BOF's Top 25 movies of 2015. Full list on Page 13. The forum is shiny and chrome.

[CJohn]

1 minute ago, grim22 said:

#10

 

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Sicario

 

 

 

I haven't seen the movie, so can't comment on this unfortunately. Will definitely try to watch it soon.

 

 

 

 

BOF User Reviews

 

 

The cast was great – Del Toro stole though show although Brolin was fantastic as well. I love Emily Blunt and she was also excellent, but like 'antovik' said – her place as the audience surrogate was a little pronounced. Deakins work was truly incredible - the scene with the line of SUVs making their way through Juarez is one of the best sequences I have seen in recent times. Those ariel views were just incredible. I wasn't too impressed with the score - I thought it relied a bit too much on sound design. Overall this was an excellent film. The specific events could have been a bit more compelling but the message of the film was spot-on and it was very subtle/nuanced with its themes. A-

 

 

-Moviedweeb

 

 

 

I think this is the best film of the year so far....after Jurassic World.  I realize JW doesn't count for the academy so that makes this the best.  This had me hooked right from the beginning.  Superb in every way.

 

 

 10/10

 

 

-Baumer

 

 

 

 

 

Another movie from my list and that this point only one of my top 10 won't show up. Unfortunately the number 1 will be a movie about feels or whatever. Maybe Star Wars: The Force Awakens A New Hope Remake can take number 1 instead. I am cheering for it. 

[John Marston]

The masterful Jurassic World should have been higher 

[BadAtGender]

6 minutes ago, grim22 said:

Before the top 10 reveal starts, here is a random selection of movies which won't make the list

 

SPECTRE

Chi-Raq

Cinderella

Maggie

Chappie

Crimson Peak

Mr. Holmes

Tangerine

Beasts of No Nation

Anomalisa

The Walk

Breathe

The Hunting Ground

Joy

The End of the Tour

Insurgent

Tomorrowland

 

Based on this list and what we've seen, it looks like five of my top ten will be in the actual top ten.

[Fancyarcher]

4 minutes ago, CJohn said:

Fuck you all stupid humans. 

 

It was in my top twenty. I'm just as mad as you are that it didn't at least make the top 25.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Daniel Dylan Davis

[TalismanRing]

9 minutes ago, Telemachos said:

 

Actually, JW has no redeeming factors whatsoever. 

 

I liked the boss (mostly because of the actor) but they killed him so fuck JW.

[grim22]

#9

 

Spoiler

The Big Short

 

 

 

This was another good ensemble pic to add to the many in 2015. Michael Lewis’s book was one of my favorites and this movie realized it really well in the translation from book to screen. Very timely movie as well, especially with Sanders and Warren attacking the system again everyday in the real world.

 

 

 

BOF User Reviews

 

 

Smart, funny, and overwhelms you narratively and visually in a way that greatly matches McKay's righteous anger towards our culture. Great stuff.

-Gopher

 

Great film. Loved little details like Gosling's fake tan to remind us what a douchebag his character is. Carrell is great. The fourth wall breaking and info dump cameos worked really well. I was entertained and horrified. I still need to watch Spotlight but I'd be pleased with this as Best Picture winner

-Kraken

 

 

[CoolioD1]

2 minutes ago, Goffe said:

guys just saw last year's list and Cap2 didn't crack the top 10 either. GOTG was ninth.

 

We can hope again.

gotg was way better and way better received than either of the marvel movies from '15 and '15 was overall a much stronger year than 2014 imo. so if one shows up now that just shows the marvel fanboy epidemic has grown to be far worse in the past year.

[Goffe]

7 minutes ago, grim22 said:

Before the top 10 reveal starts, here is a random selection of movies which won't make the list

Spectre

Cinderella

Mr. Holmes

Breathe

Joy The End of The TOur

how close of the top 25 these movies were?

[Ethan Hunt]

Kinsman is gonna end up ahead of Rogue Nation... Fuck you guys

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

Wow, that's low for Big Short. Think Room will be #5 now.

[75Live]

ok the top 10 continues to be good, waiting for the monkey wrench though  

[Jake Gittes]

This scene > anything in The Revenant, cinematography-wise. 

 

[CoolioD1]

the cameos were the worst part of the big short. like i get the idea but on all three occasions they ruined the flow of a scene that would have been stronger without them.

[TalismanRing]

5 minutes ago, CoolioD1 said:

gotg was way better and way better received than either of the marvel movies from '15 and '15 was overall a much stronger year than 2014 imo. so if one shows up now that just shows the marvel fanboy epidemic has grown to be far worse in the past year.

 

I thought 2014 was a stronger year.  My top 25 didn't have anything I rated lower than a B+.  This year the last couple were B-.

 

[I think GOTG was just "OK".  I much preferred AOU and Ant-Man to it]

Edited February 7, 2016 by TalismanRing

[grim22]

#8

 

Spoiler

EX MACHINA

 

 

The other Oscar Isaac and Domnhall Gleeson movie of 2015. This is also the movie which gave Vikander her breakout role. I loved the movie, especially the ending. Although I would love to see an AI movie in which the AI characters actually help humans instead of all of them being “Dangers of technology”. This also has the best dance scene of 2015.

 

 

BOF User Reviews

 

 

Wow, I loved the movie.
I just love these minimalistic low budget small cast Sci Fi films. I wish more of them were released every year. Three characters locked up in house while something is going on. We have Caleb the dorky main character, Ava the pretty robot who is more than what she seems, and the brilliant jerk inventor Nathan. The actress that played Ava was a standout. I really loved her in the role and was memorized whenever she was onscreen. She is already one of my Sci Fi characters.
The movie takes its time to reveal more and more of the story. We are pretty much along for the ride. The visual effects were nicely low key.
The only thing I thought was odd was Caleb's cliche plan at the end with Ava. Thank god for that final twist which made the movie a thousand times better. The ending with Ava was so open. Not really a happy ending since the future is so uncertain.

-Mojoguy

 

Slow-burn high-concept sci-fi cinema.

One's like or dislike of this film may in fact be tied to their thoughts regarding the phrase above.  For me, such phrase brings thoughts of slow-cooked ideas that are developed gradually and change in an organic manner throughout the run time.  Moreso than dominance of any one character, it is the films' ideas that dominate in my best-case scenario.  Thankfully for the viewer, such is very much the case here.

 Caleb is chosen by Nathan to come out and inspect his A.I. specimen at his house/laboratory.  This is not necessarily a new idea in the sci-fi world as A.I. consciousness has been a relevant theme for decades now.  What does separate this film is the handling of its ideas and the dynamics within.  

This is a film that understands that sci-fi will always be most effective with the the mere presentation of ideas.  A good idea alone takes on a whole persona of its own, and this is where the slow-burn aspect of this film comes into play.  This is a film where the ideas are the viewer's guide, and as more details come into the fray, the viewer is once again free to take them wherever they wish.  In many ways, one can look at this film as placing a variety of ideas in a simmering pot, and letting the tension/suspense boil throughout the run time.

For all the talk about A.I. intelligence, I feel much of the film's ideas are found in the bridge between A.I. intelligence and human emotion.  It was the contrast between the two that makes this film work on so many levels.  Specifically, can there be legitimate consciousness without emotion?  It's interesting how the characters of Caleb/Nathan and their dynamics within are crucial in the foundation of the ideas.  The best sci-fi stories are typically ones with a human element.  Thankfully for the viewer, this is a film that uses humanity and emotion as the springing board and energy for the entire film.  

 In an indirect way, a celebration of humanity.

-Mattmav45

 

 

 

[75Live]

Just now, grim22 said:

#8

 

  Reveal hidden contents

EX MACHINA

 

 

The other Oscar Isaac and Domnhall Gleeson movie of 2015. This is also the movie which gave Vikander her breakout role. I loved the movie, especially the ending. Although I would love to see an AI movie in which the AI characters actually help humans instead of all of them being “Dangers of technology”. This also has the best dance scene of 2015.

 

 

 

 

BOF User Reviews

 

 

Wow, I loved the movie.
I just love these minimalistic low budget small cast Sci Fi films. I wish more of them were released every year. Three characters locked up in house while something is going on. We have Caleb the dorky main character, Ava the pretty robot who is more than what she seems, and the brilliant jerk inventor Nathan. The actress that played Ava was a standout. I really loved her in the role and was memorized whenever she was onscreen. She is already one of my Sci Fi characters.
The movie takes its time to reveal more and more of the story. We are pretty much along for the ride. The visual effects were nicely low key.
The only thing I thought was odd was Caleb's cliche plan at the end with Ava. Thank god for that final twist which made the movie a thousand times better. The ending with Ava was so open. Not really a happy ending since the future is so uncertain.

 

 

-Mojoguy

 

 

 

 

 

Slow-burn high-concept sci-fi cinema.

 

 

One's like or dislike of this film may in fact be tied to their thoughts regarding the phrase above.  For me, such phrase brings thoughts of slow-cooked ideas that are developed gradually and change in an organic manner throughout the run time.  Moreso than dominance of any one character, it is the films' ideas that dominate in my best-case scenario.  Thankfully for the viewer, such is very much the case here.

 

 

 Caleb is chosen by Nathan to come out and inspect his A.I. specimen at his house/laboratory.  This is not necessarily a new idea in the sci-fi world as A.I. consciousness has been a relevant theme for decades now.  What does separate this film is the handling of its ideas and the dynamics within.  

 

 

This is a film that understands that sci-fi will always be most effective with the the mere presentation of ideas.  A good idea alone takes on a whole persona of its own, and this is where the slow-burn aspect of this film comes into play.  This is a film where the ideas are the viewer's guide, and as more details come into the fray, the viewer is once again free to take them wherever they wish.  In many ways, one can look at this film as placing a variety of ideas in a simmering pot, and letting the tension/suspense boil throughout the run time.

 

 

For all the talk about A.I. intelligence, I feel much of the film's ideas are found in the bridge between A.I. intelligence and human emotion.  It was the contrast between the two that makes this film work on so many levels.  Specifically, can there be legitimate consciousness without emotion?  It's interesting how the characters of Caleb/Nathan and their dynamics within are crucial in the foundation of the ideas.  The best sci-fi stories are typically ones with a human element.  Thankfully for the viewer, this is a film that uses humanity and emotion as the springing board and energy for the entire film.  

 

 

 In an indirect way, a celebration of humanity.

 

 

-Mattmav45

 

 

 

 

 

 

phew, this was the one I completely missed on my list as I accidentally deleted it but glad it made the top 10 regardless  

[Michael Gary Scott]

11 minutes ago, CJohn said:

Fuck you all stupid humans. 

It wasn't very good

[DAR]

Still need to see BS and Ex-Machina but is Sicario is damn fine filmmaking 

[John Marston]

While Ultron was t great it certainly deserves a spot on the list before Mockingjay 2. 

[75Live]

7 minutes ago, Ethan Hunt said:

Kinsman is gonna end up ahead of Rogue Nation... Fuck you guys

 

 

 

as it should

 

Just now, John Marston said:

While Ultron was t great it certainly deserves a spot on the list before Mockingjay 2. 

 

yeah most agree with you on that one