Best Movies of 2015

Scott Hardie | December 22, 2015
Voting is open until December 31. What 2015 movie did you think was best? I'm guessing that Samir won't vote for Jurassic World or Erik for American Sniper. Awards-season momentum seems to be building up around Mad Max: Fury Road, and it might top our collective ballot depending on who votes, which would be fine by me.

I am aware that Aloha was critically reviled and hated by its own studio head. It has some terrible dialogue and a bad case of Asianface casting. I loved it anyway. No other 2015 movie made me feel this good. It will be at the top of my ballot. Thus, you should vote just to keep us from collectively naming Aloha the best movie of the year. :-)

Samir Mehta | December 22, 2015
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Scott Hardie | December 23, 2015
Is Anomalisa out yet? IMDb says it doesn't come out until January. I very much want to see it. Also, 45 Years.

Samir Mehta | December 23, 2015
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Scott Hardie | December 24, 2015
Yeah, I'm sure the glut of winter blockbusters (what used to be a summertime tradition now happens year-round) has forced more widespread use of this scheduling technique, but it's been around for years. As far as I know, it really just has to do with selling more tickets: Small prestige films like this don't make very much money, unless they're nominated for Oscars and playing in theaters while nominated, in which case they enjoy a boost from all of that Oscar coverage. However, they can't open in December and still expect to be playing in theaters in February, so they cheat a little by doing a micro-release in December to qualify for the Oscars, then doing a proper full release in late January. It's annoying for us moviegoers because critics are raving about films that we can't see for another month or two, but I don't really blame the studios: I'd probably do the same if I were the executive in charge.

From the beginning of Thorough Movie Reviews back in the late nineties (damn, has it been that long?), I have made it a point to reject Hollywood's little year-end cheat by dating a film according to its widest release. That's why Erik's review of American Sniper qualifies for 2015 instead of 2014. By that measure, Anomalisa is a 2016 film and won't be eligible this year. But look on the bright side: You still get to vote for it next year and now you have an empty slot for Hunger Games. :-)

Samir Mehta | December 24, 2015
Ha. I guess Brooklyn is 2016 too?

Scott Hardie | December 24, 2015
Nope, Brooklyn had a wide opening at Thanksgiving, according to IMDb. That's another film that I really wanted to see this year and missed. :-(

Erik Bates | December 26, 2015
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Scott Hardie | December 26, 2015
Your reviews are always appreciated no matter when they are submitted. :-)

Scott Hardie | December 29, 2015
Just a reminder: Time's almost up to record your ballot. The form will automatically disappear at midnight on Thursday night.

Scott Hardie | January 1, 2016
Thanks for voting! The outcome is decided. The win was a tie between Erik's favorite Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Samir's favorite Mad Max: Fury Road, with the former ultimately ranking higher because it appeared on more ballots. Personally, I'm fine with both of those titles appearing at the top of the list. I'm surprised to see Age of Ultron do so well as that movie seems forgotten already. It was a good year for movies, with dramas and a documentary and a comedy making the list as well. Here's looking forward to lots of good movies in 2016. :-)