I have been putting this off until now because I was hoping to catch more of the Oscar-nominated movies before putting this list out.
But as of today, I have still yet to catch Spotlight, The Hateful Eight, Carol, The Danish Girl and Steve Jobs. They may or may not replace some of the movies in this current list, and we'll never know now as this list will not be updated.
I'm also taking into account the movies that have come out in the year 2015 and will not include any movies I've watched in 2015 that wasn't released in the year. That wouldn't make sense.
So let me first start off with honorable mentions. I shall limit it to only 5 and in no particular order:
1. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (8.5/10)
I'll say it now, there's no Marvel movies represented in the top 10 this year. After such a strong showing from comic book movies last year, this year Fox's Fantastic Four was a disaster while Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron - while still a solid movie - wasn't strong enough as a competitor for the year.
2. Project Almanac (8.5/10)
Not many will remember this movie as it came out at the end of January; and very surprising being a January movie, it wasn't even close to being a pile of crap. Not many time-travelling movies can set up a story well and this one did, while still managed to pay homage to Back To The Future.
3. Trainwreck (8/10)
2015 wasn't a good year for comedies. The memorable ones were Spy and Trainwreck. While the former was a good spy-comedy, Trainwreck had a lot of heart and was fresh because of Amy Schumer, whose writing was the biggest surprise of all. She is on her way to more jobs now because of this.
4. Inside Out (8.5/10)
Another movie that got expectations blown out of proportion even before it came out. The concept was so original and mind blowing, there was a lot of heart in the story and great lessons for both kids and adults, depending on perspectives. But I just wasn't as impressed with the Pixar magic this time.
5. The Revenant (8/10)
Expectations were blown out of proportion even before this movie came out. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy deserve their Oscar nominations, and Alejandro G. Innaritu's direction is once again impeccable and ingenious; the movie was just not as tight as I had hoped it would be.
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Now on to the Top 10.
Starting from the bottom:
10. Cinderella (8.5/10)
I don't know how he did it but Kenneth Branagh managed to capture the very essence and spirit of the Disney magic and the original animated work. Plus a fantastic performance by Cate Blanchett who should be nominated for her work here.
9. Ex Machina (8.5/10)
Creepy, suspenseful and beautifully acted, not just by Alicia Vikander who showed why she is a force to be reckoned with in 2015 (her Oscar nomination wasn't even for this role), but also Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson. A compelling story that just kept getting better and better.
8. Mission: Impossible (8.5/10)
There's a reason why Tom Cruise wanted Christopher McQuarrie back for the next sequel. These two work very well together. And Cruise just proved once again why he is such a bankable star that always gives his all. The movie was super tight and the action worked so well.
7. Sicario (8.5/10)
One of the best things about the movie was the cinematography. But to make that even better was the direction, acting and storytelling that came together to create one of the best movies last year. Benicio Del Toro had a breakout role here.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road (8.5/10)
One of the best revival for a franchise, and coming from its original creator George Miller, who at his age has impressively created one of the best action movies of the year, if not the decade. While it lacked some solid storyline, the heavy use of practical effects and stunts and all that adrenaline rush made up for it.
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (8.5/10)
J.J. Abrams had such a phenomenal responsibility (four billion, as he would always say) with this franchise and, he not only delivered, but brought old and new fans together and with another great space opera that has no problems being one of the best installments in an already highly regarded series. This is my personal favourite movie of the year.
4. The Walk (9/10)
I saw this on IMAX and it just blew me away, from Robert Zemeckis' storytelling to a movie that's essentially a love letter to the Twin Towers, it didn't pull at my heartstrings but yanked at them. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a fantastic and totally believable performance.
3. The Martian (9/10)
Ridley Scott should have been nominated this year because his direction here, with not just Matt Damon who carried the movie, but also with jumping back and forth between Mars and Earth, and all the technical and scientific issues involved were very cleverly orchestrated to produce one of the most entertaining and exciting movies of the year.
I couldn't believe what I just saw when the movie ended. The pacing and storytelling, building up to the revelation; all of it from first time director, Joel Edgerton, who also gave the most chilling performances of the year, and directed Jason Bateman to one of his best performances too. The story just gripped at me and never let go.
1. Creed (9.5/10)
What Ryan Coogler managed to achieve here, not just reviving another old franchise, but to tell this story the way he did while inserting some kick-ass action sequences in the ring; I'm shocked the Academy didn't include this in the Best Picture category. Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are two of Hollywood's finest right now.
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Now here's my list that's completely biased and it's purely my personal preference.
My Top 5 Favourite Movies of 2015.
5. The Walk
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. The Gift
2. Creed
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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