Every 2015 Movie I've seen so far (A-Z Order)

(Final Update)

Amy: Excellent exploration on the life of Amy Winehouse, and the relationship between the public, the media, and the celebrity. Really feels like you get to know Amy as an actual person. Great use of her music, juxtaposing her songs to match her real life dilemmas. 9.5/10

Anomalisa: Intriguing examination of life and all of its mundanities and wonders, and the good and the bad. Tom Noonan and Jennifer Jason Leigh are great. Could've stood to be a bit longer, in order to further explore its characters and themes. 8/10

Ant-Man: Enjoyable, but not as much as many of the other Marvel films. Paul Rudd is enjoyable as the lead. Yellowjacket makes for one of the weakest villains in the Marvel filmography. Has a few creative setpieces. 7/10

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Has some great action, but unfortunately suffers from being overstuffed with plotlines and characters that needed more fleshing out. Ultron is somewhat interesting, but has a few lines of dialogue that make hard to take him seriously half the time. Feels like scenes were cut. 7.5/10

The Big Short: Solid performances and a decent screenplay make this pseudo-comedy about the 2008 financial collapse worth watching. The elements for a comedy are there, but the execution leaves something to be desired. The analogies with Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez help explain the more confusing aspects of the film. Good song choices. 7.5/10

Black Mass: A solid, if a bit unoriginal narrative, elevated by a great cast who give solid performances, especially from Johnny Depp as James "Whitey" Bulger, his best performance in a long time. 8/10

The Boy Next Door: Production levels equivalent to that of a crappy TV-movie. Bad acting all-around. Uses every stalker and psychopath cliche in the book. Boring. Climax is somewhat exciting. 3.5/10

Bridge of Spies: Is like classic Spielberg. Tom Hanks gives a really good performance. Plenty of great cinematography. Climatic scene on the bridge is tension-filled. Does a good job at capturing the period. Stakes in the first act don't resonate as very dire or important. 8/10

Brooklyn: A well-written love story between an Italian boy and an Irish immigrant girl, who is torn between her old home and her new home in Brooklyn. Saoirse Ronan gives a fantastic performance. Theme of unfamiliarity is very present. 9/10

Carol: Perhaps the best love story of the year, and lead by two incredible performances by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, who give the best performances of the year. Great cinematography and an excellent score enchance the movie further. Themes of defying the standards of the time. 10/10

Chappie: Is an interesting mix of Robocop and Short Circuit that explores the theme of humanity (that is, what makes us human). Has a decent story and other characters serve it just fine. Chappie himself is obviously the best part of the movie, voiced wonderfully by Sharlto Copley. Religion is another concept that is explored to some degree. 7.5/10

Clouds of Sils Maria: Is driftless and aimless in terms of plot, but is anchored by three great performances from Kristen Stewart (yes, really), Chloe-Grace Moretz, and especially Juliette Binoche. Has some nice scenery. 7/10

Creed: Manages to capture the spirit of the original while telling it's own story that's just as good as the original. Michael B. Jordan proves that he can be a great actor. Both of the main boxing scenes have great direction and are exciting. 9/10

Danny Collins: Al Pacino elevates an otherwise barebones story with a stirring central performance. Has a solid cast and acting from all. Letter from John Lennon has little to do with the overall plot. 6.5/10

Dope: Intelligent discussion of drug, gang, internet, and pop culture. Benefits from a great cast, who all do a very good job with the material. Standout performance is Shameik Moore. Also has good humor. 8.5/10

Do You Believe?: On the whole, stupid, sappy, contrived, and preachy as all hell. In other words, a typical bad religious movie. Acting is a little better than God's Not Dead. Rips off Crash in the big climatic crash scene. Lawyer character is obvious strawman. 4/10

Entourage: Too long and overstuffed with plot. Characters are unlikeable. Too cameo-heavy. Unfunny. Has no reason to exist in terms of the show. 5/10

Ex Machina: Is a fascinating and intelligent examination of technology, the advance of such, and what it truly means to be human. Great performances by all, especially Alicia Vikander, who plays the android. 9/10

Fantastic Four (2015): Dull, poorly constructed and paced, and a complete slog throughout. Spends far too long on the origin. Has a solid cast, but wastes them. Unfun. Victor Von Doom is made too obviously evil. Trailer is misleading. Possibly changed greatly during production, if Josh Trank is to be believed. 3.5/10

Fifty Shades of Grey: Poor acting from both leads, and a plotless, lifeless screenplay bring this movie to its knees. Constantly tries to be sexy, yet fails every time. 4.5/10

Focus: Intriguing thriller about suggestions and trickery. Will Smith and Margot Robbie give solid performances and have great chemistry. Their chemistry elevates the film from decent to good. Gets a bit too twisty towards the end. 7.5/10

The Gallows: Not an original bone in its body. Absolutely predictable the whole way through. Ryan is the most unlikeable horror movie character in a long time, perhaps ever. Has one of the most baffling endings in recent memory. Has ever so slight of an atmosphere. 3/10.

The Gift: Is more clever, smarter and intriguing than expected. Great performances from all, especially Joel Edgarton, who also writes and directs. Does a great job playing a odd, yet pitiful character. 8.5/10

Good Kill: Is a welcome return to form for writer/director Andrew Niccol after In Time and The Host. Compelling themes of war and what we're willing to do in the name of safety. Ethan Hawke gives a great performance. 9/10

Hell & Back: Barely even justifies its own existence. Failed to make me laugh even once. Stop-motion animation was of mediocre quality. 5/10

Hot Tub Time Machine 2: Is a completely different beast to the first movie. Feels rehashed, tired, and VERY unfunny. Time travel stuff is more confusing than it should be for a comedy. Might be attempting to be a satire of pop-culture, but fails. 4/10

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2: A bit slow and grim around the middle, but is nonetheless a satisfying conclusion to The Hunger Games story. Great action set pieces. Jennifer Lawrence is great as usual. 8/10

Inside Out: Bursting with creativity, humor, heart, and character. Pixar's best film in a long time. Some of their best animation. Fantastic casting (especially Lewis Black). Got me to cry a few times towards the end. 10/10

Insidious: Chapter 3: Hardly scary, but has a decent sense of atmosphere. Solid performances by the whole cast. Decent exploration of theme of loss. Third act is kinda silly. Ever so slightly better than the first film. 6.5/10

Insurgent: Shailene Woodley gives it her all, but she is unable to save the poor story, which is worse than the first film. Acting by everyone else is still below par, especially Theo James, who seems incapable of showing any emotion. 5/10

It Follows: Manages to be haunting and creepy without resorting to jump scares. Sex is a very prominent theme in the film. Very reminiscent of Halloween in a good way. Maika Monroe gives a good performance. Fantastic score by Disasterpiece. 9/10

Jurassic World: Has decent action set-pieces, but feels lifeless and unspecial. Some bad dialogue and characters act stupid on occasion. Attempts to be like the original film, but does a bad job. 5.5/10

Jupiter Ascending: All-around ridiculous. Opening scenes are confusing as hell. Eddie Redmayne's Balem is hilariously over-the-top and bad. Wish he had more screen-time. Effects are nice. Some bits of dialogue are goofy. 4.5/10

Kingsman: The Secret Service: Is about 2 hours of bloody British fun. Has a lot of great action. Humor works very well. Favorite scene is the all-out brawl in the church. 8.5/10

The Lazarus Effect: Has a great concept, but is somewhat wasted. Barely goes into the moral, ethical, and philosophical implications of reviving the dead. Some stuff is unexplained. A bit jump scare happy. Olivia Wilde saves the movie by being suitably creepy. 6/10

Little Boy: Is fairly decent up until the 3rd act, whereupon the film becomes offensively stupid and insulting (and also plain offensive) and seems to last an eternity. Tries to have its cake and eat it too with regards to the ending. First two acts could've been a decent film on their own. 3.5/10

The Loft: The worst-structured film I've ever seen. Convoluted, confusing. Main characters are awful, reprehensible, and completely forgettable. Everyone is an uber-stereotype, especially the women, who all act like shrewds. Horrendous dialogue. 3/10

Mad Max: Fury Road: Is 100% completely badass. Has a surprisingly solid story. Action scenes play out differently each time, which keeps the action fresh, exciting, varied, and awesome. Is a master-class of an action movie. 10/10

The Martian: Matt Damon's best performance in any movie. Is funny, intense, and fascinating. Interesting to see Mark (Matt Damon) try to do whatever he can to survive. Great cinematography. 9/10

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl: Has a layered screenplay and a great cast who elevate the material with great performances. A good coming-of-age story. Superb soundtrack by Brian Eno. 8/10

Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation: Contains a lot of great action scenes, and Tom Cruise continues to prove that he is an action star without equal. Some funny moments too. 8.5/10

Mortdecai: Humor falls flat most of the time. Lacks energy. Tries to be "The Pink Panther", but doesn't understand why films like that work. Depp as Mortdecai is unlikable. Gets confusing towards the end. Very forgettable. 5.5/10

Old Fashioned: Stupid, slow, and boring. Is much less overtly religious than anticipated. Main leads are dull as hell, especially the main lead, who also comes across as somewhat creepy. Lots of awkward, crappy dialogue. 5/10

Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension: Completely lacking in genuine scares and the gimmick of being able to see the ghost kills all fear that the film could have had. Is confusing with its mythology. Ending is a joke. 4.5/10

Paul Blart Mall Cop 2: A complete retread of the original, and just as stupid and unfunny. Every single attempt at humor falls flat. Paul Blart acts like an asshole in the first act. 5.5/10

Pixels: Not quite Sandler-levels of bad, but isn't much fun either. Peter Dinklage is terrible. Has a lackluster script. Dull and somewhat cringeworthy first act. 5.5/10

Predestination: Mind-bending and intriguing. Has a unique premise that deserves to be explored more. Sarah Snook is great and worth keeping an eye on in future films. Final plot twist is absolutely brilliant. 9/10

Project Almanac: Has one of the worst uses of time travel in a movie. Dull characters and plot. Crap dialogue. Really confusing. 5/10

The Revenant: Leonardo gives one hell of an intense performance in this tale of revenge. Plenty of gorgeous scenery. Intensity can wear thin after a while. 8/10


Room: A compelling and unique take on Plato's Allegory of the Cave, which is elevated by two excellent performances by Brie Larson and Jacob Trembley. Explores themes of isolation and curiosity, which Trembley manages to convey expertly. 9/10

Run All Night: Painfully average, run-of-the-mill action thriller in all aspects. At least it's shot and edited better than Taken 3. 5.5/10

Self/less: Has an intriguing premise that deals with the theme of immortality, but doesn't explore it deeply enough and instead settles for being a half-decent action film. 5.5/10

Seventh Son: A dull fantasy adventure, with a decent cast that's wasted. Boring characters. Special effects look poor, despite the film being delayed by about a year, which makes it worse. 4.5/10

Shaun The Sheep Movie: Dialogue-free, but is nonetheless enjoyable and fun for all ages. Claymation is still wonderfully done. Some solid gags. 8/10

Sicario: A smart thriller that examines the cartel, its effects, and influences on the Mexican population (particularly demonstrated by the last few minutes). Great performances, especially from Benicio Del Toro. 9/10

Spectre: A solid entry into the James Bond franchise, with great stunts and action scenes alike. Relatively simple story. Skyfall is still a far superior film. Christoph Waltz makes for an intriguing villian. 8/0
 

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water: Bizarre stuff happens, but is enjoyable, nonetheless. Could've used more focus or a more substantial plot. Entertaining climax. 7/10

Spotlight: Great direction, acting, and an excellent screenplay is contained in this film about The Boston Globe's investigation on pedophilic Catholic priests, and how suck information was covered up. Themes of conspiracy, secrecy, and relationship between believers and religious instituitions. Does not treat main characters like they are heroes. 9.5/10

Spy: The funniest film of the year. Never a dull moment. Outstanding cast does a great job with the material. Melissa McCarthy's best role. Solid action directing by Paul Feig. Jason Statham is surprisingly funny. 10/10

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Is somewhat derivative of the original films, but is nonetheless a fun and action-packed romp return to the Star Wars universe. Kylo Ren is kind of a weak villain. 8.5/10

Strange Magic: Almost completely unoriginal. Annoying characters and singing. Half the songs aren't even theirs. Didn't need to be a musical. Bad animation. Never seen the hero fall in love with the villain before in an animated movie. Absolutely horrible throughout. 3/10

Straight Outta Compton: Great performances in a well-written film about one of the most influential groups in rap history. Does a great job at capturing the black culture of late 80s and early 90s. 8.5/10

Taken 3: Cheap, horribly-edited, and dull all around. Villain's plan is stupidly convoluted. Action scenes have editing on the level of a Steven Seagal direct-to-video movie, i.e. terrible. Liam Neeson seems really out of it. 4/10

Tomorrowland: A colossal disappointment, the biggest I've ever seen. Unfun and more than a little depressing in its themes. Waste of a solid cast. Well shot and looks great, courtesy of Brad Bird. Screenplay is absolutely lackluster, with little to care about, courtesy of Damon Lindelof. Questionable story decisions. Trailer is a lie. 4/10

Trainwreck: Incredibly funny. Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer know how to make raunchy humor work. Great performances by the whole cast, especially Schumer. This is my introduction to her, and it's a great introduction. Favorite scene is the sex with John Cena. 9/10

Unfinished Business: Has really wonky pacing. Some scenes feel too short, yet others feel too long. Has some of the most witless jokes in some time. Family subplot feels forced and unecessary. Dave Franco is terribly unfunny. 4/10

Unfriended: A potentially decent premise goes to waste. Feels somewhat fake. Unlikeable characters. Lack of real scares and many feel very telegraphed. Extended periods where nothing happens kills the pacing. 4.5/10


The Visit: An odd, but somewhat enjoyable experience. A few genuinely creepy moments. Didn't see the point of the found-footage approach. Shyamalan doesn't suck for once. 6.5/10

War Room: The most heavy-handed religious film I've ever seen. Acting ranges from mediocre (most of the cast) to overdone and obvious (the old black lady). Offers horrible marriage advice (your marriage is failing? Pray to Jesus and wait!). 3/10

The Wedding Ringer: A dull sort of unfunny. Kevin Hart is better here than in Ride Along; he manages to restrain himself. Main character is a dolt. 5.5/10

What We Do In The Shadows: Funniest faux-documentary since This is Spinal Tap. Takes usual monster tropes and uses them to full comedic effect. Boasts a stellar cast and they all do a great job with the material. 9/10

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death: Slow, dull. Has a decent sense of atmosphere, but the story is below par and the characters are not interesting. Is inconsistent with the first film, especially in how the Woman in Black behaves. 5.5/10