I got the idea of putting such a list as this together when I rewatched Whiplash a couple months ago and stated "1 of the 10 best movies in the last 5 years to me". Then, during a recent text conversation with a friend, she asked if I ever considered being a movie critic. Well I have, from time to time, and as you might be able to tell from previous blog posts I've written, I'm quite quite fond of watching movies and talking about them.
With that being said though, there seems to be an oversaturation of movie review people online, especially in blog form and on Youtube. Even in the Catholic world, there's multiple people who make their name known for being movie critics.
However, that does not stop me from creating a list of movies to back up my original statement on Whiplash being in the Top 10 movies recently. I got to wondering "What else is on that list?" and "How many people are out there making best movie lists at this time of year?". So, I will do my best to list movies in ranking order of my least favorite to most favorite. I have expanded the idea from 10 to 15 movies, and the past 6 years (i.e. best movies of the 2010s so far) instad of just 5.
This list will also include honorable mentions and list of movies that I have not seen within this time frame but I really really need to. Here and there you'll also notice places where I sprinkled in other reviews and posts I've done on the particular movie in question. My goal with this list, other than making it, is to recommend a bunch of movies to you that you may have otherwise not heard of or have forgotten how awesome they are. This is not exactly a "Best Of" list or a "Most Underrated" list, but rather a list of movies in various genres that I consider to be top quality, top notch filmmaking. Each movie quip will also include a warning on some negative aspects and also my considerations on why I would watch it again. Some of these movies I've only seen once, but I would like to think that the best movies out there are worth repeated viewings, and I will justify why I would watch all of these again and again.
15. Coolest Road Trip Documentary: Big Easy Express (2012)
Three intriguing folk-style bands, one week, and a whole lot of shots of trains and concerts. This documentary is about a traveling concert series featuring the bands Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. This was back when Mumford first got big, so each bands' discography was smaller then and there's been line up changes in the bands since. However, this was the movie that got me into Old Crow Medicine Show and gave me a deeper appreciate for acoustic music/ folk music. Like I said, a lot of the movie is just the bands playing songs while the images go back and forth between the concerts and the landscape that passes by the train that the bands are traveling on. The bands are all having a good time just jamming out and their joy is shared by me as a viewer. There's some quick interviews of different band members that give you some insight into the history of the bands as well as the philosophy behind some of the music. The movie's greatest problem is that it's barely over an hour long and there's so much more footage that could've been added to this unique experience to make it at least 90 minutes, if not 2 hours.
Watch Out for: The unedited version of Little Lion Man along with a few other moments of minor profanities. I can't think of too much besides.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The short time span along with the constant folk tunes and premier musicianship.
14. Most Underrated Harry Potter Movie: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
So so many people put this movie on the low end of the spectrum of Harry Potter movie rankings while they put Part 2 at the top. However, we need to remember that all we really got in Part 2 was:
Recap, a bank robbery, a giant battle set up, a giant battle, a flashback montage, and a prologue wrap up.
That's it in a nutshell that pulls super hard on the heart strings, which I think is why people like it so much. Here in Part 1, there's:
An establishment of changes since the sixth movie, gathering of the heroes, everything falling apart, a ministry break-in, a large camping trip, the break up of the heroes, one of the craziest Christmas Eves, heroes reunited, intro to the new magic maguffins, heroes captured, then heroes escape.
All with the same emotional highlights as the following film. I have to admit that when it came time to see this movie for the first time in theatres, I was skeptical. The previous two films had butchered the source material and were not beloved by me. The thought of having to sit through two more instead of just one seemed like a chore. However, I was astounded at the quality dramatic acting presented by the three main leads. This is some of their best acting in any of the movies, especially Rupert Grint. Plus, it was a smart move to separate the final book into two, that way you could tell majority of the same story and stay close to the source material. The camping scenes, some of the longest and worst parts of the book, actually play out rather well here. They're paced correctly and yet everything made for the movie fits while staying as true to the book's purpose of these moments as possible.
Watch Out for: Hhhssss. Scary up close shotssss of ssssnakesssss. Also, some blood/ gore.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Impressive dramatic acting from the main trio and the constant tension that lingers from one scene to the next.
13. Old School New School Spooks: The Conjuring (2013)
I've grown a passion for exorcism movies in recent years, in part because they demonstrate the powerful tools that the Catholic Church possesses in ridding people of demonic possessions. The Conjuring is not exactly an exorcism movie in the same way as The Rite or Deliver Us From Evil. This movie is more of a classic, atmospheric horror film while the other two are modern exorcism dramas. The thing that both other movies have over this one though is that the priests are the actual warriors who combat the demons in intense exorcism rites. Here in The Conjuring, the warriors are a married couple, who collectively are an awesome combination, just not the standard spiritual warriors you expect in horror movies or real life. The characters and story are all based on real historical people and events and I'm not here to get into the amount of real history in the movie. I'm just saying it's just nice to know that not all of this particular horror film is entirely fictionalized. This definitely has the look and feel of an older horror movie, the classic 70s style that essentially defined the horror genre back in the day, but it still is new enough to keep the thrills and chills coming.
Watch Out for: Witches! Demons! LOUD NOISES GOING BUMP IN THE NIGHT! This is a scary movie, for sure, and the make up effects for the evil spirits and the bloody images are all top notch, so it will definitely keep you intimidated.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The authentically haunting atmosphere on top of the moments of grace provided by faith and family.
12. Top Foreign Animated Movie: Song of the Sea (2014)
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There is more to animated family movies than Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks. And yes, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are usually considered the masters of animated movies made in lands foreign to the U.S. However, there was one animation company that blended the modern with the classic styles, the 3-D with the 2-D, and shared the beauty of local folklore and artistry in a new, different way than Studio Ghibli. That was Tomm Moore and the Irish company Cartoon Saloon (amongst fellow companies in other countries) that made Song of the Sea.
Some people go back and forth on whether this movie or its predecessor, The Secret of Kells, is a better movie, but everyone agrees there is something unique and delightful about the artistry in both. This movie is like a cartoon tour through modern day Ireland, only if that tour included a detour into the fantastic mythological components hidden behind ordinary life. The kid characters are very well done, making you believe these are real siblings. The story touches on tragedy and drama, but offers enough lighthearted moments and grandeur to counterbalance. Plus, this movie will teach you how to properly pronounce the Irish name Saoirse (Sare-sha basically).
Watch Out for: Sometimes the artwork can get creepy, especially with the owl characters.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The illuminating glows and bizarre patterns of the beautiful artwork combined with touching family drama.
11. Top Movie Involving Catholicism: Calvary (2014)
We currently live in a time where movies in the Christian genre are lame and any movies focusing on the Catholic Church are not positive. This is not without reason, but it's tough to share the strength and beauty of the Catholic faith in movie form when the entertainment industry is constantly reminding everybody of the unfortunate crimes committed by some of its members. Calvary is a blend between both. I've seen people label this a dark comedy, but I cannot help but remember it as a gripping drama.
Ireland is a fantastic setting for this movie. The history of the Catholic faith runs deep in its culture, yet that faith has been battered and worn away on the Emerald Isle because of sins committed by some of its religious. Now, while Ireland is normally identified as a Catholic country, its citizens are rebelling against the people and institutions that hurt it, and so the state of the Church and its religious are ones of underdogs fighting against large odds.
Brendan Gleeson's priest is a great representation of the priesthood and the Church in Ireland. He has full knowledge of the world and its evils yet he relies on the virtues and the strength found in the spiritual life. He works to evangelize to people who are only Catholic on the surface as well as people who stay as far from the Church as possible. The cassock is a great look for him and we get to see him endure suffering, struggle & succumb to weakness before finally having his moment of radiant glory.
Watch Out for: A man urinates on a painting...okay, it's not the worst thing in this movie. This movie does not shy away from talking about sin, if not really showing it. There's plenty of open dialogue involving sexuality/ sex abuse. There's profanity and blasphemy. There's drunkenness. It's not a timid shy movie but realistic and honest.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Brendan Gleeson is a one man army, waging spiritual warfare against arrogant snobs. With the priest's gruff attitude and Irish virtues, he is a loving authority to some and a good-willed road block to others. Plus there's beer drinking, cool cassocks, and gorgeous Irish scenery involved.
10. Top Middle Ground Cause It's Coen Bros: Hail, Caesar! (2016)
This movie did not make many Best Of lists from 2016. It was received as kind of a 'meh' movie, where it was kinda funny, but many people felt like overall it was some inside industry joke they were missing. Because the Coen Brothers make bizarre films, many of which would be panned by the critics if they in the hands of lesser creative minds, it's no wonder this movie would slip the minds of so many or be regarded as a barely funny dramedy by those who remember it.
So, what's it doing here? Well, to me, it's a much better movie than the other most recently made Coen Brothers movie, Inside Llewyn Davis, and it's a funnier comedy than their last comedy, Burn After Reading, which I started twice but could never finish because of how bored I was. I love all the little snippets of the various genre movies we see throughout the movie, whether the musical or the western or the drama or the biblical epic. I love Hobie Doyle, one of the best characters in Coen Brothers history, with stupendous dialogue delivered by a lesser known actor who outshown the stars. I love that the stars were much more cameos than main attractions. I love the struggle of the lead character, Eddie Mannix, a Catholic man who seeks Reconciliation often and prays the Rosary in times of crisis. The jokes are so clever and highbrow that, yes, it takes a few tries to catch some of them. Inside Llewyn Davis was an ugly confusing snooze fest that was about an interesting subject. True Grit was barely recognizable as a Coen Brothers Movie even if it was entertaining overall. Hail, Caesar was a bizarre tribute to a period of Hollywood and a beautifully looking modern morality play.
Watch Out for: Confusing, dead-panned jokes and lots of philosophical dialogue about Communism. There's also some profane/ blasphemous language on occasion. Plus there's a mature sexual reference briefly made late in the game.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Were that it were so simple? Hobie Doyle and Eddie Mannix are the most delightful characters to watch and listen to. Then there's all of the little tributes to various film genres that are stupendous, especially through great looking cinematography.
9. It's Scary Cause It's Really Happening: Sicario (2015)
Sicario is one of those movies that I remembered greatly enjoying after watching it, but it has almost fallen from chatter or memory since its release. Which is a shame, because if there's one movie we should be watching concerning the political, financial, militaristic, and moralistic costs of dealing with the drug cartel crisis facing the U.S. and Mexico, it's this one. Cartel Land is actually a documentary about the same subject released the same year, but the focus there is on two particular groups of vigilantes on both sides, their personal interpretation of the events, and there are enough conveniences or movie magic moments that I wonder if some of it was made up or coordinated by the movie making team to seem legitimate.
Anyway, Sicario seems just as if not more realistic than Cartel Land. There are moralistic dilemmas involved in taking on the cartels and there is a line that can be crossed. The tension is built mainly by the cinematography and the music, as we stare at passing images with a dark brooding beat thumping in the background. All of the actors are stellar performers in this. This movie has a less happier ending than The Conjuring, but the journey we go on gets the adrenaline pumping so much more and the uneasiness of it actually makes you want more not less.
Watch Out for: BANG! BANG! Gunshots. Blood splatter. Dead naked bodies hanging from the rafters. This movie is almost careless with how much death and destruction it leaves in its path.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Emily Blunt kicks plenty of butt, while Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin keep you on edge and uneasy. Plus there are a few tense moments you can't believe the characters survive.
8. The Passion is Awesome, Food is Awesomer Comedy: Chef (2014)
If you read other reviews of this movie, you'll essentially hear that it's all a metaphor for Jon Favreau's directorial career and how he wanted to go back to small indie films after major blockbuster success found in the Marvel franchise. What I care more about in this movie is 1) The relationship between the father and the son and 2) The food. This is a fantastic character piece where a self-centered dad builds his relationship with a son who wants to know him more. They depend upon each other for their success and instruct each other, whether it's the father teaching the son life lessons or it's the son showing the father business and marketing strategies. There is so much great food in this movie, you can almost smell it coming off the screen. And it's constantly going from dish to dish, flavor to flavor, depending on where the scene is located. I think it would be an awesome idea for theaters or movie watching groups to prepare dishes from the movie to eat along while watching it. Ultimately this movie is top notch because it has a fun premise and builds lovable characters very well.
Watch Out for: The dad is not always the best role model, whether saying profanities around the boy or making sexual innuendos with his friends.
What Makes It Rewatchable: FOOD! Glorious food! It's a celebration involving feasts!
7. Top American Animated Movie: Inside Out (2015)
Disney is almost going through another Renaissance period with its string of hits. Dreamworks has made itself a brand by successfully franchising audience favorites. Little movie companies have popped up trying to match the quality and success of the powerhouses, and the most triumphant underdog that is meeting that criteria to me would appear to be Laika. Pixar, on the other hand, has been struggling through several disappointing sequels and even Toy Story 3, while good, could not match the spark and might of Pixar movies a decade ago. And yet, one original idea came out as a total shock to the system in a refreshing way: Inside Out.
The trailers never got me excited for the movie and I was stunned by audiences raving about how good it was. After watching it a few times, I concur with everyone else's sentiments. Inside Out is a work of art both in terms of what it looks like and what it establishes for the characters' journeys. Each of the emotions are entertaining, even if Anger gets all the best lines. The creativity of the world inside the brain is witty and charming. I loved that they experimented with a little bit of various art styles while also establishing such solid texture and vibrant colors to the world it created. It's an emotional journey about emotions and we can all relate in some way to the struggles that the preteen girl goes through
Watch Out for: TEARS! So much sadness and so much joy and the whole range in between is experienced during the course of this movie.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The emotions of the...emotions. As well as stunning computerized visuals and a fun family unit outside the brain.
6. Top Surprise Movie: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
If I was shocked by how well I enjoyed Inside Out (I tend to only almost-like movies as much as the people that rave about them), this one shocked me even more. This is another movie that is not on too many of the Best Of 2016 lists but it should be. I only watched it cause it was recommended on enough lists and it was one of the few 2016 movies on DVD already. At first you think a young city kid obsessed with hip hop and a grumpy old introvert would get annoying real easily, but the script is so well written that they are extremely likable because of these qualities. There's tons of great humor but also some heartfelt drama that develops our characters over the course of the movie. There are plenty of moments where the camera flies over the New Zealand landscape, showing us beautiful places that even Lord of the Rings did not.
I think it surprised me how well I liked this movie because it was one of those quirky movies that it seemed like only movie snobs would appreciate. The indie soundtrack, the nearly cliche characters, and the obscure humor should have made me just barely appreciate it as one of those charming indie movies. I think I was also disenchanted beforehand because I had just recently watched What We Do In the Shadows, a mockumentary that involved the writer and director of Hunt for the Wilderpeople and that definitely an obscure, movie-snob movie that I only appreciated. The character in Hunt however are all just charming, even the crazy villain, and the leads actually go through a touching story arc development. I had a great smile and laugh throughout the whole thing.
Watch Out for: Gangsta stuff! Sprinklings of profanity and bloody action. An awkward funeral scene and a couple of tear-worthy scenes involving death.
5. Yes, I'm Recommending a Romantic Comedy: About Time (2013)
A few years ago, during my adventure in the Pacific Northwest with Reach Youth Ministry, I by chance watched a time traveling romance called About Time. Its intriguing premise would make you think it's sci-fi where a man is gifted the ability to travel to any time within his memories, yet the human interaction that plays out keeps it a light and emotional drama. The romance between Domnhall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams is charming and this is one of the first times I can remember a movie where a man coming close to giving in to sexual temptation and infidelity and denying those lustful desires in the end. I love the character building that happens in this movie. It's an emotional journey of a movie that is not melodramatic nor is it taking itself too lightly for how absurd of a premise it is.
Watch Out for: A couple of sex scenes, or at least scenes with near nudity and sexual content. Also probably some minor profanities.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The true growth of the relationship between Domnhall Glesson and Rachel McAdams, as well as the stellar relationship he has with the dad played by Bill Nighy.
4. Greatest Movie I Barely Understand: The Big Short (2015)
So, this is a greatly entertaining movie, even if it is about a very serious issue and is more of a drama than a comedy. The creative team knew this was a serious subject however, so they found as many ways to inject creative comedy into the mix. Sometimes they will introduce a random celebrity out of nowhere, Margot Robbie or Anthony Bourdain jump to mind, in order to explain a term or idea in a mundane manner for the common guy to understand. Really, I get dizzy thinking too hard about finances, accounting, and the stock market in reality, so majority of this movie was really beyond my comprehension. What kept me going though was the intriguing characters and the intriguing way they came across one of the terrible crises in America of the past decade.
Some of the star cast members really blend in to their role, making you forget who they are in real life. Then there's Steve Carrell, who seems more like Michael Scott pretending to have anger management issues and wearing a bad toupe and he gets so much screen time. And yet, I like this guy despite the surface level issues and he has some of the best scenes with his posse.
Watch Out for: Footloose use of various R-rated profanities and one scene in a strip club that is terribly uncomfortable to watch, whether you're on your own or if you're watching with your father.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Again, what makes this movie work so well is its delivery, meaning what it's trying to convey, how it's trying to convey it, and how it tries to help the average joe understand it all.
3. Top Superhero Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Yes, Marvel is making the best superhero movies of this decade, and many people would normally consider Captain America: Winter Soldier to be the superior movie to this one. However, Guardians of the Galaxy is so much more entertaining and uplifting in an odd way than any Captain America movie. This movie is colorful, high tech, and its main characters are technically criminals. The witty dialogue and the retro soundtrack keep the movie from getting too dower and dark in its serious moments. Even the true villains, the 'bad guys', of the movie provide some hearty entertainment. People give Marvel a lot of credit for being the jokers, the light hearted comedians of a superhero genre that is turning gritty and realistic, and Guardians of the Galaxy is the best example of proving those people right. It's fun, it's adventurous, and the soundtrack is just too catchy to ignore.
Watch Out for: Sci-fi action and a shower of innuendos and profanities.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Peter Quill a.k.a. Star Lord. Gamora. Rocket Raccoon. Groot "I Am Groot" Groot. And Drax the Destroyer.
A few years ago, during my adventure in the Pacific Northwest with Reach Youth Ministry, I by chance watched a time traveling romance called About Time. Its intriguing premise would make you think it's sci-fi where a man is gifted the ability to travel to any time within his memories, yet the human interaction that plays out keeps it a light and emotional drama. The romance between Domnhall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams is charming and this is one of the first times I can remember a movie where a man coming close to giving in to sexual temptation and infidelity and denying those lustful desires in the end. I love the character building that happens in this movie. It's an emotional journey of a movie that is not melodramatic nor is it taking itself too lightly for how absurd of a premise it is.
Watch Out for: A couple of sex scenes, or at least scenes with near nudity and sexual content. Also probably some minor profanities.
What Makes It Rewatchable: The true growth of the relationship between Domnhall Glesson and Rachel McAdams, as well as the stellar relationship he has with the dad played by Bill Nighy.
4. Greatest Movie I Barely Understand: The Big Short (2015)
So, this is a greatly entertaining movie, even if it is about a very serious issue and is more of a drama than a comedy. The creative team knew this was a serious subject however, so they found as many ways to inject creative comedy into the mix. Sometimes they will introduce a random celebrity out of nowhere, Margot Robbie or Anthony Bourdain jump to mind, in order to explain a term or idea in a mundane manner for the common guy to understand. Really, I get dizzy thinking too hard about finances, accounting, and the stock market in reality, so majority of this movie was really beyond my comprehension. What kept me going though was the intriguing characters and the intriguing way they came across one of the terrible crises in America of the past decade.
Some of the star cast members really blend in to their role, making you forget who they are in real life. Then there's Steve Carrell, who seems more like Michael Scott pretending to have anger management issues and wearing a bad toupe and he gets so much screen time. And yet, I like this guy despite the surface level issues and he has some of the best scenes with his posse.
Watch Out for: Footloose use of various R-rated profanities and one scene in a strip club that is terribly uncomfortable to watch, whether you're on your own or if you're watching with your father.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Again, what makes this movie work so well is its delivery, meaning what it's trying to convey, how it's trying to convey it, and how it tries to help the average joe understand it all.
3. Top Superhero Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Yes, Marvel is making the best superhero movies of this decade, and many people would normally consider Captain America: Winter Soldier to be the superior movie to this one. However, Guardians of the Galaxy is so much more entertaining and uplifting in an odd way than any Captain America movie. This movie is colorful, high tech, and its main characters are technically criminals. The witty dialogue and the retro soundtrack keep the movie from getting too dower and dark in its serious moments. Even the true villains, the 'bad guys', of the movie provide some hearty entertainment. People give Marvel a lot of credit for being the jokers, the light hearted comedians of a superhero genre that is turning gritty and realistic, and Guardians of the Galaxy is the best example of proving those people right. It's fun, it's adventurous, and the soundtrack is just too catchy to ignore.
Watch Out for: Sci-fi action and a shower of innuendos and profanities.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Peter Quill a.k.a. Star Lord. Gamora. Rocket Raccoon. Groot "I Am Groot" Groot. And Drax the Destroyer.
2. Top Drama Between a Dynamic Duo: Whiplash (2014)
Like I said, I recently watched this movie for a second time. It's even more tense and awkward than the first time since you already know all of the hardship that's going to happen. Yet, it's still engaging and thrilling. J.K. Simmons deserved the Oscar for his intimidating performance (I like to think I emulate him a bit on stage from time to time), but Miles Teller also deserved tons of credit for how driven and psychotic his own performance was. This movie shows that there is a danger in pursuing eternal fame and that there is a cost to being the greatest there ever was, especially what it costs to your relationships. So much gets packed into like 80 minutes, 1/4 of which is just playing sweet sweet jazz music.
Watch Out for: LOUD ABUSIVE PROFANITY! TONS OF IT! Also, if you get queesy seeing blood, better cover your eyes here and there.
What Makes It Rewatchable: Oddly enough, the loud shouting and madness provided by J.K. Simmons leaves you wanting more. The jazz music keeps you hyped while Miles Teller's character just keeps asking for punishment.
1. Most Quirky Presentation Childhood Nostalgia: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Seriously, this movie gave me a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for my youth, imagining the feeling of carefree summer time adventures I never even had but I knew the joy of. The music adds so much to the charm and splendor of this world, almost making it a fantasy rather than a realistic setting. The cinematography is what stands out in this film the most. From the way the shots are symmetrically framed as they package lots of minute detail to the fun way the camera zooms in and out of character's faces. It is signature Wes Anderson cinematography. Some people may consider Grand Budapest Hotel to be the better Anderson film of this decade, but they'd be WRONG! and the key to their wrongness is the children. The fact this movie has kids for main characters is what makes this movie so nostalgic and charming because they are wide-eyed, curious, naive, overdramatic, and they are the main reason why we get to explore so much beautiful landscapes and go through a fun innocent romance.
Watch Out for: The only really negative thing in this movie is whenever the kids are running around in their underwear. There's an especially awkward scene, about halfway through,on a beach where the leads really break each other's bubble which ruins an awesome song and dance moment for me and I generally skip it anytime I watch this movie.
What Makes It Rewatchable: It's a charming movie with beautiful cinematography. The characters are all quirky in some way, which provides some good humor and lightheartedness in otherwise grim situations.
Honorable Mentions:
-Of Gods and Men (2010)
Perhaps a more straight up Catholic movie than Calvary, or at least a more positive look at the faith. There are many quiet moments in this movie, some of which just include monks praying or celebrating Mass. It almost has a documentary quality because of the slice-of-life approach to the drama, as well as being based on real events. This movie also shows what peaceful communities can look like between people of Islamic and Christian faiths. The monks help and serve their Muslim neighbors because that is the community they live in and those are the specific people who are in need of their assistance. This is a gentle biopic about men you would have otherwise not really have heard of.
-Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
I really don't see this as some big philosophical study of feminism or environmentalism or social constructs or any of that other thematic nonsense that other people see in it. I just see this movie as one of the most thrilling, adrenaline-pumping, buckle up, white knuckled thrill rides to have graced our screens. It's so much cooler than any of that fake crap you see in Fast & Furious and any of their knock offs. Now, perhaps because the story is kind of simplistic and the imagery gets too bizarre sometimes, that's why I wouldn't include this in my Top 15 overall. However, the ride is just too good to ignore.
-Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)
I think I may like this movie so much more because of the experience I had seeing it than because of the movie itself. I was by myself on a Friday night and decided to check out the local indie theater in my college town. I got a beer, popcorn, and M&Ms and sat down on old, classic style theater seats in this small black box space that could only fit 30 people max . This was no luxury seated, padded wall, high tech home theater system. It just had the basic essentials and that was it. It was awesome!
The movie still sticks out in my mind after all these years of only seeing it 1.5 times (I tried rewatching it on Youtube within the past year or so). Ginger Baker, the man best known as the drummer for 60s band Cream, is not a likable man. He is selfish, arrogant, foul mouthed, bitterly disgruntled, and tiring to endure. And yet, his life has been full of hardships that he is a tragic figure to watch. Plus, all of these other well known drummers and musicians give his skills as a drummer high praise, so it can't all just be arrogant boasting from Mr. Baker. I think this movie also gave me an appreciation for jazz and in particular jazz drums, especially because of how it influenced rock music, showing me a side of jazz music I had not known before and I would not know again until Whiplash.
-The Kid with a Bike (2011)
I borrowed this movie from the library after Mr. Decent Films a.k.a. Steven D. Greydanus recommended watching movies by the Dardennes Brothers when Two Days, One Night was listed as one of 2015's best movies. It's entirely in French because it takes place in Belgium. It seems like a simple premise, boy gets abandoned by his dad and a woman takes pity on the boy. Yet, the boy is such an intriguing character, such a disobedient selfish jerk while at the same time so needy and vulnerable. It's a sad tragic look at the life of someone who needs basic emotional and mental necessities to be met.
Need to See List:
Tree of Life (2011) & Knight of Cups (2015)
Terrence Mallick has peaked my interest as a director worth checking out, especially since Tree of Life has gotten so much acclaim and buzz ever since it came out. Knight of Cups was also one of those movies that was on a few Best Of lists last year, but just wasn't noticed by too many people.
Two Days, One Night (2015)
Again, it was one of the best movies last year and came recommended by a movie critic whose opinion I greatly respect. Plus, I feel extra cultured every time I watch a foreign film.
Drive (2011)
This movie was on every single list I saw online when researching lists of Best Movies of This Decade So Far. It sounds like the simple premise matches well with some great acting and wonderful cinematography.
Her (2013)
Another movie that was on every other list essentially. I think the quirkiness and the relationship the character has with technology are what appeal to me.
The Babadook (2014)
A movie that is simulatenously a scary horror flick AND a family drama? Sold!
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