2015 will most likely be remembered as the year when the new Star Wars came out and made more money than any other film before it. But, besides the big toy franchises, the previous year had some nice surprises as well when it comes to movies. In 2015, huge action franchises like the Mission Impossible and Jurassic Park/World showed that they can make fun, unpretentious films, while the documentary domain for feature length pieces seems stronger and more vibrant than ever. Of course, some movies just came out bad, even though all pointed that they should be at least interesting. But, out of all those movies that came out in the last 12 months, here's my pick of the best films of 2015:
The Visit - M. Night Shyamalan triumphant return to small, fun and creepy films provided a comeback story worthy of Hollywood. Let's all hope he keeps it up, at least for a while.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief - easily the best documentary of 2015, it took A-grade investigative journalism and placed it in the hands of filmmakers. The result is a terrifying story about an organization straight out of James Bond films that somehow became a religion.
Sicario - best classic thriller of 2015, it showed that Denis Villeneuve should and could direct any genre in the world.
Bone Tomahawk - both have Kurt Russel in it and are neo-westerns, but Hateful 8 can only dream of being as good as this excellent debut.
Dope - an action comedy that moved the same adventure genre from the 1990's right into the 21st century, adding class divide and institutional racism to some weird nostalgia for an equally bad period. In an alternative world, Spike Lee is making films like Dope.
Love & Mercy - a touching tale about a man from the Beach Boys band and family who only wanted to bring beautiful music to the world, told in a mild but moving manner.
The Film of the Year
Mad Max: Fury Road - a film that provided a virtual reality experience without the VR headset. Sharp and uncompromising, George Miller managed to reinvent a Hollywood blockbuster outside of the large studio mentality and everyone loved it for all the right reason. Maybe, on some level, it is a critique of the entire film industry and us as a dim-witted audience that keeps it alive, but it's still a magnificent film.
