The Best Films of 2015…so far

Posted in Blog, Movies by - June 17, 2015

It’s that time of year and we have reached the half way point as we look at what has rolled past us in theatres in order to come up with a top ten to recommend the absolute best of the best that has hit screens in the first half of 2015.  A welcome catch up reference for those looking for what they need to see…and a reminder for those caught up what they eventually need to pick up on Blu-Ray.

Honorable Mention: Roar: Technically a reissue from 1981, Roar is the story of a jungle researcher who is doing in-depth study on every wild jungle cat and animal you could imagine until his family visits and it all goes horribly wrong.  The only feature from director Noel Marshall this has the infamy of being the most dangerous movie ever made as even though no animals were harmed, over 70 cast and crew and the use of these dozens of live animals interacting with the ensemble simply has to be seen to be believed.  It’s not a terribly good film, as he cast his family then wife Tippi Hedren and daughter Melanie Griffith, but if you are a fan of the moving image this movie simply demands to be seen.

Roar has select screenings left at The Royal theatre here in downtown Toronto and is available on Blu-Ray from Olive Films in October.

A Most Violent Year: An old school crime drama without the drama as writer/director J.C. Chandor takes us on a ride through 1980’s New York as an honest businessman has to get a little dirty to get the job done. Featuring two stellar performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain.

A Most Violent Year is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand via all major retail outlets.

The Salvation: A lean and mean western where Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green are reunited for a dark little piece of western drama that would have made Sergio Leone proud.

The Salvation will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand in August.

The Duff: Yes, you heard me correctly, this Mean Girls 2.0 is a hilarious take on those social structures in high school that we all know too damn well and Mae Whitman who is previously best known from Arrested Development carves out a niche for herself as a bonfide star.

The Duff is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand from all major providers.

White God: Imagine The Birds but with dogs and we get a gripping tale of the horrible things that men can do to animals from the animals perspective.

White God will be on DVD & Blu-Ray in July.

Ex-Machina: Writer/Director Alex Garland takes us into the value of the human experience as a young programmer is sent to a remote testing facility where he is tasked with the job of testing the humanity of an artificial intelligence and he discovers that he is in for more then he bargained for.

Ex-Machina is still in theatres and hits DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand in July.

Phoenix: A reunion tale in the aftermath of the war when a concentration camp victim who ends up with a brand new face tries to re-enter her life.

Phoenix is still playing at the Kingsway Theatre in Toronto.

Slow West: Michael Fassbinder produces the stunning debut feature from writer/director John McLean as a young Scottish man learns the price of love the hard way as he travels to the wild west of America to see his one true love.

Slow West is playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox here in downtown Toronto.FURY ROAD

Mad Max: Fury Road: Director George Miller returns to the franchise that made him famous for a balls to the wall action thriller that doesn’t let you go and reminds us of the magic of practical visual effects.

Mad Max: Fury Road is now playing at theatres everywhere.

Paddington: At this stage the best family movie of the year as the bear from deepest, darkest Peru will melt your heart.

Paddington is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand from all major retailers.

’71: Star Jack O’Connell puts us into the worse day of a young soldier’s life as he tries to stay alive on the streets of Northern Ireland during the conflict.

’71 will be on DVD, Blu-Ray and On Demand in July.

That’s it that’s all as we dive into the summer month and rest assured that at least some of these will end up making the year in review that will be 2015.

I look forward to seeing you all at the movies… 🙂

This post was written by
David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 10 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), to.Night Newspaper he’s been all across his city, the country and the continent in search of all the news and reviews that are fit to print from the world of cinema.
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