Premature

Premature

5.5 out of 10

While it is as crass and stupid as its premise would suggest, Premature does have sharper writing and occasional genuine moments that elevate it past mediocrity, if only barely.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

4 out of 10

Unremarkable and largely uneventful, The Maze Runner is simply a big-budget Hunger Games wannabe for tweens. Its interesting premise is wasted on a painfully basic narrative packed with uninteresting characters. While there isn't anything offensively wrong with The Maze Runner, there isn't much right meaning it would best be left on the shelf.

Top Ten of 2015

Top 10 Films of 2015

1. Anomalisa
2. Ex Machina
3. The Big Short
4. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
5. Brooklyn
6. Straight Outta Compton
7. Diary of a Teenage Girl
8. Grandma
9. The Danish Girl
10. The Revenant

Honorable Mentions

• Spy
• Sicario
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Trumbo
• Amy
• Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens
• Inside Out
• Krampus
• 99 Homes
• The Martian
• Tangerine
• It Follows
• The Gift
• Carol
• 45 Years
• The End of the Tour
• Spotlight
• Steve Jobs
• Room

Dishonorable Mentions: Biggest Disappointments of 2015

• The Hateful Eight
• Paper Towns
• Get Hard
• Bridge of Spies
• Black Mass

Synecdoche, New York

Synecdoche, New York

11 out of 10

Wildly ambitious, epic in scope, and intimate in nature, Synecdoche, New York is a nothing short of a masterpiece and is currently my favorite film of all time. While its incredible detail and occasionally obscure symbolism may frighten off some viewers, Synecdoche, New York is a darkly funny and deeply cynical examination of the human condition. This cinematic experience may blow your mind or cause lasting psychological damage due to its brutal and earth-shattering honesty... Most likely, it will do both. A movie to be viewed multiple times, Synecdoche, New York is not to be missed.

Project X

Project X

5.5 out of 10

A teenager's dream and a parent's worst nightmare, Project X probably shouldn't even count as a movie, the script being too thin to achieve film status. Instead, Project X feels more like a booze-soaked, drugged-up, feature length music video. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy myself and I was certainly intrigued by some of the visuals. While there isn't much to it, Project X is, undeniably, a fun experience for anyone who is looking for bass, boobs, and booze. Project X is the guiltiest of pleasures for the adolescent filmgoer.

The Martian

The Martian

8 out 10

Although it does not use its emotional resonance to full potential, The Martian is plenty thrilling and has enough laughs to warrant a hearty recommendation.

Max Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road

6.5 out of 10

High octane and technically impressive, Mad Max: Fury Road marks a refreshing return to practical effects and is a nonstop, action-packed thrill ride. Those looking for an intellectually stimulating moviegoing experience should keep looking. Adrenaline junkies, this is the movie for you. If you're able to appreciate Mad Max: Fury Road for what it is, you'll have a great time.

The Witch

The Witch

6.5 out of 10

Deliberately paced and for the thoughtful horror viewer, The Witch is an examination of sin in Puritanical Massachusetts that beautifully captures the bleak and barren realities of settler life. Rich in detail, even down to the "old English" dialect, The Witch effectively immerses the viewer in the grit of the wilderness... And I must say: never has a film made the harmless trees and brambles of a forest feel so sinister. Indeed, this is where The Witch draws a majority of its scares: atmosphere. Blissfully devoid of jump scares, the film aims to unsettle and disturb rather than frighten. The result is a though provoking if depressing fable. If you do desire to see it in theaters, it would behoove you to do so sooner rather than later. I just saw it at 8pm opening night and the theater was almost empty. While The Witch is a solid film, I do not sense commercial success... But I must not announce such premonitions for fear it be labeled witchcraft!

Zoolander

Zoolander

4.5 out of 10

Bizarrely offensive and offensively brainless, Zoolander is a one-joke comedy that rarely lands. By the one hour mark, the "male models are stupid" gag grew stale and my interest began to wane. In the end, Zoolander is just an occasionally funny comedy that just happened to achieve cult status for reasons that remain elusive to me.

The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl

7.5 out of 10

Ascetically pleasing and moderately heart wrenching, The Danish Girl is a well made period piece that deals with modern social issues. While Eddie Redmayne does well as the gender-confused artist, he is still overshadowed by Alicia Vikander, 2015's breakout star, who plays the true hero of the film, Redmayne's wife. While it is by no means a masterpiece, The Danish Girl is a fine movie all the same.

How to Be Single

How to Be Single

4 out of 10

How to Be Single is a "feminist" rom-com that happens to be more offensive to women than it is empowering. While it is filmed nicely and the lighting is to die for, the plot is beyond confused and suffers from an overabundance of characters, some of which are entirely irrelevant. Alison Brie's narratively useless and offensive portrayal of woman searching for a man to marry is detrimental to the film as a whole and infuriated me every time she walked into frame. While it has a few laughs, all of which are thanks to Rebel Wilson, How to Be Single is a subpar rom-com that feels about 45 minutes too long and can be missed without second thought.

Ex Machina

Ex Machina

9.5 out of 10

Ex Machina is a quietly brilliant indie sci-fi movie. Avoiding ostentatious film making and featuring a cast of relatively fresh faces, Ex Machina is one of the best films of the year. Discerning filmgoers will love being walked through Ex Machina's smartly written world filled with complex philosophical questions and moral quandaries. As the credits roll, you will be left to questioning if you are, in fact, even human and with whom you can discuss this thought-provoking movie.

The Intern

The Intern

5 out of 10

Marketed to filmgoers of a certain age and packed with bizarre caricatures of today's youth, The Intern lacks the abundant charm of Nancy Meyers' other films. DiNero and Hathaway certainly bring charm and chemistry to the screen, just not enough to raise this film anywhere past mediocrity.

Black Swan

Black Swan

9 out of 10

Brimming with disturbing visuals and featuring an astounding performance by Natalie Portman, Black Swan is a stunning and upsetting portrayal of one woman's psychosexual descent into madness while pursuing perfection. Expertly crafted and packed with rich detail you may have missed the first time, Black Swan is a movie you can enjoy more than once... But never with your parents.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

9 out of 10

Effectively subverting the clichés of the genre, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Sharing many themes with The Fault in Our Stars, it succeeds thanks to sharp writing and competent direction, making it a movie not to be missed by any seeking quality coming-of-age story.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

8 out of 10

A proper showcase for Tarantino's legendary ability to write realistic and engrossing dialogue, Reservoir Dogs is more brains than brain matter, making it one of the strongest installments in Tarantino's impressive filmography.

99 Homes

99 Homes

8 out of 10

99 Homes effectively mines home foreclosures for heart-wrenching drama and commentary. Powerfully acted by Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield, it is so effective at showcasing the injustices of the housing market and the suffering of the victims, that 99 Homes is a thriller that is, at times, quite difficult to watch.

Carol

Carol

7.5 out of 10

Tasteful and reserved, Carol examines sexual exploration and discovery in a decadently constructed 1950's New York. Blanchett brings the bold, enigmatic, and vaguely cold Carol to life. Rooney Mara fails to reach the bar set by Blanchett, the result being a main character devoid of spark. Lucky for Mara, Blanchett's ample allure will hold the attention of filmgoers seeking a character driven drama.

Deadpool

Deadpool

9 out of 10

Brutal in both its violence and humor and deliciously meta from the opening credits, Deadpool is the gleefully offensive comic book adaptation we were promised. With writing as sharp as Deadpool's swords, this is a movie sure to slap a grin on your face for its entire duration... Granted you don't mind brain matter splattering everything including the fourth wall... which the film demolishes anyways.

Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton

9 out of 10

In a market flooded with musical biopics, Straight Outta Compton effectively transcends social, racial, and economic boundaries to deliver to wide audiences a timely and notable movie. Competently directed and skillfully acted, Straight Outta Compton pulses with energy often missing in films of its genre and can be accurately called the best biopics in recent memory.

Grandma

Grandma

8.5 out of 10

Equal parts acerbic wit and tender moments, Grandma handles the hot-button issue of reproductive rights and sexual identity without judgement and with ample sensitivity. Further enhanced by fantastic performances by Lily Tomlin and Marcia Gay Harden, Grandma is an important and worthwhile film.

Room

Room

7 out of 10

While it is a solid film, carried by a career defining performance by Brie Larson, the fact is, Room fails to make a lasting emotional connection. While it has its moments, the powerful and traumatic premise fails to reach its full potential and reserve room in the long term memory of filmgoers.

The Revenant

The Revenant

7.5 out of 10

The Revenant is a gritty and immersive cinematic experience. Brutal beyond words, this survival story is certainly not for the faint of heart. Those who can stomach the brutality will themselves wooed by gorgeous cinematography and impressive performances from DiCaprio and Hardy. Beautifully crafted and impressively executed, The Revenant is able to bring the audience along on a 2 1/2 hour journey while ensuring you don't check your phone once.

Fifty Shades of Black

Fifty Shades of Black

0 out of 10

Fifty Shades of Black, parody of the über popular Fifty Shades of Grey, is so god awful I considered dropping film as an area of study. In fact, it is so bad I considered never watching a movie ever again, film as an art form being tainted by such unwatchable garbage. Watching this movie was actually a learning experience as I didn't know it was even possible for a movie to be so terminally unfunny. Every sophomoric and crude joke fell painful flat, forcing its brief 90 minute run time to feel like that of Dances with Wolves. I NEVER consider ditching a movie I'm watching in a theater. Halfway through this "movie", I basically begged my friend to let us leave. She insisted we persevere. I have to live the rest of my life knowing that I paid money to see this abomination... And I even convinced a friend to come with me. Lord forgive me for subjecting my friend to such suffering. After careful consideration, I can say with confidence that Fifty Shades of Black is the WORST theatrical experience I have ever had.

Spotlight

Spotlight

8 out of 10

Although it may not be the best film of the year, Spotlight is without doubt a solid movie bolstered by strong performances from a talented cast. Handling an issue as sensitive as the abuse of children by the Church is no easy feat. To the films credit, Spotlight does so with seeming ease, the result being sensitive and sympathetic yet riveting and powerful moviegoing experience.

Paper Towns

Paper Towns

2.5 out of 10

Paper Towns is another John Green adaptation, forcing audiences to return to an idealized version of their adolescence where the nerds look like models and the popular girls look like goddesses. The fundamentally flawed depiction of teenage life is a minor problem when compared with the plot and narrative of this movie. The clues that lead our (extremely attractive) hero on his journey are way too random and circumstantial to fall into place as they do. Thus, the movie is essentially an infuriating series of plot conveniences. This could have possibly been overlooked had the film possessed other redeeming qualities. Alas, Paper Towns is nothing more than a subpar YA romance movie.

The Big Short

The Big Short

9 out of 10

Thanks to bold direction and actual intellectual stimulation, The Big Short surpasses last year's The Wolf of Wall Street, a film to which The Big Short unabashedly begs to be compared. Where Wolf was happy to pander to the audience and bombard us with nudity and substances, The Big Short actually explains the economic machinations that form its narrative foundation. The result is an exhilarating, bold, informative, and extremely enjoyable movie. Be warned: while the film does a very fine job of explaining the complex economic concepts, it demands you keep up lest you be left in the dust. However, if you've the good sense to like this page, you're clearly a very smart person and will thus likely do just fine!

Anomalisa

Anomalisa

10 out of 10

Charlie Kaufman's stop motion film Anomalisa is nothing short of a masterpiece. Haunting and beautiful, it expertly examines what it means to be a human, causing the viewer's soul to ache in a fashion only achieved by exquisite storytelling. Without doubt one of the best films of the year, Anomalisa should be considered essential viewing for mature audiences.

45 Years

45 Years

6.5 out of 10

45 Years seems to subvert expectations, opting to examine the darker side of holy matrimony. While it has it's moments of nostalgic reminiscence, they are overwhelmed by an unflinching examination of the doubt, jealousy, and secrets that permeate the foundation of every marriage. Devoid of action and cynical to the core, 45 Years is not your standard popcorn fare nor will it appeal to most moviegoers. But those looking for an intimate and honest character study could certainly do worse than 45 Years.

The Hateful Eight

The Hateful Eight

2 out of 10

With a broken narrative, atrocious pacing, and uninteresting characters, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight is baffling in its ineptitude. Falsely marketed as a mystery, The Hateful Eight is, in fact, just a whole lot of talking done by nine people snowed into a cabin. Yes, you read correctly. There are nine people in the cabin leaving the viewer to wonder who didn't count as part of the "Hateful Eight." If anyone could make a dialogue driven mystery work, it would Tarantino... Well, I guess not. It's tone is beyond inconsistent, leaving me confused and causing me to cringe more often than I think I was supposed to. Unlike the rest of Tarantino's work, by the time the over the top violence begins, the lack of a strong narrative foundation makes the gore feel gratuitous and the film, as a whole, feel unnecessary. Were it not for Jennifer Jason Leigh's stellar performance as the despicable Daisy Domergue, I would have left the 3 hour train wreck of a movie even more incensed, an outcome I can scarcely imagine.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn

9 out of 10

Whatever Brooklyn lacks in originality, it makes up for in its strong performances. The chemistry between Ronan and Cohen can only be described as effervescent, their playful dialogue able to warm even the most cold of hearts and captivate even the most masculine of viewers. Beguiling if formulaic, Brooklyn is one of the best love stories of 2015.

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

3.5 out of 10

Lacking cohesion, substance, and stylistic panache, Hail, Caesar! is a toothless and wildly mediocre installment into the Cohen Brother's filmography. Squandering an all-star ensemble cast, this love letter to 1950's Hollywood is destined to be a forgotten February theatrical release.