10. The Keeping Room
When we think of war, certain familiar images always pop into our heads. Soldiers, generals, battles, gunfire… Rarely do we think about the people whom war affects most. Following a day in the life of three women in the soon-to-be-defeated Confederacy, The Keeping Room is a damning portrayal of the consequences of war upon those least able to cope with it, particularly the plight of women in war. A stunningly dark and intense film, this one lingered in my mind long after the golden light of the projector had faded away.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Keeping Room here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Keeping Room here.
9. Spotlight
Out of all the films on this list, Spotlight was the only one that I can’t say I enjoyed in the traditional sense. However, the story of this movie is an incredibly important one that needs to be told. As a millennial, I was too young to be exposed to this when it was occurring, but growing up I always just took it for granted that the Church is corrupt. But seeing it like this, through the eyes of the reporters as they discover every awful detail, really drove home for me how big a deal that it was and is. More filmmakers should be trying to make films as impacting as Spotlight.
You can read Arjun Agarwal's full review of Spotlight here.
You can read Arjun Agarwal's full review of Spotlight here.
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
I must admit, I don’t adore this one as much as many other critics do. But the value of Mad Max: Fury Road is not really in the film itself. What’s more important is what it means for the genre as a whole. Most of us critics had essentially written off blockbuster action flicks as being incapable of possessing any artistic value, but George Miller proved us wrong. With fantastic acting, superb writing, amazing practical effects, and a (sort-of) feminist narrative, Fury Road has reminded us that the summer blockbuster can be more than the sum of its parts.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of Mad Max: Fury Road here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of Mad Max: Fury Road here.
7. DEATHGASM
DEATHGASM is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. The story of a bunch of New Zealand metalheads who discover some actually satanic music which summons hordes of demons, this film runs on sheer unadulterated insanity. It is a movie that positively embraces and revels in its own silliness and manages to infect anyone who watches it. When I saw this at last year’s Boston Underground Film Festival the audience absolutely could not stop laughing at the complete absurdity on screen. It’s ridiculous, it’s hilarious, and it’s all-around awesome! And the title is in all caps because LOWER CASE IS FOR PUSSIES!!!
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of DEATHGASM here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of DEATHGASM here.
6. The Martian
After decades away from the genre, Ridley Scott has finally returned to making science fiction films, and I’m very excited about that. His early sci-fi movies, particularly Alien and Blade Runner, are some of the best the genre has ever seen. And although The Martian is not quite the masterpiece that those are, it is one of the best science fiction films of the last decade. Anchored by Matt Damon’s acting ability (I don’t think I’ve ever liked him in anything thing as much as I did in this), this tense and surprisingly funny tale of a man stranded on Mars alternatively made me clutch my seat and laugh out loud. Plus, it’s probably the nerdiest movie ever made, which is a big plus for me obviously.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Martian here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Martian here.
5. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
I must admit, I missed this film on its original run, so I didn’t see it until NUFEC showed it at one of our meetings last year. Anyone who was there can attest to the raw emotional power of this movie. The first half is one of the funniest movies I saw all year, while the second half is absolutely heartbreaking. All three of the film's young actors gave astounding performances, and Jesse Andrews’ screenplay is enchanting. And Greg and Earl’s homemade parody short films are so entertaining that you could make a movie only with them. Overall, in terms of emotional impact, this was probably the most powerful movie of the year (except for the number 1 movie; see below).
You can read Mary Tobin's full review of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl here.
You can read Mary Tobin's full review of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl here.
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I really, really wanted this movie to be lower down the list. I was expecting it to easily take the number one spot, but as it turns out that was not meant to be. Don’t get me wrong, The Force Awakens is awesome. The new actors are phenomenal, the nostalgia is off the charts, the practical effects are awesome… pretty much everything about this movie is great. Everything except, that is, for the plot. I know there are a lot of opinions flying around about this topic, but I think the movie is just too similar to A New Hope. It’s a shame really, because with a more daring plot this could have easily been one of the best Star Wars films ever made (and by extension of the best films ever made). I’m still very excited about the upcoming films though, particularly this year’s Rogue One.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens here.
3. The Hateful Eight
I mean, it’s a Tarantino film, so it was inevitable that The Hateful Eight would be among the best of the year. But it was interesting how different it was than his previous fare. It retains the trademark Tarantino style, or course, but it differs in that the violence and absurdism present in the film is just as often played for drama and tragedy as it is for laughs. Plus, this film is such a callback to the spaghetti westerns of days gone by that it feels incredibly distinct from anything else I saw this year. Overall, it’s yet another feather in Tarantino’s (by now) very large and ornate hat.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Hateful Eight here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Hateful Eight here.
2. The Revenant
What struck me most about this movie, both when I initially saw the press screening of it and upon reflection, is the sheer intensity of it. There are few films that are as unrelenting violent and raw as this one. The other thing that’s so impressive about The Revenant was the incredible ordeal of its production. It was filmed in extremely remote and inhospitable locations, often taking hours just to get to where scenes were to be filmed. And the fact that the movie was filmed exclusively with natural light is just amazing. Alejandro González Iñárritu has another incredible work under his belt.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Revenant here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Revenant here.
1. Inside Out
There’s not a whole lot more I can say about Inside Out that I didn’t say about it when I first reviewed it this past summer. But I do want to add a personal note to that. This movie hit me particularly hard as someone who struggles with mental illness. Riley’s struggle with true sadness for the first time in her life is a surprisingly accurate depiction of what living with depression is like. Because of this (and of course every other phenomenal aspect of it that I’ve already discussed), Inside Out resonated with me in a way that few movies do. That is why I it is my favorite film of the year, and honestly probably one of the most emotionally powerful movies I have ever seen.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Revenant here.
You can read Carter Sigl's full review of The Revenant here.
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