#14. Sicario - This action thriller by The Prisoners director, Denis Villeneuve, totes an incredible cast following an FBI agent hunting down a brutal Mexican Drug Lord. Some scenes in this movie might be a bit stomach turning but fantastic nontheless.
#15. Magic Mike XXL - The sex and body positive sequel to Channing Tatum's big stripper film didn't debut at the box office quite as planned but the cast was twice as charming, the dancing was twice was a good and the production showed that bigger is better after all.
#13. Straight Outta Compton - The N.W.A. biopic was all the rage at the tail of end of the summer of 2015. Resurrecting an iconic era of rap in a story that was that gritty, fun and hard musically, the film is currently not getting the recognition it deserves but it a music biopic that you can not miss.
#12. The Revanant - The film currently storming all award seasons, The Revenant, is another example of last years winner for best director, Alerjandro Iñárritu's, expertise in directing. The film, which might be the movie that finally earns Leonardo Dicaprio his coveted academy award, is a a very straight forward but visceral movie going experience sure to shock and awe.
#11. The Hateful 8 - After an early script leak, this Quentin Tarantino film was nearly canned but thankfully for us, the iconic director decided not to and what we got was a film that played out like a brutal theater production. It's hard to skip any film by the director of Pulp Fiction and while this movie has a few surprising cameos, its far less bloody than what Tarantino's use to but still one of his best.
#10. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - It's no secret that I'm a big fan of this young adult novel series adapted for the big screen and the sequel managed to capitalize on the fun and drama from the film before it. It's an exciting blockbuster type film with a fun and recognizable cast that doesn't seem to slow down and with one on the way next February, it's hard not to get in on the action.
#9. Inside Out - The cute Pixar animated film that saw a summer release last year was a spectacular and oddly different look how our emotions effect us and just how important it is to express them. Told from the brain of a young girl, this movie leaves an impactful message for not only children, but adults too.
#8. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - This movies packed with great celebrities from current superman Henry Cavill to one of last yeas breakout actresses Alicia Vikander to even Hugh Grant, this midsummer blockbuster didn't exactly "take off," but it's a fun call back to spy films of a past era.
#7. Goodnight Mommy - The austrian horror film made waves last year for sending theaters goers out of their seat in discomfort and panic and I wasn't sure how true these claims were until the last 25 minutes of the film. The story of two young boys trying to discover the mystery surrounding their mother's change from a recent facial surgery is uncomfortable from the beginning and only gets stranger from there. Goodnight Mommy is a cult classic in the making and one you'll want to watch with your friends comes this Halloween.
#6. Spotlight - A look at the early 00's Boston Globe story and team that broke the sex scandal in the catholic church, Spotlight is another Oscar film that fell on plenty of movie reviewers top ten list. Featuring strong performances by Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton, the film garnered reactions from the catholic church and even was mentioned along side the victims of the Flint Michigan water crisis by Keaton at the SAG awards just a few nights ago. The film is highlights a ground breaking moment in investigative journalism who's effects are felt today.
#5. The Martian - While the Martian may have definitely snagged the wrong award at the Golden Globes, the latest Ridley Scott film was really nothing short of fantastic. Another Matt Damon in space (after interstellar), The Martian is part funny, part sad and part inspiring and is another strong Oscar contender this year.
#4. Ant-Man - Another year, another handful of Marvel films but this one was by far the farthest step left than any of the films released previously and it worked immensely well. Ant Man may have been plagued by behind the scenes drama that lasted from months of director changes to the script going through a number of rewrites but Paull Rudd's on screen charisma, the hilarious side characters and the small then life action all added to this being the fun, summer superhero film we continue to hope to see.
#3. Ex Machina - The british sci-fi film saw a quiet release early in the year and has been on my mind since the moment I left the theater. Featuring both new Star Wars cast members, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, alongside Alicia Vikander, this thriller carried a level of paranoia and suspense that most films of 2015 missed by a long shot. Currently nominated for best original screen play, the twist and danger felt while viewing this movie are nothing short of a true experience with an ending that will leave your jaw on the floor.
#2. It Follows - Which leads us to the top two. It follows saw it's cannes release in 2014 but also saw an early in the year release during 2015. Simply put, It Follows is an exceptionally well done horror film. It's suspense is deafening, it's horror feels real and the subject around what it may have represented sparked a bit of a controversy itself. With a premise as simple as always having someone following you, no matter where you are, based around a recurring nightmare of writer/director David Robert Mitchell, it's hard to leave this theater and lay down peacefully at night.
#1. Mad Max: Fury Road/ Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 2015 was a good year for film. While the box office may not have reflected it per-say in sales, we saw some standout films in both the fields of diversity of feminism and two of the biggest examples of this came with both summers huge blockbuster Mad Max as well as December record breaking, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Both visually stunning, Mad Max excelled it's strong female lead with Charlize Theron, a disabled, tough contrast of what we're use to seeing with an action film. Featuring what's arguably the best chase sequence in film history, Mad Max: Fury Road as the film to beat for best of list. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was easily the best "in house," experience I've had this year, possibly in my adult life. After years of teasers from Star Trek director, J.J. Abrams, the film was released and it delivered the love letter to the original franchise that true fans have desperately wanted since the prequels. With a eccentric cast of new comers, fantastic villains and the action you could only get in a galaxy far, far away, The Force Awakens earned its spot right longside Mad Max as the two best films of 2015.