My Top Films of 2015

1st January 2016

I held out on writing this until post-Star Wars, by now it's even post-2015. Enjoy reading, arguing, hating or god-forbid actually agreeing with me.

As with every year I'm going to cheat. By that I mean mention some of the films that just didn't make the final ten. Fast & Furious 7 for being mental yet still perfectly handling Paul Walker's death. Inside Out for being so open about sadness. John Wick for being a badass. Bone Tomahawk for almost being my favourite Western of 2015 and Star Wars because I only have room for one nostalgia teasing sequel.

Let's start with double digits.

Jurassic Park is one of my core film memories. So the moment I heard the theme playing in this latest instalment, it had won me over. It continued to deliver the thrills and wonder of the original with enough new twists to restore the glee that I craved. I fanboyed over this film. I was at the morning IMAX screening in Dublin on the day of release and I loved it. Sorry Star Wars, this is my preferred nostalgic sequel slash remake of 2015.

A film that had skipped my home town of Derry until the Foyle Film Festival righted that wrong. I'm so glad they did.

To be honest, this was like watching a foreign film but without the subtitles. Normally that would be horrendous but how this film plays out, its set design, cinematography, costumes and performances all perfectly convey the events unfolding on screen in such a way that I never once felt lost. I could take almost any frame from this film and it wouldn't look out of place hanging in a gallery. Fassbender and director Kurzel are re-teaming for Assassin's Creed next, as if I wasn't anticipating that enough already.

Simmering. A film that is like a pot waiting to boil over. Set pieces brimming with tension on a knife edge. Constantly being kept in the dark just like our surrogate Emily Blunt. Benicio del Toro gives hard stares and menacing glares whilst Josh Brolin seems flippant but is in total control. A masterful movie from Denis Villeneuve. Of course it's great looking as well.

Caught between two worlds in a not so distant time. A tale of leaving loved ones and finding love. A lead character balanced between youthful naivety and head strong dreams. So of course I brought my Mum. Being Irish added an extra dimension to our viewing which made us love it even more but it's a film everyone can relate to. It's just excellent.

Back in that packed January of 2015, Birdman was proving divisive. It obviously wowed myself. I appreciated the one shot gimmick but the whole offbeat tone of the entire film had me enthralled and to be honest, laughing out loud. That last part made me stick out amongst a deadly silent cinema audience who were not swept up in the madness. This film was a marvel of how it was made, how strong the performances were, how smart and funny it was with a pace most action films would envy. I said most.

My short review pretty much sums this up. It's honestly something we hadn't seen before and that explains its place here. A cinematic treat. This could've been higher if I didn't have to cringe at some of the rare moments of dialogue when the action slows. It is still fantastic and mind-blowing at times.

Alex Garland's directorial debut. An insidious film that ponders ethical dilemmas from artificial intelligence to sexuality. A wholly assured film provoking multiple debates whilst you wrap your mind around the plot. This had sat pretty on top of my list for a lot of the year too but it's place in my mind has somehow weakened since, although it is no shame to be beaten by these three.

Another one where I doubt I'll say it any better than the short review. When you say to most people that it's about drumming they kinda wrinkle their nose, shrug their shoulders and you know it's gonna take more persuasion for them to watch. On the other hand, anyone that has watched becomes someone persuading others to do the same. A powerhouse performance from J.K. Simmons makes all of your scary teachers seem timid. Miles Teller is the little cocky shit on the receiving end of the abuse but he just wants to be the best as he single tears his way through the lessons. It even makes a 10 minute drum solo fascinating. A film that had my heart racing for the majority of the run-time. Exhilarating was right.

An Irish animated film that just captures the wonder of Celtic legends and blends it with an emotional family tale. The hand-drawn animation is beautifully delicate, full of colours and imagination. Cartoon Saloon can rank themselves among the top animation studios in the world and I can't wait to see what they show us next.

A film I was drawn to for Fassbender yet I came away most impressed with Kodi Smit-McPhee. This is John Maclean's feature directorial debut which he also wrote and it is fantastic. At its core it is a road-trip movie without roads. The time spent with our two main characters gives things enough room to breathe. The world feels like a lived-in fantasy version of the old west. It has invention, visual treats, surreal moments and witty turns. All of that and it's not even 90 minutes long. Get on it folks!

Anyway that's me for 2015. There's been plenty to like and plenty to be underwhelmed by. Here's to the year that was, thanks to anyone and everyone who's been reading the site and may you continue doing so!

Fancy giving this a share?

Ethan M Barr
Embarr Himself