My Top 10 Movies of 2015

It's that time of the year again! I watched 59 movies from 2015, and here are my 10 favourites (with several honourable mentions at the end, as always).

10. Tomorrowland

I feel like most people didn't care for this movie, but I got sucked in by the sense of wonder and found it to be a fun and creative adventure. I support anything that is pro-imagination!

9. Kingsman: The Secret Service
 I avoided this one at first because the trailers looked too over the top, but it turned out to be a very well-executed action movie on the same level as Kick-Ass, by the same director. Since I wasn't the biggest fan of Kick-Ass 2, I accept Kingsman as a substitute sequel.







8. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
 This quiet little indie film about a Japanese woman who tries to find the money stash from Fargo was both quirky and fascinating. It's clear that she has some mental health issues, and obviously the money was fictional, but you want to root for her anyway because she's just so determined!







7. The Revenant
 A very simple story, but the journey through the elements is so harrowing and so meticulously crafted that it feels like a technical marvel for anyone to do that much outdoor shooting that well.







6. Mad Max: Fury Road
 I don't gravitate that much toward the big, dumb action movies; that being said, Fury Road might be the best action movie I've ever seen in my entire life (sorry, Kingsman). The production values across the board - sets, costumes, props, cinematography, stunts, etc. - were all incredible. This movie is just a pleasure to watch.







5. Room
A moving story bolstered by excellent performances from the two leads. Sometimes we don't think about the after-effects of being kidnapped for a long period of time and then having to readjust to normal life once freed. It would be even stranger if you were 5 years old and had never been outside of one room.







4. Victoria
 Unlike last year's Birdman, Victoria actually was filmed in one continuous take. It follows a Spanish woman's night in Germany when she meets some locals and, after having some fun, things take a dark turn. The neat thing is that they started shooting at just the right time so that the sunrise happens during the runtime and we're able to have both dusk and dawn in the film.

3. Ex Machina
A very smart psychological and philosophical thriller, and a breakout role for Alicia Vikander, who conveys just the right amount of humanity and roboticism for the character to work. Kudos to the crew for also making the film look great on a lower budget.







2. Spring
I'm a big fan of Richard Linklater's Before trilogy. Spring feels like one of those movies, but with a supernatural-horror twist. It's an interesting blend that defies genre, but the characters have great chemistry and a relationship that is satisfying to watch. It also makes a wonderful travel film, as you get to see a lot of beautiful locations around Italy.







1. Inside Out 
Pixar almost always hits the mark, but Inside Out is something special because of how universal it is (except to sociopaths, I guess). It's completely charming and adorable and full of imagination, but also an important film if it can teach children to better understand emotion.




Honourable mentions: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Salvation, The Hateful Eight, Faults, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Freaks of Nature, Wild Tales, Anomalisa, CHAPPiE, He Never Died, Irrational Man, Bridge of Spies, The Martian


Previous lists: 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010