![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 1 heaven-knows-what](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183416/heaven-knows-what-1024x679.jpg)
‘Heaven Knows What’
For me, 2015 was a great year for movies, containing a wide array of solid releases, from huge spectacle films to low budget indies that all contain something special. Below, you’ll find my personal favorites of this year, whittled down from the 220 or so films I was able to check out. Of course, this list has been obsessively and pathetically toiled over for the last week or so, and I’m still not happy with the results, but it’s locked it now, so I’m forcing myself to be happy with it.
At any rate, I recommend checking out everything on this list. All of these films had either a theatrical or VOD release in 2015, and no festival or undistributed movies were included. For further discussion of myself and Kevin’s top movies this year, check out this week’s podcast here, and stay tuned for more year-end lists trickling out later this week.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 2 turbokid](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/16190440/turbokid.jpg)
20. Turbo Kid – I thought I was tired of nostalgic exploitation films until I saw this film, which is as heartfelt as it is funny and over the top gory.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 3 dope](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/16193235/dope.jpg)
19. Dope – Fast, cool, and wildly entertaining, Dope is one of the best and funniest comedies of the year.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 4 Mustang](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183548/Mustang-1024x576.jpg)
18. Mustang – A tragic, uplifting tale about a group of sisters living in the Turkish countryside who start to get married off for a ridiculous reason.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 5 Goodnight Mommy](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/16185532/Goodnight-Mommy-1024x576.jpg)
17. Goodnight Mommy – This horror film breathes new life into a few tropes I thought I was thoroughly done with and delivers a meticulously framed nightmare that I couldn’t take my eyes away from.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 6 ex-machina-movie](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/16192031/ex-machina-movie.jpg)
16. Ex Machina – I thought this was just going to be another A.I. gone rogue film, but Alex Garland managed to deliver so much more in this beautiful looking science fiction thriller.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 7 the-wolfpack](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/16190450/the-wolfpack-1024x576.jpg)
15. The Wolfpack – A thoroughly fascinating documentary about a group of brothers kept in near complete isolation their entire lives living in New York City.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 8 spring_still](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/16192339/spring_still.jpg)
14. Spring – I loved Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s last film, Resolution, and this one is even better, blending nearly every genre into this great looking horror-romance.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 9 the-revenant-1](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/16184553/the-revenant-1-1024x768.jpg)
13. The Revenant – The most visceral and brutal film I’ve seen this year, with some of the best camerawork to boot. If Leo gets snubbed come Oscar time again it will be a crime.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 10 What We Do in the Shadows](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183359/What-We-Do-in-the-Shadows.jpg)
12. What We Do in the Shadows – This Kiwi mockumentary about a group of vampire flat-mates is absolutely hilarious and begs for a sequel. Please, let there be a sequel.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 11 Bone Tomahawk](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183439/Bone-Tomahawk-1-1024x576.jpg)
11. Bone Tomahawk – Kurt Russell’s other Western proves to be a fantastic mix of comedy and horror boasting a great cast with an equally great script.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 12 THE HATEFUL EIGHT](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/16185810/the-hateful-eight-samuel-l-jackson-1024x690.jpg)
10. The Hateful Eight – Tarantino’s epic Western may not have been his best film, but that’s a tall order to fill. With an outstanding roster of colorful characters and some completely outrageous violence, this film is as fun as it is brutal.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 13 Girlhood film - 2015](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183554/Girlhood.jpg)
9. Girlhood – This French coming of age story hit all the right notes for me and somehow resonated with me despite being a dorky white guy from the ‘burbs.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 14 The-Duke-of-Burgundy3-xlarge](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/16185936/The-Duke-of-Burgundy3-xlarge-1024x577.jpg)
8. The Duke of Burgundy – Peter Strickland’s ode to ’60s sexploitation was equal parts odd and stunning. This one stuck with me all year.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 15 it-follows](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/16192437/it-follows.jpg)
7. It Follows – I love it when directors prove the horror genre can be awards contenders, and It Follows provides the right kind of narrative with some amazing cinematography that deserves the accolades it’s receiving.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 16 HeavenKnowsWhat1](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/16190949/HeavenKnowsWhat1.jpg)
6. Heaven Knows What – Taking the term ‘docu-drama’ to new heights, this may be the feel-bad movie of the year, but that’s not a bad thing given how damn engrossing this movie is.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 17 the-tribe](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/16190053/the-tribe-1024x621.jpg)
5. The Tribe – Getting the award for most original film of the year comes The Tribe, a movie that is completely dialogue free, expressed entirely in sign language without subtitles. This may sound daunting, but the end result is incredible.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 18 Tangerine](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183600/Tangerine-1024x576.png)
4. Tangerine – Shot entirely on an iPhone, Sean Baker’s Tangerine is one of the most fun times I had at the movies this year, and an absolute must-see for anyone believing you need a $20,000 camera to make a movie look good.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 19 Mommy](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183403/Mommy-2-1024x577.jpg)
3. Mommy – Xavier Dolan’s emotional rollercoaster may employ a few gimmicks, but there’s nothing wrong with that when they work to the film’s benefit and Mommy was one of the most emotionally charged films I’ve seen this year, with some fantastic performances to back it up.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 20 Star Wars](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183431/Star-Wars-1024x512.jpg)
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Sometimes when I see a movie I feel myself regressing back to my childhood self, where I let the magic of cinema wash over me and completely lose myself to what’s on the screen. The Force Awakens met and exceeded my expectations in achieving this, reminding me of why I was such a fan of this series as a kid.
![Top 20 Films of 2015: Adam Patterson 21 Mad Max. Fury Road](http://cdn-1.filmpulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/16183337/Mad-Max.-Fury-Road-1024x469.jpg)
1. Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller’s return to the wasteland was welcomed with open arms and reminded me that sometimes we don’t know what we need in our lives until we get it, in this case Mad Max.