MY FAVOURITE FILMS OF 2015

Here are my top five films of 2015. Unfortunately I did not get to see every film that the past year had to offer; in fact I could write a whole list of films that I missed. From those that I did see this year, these five have come out on top. Enjoy!

The DUFF

When I sat down and thought about films that I can call my favourite of the year, the first criteria that I judge by is if I will honestly watch it again. I am the type of person who finds something she likes and then watches it again and again. I can unashamedly say that out of every film on this list I have watched ‘The DUFF’ the most. While it probably won’t be winning any academy awards any time soon its winning combo of warm hearted and hilarious make a great teen movie, I love it.

The Martian

A story about a man who is stranded on Mars, constantly cheating death, shouldn’t be this much fun. But the Martian is, in fact this space drama was a glorious cocktail of dry humour, mind bending science and edge of your seat tension.  Matt Damon was excellent as Mark Watney and Ridley Scott expertly crafted another space set epic.  I wrote a full review of The Martian which you can read here.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

One of the first films released in 2015 and in my opinion still one of the best. Bearing Matthew Vaughn’s signature brand of humour, style and bloody violence, Kingsman may be a little NSFW but is the Spy film that we all really want to see (sorry Spectre). Boasting some of the best of British acting talent including Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine and newcomer Taron Egerton, Kingsman is British cinema at its best.  The announcement of a ‘Kingsman 2’ is music to my ears.

Inside Out

It’s not very often that I will pay to see a film for children at the cinema; Inside Out was worth every penny. It is incredibly smart and resonates with adults just as much as it does with children. Inside Out stands with Toy Story and Monsters Inc. as another Pixar great.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Most people who know me will know that I am a big fan of Fury Road. I was surprised to love it so much, only really seeing it in the cinema because my Dad wanted to see it. Someone recently asked me what my favourite film was, while I won’t say that it’s my all-time favourite, the first film that came to mind was Mad Max: Fury Road. To my answer this person sniggered and claimed I only like it because ‘it has a strong female character’. Of course it is true that it was refreshing to see Charlize Theron’s Furiosa kick ass and take names but the film has so many more reasons to be celebrated. You would really sell Fury Road short to claim that its refusal to pander to Hollywood gender representations is the only reason it’s brilliant. In its simplicity, the plot is exciting, the use of practical effects and vibrant cinematography create stunning scenes to watch and above all Mad Max: Fury Road was a cinematic experience.

Honourable Mentions: Trainwreck, The Intern and Whiplash

What were your favourite films of 2015?