The 10 Best Movies I Saw This Year

2015 brought us a lot of great things—from legalized marriage for all to a new Adele album. But there’s always something that’s rather easy to rank at the end of the year, and that’s movies. There were thousands of movies released within these last 365 days, and I didn’t see most of them. But out of the ones I did see in 2015, here are my favorites. 10. Spy

I’d say this is Melissa McCarthy’s best follow-up to Bridesmaids. Another team-up with writer/director Paul Feig brought us Susan Cooper, a lowly desk jockey for the CIA thrown into the field when the names of all other agents are compromised. The great thing about the movie is that it’s actually not a spoof on spy movies. That twist keeps the comedy grounded, and produces smart comedic performances from its supporting players like Rose Byrne and Jason Statham—who just completely steals the show as a mediocre agent. It’s such an enjoyable movie for any age. 9. Trainwreck

To say that Amy Schumer was the breakout star of 2015 would be an understatement. She stole the whole show, and her raunchy, poignant style of comedy was wrapped up perfectly in this rom-com she wrote and starred in alongside Bill Hader—and Lebron James as his best friend (lol). With details of her own life incorporated into the plot, Schumer not only nailed every joke and gag, but brought a nuanced realism to the genre. (And who doesn’t love a good Billy Joel song, am I right?) 8. Beasts of No Nation

There was no movie this year that was harder to stomach. Idris Elba plays a wolfish commandant to a lethal rebel group in a war-torn, nameless African country. He’s downright awful, and it’s sickening to see him turn young (very young) boys into murderers. But the film, which is unimaginably colorful for a war film, never exploits its gruesomeness — we’re meant to think hard about this political unrest and what it can turn people into. 7. Mad Max: Fury Road

This film not only visually stuns us at every (pardon the pun) twist and turn, but it brings us one of the most beloved characters of 2015: Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). It seemed like the film was marketing Tom Hardy as the star, but that label belongs undoubtedly to Theron. Furiosa kicks ass nonstop, from her shooting and driving skills to her unbreakable tenacity. Furiosa’s star power and complex role is a victory for effective feminism in film. 6. Spotlight

The journalism procedural about The Boston Globe’s investigation of the Catholic Church’s history of sexual abuse sports an all-star cast: Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, etc. But it’s the tight script and heart-pounding pacing that makes it so enjoyable and ultimately gut-wrenching (the line “could you get me a glass of water?” has never been so heartbreaking). It’s a shoe-in for a Best Picture nomination. 5. 99 Homes

Andrew Garfield, in one of his best roles to date, plays Dennis, a single dad evicted from his childhood home that he shares with his young son and mother (Laura Dern). The scene of their eviction is utterly brutal thanks to the slimy real estate mongol, played by Michael Shannon, who numbly forces them out. But the film takes an intriguing turn when Dennis begins working for the very man who took everything away. It’s not only a fascinating case study on what happens when the American Dream fails, it’s also a dark, psychological thriller that’ll keep your knuckles white until the very end. 4. The Big Short

Adam McKay’s film about the 2007-2008 housing market collapse is a thoughtful collage of educational tangents (wait, that’s what a synthetic CDO is!?), sharp comedy and memorable performances—most notably Christian Bale as a socially awkward financial genius and Ryan Gosling as a fast-talking banker. The film even breaks the fourth wall quite often when it attempts to guide us through the Wall Street jargon that’s created to confuse us. But The Big Short is ultimately great because it leaves us with countless questions and utter disgust at what the big banks are capable of. 3. Room

Brie Larson is Ma, a young woman kidnapped years ago by a man and being kept in his gardening shed. She has a five-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who has never set foot outside its doors. Room is painful to watch at times and (literally) dark, but the core mother-son relationship is the light that keeps it going. Larson and Tremblay work wonders together, and the narrative of entrapment, rescue and readjustment is mesmerizing to watch. 2. Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan plays her best role yet as Eilis, a young woman who moves from Ireland to New York in the 1950s. Her homesickness is consuming until she meets a sweet "Italian fella" (an adorable Emory Cohen) at a social. It sounds like the romance would be the dominant storyline, but it’s refreshingly not. Instead, it’s about Eilis experiencing the joys and pitfalls of being on her own and discovering who she is. The script is sprinkled with humor, but it’s the somber, bittersweet moments, and her ultimate decision of where “home” is that leaves you reeling. 1. The Martian

I know... It’s so predictable to pick a film that is meant to be (and is) a blockbuster. (But, hey, at least this isn’t Jurassic World.) The Martian is everything that’s great about the movies. It’s a spirited story of survival and of people coming together for an almost impossible rescue mission. Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind on Mars—but when he reveals himself to be alive and stranded, a group at NASA and his team, currently on their way back to Earth, work together to bring him home. The film is littered with great performances, from a guilt-torn Jessica Chastain to a fun cameo from Donald Glover. But it’s in the unexpected humor, the eye-opening science and the pulse-pounding suspense that round out Ridley Scott's film. I didn’t enjoy a movie in theaters more than I did The Martian. It’s genuinely emotional at times, but it's also just downright fun. Honorable mentions: Far from the Madding Crowd, Cinderella, Furious 7 Ones I missed: Creed, Sicario, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Straight Outta Compton