Most of 2015's biggest blockbusters won't make an appearance here. Of the year's Top 10 grossing movies, only two cracked my personal Top 10. And wouldn't you know it.... they were the only non-sequel/remake/reboots of the bunch. That's not to say I'm against such movies in general. How can I be when some of the great all-time sequels include The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Dark Knight? But I am concerned when sequels repeat rather than branch out from their predecessors. Not only is it lazy, but diminishing returns are bound to kick in sooner or later.
As for the Cream of the Crop that 2015 had to offer, I'm pleased to say that this was the strongest group of films so far this decade. A few titles I placed as Honorable Mentions this time would've cracked a Top 10 in 2014 if they were eligible. For the longest time, I agonized over which title to place at No. 1. One can make a compelling case for anything in the Top 5 of this list, and that's a testament to how strong the overall quality has been this year.
As is tradition, I present my picks (including five Runners-Up in alphabetical order) in reverse order, saving the best for last. Enjoy!
Runners-Up
The Top 10
This is the kind of old-fashioned delight we don't see so much anymore. It's a sublime, emotionally rewarding coming-of-age story of an Irish immigrant that hits all the right notes. It contains no violence nor unnecessary characters created just to generate artificial conflict. Instead, it's about a young woman forging her own identity and making hard choices between the life she has in front of her and the one behind her. Brooklyn is also a high point in the blossoming career of Saoirse Ronan, who has never been better.
This movie came seemingly out of nowhere in April 2015 and delighted just about everyone seeking intellectually-based science fiction. Questions aplenty; at what point does consciousness occur for an AI? Is it a can of worms even worth opening? Does a machine, no matter how human-like, have rights or is it just a lab experient? Dig in and enjoy. For newfound star Alicia Vikander, this is her most compelling work in a plethora of roles this past year.
Director Ryan Coogler delivered the best movie of 2013 in Fruitvale Station, and he cracks a Top 10 once again with Creed. This movie is a template for how to "soft-reboot" a franchise. It introduces wonderful new characters with their own compelling stories while at the same time deepening the arcs of old friends. It calls back to its roots at times (like with the training montages and the Bill Conti score), but it feels fresh. Juxtaposing the rise of Adonis Creed with the decline of Rocky Balboa makes for great drama, and their scenes linger in the mind even more so than the electric boxing action.
The Force Awakens may have been the event of the year for the masses, but the release of a Quentin Tarantino film is always something of an event for movie buffs. You expect two things every time the acclaimed director's name is attached: creatively bloody violence (sometimes in humorous ways) and quotable dialogue. The Hateful Eight delivers both in spades as well as a refreshingly unpredictable narrative. It has an undeniable mean streak, so it won't win over any new converts, but those who don't mind that will have a blast. Finally, those who were lucky enough to see the movie in 70MM Roadshow format received an extra treat in the form of a presentation that I wish more "long" movies (2:45-plus) would go back to.
In contrast to The Hateful Eight, which arguably had no true heroes, The Martian is a movie without villains. This sweeping, suspenseful sci-fi survival tale is both a wonderful human story and a celebration of scientific ingenuity. The circumstances for the main character are grim, but the movie flawlessly uses humor to support its thesis. Director Ridley Scott cranks out new projects more than anyone else in Hollywood, so he's not always in top form. But when he gives his all like we see here, the results speak for themselves.
5. Carol
Carol is many things: the best love story of the year, two of the best lead performances of the year (in a crowded field of great female acting), but one thing it thankfully isn't is a "message movie." Sure, it's about a lesbian relationship set in the 1950s, but the characters and their struggles take center stage over political points (think Blue is the Warmest Color, only nowhere near as graphic). Even the men in the story aren't demonized but presented as realistically flawed individuals. Carol is a slow-moving film, but before long, it will capture you in its spell and win your heart.
It's technically a 2015 movie (released on Dec 25 in NY/LA before opening wider on Jan 7), and it was absolutely worth delaying this list to see. Like The Martian, this is a story of survival against impossible odds, but it's a little slower, more meditative and much more brutal. But even those who can't stomach graphic violence can appreciate The Revenant's astonishing cinematography and Leonardo DiCaprio's gutsy, riveting performance. Even during the story's slower points; you can get lost just staring at this movie. The "you are there" quality here is undeniable; see it on the biggest screen you can find instead of waiting for video.
Like The Revenant, here's another film whose greatest impact is felt inside a movie theater. This awesome, exhilarating action spectacle didn't make the kind of box office impact I hoped it would, but movie buffs far and wide have responded enthusiastically. Director George Miller raises the bar for action filmmaking; don't be surprised if taking in this film suddenly makes garden variety superhero adventures feel more hollow. My guess is that over the many years, Fury Road's reputation will only grow as most of its fellow sequels/reboots begin to fade. Who would've thought that a fourth outing from a series left in the '80s would take such a quantum leap in quality that it's now being mentioned as a potential Best Picture nominee?
After taking a year off, Pixar struck back in 2015, reminding us why no one makes multi-layered animated family movies better. It's a huge hit with kids of course (and by far the biggest moneymaker on my list), but dare I say adults will take away more from it. An endlessly inventive delight, Inside Out invites intellectual participation and reminds us how ALL emotions working in tandem (yes, even the "negative" ones) are required for a well-balanced individual. For sheer creativity and wonder, this deserves to become an animated classic in the years to come. It's one of Pixar's two or three best, and that's saying something considering the studio's track record.
Sure, the films right behind Room on this list are more impressive from a technical perspective. But for me, nothing else released in 2015 delivered a greater emotional impact than this masterful adaptation of Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel. Layers abound; the experience of the main character and her son when in captivity is harrowing, but it's the "re-adjustment" period they go through after the rescue that transforms this movie into a complete drama. Not a single note rings false; director Lenny Abrahamson knows exactly when to tug at the heartstrings and when to show restraint. Very few movies move me to tears; this is a rare exception. Add to that the best female performance of the year in Brie Larson and one of the great child acting performances of all time in Jacob Tremblay, and you have one of the best films of the decade. Crown it the king of 2015.
