{"id":18926,"date":"2015-12-30T09:18:50","date_gmt":"2015-12-29T23:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=18926"},"modified":"2016-01-19T22:45:03","modified_gmt":"2016-01-19T12:45:03","slug":"top-ten-films-of-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=18926","title":{"rendered":"Top Ten Films of 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tagfilm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"toptenmovies2015\"<\/a><\/p>\n2<\/span>015 was a goddamn great year for movies.<\/p>\n

It was a year where box office records were smashed. \u00a0Fast and Furious 7<\/em>,\u00a0The Avengers: Age of Ultron<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens<\/em>\u00a0made an enormous impact at the box office, with all three films breaking into the Top Ten Highest Grossing Films of All Time<\/strong><\/a> category. \u00a0And who would bet against\u00a0The Force Awakens<\/em> unseating\u00a0Avatar<\/em> as the highest grossing film of all time when its all said and done?<\/p>\n

The way we watch movies continues to expand and evolve. \u00a0One of my favourite films of 2014 was the Australian horror film\u00a0The Babadook<\/em> which struggled to find an audience when it was released to the\u00a0domestic box office before it found a\u00a0new lease on life on\u00a0Netflix. \u00a0This year, my top ten list includes\u00a0Going Clear<\/em> and\u00a0A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night<\/em>\u00a0– more films that used video on demand services as their primary means to reach\u00a0their audience. \u00a0Video on demand became a huge market in Australia in 2015 with Netflix, Presto and Stan all launching to consumers this year.<\/p>\n

That said, piracy remains prevalent in the industry, particularly during awards season as the annual leaks of award season films<\/strong><\/a> continues unabated. \u00a0Curiously, the most pirated film of 2015<\/strong><\/a> was 2014’s\u00a0Interstellar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Will the soaring popularity of video on demand bring about the demise of the DVD and Blu Ray markets? \u00a0I hope not. \u00a0Although the number of films I purchase on Blu Ray shrinks year by year, its still the best medium for films to have an expansive set of extra features, audio commentaries and alternate cuts of the film. \u00a0One of my favourite pick ups of 2015 was The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki<\/strong><\/a> Blu Ray collection which has a fantastic array of extra clips and video features highlighting the production of these films.<\/p>\n

2015 was a year where women reigned supreme at the box office with\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road<\/em> and\u00a0Star Wars Episode VII<\/em> both creating some of the most highest profile lead roles for women in action films since Ripley in\u00a0Alien<\/em>\u00a0thirty years ago. \u00a0Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron and\u00a0Amy Schumer all made waves at the box office and thanks to the Sony Pictures email leaks of last year highlighting some shameful disparity in salaries between genders, they actually got paid the same as their male counterparts this year. \u00a0Progress!<\/p>\n

It was also a year where some of the most reliably great directors in Hollywood unexpectedly faltered. \u00a0Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant<\/em>), Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone<\/em>)\u00a0<\/em>and Ron Howard (Rush, Frost\/Nixon<\/em>)\u00a0all released new films to critical and commercial indifference.<\/p>\n

On a personal note, I haven’t seen nearly as many films as I would have liked this year. \u00a0I have seen just one – ONE! – Australian film this year and plenty of popular and talked about films came and went at the cinema before I had a chance to watch them. \u00a0Fast and Furious 7, Spectre, Straight Outta Compton, Creed, Steve Jobs, Bridge of Spies, Far From the Madding Crowd, Crimson Peak<\/em> all remain on my to-do list.<\/p>\n

Of the films I did see, I enjoyed the vast majority of them. \u00a0And there were a handful that I really loved and I look forward to rewatching many times over, years from now. \u00a0Then there were a couple that were really special<\/em>. \u00a0Films that were pretty much perfect. \u00a0That made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at times. \u00a0I couldn’t pick a favourite so for the first time since I started making this annual list, I’ve got a tie for my favourite film of the year.<\/p>\n

Movies are awesome. \u00a02015 was awesome. \u00a0Now lets see what 2016 has in store for us!<\/p>\n

\"15inside\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Inside Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Pete Docter
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Pete Docter
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Richard Kind, Lewis Black<\/p>\n

\u201cCrying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life\u2019s problems.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Inside Out<\/i> is the charming and highly inventive new film from Pete Docter, arguable the most accomplished director to work with Pixar. \u00a0His previous works include\u00a0Up, Wall-E<\/em> and\u00a0Monsters Inc<\/em>. \u00a0Inside Out<\/em>\u00a0exists mostly inside the mind of an eleven year old girl Riley, struggling to adapt to her new life in San Francisco. \u00a0The film is like an all ages version of\u00a0Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,\u00a0<\/em>exploring Riley\u2019s headspace through the lens of five emotional beings that make up her personality.<\/p>\n

Docter has always been an ambitious film creator and here he tries nothing less than to teach children why\u00a0sadness and melancholy are an integral part of the human soul. \u00a0Inside Out<\/em> is funny, charming and heart warming. \u00a0Easily my favourite animated film of the year.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"2015itfollows\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It Follows<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>David Robert Mitchell
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>David Robert Mitchell
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could look like someone you know or it could be a stranger in a crowd. Whatever helps it get close to you.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

It Follows<\/em> is a fantastic teen horror film that draws its inspiration from the works of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi whilst still maintaining an identity of its own. \u00a0Writer and director David Robert Mitchell shows a real flair for understanding how to set the stage for a supernatural horror of this kind.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a terrifying killer on the prowl, it has strict rules it must adhere to and then there\u2019s a cast of young naive teenagers who are its prey. \u00a0The film is handsomely put together with some evocative cinematography that gives It Follows\u00a0<\/i>the look of a Seventies or Eighties teen slasher film. \u00a0The tension gets ratcheted up another score\u00a0when you add in the fantastic pulse pounding synth score from Disasterpeace.<\/p>\n

Watch this movie in the dead of night with the lights out for maximum effect.<\/p>\n

\"agirlwalkshomealoneatnightscene\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Ana Lily Amapour
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Ana Lily Amapour
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t leave me. Don\u2019t leave me alone.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

2015 was the year that Netflix finally arrived in Australia and one of the finest hidden gems in its catalogue is the Iranian vampire horror western\u00a0A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Set in the ghost town of Bad City, a blood sucking shape shifting vampire prowls the streets at night, to\u00a0the peril of the hapless men who cross her path. \u00a0As you can probably guess by its genre categorisation,\u00a0A Girl Walks Home Along At Night<\/em> is worth watching because of its unique premise, eye catching visuals and effortless cool.<\/p>\n

\"2015slowwest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Slow West<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>John Maclean
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>John Maclean
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Kodi Smit-Mcphee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn<\/p>\n

Werner: So, now\u2026 East. What news?<\/em>
\nCavendish: Violence and suffering. And West?<\/em>
\nWerner: Dreams and toil.<\/em><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s really only been in the last five years or so that I\u2019ve discovered a love of Westerns and begun exploring them \u2013 both the classics and the new. \u00a0Slow West<\/em> is the directorial debut of John McClean, a musician who was a part of the Scottish musical group The Beta Band. \u00a0With\u00a0Slow West<\/em>, he has made an impressive, sure-handed first feature that deserves to find a wide audience.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, the film is in no hurry and moves at the same laconic pace as its two stars \u2013 Jay Cavendish, a Scottish teenager who has travelled to America in search of his lost love Rose, and Silas Selleck, a seasoned and weary outlaw who takes Jay under his wing and gives him safe passage across the West, for a price.<\/p>\n

The film is beautiful to look at \u2013 shot in New Zealand of all places \u2013 and Jay and Silas\u2019 journey is a touching one. \u00a0They cross paths with all manner of folk in their search for Rose and in the final act, the film shifts into a memorable crescendo that I won\u2019t spoil. \u00a0Needless to say, I think\u00a0Slow West<\/em>\u00a0represents the best of its genre. \u00a0McClean shows an understanding of the characters, tropes and landscapes that make a good Western and then he puts his own spin on it, as he modernizes it and makes it his own.<\/p>\n

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Gibney
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Gibney
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Paul Haggis, Alex Gibney, Jason Beghe<\/p>\n

\u201cThe war is over\u201d \u2013\u00a0David Miscavige<\/em><\/h3>\n

There have been plenty of exposes on Scientology over the years but none that would rival the breadth of content seen in HBO\u2019s documentary\u00a0Going Clear<\/em> which has interviews with some of the most high profile and famous people to leave the church. \u00a0The film also has fascinating rare video footage of Scientology gatherings, including a ceremony where\u00a0Tom Cruise receives a\u00a0comically oversized Freedom Medal of Valor as seen in the screen shot above.<\/p>\n

With a running time of over two hours, I think the film does a pretty solid job exploring the origins of Scientology and the guarded nature of its belief structure before moving on to the more well documented challenges people have faced when they have either tried to leave the church or question the organization\u2019s behavior in a public forum. \u00a0Gibney has an absolute mountain of information to communicate to the audience here and he delivers it in absorbing fashion.<\/p>\n

\"themartian\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Martian<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Ridley Scott
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Drew Goddard
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels<\/p>\n

“I don’t want to come off as arrogant here, but I’m the greatest botanist on this planet.”<\/em><\/h3>\n

Based on Andy Weir’s best selling novel,\u00a0The Martian<\/em> is a thriller about an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars.<\/p>\n

The story ‘plays by the rules’ and only allows him to use survival techniques that astrophysicists believe would actually work on the Red Planet. \u00a0The result is a space-based film that really is like no other.<\/p>\n

The Martian<\/em>\u00a0is a delightful love letter to space exploration and the ingenuity of the people who are working to make crewed\u00a0space travel to\u00a0Mars a reality. \u00a0The script is razor sharp, full of charm and wit, and the final product is one of the finest films Ridley Scott and Matt Damon have produced in years.<\/p>\n

\"2015exmachina\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ex Machina<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson<\/p>\n

\u201cI am become death, The Destroyer of Worlds.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

You may not know the name but Alex Garland is a writer who has been the ideas man behind many of Danny Boyle\u2019s most famous films including\u00a0The Beach, 28 Days Later<\/em> and\u00a0Sunshine<\/em>.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0Ex Machina<\/em> he makes his directorial debut in\u00a0this sci-fi thriller about a billionaire tech mogul Nathan who invites one of his employees Caleb to spend a week at his remote research facility in the mountains. \u00a0There he reveals Ava, a robot creation that he is convinced can pass the Turing test. \u00a0During a temporary outage of the CCTV feeds, Ava confides to Caleb that she feels imprisoned and needs his help to escape Nathan. \u00a0From that moment, its game on. \u00a0Can Caleb help Ava escape? \u00a0Is she everything that she seems? \u00a0Is Nathan in cahoots with Ava?<\/p>\n

As you\u2019d expect from Garland, nothing is quite what it seems in Ex Machina<\/em>\u00a0and you have all the ingredients here for a clever morality tale about artificial intelligence and what happens when its sophistication makes it near indistinguishable from humans.<\/p>\n

\"15jurassicworld\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jurassic World<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson<\/p>\n

\u201cCorporate felt genetic modification would up the \u2018wow\u2019 factor.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

When its at its best, Jurassic World<\/i> has action sequences that rival the intensity of the original\u00a0Jurassic Park<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The genetic frankenstein Indominus Rex is a terrifying new addition to the dinosaur park and thankfully for monster movie fans, the security team at\u00a0InGen haven\u2019t learned their lesson for a fourth time and they keep this new unstoppable eating machine in an easily escapable enclosure during peak tourist season.<\/p>\n

The result is an entertaining thrill ride in which director Colin Trevorrow serves up\u00a0exhilarating action sequences in spades and gives a respectful nod to the original film. \u00a0Easily the best of the\u00a0Jurassic Park<\/em> sequels and a fine film in its own right.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"2015madmax\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mad Max: Fury Road –<\/span> Film of the Year<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! What a lovely day!\u201d \u2013\u00a0Nux<\/em><\/h3>\n

If you had to choose a single frame to represent the films of 2015, surely you couldn\u2019t pick a more instantly recognizable and iconic image than that of Doof Warrior \u2013 the masked, jump suit wearing, guitar shredding freak that rides on a truck stacked with amps in George Miller\u2019s\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fury Road<\/em>\u00a0has been the surprise package of 2015. \u00a0At seventy years young, Miller has breathed new life into the action genre with an unrelenting heart pounding thrill ride and along the way, he and Charlize Theron have helped create a memorable new action heroine in the form of Imperator Furiosa, the ass-kicking, one armed star of the film.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"starwarsforceawakens\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens<\/span> –<\/span> Film of the Year<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Alex Garland
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson<\/p>\n

“The Force, it’s calling to you. Just let it in.”<\/em><\/h3>\n

That son of a bitch Abrams did it. \u00a0He actually pulled it off.<\/p>\n

The world breathed a collective sigh of relief when the long awaited\u00a0Star Wars Episode VII<\/em> arrived in cinemas around the world. \u00a0It looked and felt exactly as you’d hoped for. \u00a0The decision to shoot on film instead of digital makes the film look like a natural successor to\u00a0Return of the Jedi<\/em>. \u00a0The punchy dialogue and snappy one liners harkens back to the banter in\u00a0A New Hope<\/em>. \u00a0This – this!<\/em> – was the successor to the original\u00a0Star Wars<\/em> trilogy we were all hoping for.<\/p>\n

Not only does the film strike all the right chords on a nostalgic level, it also brings the franchise into the 21st Century with the decision to cast Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as the film’s leads. \u00a0Both absolutely nail their performances and are two of the highlights of the film.<\/p>\n

Since it launched a fortnight ago, I’ve read plenty of people’s responses to the film and it’s clear to see how the film is resonating with two generations of fans – the young and the old. \u00a0For the older generation, its the hairs that stand up on the back of your neck when the iconic John Williams fanfare plays at the start of the film and the yellow text begins to trawl across the screen. \u00a0For the younger generation, it’s amazing to see how the new cast is resonating with kids around the world. \u00a0One of my favourite reactions was this snippet below:<\/p>\n

\"Bs7Oido\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Now you can’t get much better than that, can you?<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Honourable Mentions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"mockingjay2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two<\/em><\/p>\n

Kingsman: The Secret Service<\/em><\/p>\n

Selma<\/em><\/p>\n

Trainwreck<\/em><\/p>\n

The Theory of Everything<\/em><\/p>\n

The Imitation Game<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Archives<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"grandbudapesthotel\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Top Fifty Films of 2014<\/strong><\/a> | \u00a0Film of the Year – Grand Budapest Hotel<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2013<\/strong><\/a> | \u00a0Film of the Year – Gravity<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2012<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013 The Descendants<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2011<\/a><\/strong> |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013 True Grit<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2010<\/a><\/strong> | Film of the Year \u2013 The Social Network<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2009<\/a><\/strong> | Film of the Year \u2013 In The Loop<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a record breaking year at the box office but what was the best of 2015?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1802,15],"tags":[2378,2375,2372,62,2376,2373,2379,2227,2244,2310,2228,565,2377,779,2374,471],"class_list":["post-18926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-the-year-movies","category-blog","tag-a-girl-walks-home-alone-at-night","tag-bb8","tag-best-of","tag-disney","tag-ex-machina","tag-inside-out","tag-it-follows","tag-jurassic-park","tag-jurassic-world","tag-list","tag-mad-max","tag-pixar","tag-slow-west","tag-star-wars","tag-the-martian","tag-top-ten"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18926"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19033,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18926\/revisions\/19033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

\"2015goingclear\"<\/a><\/p>\n