Another year, another plethora of films for the world to scrutinise and – hopefully – enjoy.
Here we are again, at that time of the year when we rummage through the many, many films we’ve sat through in 2015* and give you ten that we consider to be most worth your time. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy task. From Pixar to George Miller’s return to his beloved post-apocalyptic franchise, we’ve received quite a few pics that stand tall. And being a list of ten means that not all of the year’s best films have made it here, so we’ve added some titles at the end of the list that we think have more than earned a mention.
After you’ve check out out our list of the best, why not go the other route and browse our list of the Worst Ten Movies of 2015.
In no particular order, here are The Reel Word’s Top Ten Movies of 2015:
- Dope
Striking a deft balance between the serious themes of drugs, violence, crime and social inequality in middle class modern-day America and the hilariously awkward experience of being a teenager trying to worm their way through high school, Dope is as bold as it is ambitious and as brash as it is relatable. Ultimately, Dope is downright fun.
- Creed
There’s love for the characters in every frame, add to that an affectionately written screenplay, an impressive Jordan, and a pitch-perfect Stallone, and you’ve got yourself a picture that aims for a win, perseveres, and rolls the credits standing tall.
- Inside Out
A rare cinematic gem, Inside Out is an absolute delight. Bringing together deep, multilayered, intellectual and skilful storytelling with envelope-pushing animation and visuals, Inside Out is a rare movie-defining moment.
- Birdman
The hand-held camera hovers around the flying egos of Birdman‘s erratic cast with the illusion of one long take, putting you right in the nitty gritty of the cast’s backstage antics. Add in the films rapid wit and almost preposterous level of self-awareness and you’ve quite the cinematic gem.
- Sicario
As cerebral an experience as Sicario is, director Denis Villeneuve allows all of its heady concepts play out in the subtext and makes sure the movie you have in front of you is just as enjoyable to watch as it is to think about. Sicario is every bit as visceral as it is intellectual, with Villeneuve immediately defining a sense of dread that lingers for every frame following.
- Macbeth
Regardless of how it compares to previous incarnations, this is a great film, and part of that greatness is the balance it strikes between contemporary entertainment and reverence for its source.
- The Congress
While Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir gave us a sobering dose of reality, The Congress is unapologetically abstract, fusing the absurd meta concepts of Charlie Kaufman with the fluid imagination of Hayao Miyazaki.
- Mad Max: Fury Road
In an era where great-looking visual effects simply points to a ton of money thrown at the post-production team, Mad Max: Fury Road reminds us of just what the medium is capable of producing when a gutsy director, stunt crew, visual effects department and design team, among many others, get together to bring the house down.
- Wild Tales
Wild Tales grabs you from the very first scene and fluctuates between filling you with laughter and dreadful anticipation until its very last shot. Captivating for every second of its two-hour run-time, Wild Tales is pure, unbridled fun.
- Ant-Man
One of the biggest action blockbusters to hit your screen this year, Marvel’s Ant-Man is the little film that could, and did. Big on heart, big on laughs and big on action, this is easily one of the most accessible, relatable and enjoyable films the studio has produced.
Honorable mentions:
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
- 13 Minutes
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Kingsman: The Secret Service
- The Diary of a Teenage Girl
- Goodnight Mommy
- It Follows
- Southpaw
- Legend
- The Walk
* All films in this list were released in Australia in 2015.
