Best of 2015: 17 Movies We Enjoyed
Though we’ve only published a handful of film reviews in the last half decade, we still like to poll our music-loving contributors about their favorite films each year. True to form, our 2015 favorites featured a bunch of great new documentaries about musicians alongside some fun blockbusters and a few actual “films.”
We’d love to hear some of your favorite films of 2015 in the comments section below.
17. Tangerine
16. Train Wreck
15. Dope
14. The Glamour & The Squalor
13. Amy
12. Mockingjay Part 2
11. What Happened Miss Simone?
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
9. Sicario
8.Straight Outta Compton
A detailed account of the rise of the world’s most notorious rap group, Straight Outta Compton weaved the story of N.W.A.’s rise to fame. The acting performances were superb and the story line unfolds in an engaging, entertaining matter. – Ben Allen
7. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
An intimate peak into the process of the greatest songwriter of our generation is revealing and a true gem for Nirvana fans. While these recordings were never intended to be heard, the methodical approach to songwriting and melody is evident in these compositions. – Ben Allen
6. Ant-Man
Considering the fact that Ant-Man is the 11th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Empire, and I can’t imagine anyone was clamoring for a $130 million blockbuster about a minor Marvel character, Ant-Man should have been a disaster. What makes Ant-Man work is the smaller scale, literally and figuratively. Instead of yet another scale-tipping apocalyptic world-saving climax, Ant-Man finishes up in a child’s bedroom. Paul Rudd and director Peyton Reed understand their hero has little business duking it out on the same scale as Captain America or Iron Man, and they make the smart choice to keep it light. – Adam Lawrence
5. Ex Machina
Regardless of how you feel about this movie, you cannot deny that it includes one of the creepiest scenes, ever, in the history of film. It happens the 2nd time Caleb has a private session with the robot Ava. They know they are being watched on camera by Nathan who is studying their every move. But then the power goes out and the entire room lights in red backup lights. Knowing they are now truly alone, Eva’s demeanor changes and becomes very, very serious. She whispers, “Caleb. You were wrong about Nathan. He isn’t your friend. You shouldn’t trust him. You shouldn’t trust anything he says.” And then the power pops back on, and Eva immediately resumes their previous pleasant conversation. It’s so chilling because up until this point there is very little to indicate something is amiss with the entire situation, and nothing to indicate that Eva even has actual feelings. This one scene taints everything you just saw, and everything you are about to see. It literally dropped my jaw the first time I saw it. After I finished the film, I rewound and watched it 3 more times. Masterful suspense. – Aaron Semer
4.The Martian
I went into this movie thinking it was going to be like Castaway but on Mars. I even figured there’d be a Wilson-like character made out of a space helmet, or a rover wheel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, through the miracle of editing, there were other people throughout the entire movie besides Matt Damon! And also, it was really good! A little cheesy and predictable in places, but overall, a return to fine form for Ridley Scott. Truly enjoyable. – Aaron Semer
3. Inside Out
Two reasons I loved this movie: 1) Amy Poehler made this movie, and I love Amy Poehler. 2). I cried during this movie, which is rare. – Marcus Shriver
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The thing I liked best about this new Star Wars movie is that it’s exactly like Star Wars. Which means it’s not a great “film” but is one hell of an exciting and entertaining movie full of interesting characters. – Matt Ashworth
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is the most important movie of the year and anyone that says otherwise needs to be strapped to the apocalyptic dune-buggy of a War Boy and used as a blood bag. Fury Road is incredibly fun and seemingly mindless while possessing an established plot and stylish characters. – Cameron Deuel
What a world we live in when all an action blockbuster has to do in order to get noticed is to NOT use digital effects. Roger Miller’s return to cinema did wonders for the imagination of a movie-watching populace weary from non-stop superhero green screen extravaganzas. And on top of all that, Mad Max: Fury Road manages to continue the Mad Max mythos while “rebooting” the series with Tom Hardy in the titular, taciturn role. Charlize Theron’s Furiosa injects some genuine feminism into the film in a way that makes the action sequences nearly secondary. – Adam Lawrence
More Best of 2015 Coverage:
- Top Talent From Tacoma
- 24 Albums We Really Liked
- Our 37 Most Favorite Seattle Bands
- 21 Shows We Enjoyed Very Much
- 156 Songs We Liked