Hi everyone, Bryan Here…

I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. 2015 was an interesting year to say the least, most of which was great. Movie-wise, I think 2015 had some excellent films filling its theaters, but of course it had some real stinkers too. Below is my list of the Best and Worst films of 2015.  I believe this year I watched over 175 new films, theatrically speaking and it was very difficult to narrow them down from 25. After some strawberry cake covered in Lucky Charms, I finally had a TOP 15, however, these films are in no particular order this year. But when you talk about the Best movies, you have to mention the worst too. My list tends to be a tad bit different from others, but hey, I’m twisted. I highly encourage you to seek out these movies – good or bad and enjoy the rest of your year.

BEST

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

This movie spoke to me. Maybe it’s because its a movie for people who LOVE movies and want to be a part of them in some form or fashion. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (who got his start as an assistant on ‘Casino’) has brilliantly weaved an amazing story with memorable character who you’d want to hang out with forever. This movie hits on every emotion ten fold and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I don’t think I cried more in a movie this year.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Finally, director George Miller came back and made another ‘Mad Max’ movie. Using almost zero CGI, Miller made a movie like they used to back in the 70s and 80s with real practical stunts and effects. Not only that, this movie is simply gorgeous to look at, has a hell of a fun story, and excellent characters. They don’t make movies like this anymore, but hopefully others will follow suit and begin to go back to form. It doesn’t get better than this.

Son of Saul

When it comes to holocaust movies, this particular one breaks the mold as we follow one guy over the course of a day at Auschwitz (one of the worst camps in WWII). It’s heartbreaking, depressing, and very chaotic. So much so, that you will have to catch your breath at several moments during the film. That all being said, the movie itself is shot beautifully and has some amazing performances. You have never been in the center of a concentration camp in a movie like you will be here. Tragic and beautiful all at the same time.

The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino made another movie, and yes of course, it’s on this list. Filming in glorious 70mm, which is really never done anymore, Tarantino made this epic western with a hell of cast that has everything you’d ever want in a Tarantino movie, which is excellent dialogue, suspense, great music, blood, guts, comedy, and foul language.

Inside Out

After a string of sub-par Pixar movies, Pixar finally made a good one with ‘Inside Out’, which gave us a glimpse how our feelings are relegated, delegated, and screened to the world. This movie had magic, comedy, and those emotional bits that Pixar is famous for that pulls the heartstrings. They knocked this one out of the park.

Straight Outta Compton

The story of N.W.A. is for sure an interesting one and the filmmakers and actors truly nailed each scene and performance. Seeing all the great rappers and hip hop artists’ origin stories and the moments where they came up with their hit songs was pure bliss. The ensemble of actors here are all fantastic and of course the music is outstanding. One of the best music biopics in a long time.

Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman made a stop-motion animated film for adults. And when I mean for adults, I mean kids shouldn’t see this. Kaufman gave a perfect look into the life of one simple man who is looking for something else in life. At no time will you really think you’re watching a stop-motion animated film, but rather real people in a live action movie. The story is so good and realistic. This is true art cinema right here. It’s fresh and never really been done before. Unbelievable milestone in filmmaking here.

The Look of Silence

 The sequel to ‘The Act of Killing’. I didn’t think anything could top that or be as intense as ‘The Act of Killing’, but ‘The Look of Silence’ does just that. Instead of following around the killers from the last documentary, director Joshua Oppenheimer follows one of the victim’s sons as he actually confronts face to face his family’s killers. It’s raw, emotional, scary, and very informative on how things are on that side of the world still today. Documentaries don’t get much better than this.

The Martian

 Ridley Scott gave us ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner’, and ‘Prometheus’. Needless to say, when it was announced that Ridley would be returning to the sci-fi genre with ‘The Martian’, everyone was excited. ‘The Martian’ surprised everyone. Instead of a super intense, slow-burn, dreadful film that was 100% serious, we got an excellent scientific film that had a ton of wit, charm, comedy, and suspense. Not to mention a killer disco soundtrack.

Creed

Another ‘Rocky’ movie? Really? In this case – a big YES! ‘Creed’ is the ‘Rocky’ movie we’ve always wanted since the first one in 1976. Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and starring Michael B. Jordan (The Wire) as Apollo Creed’s son, this film takes the best moments of the original ‘Rocky’ and puts it into one movie. There are a couple of problems with it, but overall, ‘Creed’ is perhaps the most surprising movie of the year. Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan deliver phenomenal performances, one of which Stallone might be up for a several awards for.

The Revenant

 The guy who gave us ‘Birdman’ and worked on ‘Children of Men’ and ‘Gravity’ now has one of the most difficult shot movies in history. ‘The Revenant’ is simply a mix of beautiful poetry, ultra violence, and stunning imagery. Perhaps Lep DiCaprio will finally get his Oscar here? Excellent movie.

Diary of a Teenage Girl

 I so loved this coming-of-age movie about a girl experimenting with her sexuality and identity. This was basically a movie about a year of very bad decisions for one high school girl, but ultimately makes her a great woman. Excellent acting here and I wish Bel Powley was nominated for an award for this one. Equally funny and emotional with some comic book art. Loved it.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

 This fun as hell movie is from the guy who gave us ‘Layer Cake’ and ‘Kick-Ass’.  ‘Kingsman’ is his version of James Bond, starring Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson. This is uber violent and funny-as-hell the whole way through. And I’m voting this movie for having the BEST SCENE IN A MOVIE all year, all set to the tune of ‘Freebird’. This was some of the most fun I’ve had in the theater all year. Can’t wait for the sequel.

71

 This film fell off the radar I believe, since it came out so early in the year. January in fact, but this horrifying and super suspenseful movie never lets you take a breath. This follows a soldier in Ireland behind enemy lines, as he tries to escape the ruthless gangs out to kill him and his squad. Brutal and powerful. Loved every bit of this.

Predestination

The Spierig brothers also did a phenomenal job of telling a story that comes full circle in a way that will cause you to go back and re-watch every second of this film to see if you could have predicted the outcome if you just looked a little harder. Even the biggest cinephiles here will be impressed. Both Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook own each of their roles, delivering a great range of emotions and physical attributes to their characters. ‘Predestination’ is such a well conceived and executed story and film, that you’ll find yourself going back again and again to see if you can pick up something that you didn’t notice before.

WORST

Spectre

The recent James Bond 007 movie was horrendous. Having the same crew and writers should have meant another solid sequel to ‘Skyfall’. We were dead wrong, and now I can see why Daniel Craig wants out as Bond. Overly long, boring, silly, stupid, unfunny, and zero suspense whatsoever, made this 007 a huge dud. Whatever was gong well for the series of films since ‘Casino Royale’, the filmmakers abandoned. What a disappointment in a movie that went nowhere and was uninteresting. Not to mention one of the worst Bond songs of recent memory.

Burnt

This is basically the unfunny, uncharming, and uninteresting stepchild of ‘Chef’. The characters are all annoying, unfriendly, and not worth your time. Even the food didn’t look that good in the movie, however it looked colorful. If you want to have a bad and depressing time at the movies about a chef, then see this one. Just terrible.

Fantastic Four

Seriously, Fox just needs to give Marvel this franchise and rights back. This reboot of ‘The Fantastic Four’ is even worse than the previous two films, and that’s saying a lot, because those two previous films were horrible as well. Nothing works in this movie. It’s bad on every level. The acting, the script, the visual effects, the characters, and the plot is all wrong, awful, and unwatchable. I remember seeing this in the theater and looking to my sides to see if anyone else was having as bad a time as I was. I couldn’t believe a studio let this piece of garbage film out in theaters. We deserve better than this.

Hot Pursuit

What a waste of film. I feel like some studio executive was like, “Let’s get the chick from ‘Legally Blonde’ and the chick married to Al Bundy from ‘Modern Family’, and put them in some sort of buddy cop/prisoner movie.” I’m sure that’s how this movie happened, which if you’ve seen, you would have noticed that the script must have been written by someone who wasn’t out of grade school yet. It’s a shame that anyone had to attach their name to this horrible movie.

The Boy Next Door

This one is just laughable. Jennifer Lopez and her taco flavored kisses get her into trouble with a much younger new neighbor who begins to stalk her. I think people who are in a coma or are a permanent vegetable would show signs of hatred and dislike for this movie in their face after watching it crash and burn for almost two hours. Every line of dialogue is laughable and the plot poorly written, that you can’t help but want to gouge out your eyes. When will people learn not to make movies like this.

-Bryan Kluger