2015 will most likely be remembered as the year when the new
Star Wars came out and made more money than any other film before it. But,
besides the big toy franchises, the previous year had some nice surprises as
well when it comes to movies. In 2015, huge action franchises like the Mission Impossible and Jurassic Park/World showed that they can make fun, unpretentious
films, while the documentary domain for feature length pieces seems stronger and
more vibrant than ever. Of course, some movies just came out bad, even though
all pointed that they should be at least interesting. But, out of all those movies that came out in the last 12 months, here's my pick of the best films of 2015:
The Visit - M. Night Shyamalan triumphant return to small,
fun and creepy films provided a comeback story worthy of Hollywood. Let's all
hope he keeps it up, at least for a while.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief - easily
the best documentary of 2015, it took A-grade investigative journalism and
placed it in the hands of filmmakers. The result is a terrifying story about an
organization straight out of James Bond films that somehow became a religion.
Sicario - best classic thriller of 2015, it showed that
Denis Villeneuve should and could direct any genre in the world.
Bone Tomahawk - both have Kurt Russel in it and are
neo-westerns, but Hateful 8 can only dream of being as good as this excellent
debut.
Dope - an action comedy that moved the same adventure genre
from the 1990's right into the 21st century, adding class divide and
institutional racism to some weird nostalgia for an equally bad period. In an alternative world, Spike Lee is making films like
Dope.
Love & Mercy - a touching tale about a man from the Beach Boys band and family who only
wanted to bring beautiful music to the world, told in a mild but moving manner.
The Film of the Year
Mad Max: Fury Road - a film that provided a virtual reality
experience without the VR headset. Sharp and uncompromising, George Miller managed
to reinvent a Hollywood blockbuster outside of the large studio mentality and
everyone loved it for all the right reason. Maybe, on some level, it is a critique of the
entire film industry and us as a dim-witted audience that keeps it alive, but it's still a
magnificent film.
