Ben Pearson's 10 Favorite Films of 2015

I want to quickly establish that these are my personal favorite movies I saw this year, not necessarily the movies I consider the best of 2015. Every year I wrestle a little with how to justify the distinction between those two categories, and this year the simplest way I can describe it is to say that if this were a list of what I thought were the best, most important movies of the year, Spotlight would be at or near the top. But I like lists of "favorites" better, because I think it shows a more direct line into a writer's personality and tastes instead of having to wonder if someone added a certain movie to a list because he or she thinks it's "supposed" to be there. So with that in mind, let's jump into this.

10. Anomalisa

This is the movie that deals with the most mundane subject matter of any on this list — it basically boils down to a man and a woman meeting at a hotel during a business conference — but the writing is so pure and honest, and the characters are so fully realized, that it's sometimes hard to believe the whole thing is created using stop-motion animation. It's hilarious, deep, moving, and heartbreaking in all the right ways. Review here.

9. Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a simple but wonderfully told love story with relatable characters and a terrific sense of place, and sometimes you don't need any more than that. Saoirse Ronan is so great in this movie. Review here.

8. Ex Machina

Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac's other film from 2015 is one of the most thought-provoking and coolest sci-fi films I've seen in years. They both do excellent work, but it's Alicia Vikander's mesmerizing performance as the robotic Ava and Alex Garland's script and direction that steal the show. Review here.

7. The Revenant

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu often strikes me as a bit of a pretentious "artiste," but I can't deny that The Revenant is full of moments unlike anything I've ever seen on film before. The cinematography (using only natural light) is breathtaking, it's full of long continuous shots that blew my mind, and DiCaprio's performance is stunning. Review here.

6. Creed

I was cautiously optimistic about Ryan Coogler's Creed, and he managed to inject the Rocky franchise with a vital shot of energy and left me instantly wanting to see more of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan)'s story. This is one of the most crowd-pleasing movies of the year. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for a sequel. Review here.

5. The Final Girls

I went into the L.A. Film Festival screening of The Final Girls expecting a goofy parody of '80s slasher movies, but I walked out with my jaw on the floor. Director Todd Strauss-Schulson was able to walk the line between meeting those expectations while also delivering a gut-punch of genuine emotion, and while the film's comedy is what draws you in, it's the performances of Malin Akerman and Taissa Farmiga as mother and daughter that give it its beating heart. Review here.

4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Some of you may bristle at the idea of putting such a popular movie so high on this list, but what can I say? I'm not even a Star Wars mega-fan (I preferred Indiana Jones and The Rocketeer when I was a kid), but J.J. Abrams managed to create a movie that, while not entirely without flaws, largely succeeded in living up to astronomical expectations. There are so many great things I could say (and have said) about this movie, and you're probably sick of hearing about this movie by now, so I'll move on.

3. The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino doesn't hold back one bit in his eighth theatrical feature, and even though the film takes place largely in a single location, it's just as full of tension and violence as any of his other movies. His script is masterful, slowly revealing bits of information at just the right times that recontextualize what we think we know about the story thus far, and the whole thing is punctuated by Tarantino's hallmark of extreme violence. This is one of my favorites of his, and you can read my ranking of his filmography right here.

2. Furious 7

I unabashedly love this franchise, and even if it didn't have the huge weight of having to deal with the death of Paul Walker in the middle of its production, I still think it'd be the best movie in the series so far. It's everything I want a Fast movie to be: audacious, cheesy and sentimental, and full of physics-and-logic-defying action that hits me on a chemical level in my brain. I loved it. Review here.

1. Bone Tomahawk

S. Craig Zahler's brutal, bone-crunching horror western was the movie that surprised me the most this year, and being pleasantly surprised is something I greatly value when it comes to theatrical experiences. It has one of the best scripts of the year, wonderful characterizations, and a handful of horrifying, unique moments I'll never forget. Review here.

Honorable mentions: Inside Out, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Straight Outta Compton, Room, Spotlight, Sicario, Spy, The Big Short