Bailey LuBean's Top Ten Films of 2015

Well, it is finally that time. I have seen enough of the films in 2015 to feel comfortable with compiling my top 10 list for the year. Granted, there are some smaller films and foreign pieces that I have not seen, but I tried to see as many as I can and I feel that my list is a pretty definitive representation of the year.

Honorable Mentions

I want to start with my honorable mentions for the year. It really hurt to not include these films on my list, but there were only ten spots to fill. I had to cut some as I saw more and more great movies throughout the year. My honorable mentions are:

• Carol
• Grandma
• Sicario
• The Walk
• Steve Jobs (one of the best screenplays of the year)
• The Big Short
• Kingsman: The Secret Service
• The Martian
• Bridge of Spies
• Beasts of No Nation
• And just because: Dude Bro Party Massacre III. Yes this is a real movie. Yes it is awesome. 

Every single one of these films, Carol especially, deserve your time, money, and praise. Alas, there were ten other movies that awarded the time I invested even more. So without further ado, here are my top ten films of 2015.

#10: The Hateful Eight 

Quentin Tarantino finally returned to the big screen with what might be his most accomplished technical achievement yet. Filmed in beautiful 70mm and feautring a fantastic score by the legendary Ennio Moricone, The Hateful Eight was a terrifically fun murder mystery with a bloody bite and savory Tarantino dialogue. Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh steal the show here with some fantastic monologues. Both are Oscar worthy in my opinion.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-hateful-eight-review.html

#9: Ex Machina

It's easy to forget that this came out last year! This gem of a movie came out in January, a time where movies usually go to die and is like if Phillip K. Dick wrote an excellent episode of The Twilight Zone. Alicia Vikander is a revelation here as the AI Ava while Dohmnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac both have great philosophical moments of banter that were intellectually stimulating and riveting. This is a great science fiction film that features some of the best plotting of the year.

#8: Spotlight

Spotlight is a terrific ensemble drama that may feature the best script of the year. It has a fantastic cast that bring their A game to a film that meddles in delicate subject material but handles it with a graceful sense of respect that never feels exploitative. It is an impressive film and an important one for everyone to see.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2015/12/spotlight-review.html

#7: Brooklyn

This is the romance film that other romantic films wish they could be. This is an easily accessible film that I couldn't imagine anyone having trouble with. It is incredibly sweet and is shot and scored beautifully. Saorise Ronan gives an amazing performance that is understated and never wears out its welcome.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2016/01/brooklyn-review.html

#6: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Here it is. The biggest film of the year. Actually, it is slowly becoming the biggest film of all time as we speak. This is an awesome blockbuster film that delivers on the tremendously high expectations leading up to it. This is a film that has a lot of moving pieces and one could wish that it had a little more time to develop this, but regardless this is a film with great new characters, returning legends, and just the right amount of nostalgia mixed with new modern film-making. This may be the most fun you can have in a theater this year.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review.html

#5: The Revenant

What a beast of a movie. On a technical level, this film is mind blowing. Filmed with natural light on location, every frame is a work of art that is unfathomable to even comprehend how it was made. That is not all it has going for it. It has an intense story of brutal revenge with a career best performance by Leonardo DiCarpio. This is his year. He has won the Oscar already.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-revenant-review.html

#4: Inside Out

Pixar hits it out of the park again with Inside Out. This is a perfect family film with funny characters and devastating emotion to spare. It is consistently witty and never takes its audience for granted. There are no wrong choices made here and it may be the best film Pixar has made yet. Debatable, yes, but the argument can be made.

#3: Room

Brie Larson stars in Room, one of the most powerful experiences of the year. Jacob Tromblay gives one of the all time great child performances with great nuance and an insight beyond his years. If you want a film from 2015 that will give you all the feels and tears, this is the one to go to. Every tear here is earned with grace.

#2: Mad Max: Fury Road

One word can describe this movie: AWESOME. This is a crazy adrenaline rush of a film that does no let up. It consistently blew my mind with its practical effects and crazy stunt work that ranks it among some of the greatest action sequences ever filmed. What The Raid 2 did for hand to hand combat, Fury Road does for cars and stunts. Charlize Theron is one of the best female action heroes ever with a demanding performance that is already iconic. While the film is essentially one long chase scene, it has a surprising amount of depth to its visual led storytelling with great insight into gender politics and violence. This is an awesome movie. It could have easily been my number 1 pick if it weren't for-

#1: Anomalisa

This film is an absolute treasure. Everything about it is genius. I give it the top spot on my list for these reasons, plus the fact that a film like this could not have been made if it weren't for the love and care that the filmmakers put into it. Studios are never going to make something like this. You cannot easily market this film. It is a passion project that only exists because its creators went the extra mile to fundraise and retain complete creative control. It is exceptionally honest and has some of the most tender moments of film that you can find in 2015. It is lovely piece of work and fully deserves my number one spot.

http://baileywatchesmovies.blogspot.com/2016/01/anomalisa-review.html

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What about you readers? What are your favorite films of the year? Sound off in the comments below and let me know. I'd love to have that conversation with you all. 2016 is going to be another great year and I cannot wait to get started with it. Let's hope that it can live up to the tremendous year that was 2015.