedilloRoberto UrbinaClaudia, 22, gets busted for credit card fraud and deported from USA to Mexico. She returns to her estranged dad's ranch. She's a pocha - can't speak Spanish. She gets involved with a drug smuggler.A solid low budget drama.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonThe former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.I'm not sure what all the hype is about surrounding this film. It's a decent addition to the franchise, but honestly, it's nothing great. Just another decent Rocky series film, but not even coming close to the original's magic. 7/10
- DirectorPatrick BriceStarsAdam ScottTaylor SchillingJason SchwartzmanAlex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.As a comedy and as a gradually unfolding mystery, the film simply works. Mainly because all involved make it seem somehow plausible. A well crafted film that for me was quite surprising, as I had no idea what to expect going into it. It's not really the kind of story that I'm interested in exactly, but at the same time it's difficult to say that the film isn't worth watching. It is entertaining for the most part, and it definitely is somewhat original in my estimation, and even a little thought provoking.
6.5/10 - DirectorRon HowardStarsChris HemsworthCillian MurphyBrendan GleesonA recounting of a New England whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick.6.5/10
- DirectorJessie NelsonStarsSteve MartinDiane KeatonJohn GoodmanThe intertwined stories of four generations of Coopers unfold right before the annual family reunion on Christmas Eve. Can they survive the most beautiful time of the year?If you like dysfunctional family Christmas films, you'll likely enjoy this. Ignore the low rating here and the critics on this one as so many of the best Christmas classics were also snubbed greatly in their day, and for the exact same reasons. I'm not saying this is an all time classic, but I did find it to be a very worthy watch around the holidays nonetheless. Actually I would say this is one of the better Christmas comedy dramas in recent years. 6.5/10
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJohnny DeppGwyneth PaltrowEwan McGregorJuggling angry Russians, the British Mi5, and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part-time rogue Charlie Mortdecai races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost gold.In my view this film was not nearly as bad as many claim. It was a little hard to jump into as the beginning doesn't ease us in as well as it could. Nonetheless, the film picks up after a while and overall it is quite funny. I expected a silly funny romp as the trailer leads us to believe and that's exactly what it is. Depp and Paltrow are very good together and the supporting efforts of Bettany and McGregor are strong as well. 6.5/10
- DirectorJon WattsStarsKevin BaconJames Freedson-JacksonHays WellfordA small-town sheriff sets out to find the two kids who have taken his car on a joy ride.The film leads to a culminating end that truly does deliver some great thrills. The last 20 minutes(Give or take a few.), easily makes up for anything questionable in the earlier stages of the film, and makes it worth a watch. 6.5/10
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsBrie LarsonJacob TremblaySean BridgersA little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.The kid was great, and so was Joan Allen as usual, but the film isn't as good as many would have you believe. Not sure why the heck Larsen would get an Oscar for her acting. Quite clearly she was outdone by both the kid and Joan. 6.5/10
- DirectorIain SoftleyStarsJulianne HoughTeddy SearsPenelope MitchellA soon-to-be bride on her way to a wedding rehearsal is having second thoughts and decides to take a detour. Car breaks down and a hitchiker offers help. Could it be fate?6.5/10
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.I'm not sure what all the hype is about. The first two films in this series are far better than this. Sure this film is a great visual spectacle, but is that enough to make a great film? It's not nearly enough in my view. Fury Road is about as good as Beyond Thunderdome if you're asking me. It's decent, but it's nothing too special. Where are the interesting characters or a dose of humor or any actual story at all? Not here, that's for sure. Visually grand, but somewhat lacking in every other department you can possibly think of. 6.5/10
- DirectorEtan CohenStarsWill FerrellKevin HartAlison BrieWhen millionaire James King is jailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars.This film has some lulls and is overall very vulgar. Nonetheless if you can get past those facts, it does set up enough very funny moments to be worth watching. 6.5/10
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsSean PennIdris ElbaJasmine TrincaA sniper on a mercenary assassination team kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.If Matt Damon was the lead actor here, this would probably be rated 7.3 on this site or something like that. So many Penn haters these days. Well let me tell you something. He doesn't care and he doesn't like you either. This film was better than most of the crappy action films coming out of Hollywood these days. Certainly better than most of the Liam Neeson action films of recent years. It's nothing too special, but it's fairly good. 6.5/10
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsTom HiddlestonJeremy IronsSienna MillerLife for the residents of a tower block begins to run out of control.
- DirectorBaltasar KormákurStarsJason ClarkeAng Phula SherpaThomas M. WrightOn May 10, 1996, mountain guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer combine their expedition teams for a final ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. With little warning, a storm strikes the mountain and the climbers must now battle to survive.6.5/10
- DirectorPaul WeitzStarsLily TomlinJulia GarnerMarcia Gay HardenA teenager facing an unplanned pregnancy seeks help from her acerbic grandmother, a woman who is long estranged from her daughter.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsSamuel L. JacksonKurt RussellJennifer Jason LeighIn the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.The film seems so in love with itself. It has many repetitive jokes, and mostly of the overly vulgar variety just for the sake of repulsiveness alone it seems. Some parts of the film are delivered with purposely slow developments, overly slow in fact. Some of the characters are quite boring and so are many of the scenarios. It almost seemed like this was Tarantino's spoiled brat movie, him basically saying a great big, "F.U., I can do whatever I want now" to the mainstream audiences that have actually made him a very rich man. And so he can. In that way, the film made me laugh, as I know many people in the theater were repulsed by it, and I think I'm not the only one laughing about this, Tarantino definitely is too. Overall a simple and somewhat dull plot make this one of Tarantino's worst efforts yet in my view, (To me only Death Proof was worse.). I did enjoy the film to some degree for sure, but it's not a film I'd bother to watch again. It is after all quite hard to dispute that this is a very dumb film, with little to no point at all except to repulse some prudes, (And that's really the best it can offer.). If you know some prudes you'd like to rile up, recommend them this one, lmao! 6.5/10
- DirectorScott MannStarsRobert De NiroJeffrey Dean MorganDave BautistaA father is without the means to pay for his daughter's medical treatment. As a last resort, he partners with a greedy co-worker to rob a casino. When things go awry they're forced to hijack a city bus.
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsTom HardyEmily BrowningTaron EgertonIdentical twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray terrorize London during the 1960s.Tim Hardy is great here, but the film was a little flat in my view compared to the old British film on the same subject called, The Krays. 6.5/10
- DirectorJason KrawczykStarsHenry RollinsBooboo StewartKate GreenhouseJack, a social outcast, is thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past.6.5/10
- DirectorGilles Paquet-BrennerStarsCharlize TheronNicholas HoultChristina HendricksLibby Day was only eight years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Almost thirty years later, she reluctantly agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night.
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsJennifer LawrenceJosh HutchersonLiam HemsworthKatniss and a team of rebels from District 13 prepare for the final battle that will decide the fate of Panem.6/10
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloWhen Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.Decent but I didn't find it as fun as the first film. I was fairly surprised I liked the first film of this series as much as I did, but somehow it worked for me. Here it felt a little more tired. There was still some good humor and action at times but overall I just didn't enjoy this one nearly as much. 6/10
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsJake GyllenhaalRachel McAdamsOona LaurenceAfter a fatal incident sends him on a rampant path of destruction, a champion boxer fights to get custody of his daughter and revive his professional career.The story here is ultra generic. Nonetheless, the great performances of Gyllenhaal and especially Whitaker make it well worth a watch. It's hard to watch this film for older viewers at least, because it is such tired formula, however it's also hard not to watch these two great actors. So somehow I stumbled through it, enjoying it to a decent degree, but yet cringing at the same time because of the lack of creativity coming out of most Hollyweird films these days. A 6 out of 10 for me. However it would be a 5/10, or perhaps even worse without these two great actors giving it their all here. 6/10
- DirectorStephen S. CampanelliStarsOlga KurylenkoJames PurefoyMorgan FreemanFour criminals steal diamonds from a safety deposit box in Cape Town, including a drive containing a US senator's evil plans. He'll do anything to get it back from Alexis.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMia WasikowskaJessica ChastainTom HiddlestonIn the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.Visually the film is interesting, but in all honesty, it isn't very interesting beyond that. It is a decent story, and it seems interesting for a while. However the film dragged a little, and really offered nothing all that new by the time it's all said and done. While there were some good aspects, the film was far too predictable for how slow it was. Overall an okay watch, but I certainly wouldn't watch it a second time.
6/10 - DirectorJohn MacleanStarsKodi Smit-McPheeCaren PistoriusAorere PakiA young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide.5.5/10
- DirectorJohn CrowleyStarsSaoirse RonanEmory CohenDomhnall GleesonAn Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.The way this film steps on the face of love just made me dislike the story entirely. Why make a dramatic romance film/novel if you don't even believe in love in the first place, is my question to the writer? Why don't you just screw off and be alone in your depressing vision of love, I don't need you to share your faulty view of it with me. While the film is well made and acted, it really has nothing to offer apart from these technical aspects. It is when I see films like this, The Martian and the new Mad Max film up for Oscars that I remember why I no longer give the Academy any merit at all, nor watch their insulting awards show any longer. Charlie Chaplin was exactly right, Oscars are good for little more than doorstops. 5/10
- DirectorEli RothStarsKeanu ReevesLorenza IzzoAna de ArmasA devoted husband and father helps two stranded young women who knock on his door, but his kind gesture turns into a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.5/10
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsWill SmithMargot RobbieRodrigo SantoroIn the midst of veteran con man Nicky's latest scheme, a woman from his past - now an accomplished femme fatale - shows up and throws his plans for a loop.For the most part a very unbelievable and very typical Hollywood con-artist film. However there are some good parts and it mostly keeps you fairly entertained. 5/10
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsMilla JovovichPierce BrosnanDylan McDermottA Foreign Service Officer in London tries to prevent a terrorist attack set to hit New York City, but is forced to go on the run when she is framed for crimes she did not commit.One of those sort of guilty pleasure action films that reasonably entertains. 5/10
- DirectorJohn Francis DaleyJonathan GoldsteinStarsEd HelmsChristina ApplegateSkyler GisondoRusty Griswold takes his own family on a road trip to "Walley World" in order to spice things up with his wife and reconnect with his sons.Definitely not in the same league as the first three films of this series, but somewhere near the fourth. This one went a little too vulgar in my view. Vulgarity is much more effective if only used here and there in a comedy, as opposed to almost constantly. The worst aspect of this film is the overall lack of subtlety and finesse. Not only was it vulgar too often, many of the jokes you could see coming a mile away and met the audience in dead silence. One of the great things about the first three films in this series was that crazy and unpredictable things would often happen. Here, crazy things happen, but most of them are far from unpredictable. There were long stretches where no one in the audience is laughing, as the jokes were too forced, vulgar, and predictable. The film is definitely pretty dull in parts. There however are also a few very funny moments, some classic Griswold family humor mixed in, as well as a few nods toward the original films. Some good cameos here and there from many well known actors also helped to keep it fun.
5/10