2015 was the year of the franchise. Audiences experienced a new Avengers movie, a new Bond film, and the return of Mad Max, Jurassic Park, and Terminator. Although these films were received with varying amounts of acclaim, the lesson that Hollywood learned from 2015 was that nostalgia will almost always win. With a plethora of sequels in the pipeline for 2016, it appears that audiences will have to be satisfied with more continuations of various tentpole franchises.
Before 2016 rolls in, Halftime takes a dive into the cinematic year that was 2015. Here are the top ten films of the year, according to Halftime.
10.) The Gift
One of the summer’s sleeper hits, The Gift was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who also stars in the film. The premise is deceivingly simple: a married couple (Jason Bateman, who plays a character completely outside of his typical performances, and Rebecca Hall) is harassed by a figure from the husband’s past. Edgerton smartly allows the film to take a slow-burn approach, choosing to let the story and characters develop as opposed to rushing through the twists and turns. The gradual escalation of the plot helps immerse the viewer in the story, and the three lead actors all do a fantastic job with the material. The Gift triumphs because it is a psychological thriller that constantly keeps the audience questioning, and the ending is genuinely unsettling. In a year that lacked many quality horror films, The Gift was a pleasant surprise.
9.) Inside Out
After a year off, Pixar returned to form with Inside Out. A genius premise, the anthropomorphization of a teenage girl’s emotions, leads to one of the most genuinely emotional, cinematic experiences in recent memory. The humor is there, highlighted by a brilliant running joke that explains how songs get stuck in your head and Lewis Black’s performance as Anger, but it is the emotional core of the film that makes Inside Out so special and relatable. The film’s best part is easily the character of Bing-Bong, who manages to connect with both adults and children alike. Moreover, the message of the film does not feel like preaching on Pixar’s part. If you’re not tearing up by the end of this, something may be wrong.
8.) The Hateful Eight
There was a good amount of doubt as to whether or not Quentin Tarantino would actually make The Hateful Eight after the script was leaked online. Fortunately, Tarantino went ahead with production, and the result was stunning. He filmed the movie on 70mm film, something that has not been done in decades. The result was a visually stunning and incredibly engrossing cinematic experience. Where Tarantino’s preceding film, Django Unchained, felt overlong and bloated at two and a half hours, The Hateful Eight is perfectly paced, even though it clocks in at a lean three hours. Tarantino’s masterful dialogue, coupled with an iconic score from Ennio Morricone and outstanding performances make for one of the director’s best films.
7.) Creed
It was too easy to write Creed off as a shameless cash grab, an attempt to capitalize on the nostalgia of the much-loved Rocky franchise. However, the film ended up being one of the best of the year thanks to fantastic performances, a great emotional core, and some unbelievable directing. With Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky no longer the center of the franchise, the film’s success hinged on the performance of Michael B. Jordan as the titular character. Fortunately, Jordan proves to be more than capable of carrying the film. His acting is sublime as he embodies the cocky, yet vulnerable humanity of the protagonist. In a relatively limited role, Stallone returns with a surprisingly emotional and understated turn. It could be a career-best performance for him. While the characters are great, the real highlights of the film are the boxing scenes, which are masterfully captured by director Ryan Coogler, who uses extended tracking shots to convey the intensity of the fights. Even if you’re not a boxing fan, Creed is a film you cannot afford to miss.
6.) Spotlight
Spotlight is essentially All The President’s Men for the 21st century. It tells the story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the child abuse by Catholic priests in the Boston area. The cast, led by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams, is stellar, and they all do an excellent job of portraying their characters as actual human beings instead of heroic reporters. Spotlight is well written and directed, handling its controversial subject matter with a surprising amount of grace. Writer and director Tom McCarthy shies away from passing any real moral judgment on the proceedings and chooses to focus on the experiences of the journalists. Spotlight is an extremely taut film that helps to remind the audience of the importance of quality journalism.
5.) Sicario
A drama in the vein of Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, Sicario is one of the year’s tensest films. Director Dennis Villeneuve knows exactly how to ratchet up the suspense and give the audiences some beautiful shots throughout the film. Credit has to go to the masterful Roger Deakins, who is the director of photography. The performances are all solid as well: Emily Blunt anchors the film as the morally-focused protagonist who is in over her head, and Benicio del Toro gives one of the finest performances of his career as the mysterious contractor working for the CIA. The film has one intense scene after another (the sequence at the border crossing is a particular treat), and it will keep the viewer involved from start to finish.
4.) The Revenant
The latest in the “Give Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar Already” sweepstakes, The Revenant is director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s attempt to follow up last year’s outstanding Birdman. And follow it up he does. The Revenant is an unbelievable cinematic experience that demands to be seen in all its glory on the big screen. Iñárritu’s penchant for long takes and extended tracking shots is on full display here; he brilliantly shoots Indian raids and a harrowing bear attack without any cuts. The bear attack scene in particular is downright brutal to watch. Although the characters are underdeveloped and some of the plot feels half-baked, the performances are good enough to inject the characters with life. DiCaprio completely immerses himself in the role, and does legitimately deserve to win an Oscar for his transformation. Also of note is Tom Hardy, who attempts to match Leo’s commitment. The showdown between the two at the end of the film is a particular delight. The Revenant is an experience similar to Birdman, only on a far larger scale.
3.) Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller’s return to the Mad Max franchise took everyone completely by surprise. The film seems like an aberration, too good to possibly exist. Miller took a series that had lost its main star (Mel Gibson) and made one of the greatest action films of all time. Fury Road is absolutely gorgeous to look at, and Miller crafts action scene after action scene that make great use of mixing CGI and practical effects. Miller proves to be daring by eschewing formal story structure and instead crafting the film as a two-hour long chase sequence. Hardy’s Max is a viable protagonist, but it is Charlize Theron’s Furiosa who steals the show. The story is almost non-existent, but its simplicity allows the characters and visuals to flourish. It is rare to see Hollywood take a $150 million risk on a dormant franchise with no guarantee of success, but the gamble pays off in spades.
2.) Ex Machina
An obscure science fiction film that almost fell through the cracks, Ex Machina succeeds because it tells a complex, yet limited story that is a fascinating examination of the implications of artificial intelligence. There are only three characters, but Oscar Isaac, Domnhall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander all excel in their roles. Vikander in particular steals the show as the beautiful Ava. There are a number of interpretations that the film allows for, and the limited scope of the story encourages the total investment of the audience. The ending demands repeated viewings in order to determine its implications. Overall, Ex Machina is a brilliant exploration of the impacts of advancements in artificial intelligence, and it manages to ask a litany of questions while still satisfying audiences.
1.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Arguably the most hyped film of all time, The Force Awakens opened to sky-high expectations, and somehow managed to exceed them. Granted, the film is essentially a remake of A New Hope with a couple of twists, and it does not exactly take a whole lot of narrative risks. With that being said, director J.J. Abrams delivers a rousing piece of work that wows audiences while delivering the most fun that a cinema lover can have at the movies. The film is equal parts funny, exciting, and downright emotional. Harrison Ford returns to the iconic role of Han Solo with full force, and seeing him and Chewie back in the Millennium Falcon will send shivers down anyone’s spine. The new heroes, portrayed by Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and Daisy Ridley, all prove adept at carrying the film on their own. Adam Driver’s villainous turn as Kylo Ren is everything Anakin Skywalker should have been and more. Abrams and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan accomplish more character development in thirty minutes than George Lucas accomplished in three movies. The film is far from perfect, but it delivers the best cinematic experience possible.
