Thread of the Century ;) DAJK's Top 20 Best and Top 10 Worst Films of 2015

[DAJK]

#9 Best Film of 2015

 

Danny Collins

"Heyyy baby doll what's goin' on?" I mean, I love this movie, but that SAME song was stuck in my head for months after seeing this movie.

 

Honestly, I was never planning on seeing Danny Collins. My theatre got it for a week, and I only saw it because I had just started working there and i thought the idea of free movies was cool. I'm glad I saw it, because Danny Collins was not only charming, but it was investing, funny, and in a few ways clever. I'll admit I enjoy watching redemption stories, and while some will just bore you to tears, Danny Collins certainly isn't one of them. Al Pacino delivers quite a fun performance, and the cast as a whole are great together. 

While the film is in the most part predictable (most redemption stories like to throw you those curve balls that you know the hero will get through etc) but Danny Collins executes these elements with such class that its hard not to love it. What I consider one of the most looked-over films of the year because almost nobody saw it, I implore you to give this movie a shot (I think it's on Netflix, but that may just be Canadian...).

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Domestic box office: $5.6 million

Academy Award nominations: n/a

[DAJK]

#8 Best Film of 2015

 

The Big Short

"Come on, let's just take the day to drive down there and see Big Short!"

"Dad I don't want to. It's two hours away, and I'm not even going to get the movie anyways. They all just talk like economy and boring stuff."

"Come onnnnn. I sat through Fantastic 4 with you!"

"Ok... fine."

 

I knew critics were loving this movie, but I thought I would be sitting through 2 hours of economics jargon that I simply wouldn't understand, and would therefore be bored to tears. Dear lord, maybe Fantastic 4 actually did something good, because now I have seen The Big Short. What an awesome movie! Not only did the economic jargon not lose me, but I learned a whole lot from this movie. Holy crap! Stuff went down in 2008, and this movie does a fantastic job at not only showcasing that, but telling a story within it. The best word to describe The Big Short is fascinating. It's gripping, it's enthralling, it's magnificent.

Now, being directed by Adam McKay, there's bound to be some humor in this. There is. But it isn't "dumb humor" from say Anchorman (sorry), but this is really REALLY intelligent humor. A lot of the irony in this movie is played for laughs, and it works! Seriously, The Big Short is one of the most purely entertaining movie of the year! Oh and final note, I totally think Steve Carrel got snubbed of a best actor nomination. Seriously, I was thinking it would have been between him and DiCaprio this year, but to each their own I guess.

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Domestic box office: $54.2 million (as of 1/23/15)

Academy Award nominations: 5

 

[DAJK]

#7 Best Film of 2015

 

Goosebumps

I hate it when people my age call themselves 90's kids. Seriously, you were born in 1999 guys, it doesn't freaking count! So while I'm not a 90s kid then, I sure read Goosebumps like mad. Those books were my life at one point, and while you could say I've grown out of them a while ago, there's always going to be a special place in my heart for their mix of "Scares" and fun. 

Is this an odd pick? Sure. I doubt any of you will have this movie in your top 10 of the year, but it easily makes the list for me, because, well, Goosebumps deserves it. Not only does it capture the spirit of the books perfectly (seriously, watching the movie, I actually felt like I was reading a Goosebumps book, which I can't really say about many/any other book adaptations), but the film really surprised me with its unexpected layer of emotional tug. Nobody would expect anyone to care about any of the characters in a Goosebumps movie, yet here we are. 

The action is extremely playful yet fun to watch, the effects are cheesy yet the visual style of this movie totally reminded me of something I would watch on repeat as a kid. The jokes are clever and all the actors are great with their comedic timing. And while even the movie itself talks about the "twist", the twist in the movie is the type that you think either "aaaahh I totally saw that coming from a mile away" or (if you're me) "I totally should have seen that coming!" Nevertheless, Goosebumps is a rare non-Pixar kiddie film that includes a surprising layer of depth on top of being plain fun. This movie will become one which I will watch traditionally around Halloween, and one that I'll probably get my (wayyy in the future) kids to watch as well. Also, God bless you Danny Elfman! You're the man!

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

Domestic box office: $79.8 million

Academy Award nominations: n/a

[baumer]

Don't you love it when films surprise you?  I love your write up on The Big Short.  That happens to me often, where I have very little expectations for something and then when I see it, it surprises the hell out of me.  No Fuck Off!

 

I really need to see Danny Collins and Goosebumps.  One of my movie loving buddies loves it and my nieces love love love Goosebumps.  

 

Nice write ups, can't wait for the rest.

[DAJK]

#6 Best Film of 2015

 

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

So Harry Potter is long gone, Hunger games has ended, Divergent might as well be over, and 5th Wave bombed. The YA formula is pretty much coming to and end cinematically. However, The Maze Runner series has shown me twice in a row that if handled well, YA formulaic movies can still be pretty darn entertaining.

 

I had the first Maze Runner as my #1 film of 2014.  I look back on that now and kinda realize that that statement may have been slightly out of proportion. However, that movie is still pretty great (top 10 of 2014 for sure) and I do not regret ever defending it. A year later, the series progressed with a sequel that I believe, is arguably better than the original. Sure, it no longer has the intrigue of the Maze, and the series as a whole tries too hard to hide secrets from the audience. But on the other hand, the action and effects are much better, the characters are more fleshed out, the world building has taken three steps forward, and we are given proper villains with WCKD. 

Scorch Trials seriously looks like a 120M movie, but was in fact made for just slightly over 60M. The cinematography is on par with major blockbuster films like Winter Soldier or Force Awakens, and the great score really gets the action scenes going. Director Wes Ball really known how to direct action and create tension, and so I'm curious to see his rumored Norse-mythology project once he's completed his work on the final film in this franchise. 

I'll credit the decline in this film's box office to the fact that audiences are tired of YA formula, and Scorch Trials' marketing never showcased a hook the way the Maze was. But I would be surprised if the final installment declined much further, as I am fully expecting around 75M domestically and still over 300M worldwide. Bring it on Fox!

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%

Domestic box office: $81.7 million

Academy Award nominations: n/a

[DAJK]

#5 Best Film of 2015

 

Kingsman: The Secret Service

I've had a few choices that other members of this Forum will absolutely despise. I apologized to Tele for Jurassic World, so for Kingsman, sorry Ethan.

 

If Kick-Ass kicked ass, then what does Kingsman do? I don't know, but I wish someone had come up with some sort of pun, because I would have totally used it. But anyways, Secret Service was completely awesome! When this was scheduled for October 2014 and I got the trailer with Days of Future Past, I was extremely underwhelmed. It kind of looked like "Alex Rider the movie", and something I would have appreciated more when I was 11 or 12. Then I found out that this was actually a total R-rated romp in the vein of Kick-Ass, and then my interest was caught. And then I saw one of the red band trailers (I think if was Red Band #3) and I was stoked. This movie looked awesome.

And thank God it was awesome. Not only had I just suffered the one-two punch of Jupiter Ascending and Seventh Son, February isn't always the best time at the movies, so Kingsman was a breath of fresh air. Not only did it get me pumped for a sequel (which we all knew would be coming when we saw the opening weekend figures) but it turned Matthew Vaughn into one of the coolest action directors working today. Not only did he do Kick-Ass (could have been a fluke) and arguably the best X-Men movie (two for two but you had great source materiel), now he did this (okay buddy, three times can't be a fluke). I just hope he's on board for #2 in 2017.

Now I just kind of want to mention the three big standouts of the movie: Sam Jackson, Colin Firth, and THE CHURCH SCENE 

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

Domestic box office: $128.3 million

Academy Award nominations: n/a

 

 

 

[Ethan Hunt]

Dog killer

 

 

Edited January 24, 2016 by Ethan Hunt

[DAJK]

#4 Best Film of 2015

 

Straight Outta Compton

We didn't originally get sent this movie on opening weekend, and for 3 days until our bookings came in for the next week (where we ultimately did get the film) I have never answered so many phone calls from angry people wanting to watch a movie.

 

A two and a half hour movie that doesn't feel nearly as long, Straight Outta Compton is truly a marvel or writing and directing. I'l be honest with you (surprise surprise) I'm not exactly the age or the demographic who listened to N.W.A's music. Sure, I've heard of Dr. Dre before, and I knew Ice Cube as "that guy from 21 Jump Street" but I had no idea the impact this group of guys had on the music industry as a whole. Their story is no less than captivating, and it is told through a film that is downright a pleasure to watch (by that I mean it's not the happiest or funnest movie out there, but you'll be glad you saw it once you have). 

The performances are top-notch (holy crap @ Ice Cube's son looking and sounding and acting exactly like him!). The dialogue is clever and well-written, and while I'm sure the film brushed over some darker aspects of N.W.A's members, it didn't exactly show them as perfect human beings either. They have flaws, just as every good character does, and I think that is one of the reasons Straight Outta Compton is so compelling. The first two acts are extremely compelling, while the finale is downright powerful, and the film as a whole is really, really great.

Oh, and I just love that scene where the people outside are destroying NWA's albums and one of the members says something along the lines of "well, they were the ones who bought the album." LOVE that scene. So great!

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Domestic box office: $161.2 million

Academy Award nominations: 1

[DAJK]

Top 3 here we go these are the big guys

[DAJK]

#3 Best Film of 2015

 

Bridge of Spies

My first in-theatre Spielberg film. I hoped it would be good, but I never expected it to be THIS good.

 

I've heard a lot of "it was just mid-level Spielberg" and "Bridge of Spies was good but not great" and while I completely respect those sentiments, I don't exactly agree with them; especially not the second one. Bridge of Spies WAS great, and while Spielberg has made some better movies (ET, Jurassic Park, I haven't seen Schindler's List but I've heard that one is incredible) Bridge of Spies is utterly fantastic filmmaking. I of course wasn't around to experience the true life events that this was based off of, but even in Canada I've heard a lot about it, and it was incredible to see this event portrayed on film. Is the acting top-notch? Sure! Is the look and design of the film great? Yeah! But the one aspect that made Bridge of Spies a "next level" film for me can be attributed to the direction as well as the writing.

The irony in this film is just so well done. While the movie also excels at creating drama and tension through just dialogue, it was during the second act of the movie where Bridge of Spies hit its high point for me. This has nothing to do with bias, purely filmmaking: when the USA was complaining about how it was unfair that their captured spy probably wouldn't get a fair trial in the Soviet Union, yet they didn't want the Russian spy to get a fair trial either. They just wanted him hung. This dramatic irony gave the film layers, as you get a look at the situation from an outside perspective. While the Americans are obviously the good guys, you aren't exactly rooting for them: you're rooting for Tom Hanks. This outside and mostly unbiased perspective on such an ironic concept was incredibly well handled. And the rest of the film is great too

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Domestic box office: $71.5 million (as of 1/26/2016)

Academy Award nominations: 6

[DAJK]

#2 Best Film of 2015

 

Inside Out

This movie jsut gets better and better the more I think about it. Seen it twice in theatres, and I was about to watch it this morning on Netflix before my English exam, but when I put the title credits on my Snapchat story, I immediately got a phone call from my sister saying "you'd better not watch that without me. We'll watch it tonight when you get back from work!!!"

 

God I love this movie. Soooooooo much. I also love how after a few year "slump", Pixar has added a new classic to their library along the ranks of Toy Story, Nemo, and Incredibles (sorry Monsters U, you were fabulous, but not a classic). While I'd like to give a special mention to The Good Dinsaur for being another really good Pixar film this year (which just barely missed my top 20 by one or two spots), the studio's real winner this year is about 5 little guys inside our heads. 

This film is, well, as JeremyJahns said perfectly, genius. It really is. Not only is it heartfelt, but it's also funny, touching, and EXTREMELY intelligent (well deserved of its Best Screenplay nomination). The ways the film incorporates these little emotion guys into everyday experiences we all feel is just too smart. It's clever. Its SO clever. And I'm glad this movie struck a chord with audiences and didn't just make a lot of money. Kids love and remember this movie (while working, I still hear kids talk about Joy and Sadness as much as Kevin Stuart and Bob). So congrats Inside Out, you struck a chord with me as well, and have earned Silver medal of 2015 for your brilliance. 

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

Domestic box office: $356.5 million

Academy Award nominations: 2

[DAJK]

#1 Best, Most Awesome, Coolest, Greatest Film of 2015

 

The Divergent Series: Insurgent... wait... that doesn't sound right at all...

[DAJK]

#1 Best Film of 2015

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Dear Lord, can you imagine the meltdowns on these Forums if this was another Phantom Menace? Jeez, not only that, but I as the usher would have probably been assaulted by angry fans as they left after the end of the movie...

 

Thank God then that this movie... this movie... I can't really describe it. It's just so special. Sure, its got plenty of flaws, but I'm sure part of the reason you can find videos like "50 plot holes in the Force Awakens" is because it has been the only movie analyzed and critiqued this much by fans. Then again, we all knew this would be overly analyzed. The night before the embargo was set to lift, I went to bed like a child on Christmas eve, too anxious to fall asleep, and also scared I would sleep in the next morning and miss all the fun. This was it! This was the first real reactions to the Force Awakens. And the glowing reviews were like a bastion of light to me, I just couldn't hold my excitement that this movie might actually just be that great. Needless to say, I was late for school that day...

I really don't want to go into spoilers at all (even though 99.9% of you have seen the movie already) but I'll stay spoiler-free regardless. There are so many great scenes to talk about (mainly cause I'm also a Star Wars geek who will analyze the movie to death) but let's just talk about the movie as a movie for now. The acting? Best all around acting in a Star Wars movie to date, although that isn't very difficult. The effects were stunning; great mix of the (admittedly gorgeous) CGI from say Revenge of the Sith as well as the practical sets and effects of the originals. The story was wonderfully told, albeit not without its share of holes. With so many unanswered questions, you can totally tell that JJ was saving quite a bit for future installments. And I don't mind waiting a few years for answers, because if they tried to cover everyhting in this movie, The Force Awakens would have been a bloated, 3 hour shlock. 

So have I been a bit swayed by my child-like love for this franchise? Maybe. Am I so blind as to say the film had no problems. No, I'll admit it did. But I can't hold back my excitement, because this didn't just feel like a movie; it felt like an event.

 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Domestic box office: $880.4 million (as of 1/26/2016)

Academy Award nominations: 5

[DAJK]

And so that's it! There's my list, my best and my worst of the year. It's weird to think now that 2015 is over, considering all the hype leading up to the year. For years it had been "2015 is going to be crazy!" "Every box office record broken" "The golden year of cinema!" And now it's done. Bye bye. Kind of a strange thought.

Anyways, thanks you to everyone who took the time to read this list, it truly means a lot to me. I'm glad I have these Forums, a place where I can just be the movie nerd I am and have other people be movie nerds back at me. Props to all of you! Bring it on 2016!

Edited January 27, 2016 by DAJK

[chasmmi]

Good list. Somethings i agree with,  some i do not.  A couple of my top 20 have finally shown up on another list for the first time

 

Good reading through it. 

[DAJK]

On 1/28/2016 at 5:55 PM, chasmmi said:

Good list. Somethings i agree with,  some i do not.  A couple of my top 20 have finally shown up on another list for the first time

 

Good reading through it. 

Thanks Chas!