The Best Films of 2015: Sicario

Denis Villeneuve’s thriller follows FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) as she is drafted into a task force set up to tackle the Mexican drug cartels. There she meets the uncompromising Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and the mysterious but very knowledgeable Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).

As Kate is drawn into a shadowy world where the lines between friend and foe are difficult to see, she finds her ideals challenged by the actions of those around her.

Sicario – which means ‘hitman’ in Spanish – is a tense and well-constructed thriller with a message. Its commentary on the drug war in Mexico is well thought out and not merely a bolted on extra serving to justify gunfights and action sequences, as can often be seen in thrillers that appropriate real-world situations in order to give themselves a ‘serious’ edge.

The film’s cast also give their very best with Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro being particularly noteworthy.

For a more comprehensive review check out the write up I did for the film during its initial release:

Or you can just go and watch the film. Your time will not be wasted if you do.

The Best Films of 2015: It Follows

Nineteen-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe) is a relatively ordinary teenager who lives in the suburbs of Detroit. Her whole life is changed one night, however, when after a sexual encounter with a man she finds herself the victim of basically the world’s worst STD: a shape-shifting creature that will follow her until it eventually catches and kills her. The only way to get rid of this ‘it’ is by sleeping with someone else and passing it on.

As Jay is relentlessly pursued by this creature, she enlists her friends to help rid herself of it once and for all.

David Robert Mitchell’s second feature film It Follows is everything a horror film should be: it’s atmospheric, has a genuinely scary premise, and is made with a true sense of craftsmanship. Think less Paranormal Activity and more John Carpenter’s work on Halloween and The Thing. Like those Carpenter films, It Follows also has a great original soundtrack – from electronic artist Disasterpiece - that beautifully complements the tension inducing cinematography and editing.

Destined for cult status in future years, It Follows promises big things for both its director and its young cast.

The Best Films of 2015: Birdman

Just making this rundown of the year’s best films – it was released on January 1^st, 2015 in the UK - is the Academy award winning Birdman.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s fifth feature film follows washed-up actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), the star of a film franchise revolving around the eponymous superhero Birdman. After leaving Hollywood, Riggan is now attempting to jump start his career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play based on the work of Raymond Carver.

As well as the numerous challenges that arise from putting on a Broadway play, Riggan must also contend with an embittered daughter (Emma Stone), an all too serious method actor (Edward Norton), and hallucinations in which he has superpowers.

Birdman is a film with both style and substance: shot and edited so as to appear as one continuous shot, the film seamlessly pulls the viewer down winding theatre corridors into claustrophobic dressing rooms and then out onto the dark streets of New York. It’s an entrancing experience for anyone used to watching films shot and edited in a more conventional manner.

In regards to substance, the film has themes many of us can relate to: wanting to be recognised for our achievements, wanting to feel like we’ve done something worthwhile with our lives, these are things many of us experience every day.

If this isn’t enough to convince you of the merits of Birdman then, please be assured, the film is also tremendously funny. A scene where Edward Norton’s character gets a little too ‘excited’ after an intimate scene during a preview of Riggan’s play is a highlight.

In its examination of the world of theatre and the egos of actors, Birdman stands as a unique film. It also makes for a witty, visually fascinating, and wonderfully engaging introduction to the work of its director, whose next film The Revenant – out in January – is already generating a fair amount of critical praise. 

The Best Films of 2015: Whiplash

With the New Year fast approaching, a rundown of the year's best films (in the humble opinion of this critic) seems appropriate. First up: Whiplash.

Young and talented drummer Andrew harbours dreams of greatness but doesn’t seem challenged at the music school he attends. That is until he meets Fletcher, the conductor of the school’s leading jazz band. As a result of Fletcher’s brutal, unorthodox methods and his perfectionist attitude, Andrew finds himself pushed to the very limits of his musical ability and sanity. 

Whiplash was nominated for five Academy awards and it’s not hard to see why. Everything about it from its screenplay, cinematography, and acting – J. K. Simmons won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his portrayal of Fletcher – is superb.

It’s also relentlessly exciting. The scenes in the jazz band’s practice room where Fletcher pushes Andrew and the other students for even better and better performances feel like something from a thriller, with Fletcher taking on the role of the role of the supercriminal whose job consists of throwing obstacle after obstacle in front of the film’s hero. Sedate drama this is not.

Director Damien Chazelle’s next film is a musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling and is set for a release in the summer. If it is crafted with any of the passion and care of Whiplash then it is surely worth the price of a cinema ticket.