The Best Theatrical Releases of 2015
HomeThe Best Theatrical Releases of 2015
Posted January 8, 2016 12:05 PM by Brian Orndorf
A world gone mad, a dangerous sleepover, love in a time of fear, immigration blues, a comedian's purpose, indefatigable parental love, emotional bustle, life on Mars, survivor's guilt, and neurotic vampires. Blu-ray.com's Brian Orndorf takes a look at his favorite films of 2015.
Please check out the Blu-ray.com community picks here.
Room
It seems impossible to celebrate a film that primarily concerns horrifying acts of child endangerment, but director Lenny Abrahamson achieved a unique blend of compassion and tension with "Room." With extraordinary performances from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, the feature felt profoundly raw and real, also creating one of the most stunning suspense sequences of the year, besting entire movies expressly devoted to armrest-gripping material. "Room" certainly isn't easy to watch, but Abrahamson takes special care to avoid cheap exploitation, making every moment, claustrophobic and otherwise, feel intimate and revelatory, celebrating parental protection and the elasticity of the human spirit.
Carol
A fragile love story is found at the heart of "Carol," and a striking one at that, sampling forbidden passions during a rigid era of judgment and domestic control. Director Todd Haynes shows immense respect for conflicted feelings and paralyzing frustrations, guiding a sensational lead performance from Cate Blanchett, and pulling something special out of Rooney Mara. "Carol" is a slow-burn viewing experience that eventually reveals its emotional power in full, but it's also teeming with gorgeous technical achievements, from evocative cinematography to exquisite costumes, making the picture unforgettable in numerous ways.
Brooklyn
Love stories tend to follow a formula, filled with predictable complications and thickly designed characters. "Brooklyn" is a simple tale of immigration and romantic opportunity, but its strength emerges from the well-worn dramatic paths it avoids, working hard to keep the feature as genuine as possible. "Brooklyn" is a special film, and its sincerity is something to be treasured, avoiding mechanical execution with an engaging atmosphere of personal challenges and developing freedoms. Perhaps it's not the most sophisticated effort of 2015, but it carries hidden complexities and glorious restraint, allowing irresistible details to emerge gracefully throughout the viewing experience.
Mad Max: Fury Road
The most hard-charging, car-crashing, flame-throwing feature of the year, "Mad Max: Fury Road" not only provided the most bang for the buck at the multiplex, but it managed to redefine a post-apocalyptic franchise that's been around for nearly 40 years. Director George Miller returns to his greatest creation with renewed moxie and serious coin, helming a monster-budgeted chase picture that's all about kinetic energy, feverish sequences of survival, and a wild visual design. Brilliantly executed and fearlessly performed, "Mad Max: Fury Road" was the finest action extravaganza of 2015, worthy of Valhalla, maintain screen domination with fist-pumping devotion to spectacle and insanity.
Call Me Lucky
Director Bobcat Goldthwait took a break from his routine of cinematic subversion to helm this hilariously and horrifying valentine for comedian Barry Crimmins. A man with serious personal issues and a lifetime of stories and experiences to share, Barry Crimmins was an ideal subject for "Call Me Lucky," with Goldthwait focusing on his brilliance and decidedly cantankerous ways. However, instead of polishing a puff piece, "Call Me Lucky" eventually finds its way to a darker place of reflection and confession, while highlighting true heroism from an unlikely source. It's an unforgettable journey.
Inside Out
As Pixar grows older, they're developing a particular interest in telling unique tales with their special brand of humor and pathos. "Inside Out" is one of their best efforts, committing to the exploration of adolescence from an unexpected point of view. While celebrating its animated origins with distinctive characters and awe-inspiring visits to impeccably animated realms, "Inside Out" was primarily dedicated to the spirit of growth, with all the complications and frustrations contained within. It's dense work, intelligent and heartbreaking, but also remarkably brave, taking time to grasp the aching subtleties of life in motion, celebrating the challenge of transitions and the intricacy of emotions.
What We Do in the Shadows
Doing something inventive with the vampire genre is no small feat, but creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi successfully twisted the fanged norm with this hilarious faux documentary. This was big time silliness glazed with bloodshed, never far from a bellylaugh or creative bit of myth-pantsing, always on the hunt for oddity and awkwardness to best emphasize comedic intentions. Clement and Waititi have proven their skill before, but "What We Do in the Shadows" is a wonderful summation of their sense of humor and interest in the unexpected, while delivering a fresh reason to find vampires interesting again.
The Martian
In command of a wildly uneven career, director Ridley Scott finally decided to have fun again with "The Martian," displaying renewed vitality with this adaptation of Andy Weir's best-selling book. Tech credits and performances (from a diverse and accomplished cast) were spot-on, energized and amiable, but what was most impressive here was Scott's ability to extract suspense out of solitude, delivering giant thrills with a space saga that largely remains in tight spaces. "The Martian" is built to be a crowd-pleaser, and it's an exceptionally successful one at that, but it's Scott's confident control of the feature that's most notable, reminding audiences that he's still capable of big screen magic.
The Revenant
Primal fears and violence reigns in "The Revenant," which carries a tale of revenge to the screen with eye-popping ferocity. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu goes for broke with this effort, pushing through punishing elements to highlight survival instincts and period disasters, creating an adventure movie that's careful to avoid any trace of artifice. "The Revenant" is a you-are-there viewing experience that cuts deep and chills to the bone, leaving star Leonardo DiCaprio exposed and broken, tasked with managing his most outwardly communicative performance. There's plenty of screen artistry here to value, but the film's intensity is most hypnotic, shredding the screen with a pure depiction of pain.
The Overnight
"The Overnight" isn't for everyone, but this unusual comedy has a sly way of conjuring massive laughs and toe-curling discomfort, often in the same moment. Writer/director Patrick Brice effectively dissects the sneaky nature of parental isolation and the social challenges that come with new friendships, but "The Overnight" doesn't stop at awkward encounters. It goes beyond the expected in a deliciously unsettling way, issuing a few surprises to support its funky sense of humor. Micro-budgeted but appealingly performed by Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, and Judith Godreche, the picture often defies description, asking viewers to go on an unusual roller coaster ride of unfiltered behavior. It's an unnerving journey, but one that rewards patience with startling, uproarious revelations.
Also of Note: Spotlight, Testament of Youth, The Second Mother, Creed, Ricki and the Flash, Macbeth, Bone Tomahawk, Hitchcock/Truffaut, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Bridge of Spies, Goodnight Mommy, Sicario, Chi-Raq, Slow West, and Mississippi Grind.
Please check out the Blu-ray.com community picks here.
Room
It seems impossible to celebrate a film that primarily concerns horrifying acts of child endangerment, but director Lenny Abrahamson achieved a unique blend of compassion and tension with "Room." With extraordinary performances from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, the feature felt profoundly raw and real, also creating one of the most stunning suspense sequences of the year, besting entire movies expressly devoted to armrest-gripping material. "Room" certainly isn't easy to watch, but Abrahamson takes special care to avoid cheap exploitation, making every moment, claustrophobic and otherwise, feel intimate and revelatory, celebrating parental protection and the elasticity of the human spirit.
Carol
A fragile love story is found at the heart of "Carol," and a striking one at that, sampling forbidden passions during a rigid era of judgment and domestic control. Director Todd Haynes shows immense respect for conflicted feelings and paralyzing frustrations, guiding a sensational lead performance from Cate Blanchett, and pulling something special out of Rooney Mara. "Carol" is a slow-burn viewing experience that eventually reveals its emotional power in full, but it's also teeming with gorgeous technical achievements, from evocative cinematography to exquisite costumes, making the picture unforgettable in numerous ways.
Brooklyn
Love stories tend to follow a formula, filled with predictable complications and thickly designed characters. "Brooklyn" is a simple tale of immigration and romantic opportunity, but its strength emerges from the well-worn dramatic paths it avoids, working hard to keep the feature as genuine as possible. "Brooklyn" is a special film, and its sincerity is something to be treasured, avoiding mechanical execution with an engaging atmosphere of personal challenges and developing freedoms. Perhaps it's not the most sophisticated effort of 2015, but it carries hidden complexities and glorious restraint, allowing irresistible details to emerge gracefully throughout the viewing experience.
Mad Max: Fury Road
The most hard-charging, car-crashing, flame-throwing feature of the year, "Mad Max: Fury Road" not only provided the most bang for the buck at the multiplex, but it managed to redefine a post-apocalyptic franchise that's been around for nearly 40 years. Director George Miller returns to his greatest creation with renewed moxie and serious coin, helming a monster-budgeted chase picture that's all about kinetic energy, feverish sequences of survival, and a wild visual design. Brilliantly executed and fearlessly performed, "Mad Max: Fury Road" was the finest action extravaganza of 2015, worthy of Valhalla, maintain screen domination with fist-pumping devotion to spectacle and insanity.
Call Me Lucky
Director Bobcat Goldthwait took a break from his routine of cinematic subversion to helm this hilariously and horrifying valentine for comedian Barry Crimmins. A man with serious personal issues and a lifetime of stories and experiences to share, Barry Crimmins was an ideal subject for "Call Me Lucky," with Goldthwait focusing on his brilliance and decidedly cantankerous ways. However, instead of polishing a puff piece, "Call Me Lucky" eventually finds its way to a darker place of reflection and confession, while highlighting true heroism from an unlikely source. It's an unforgettable journey.
Inside Out
As Pixar grows older, they're developing a particular interest in telling unique tales with their special brand of humor and pathos. "Inside Out" is one of their best efforts, committing to the exploration of adolescence from an unexpected point of view. While celebrating its animated origins with distinctive characters and awe-inspiring visits to impeccably animated realms, "Inside Out" was primarily dedicated to the spirit of growth, with all the complications and frustrations contained within. It's dense work, intelligent and heartbreaking, but also remarkably brave, taking time to grasp the aching subtleties of life in motion, celebrating the challenge of transitions and the intricacy of emotions.
What We Do in the Shadows
Doing something inventive with the vampire genre is no small feat, but creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi successfully twisted the fanged norm with this hilarious faux documentary. This was big time silliness glazed with bloodshed, never far from a bellylaugh or creative bit of myth-pantsing, always on the hunt for oddity and awkwardness to best emphasize comedic intentions. Clement and Waititi have proven their skill before, but "What We Do in the Shadows" is a wonderful summation of their sense of humor and interest in the unexpected, while delivering a fresh reason to find vampires interesting again.
The Martian
In command of a wildly uneven career, director Ridley Scott finally decided to have fun again with "The Martian," displaying renewed vitality with this adaptation of Andy Weir's best-selling book. Tech credits and performances (from a diverse and accomplished cast) were spot-on, energized and amiable, but what was most impressive here was Scott's ability to extract suspense out of solitude, delivering giant thrills with a space saga that largely remains in tight spaces. "The Martian" is built to be a crowd-pleaser, and it's an exceptionally successful one at that, but it's Scott's confident control of the feature that's most notable, reminding audiences that he's still capable of big screen magic.
The Revenant
Primal fears and violence reigns in "The Revenant," which carries a tale of revenge to the screen with eye-popping ferocity. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu goes for broke with this effort, pushing through punishing elements to highlight survival instincts and period disasters, creating an adventure movie that's careful to avoid any trace of artifice. "The Revenant" is a you-are-there viewing experience that cuts deep and chills to the bone, leaving star Leonardo DiCaprio exposed and broken, tasked with managing his most outwardly communicative performance. There's plenty of screen artistry here to value, but the film's intensity is most hypnotic, shredding the screen with a pure depiction of pain.
The Overnight
"The Overnight" isn't for everyone, but this unusual comedy has a sly way of conjuring massive laughs and toe-curling discomfort, often in the same moment. Writer/director Patrick Brice effectively dissects the sneaky nature of parental isolation and the social challenges that come with new friendships, but "The Overnight" doesn't stop at awkward encounters. It goes beyond the expected in a deliciously unsettling way, issuing a few surprises to support its funky sense of humor. Micro-budgeted but appealingly performed by Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, and Judith Godreche, the picture often defies description, asking viewers to go on an unusual roller coaster ride of unfiltered behavior. It's an unnerving journey, but one that rewards patience with startling, uproarious revelations.
Also of Note: Spotlight, Testament of Youth, The Second Mother, Creed, Ricki and the Flash, Macbeth, Bone Tomahawk, Hitchcock/Truffaut, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Bridge of Spies, Goodnight Mommy, Sicario, Chi-Raq, Slow West, and Mississippi Grind.