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My Top 10 Movies of 2015
There’s almost nothing movie fans love more than making lists, and honestly, maybe that’s one of the things I love so much about movies. I’ve always loved to rank things, whether it is movies, favorite baseball players, or memes. So with the decade coming to a close, it is the perfect time to do an annual retrospective on each year in the decade, continuing with 2015.
(Throughout this series, I'll be using the Letterboxd release dates to determine which year's list to put each film on.)
10. Southpaw – Southpaw has a fairly generic plot about a man learning to appreciate what he has, but it is still exceptionally well done. Jake Gyllenhaal is as you've never seen him before, and his chemistry with Rachel McAdams makes you invest in the characters and story right from the beginning.
9. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – This is one of the most underrated and overlooked action movies in recent years. Henry Cavill shows here that he can do more than just Superman and Armie Hammer is great as usual. The two of them have great chemistry that makes for an eminently entertaining movie.
8. Steve Jobs – Aaron Sorkin's scripts are pretty much undefeated this decade. No, this may not be incredibly realistic or even cinematic, but the dialogue is snappy and has a lot packed into it. Michael Fassbender owns the movie and Seth Rogen shows that he is actually a talented actor beyond his comedy chops.
7. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – As the beginning of the recent Christopher McQuarrie takeover of the franchise, this movie does a great job of resetting what to expect from one of these films. It's got great action and even some great character work. But it's the set pieces that make it great.
6. Spotlight – This movie shows that movies about investigative journalism can be gripping and emotional, as well as informative. Spotlight deals with heavy and poignant subject matter that enrages you about a corrupt system that should be bringing good into the world.
5. Creed – This is the first movie in the Rocky franchise that I ever saw, and I think it was a great introduction. Michael B. Jordan brings back the franchise in a daring new way with Ryan Coogler at the helm. Coogler showed with this that he's one of the most exiting and most talented filmmakers out there today.
4. Room – Not to be confused with The Room, this is a shining moment for Brie Larson who brings such humanity and emotion to the film. But it's really a star making performance for Jacob Tremblay who is a child star prodigy because of this film.
3. Furious 7 – The first movie in this franchise since the death of Paul Walker is a perfect sendoff for the beloved actor. The end of this film is about as emotional as you can get because you know the actors are as emotional as the characters are. It's heartbreaking, yet beautiful.
2. The Martian – What a movie for Matt Damon. This is fun, dramatic, funny, and has one of the biggest all star casts you'll see. It combines prestige and popular film to create something endlessly rewatchable.
1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – As a Star Wars fan, this movie is almost perfect. If you look past its parallels with the original Star Wars, it really just is a great movie. It introduces fun new characters and a riveting new storyline to get you back into the magic of the galaxy far, far away.