The Ten Best Movies of 2015 (That We Saw)
In 2015, we didn’t see a lot of movies, but we sure as hell formed opinions about the ones we saw. This list is our opinions of the best films that 2015 had to offer (that we bothered to watch).
Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens
He says:
Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. This movie almost erased the PTSD left over from the prequel trilogy. J. J. Abrams remembered what George Lucas forgot – if you don’t have a damn story to tell, all the best visual effects in the world can only polish a turd so much. Also, loved the head fake from the advertising, distracting us as to who the hero truly would be.
She says:
It was good. I really loved BB-8. He made me smile. I wish I would have watched all the others again in preparation for this movie, but every time we started a Star Wars movie marathon I fell asleep.
Ant-Man
If someone told me that Paul Rudd would make an awesome super hero, well, I’d have asked said person, “ you know how I know your gay”. That is, he was great as the grand unifying force in Judd Apatow’s comedy universe but I didn’t think he’d have the chops to pull off an athletic performance like that. But, he did a great job with a fun story, and I think he might be the Highlander, because dude doesn’t age.
She says:
I don’t love ants especially when they are in our house, but I loved Antman. I loved how he even took on one of the Avengers.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Damn you Christopher McQuarrie. Damn you for making me like Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin in this movie. Was the movie formulaic? Absolutely. Did I love it? Yep. It’s old school, 80’s style blockbuster, and it rocked.
She says:
I don’t remember this one specifically. All the Mission Impossible movies get mixed up in my head.
Focus
I didn’t expect to like this movie. I’m not a Will Smith guy, and I’m not familiar enough with Margot Robbie to care (but I do like the idea of her as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad), but I love me a heist movie, and this was a good one. Even better, it didn’t rely on excessive tropes of the genre such as stupid convoluted geographic names for various cons, and I thought the Super Bowl gambling scene was kinda dumb, but it was a fun flick.
She says:
I felt like I could become a pickpocket after watching her moves. My anxiety was quite high during the Super Bowl gambling scene, but I was happy to see it was all part of a plan.
The Duff
We took a shot and rented it one night on iTunes in the summer of 2015 while sitting on the deck. Mae Whitman was great, and it wasn’t the usual, overly-saccharine high school movie relying on outworn clichés. Then again, maybe she was just so good that it went past me.
She says:
He rented this one for me. I tend to like the cliché high school movies. I was surprised that we both could enjoy this one together.
Trainwreck
I was torn on this one. It ended up going in the “best” side because of the clever writing, and the great use of Bill Hader and Lebron James. That being said, if I had to see Amy Schumer on one more talk show doing the “UTI” joke again, I’d have mailed her the antibiotics myself. She’s overexposed, and I’m tired of her schtick, but it was a fun movie to watch.
She says:
Hilarious. This made me laugh.
Terminator: Genisys
Let’s start off with something – it pales in comparison to the first two movies, and frankly, I think the idea of jumping forward in time would have been much better to see pan out in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The jokes were lame. Matt Smith was just, kinda, there I guess, and the conclusion was dumb in so many ways. But, screw it, I liked it. I like big action movies with big set pieces and shit blowing up on the Golden Gate Bridge. So there. But – Hollywood – I think Jai Courtney isn’t going to happen (and he couldn’t hold a candle to Michael Biehn).
She says:
This was good. I would watch it again.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Much like Paul Rudd, I never would have believed I’d love Colin Firth in an action role. But this movie was just unadulterated fun. I confess to never having read the graphic novel, but I enjoyed the shit out of this movie, despite Samuel L. Jackson’s odd and unexplained lisp. Oxfords, not brogues.
She says:
I laughed. The one part at the end after he saved the world made me cringe as it was overly sexual just to try and top other action movies.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
I never watched The Tudors. My only exposure to Henry Cavill was in Man of Steel, where he was awesome, but not given much opportunity for charisma. His Napoleon Solo was charming, while it was a fun throwback to the golden age of Bond Movies.
She says:
Again, I don’t remember this one. Did I fall asleep?
Inside Out
I didn’t want to like this. Really, I didn’t. But considering that I’m an emotionally stunted, chronically depressed man child, I will admit I had to walk out of the room so She didn’t see my crying a couple times. I’ll be turning in my man card shortly.
She says:
I loved this movie. I felt like I could relate to all the emotions. I wish they would have had this movie for me when I was growing up. It has a great moral and I will definitely keep this on the list to watch again (apparently without him).
