Top Five Movies Of 2015

There are a lot of things to consider when coming up with a list of 2015’s best movies. How was the acting? How was the story? Was it fun? Was it thrilling? Did we laugh or cry when we supposed to? Did this sequel live up to its predecessor’s hype?

2015 sure did feel like the year of the sequel. Avengers 2. Taken 3. Jurassic Park 4. Fast & Furious and Star Wars 7. James Bond 24.

We did have a few original ideas make their way into wide release with Ex Machina impressing a smaller audience than most blockbusters, The Martian taking life to Mars, Kingsman bringing comics to R-Rated life, and Sicario ruthlessly exploring a drug war. Consider those the honorable mentions which narrowly did not make our top five movies of 2015 list.

So, which movies were the best this year?

Spy

 

 

Melissa McCarthy’s Spy proved to be the funniest movie of 2015, out-laughing some stiff competition from Vacation, The Night Before, The Wedding Ringer, and Pitch Perfect 2.

McCarthy wasn’t earning laughs alone in Paul Feig’s latest film. Jason Statham accompanied her in a role that proved he is very self-aware and ready to joke about his action-hero status, as well as an extravagant Rose Byrne who is typically quite subtle and reserved.

Feig’s ability to craft briliant humor in Spy should also assure anyone worried about the Ghostbusters reboot that they just might spill their popcorn on the row in front of them.

Mad Max: Fury Road

 

Mad Max: Fury Road was a welcome new addition to the Wasteland’s saga.

George Miller returned to his directing his precious franchise for its first installment in 30 years. In Mel Gibson’s place as Max, a continuously rising and unstoppable Tom Hardy. 

The practical and unbelievable effects and stunts showcased in the year’s most beautifully choreographed chaos blew audiences away. Junkie XL’s amazing film score didn’t hurt, either.

What really propelled Fury Road above so many other films from 2015 was Charlize Theron. The Imperator Furiosa character came along, rolling the bad-ass female character revolution train on all cylinders, and left her mark on characters and audiences alike.

What could have easily been one of the strangest, unaccepted films of the year became one of the fantastic pieces of art in recent years with Mad Max: Fury Road.

Inside Out

 

Early in the summer, Pixar decided it was time to punch everybody right in the feels.

Inside Out debuted in June with one of the most colorful, creative, and refreshing stories we’ve ever seen from the Pixar Animation studio. Not only did Inside Out touch every single one of our emotions but it also showed us how each one works!

The brilliant minds behind the film created a character for each emotion in our brains and showed off how the emotions interact with one another and what the result is on the human for which Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust and Fear live. 

 

Concussion

 

While the ‘Best Actor’ buzz is more audible for Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance in The Revenant, it’s Will Smith who deserves the loudest applause for his role in Concussion.

The biopic, centered around Smith’s good-hearted portrayal of Dr. Omalu, rocks the landscape of football and exposes the NFL’s ruthless methods of keeping their business intact. Smith’s performance hits every point on the emotional spectrum at one time or another.

The film doesn’t excel by targeting the corporation but following the heartbreaking, yet triumphant story of the pathologist who only ever wanted to help others.

Check out our review of Concussion.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

 

Not only was Star Wars: The Force Awakens unquestionably the biggest movie of the year (and soon, all-time at the box office) but it was also the best. 

What made Episode VII the best movie of 2015? Fun.

The Force Awakens was the most fun we had at the movies all year. It pulled several elements from its Episode IV predecessor and combined them with modern cinematic technologies and new cast members for a thrilling first installment to a new trilogy of films. 

Star Wars was funny. It was action-packed. It was heartbreaking. It hit every single viewer directly in the feels with a lightsaber.

Check out our review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.