Honorable Mentions: Project Almanac/ Danny Collins/Inside Out
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
A fine enough sequel to 2012 The Avengers but with some disjointed story points and a sense of repetitiveness, it did fail to reach old glory. But with hints to expanded universes and a fresh face in the form of Vision, it still managed to be fairly entertaining.
9. Cinderella
A live action adaptation that respected it's source material without being so old fashioned it was dated. Unlike other adaptations Maleficent and Snow White, Cinderella managed to be extremely entertaining. A modern Fairy Tale for everyone.
8. Ex Machina
A modern Fairy Tale strictly for adults. Part syfy think-piece, Part minimalist Horror, Part psycho-sexual thriller, taken as whole: Absolutely hypnotic. Oscar Isaac continues to amaze with his strongest performance to date. An incredible movie about what it means to be human.
7. Kingsman: The Secret Service
"It's not that kind of movie." That line sums up this spy comedy pretty perfectly. It perfectly balances operating within the cliches of spy movies and lampooning those cliches. If a thrilling skydiving sequence, and shocking church melee don't get you to show up at least watch it for a lisping, weak-stomached, happy meal eating Samuel L. Jackson.
6. Slow West
I can't promote this movie enough. The other independent movies I list here have a cult following and critical success. Slow West somehow got lost in the mix. It garnered critical praise but never found an audience and with a compelling story by first time director John Maclean and command performances by Micheal Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Ben Mendelsohn, it's truly tragic this gem was never discovered.
5. It Follows
I'm perhaps the harshest critic of modern horror movies. I love horror movies but today's offerings of jump-scares and screams at the ghost movies like Unfriended make me want to put this genre to rest. But along comes this low budget throwback that is truly terrifying and I'm rethinking my rush to judgment. It Follows will follow you long after you watch it. (see what I did there?)
4. Dope
Dope came out of nowhere for me. I had heard of it making some noise at film festivals but it hadn't really captured my attention. Then I saw it was playing at the local Regal and figured what did I have to lose? It quickly sucked me into this world of the slums of L.A. and this trio of nerds trying to survive the day to day. Extremely timely and poignant, it will challenge your way of thinking.
3. Jurassic World
The Box Office King of 2015 and I don't see a challenger in sight... no not even Star Wars. I had this movie as my number 1 anticipated movie this year and it didn't disappoint. Where there issues with story and script? Sure. No movie is without sin. (cinemasins reference) But if your looking for a summer blockbuster that is entertaining as heck and doesn't require complete turning off your brain Jurassic World is the movie for you and THE WORLD!
2. Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl
I saw an advanced screening of this movie and it blew me away. It was the Fault in Our Stars if made by Wes Anderson. (so better) It is a love letter to cinema, it is a study of friendship, it is a coming of age story. Well acted, well directed, and a joy to watch.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
The world truly belongs to the Mad. There is no other movie this year, heck the past three years, that made such an impression on me as Mad Max: Fury Road. I saw it I believe three times and it's never made less an impact. It's smart, well acted, and absolutely mesmerizing. People complained about a simplistic story but the philosophical questions it raises is far beyond a simple story. It also boasts the most kick butt female since Ripley.
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