2015 in Movies: The Last Six Months
THE TOP 10
1. Brooklyn
"With a rare, endearing sense of grace and tenderness, Brooklyn tells a very simple love story. But underneath the surface is a film of such emotional depth and complexity that its poignancy lingers for a long time after the credits roll."
2. Spotlight
"In director Tom McCarthy’s expert hands, it becomes a very human, very heartfelt movie, driven by subtle performances and smart, nuanced script."
3. Sicario
"It's a brutal tale of justice, revenge, and corruption-- a captivating and utterly transfixing movie that has already jumped to the head of the pack this fall. It’s as good as they come."
4. The Big Short
"Using a series of hilarious, fourth wall-breaking cameos (no spoilers from me!), the ins and outs of Wall Street are explained enough to make The Big Short work… and work well."
5. Bridge of Spies
"There’s more than enough in the real history to keep us fascinated and riveted, and in Spielberg’s and Hanks’ trusty hands, Bridge of Spies has already emerged as one of the best of the year so far and a sure-fire contender come Oscar-time."
6. The Gift
"I’m as surprised as anyone to find a memorable movie hit theaters in the typically barren wasteland of August, but they don’t get much more memorable than this movie. A rare gift, indeed."
7. Steve Jobs
"Anchored by Fassbender’s intense and unyielding performance, the film is a character study, pure and simple, but Sorkin’s script and Boyle’s direction elevate it to a level virtually unseen before."
8. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
"Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie keeps the pace flying along, and he choreographed every sequence as tight as a snare drum. The result is a film that perfectly mixes The Bourne Identity’s action with The Avengers’ dry humor."
9. Sisters
"I often mock Adam Sandler for his penchant for gathering his friends to just hang out and make a goofy movie together. Turns out that concept isn’t the problem; it’s the end result. Because Fey and Poehler just showed how it’s done."
10. The Martian
"Along with Damon, director Scott is a big reason The Martian works. After a string of so-so efforts (Prometheus, chief among them), he proves that he still has the ability to transform audiences to another world."
THE REST
11. Straight Outta Compton
12. Everest
13. Creed
14. Trainwreck
15. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
16. The Walk
17. Minions
18. The 33
19. The Final Girls
20. The Visit
21. The Man from UNCLE
22. Southpaw
23. Daddy's Home
24. The Good Dinosaur
25. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
26. The Peanuts Movie
27. American Ultra
28. Paper Towns
29. Ant-Man
30. Terminator Genisys
31. Joy
32. Burnt
33. Hotel Transylvania 2
34. Before We Go
35. In the Heart of the Sea
36. Spectre
37. Secret in Their Eyes
THE BOTTOM 5
38. Vacation
"By and large, this isn’t much more than 100 minutes of eyeroll-worthy laziness and lewdness. Most of the jokes’ punchlines are telegraphed from miles away, and those that aren’t were in the movie’s trailer."
39. Self/Less
"It lands in theaters with all the stunning vision of a beige yawn."
40. Pixels
"With dialogue as clunky as a three-wheeled shopping cart and the comedic equivalent of knock-knock jokes, the low points of Pixels (and there are many) far outweigh the fun visual effects and 80s-tastic nostalgia."
41. A Walk in the Woods
"There’s more drama in your morning walk to the coffee maker... whether you slip on a banana peel or not."
42. Love the Coopers
"It's as ridiculous as they come... a wholly unoriginal mess that tries too hard to be something-- but fails at everything. 'Tis the season, though, apparently. Bah. Humbug."
