We’re just about halfway through 2015, so it’s time again to check in with the Film Pulse team and see what everyone’s favorite films of this year are so far. We kick things off with Blake Crane‘s picks below, check them out and make sure to add them to your watch list!
Mad Max: Fury Road – Political statement? Sure. Feminist Film? Fine. Also, an immensely entertaining action flick that builds on the Mad Max mythology and sets a new bar for high-octane thrills.
It Follows – The best horror film of recent memory manages to be a throwback and a step forward for the genre simultaneously. Distinguishes itself by being utterly creepy rather than relying on cheap scares.
Spring – A slow burn horror-romance that’s alluring and unnerving, and always beautiful to look at. Even Spring’s shocks have an ethereal exquisiteness that pushes the passion.
What We Do in the Shadows – An absolutely hilarious mockumentary that spoofs vampire lore and makes relatable characters out of a crew of bloodsucking friends. Sure they kill people, but they’re pretty lovable when they quote TheLost Boys.
‘What We Do In The Shadows’
Backcountry – A couple lost in the woods with a huge, hungry bear stalking the area – certainly a terrifying, and feasible, situation. Backcountry deftly balances pent-up relationship strain with in-the-moment panic.
Ex Machina – Small-scale sci-fi with big ideas that create huge stakes. Barely any action, but a ton of tension by way of a smart, snappy script.
Wild Tales – It’s rare for an anthology film to flow from one story to the next without peaks and valleys in quality. That Wild Tales does it with six taught, engaging stories of revenge and human nature is extraordinary.
Kurt Cobain: Montage ofHeck – Director Brett Morgen tells the story of the man without filtering it through dramatic highs and lows or a litany of accomplishments and failures. An energetic telling of a chaotic, and often ugly, life that influenced many and ended abruptly.
‘Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck’
Faults – Great lead performances from Leland Orser and Mary Elizabeth Winstead carry the dramatic weight in the examination of their characters and their relationship with a mysterious cult. We believe all of the twists and turns in their back and forth game of manipulation (if it really is manipulation).
Furious 7 – The plot makes no sense, but it doesn’t bog down the ridiculous (in a good way) action or interfere with the chemistry of the street-racer-turned-superhero crew. Certainly won’t make an end of year “Best of” list, but will remain firmly in the top 5 of Fast & Furious.
How did this match up to your list? Let us know in the comments and check out all our other top 10s by clicking here.