It’s the best of the best. French Toast Sunday used a ranked score from our collective lists in order to determine the overall highest rated films of 2015. Here’s our Top 10 Movies from 2015.
#10 / It Follows
It Follows is easily on of the most original horror films in a long time, taking inspiration from the masters like Carpenter. The film shows that with the correct atmosphere, visuals and an eerie score you don’t have to rely meerly on jump scares and gore to entertain and captivate an audience. Director David Mitchell delivers a new horror classic in a scene over-saturated with mediocre content, bringing some life back into the horror genre. – Nate
#09 / Jurassic World
Jurassic World had some very big shoes to fill going into the blockbuster season, but it proved to be a solid summer flick as well as a great addition to the iconic franchise. Jurassic World was able to recreate a good amount of the magic and wonder that viewing audiences fall in love with in the original film while still feeling like a separate animal. While nothing will ever compare to the original, Jurassic World is a fun ride from start to finish and is definitely a high point in the series. – Marc
#08 / Trainwreck
Last year saw a remarkable rise in the popularity of TV shows and one of the funniest ones was the third season of Amy Schumer’s sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Reaching cinematic heights already in the special episode 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer, the show was in a way transferred to the screen with Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck. The film was written by Schumer and definitely feels like an extremely extended sketch from her show, but in a good way. Schumer stars as the usual witty, somewhat promiscuous version of herself who goes to a lot of clubs and smokes a lot of joints. Bill Hader is an interesting choice for the love interest in this film and proves to be brilliant as always. This film is all about the dialogue and the little twists that it takes on the rom-com genre – which it stays true to in the end. I guess you can either love Amy Schumer or hate her but how the hell could you not love her?! – Mette
#07 / Spotlight
Some kids watch movies that make them want to be superheros or rock stars. I must have been watching different flicks in my younger years because I always dreamed of being a lawyer or investigative journalist. My strong proclivity towards procrastination coupled with my crippling lack of work ethic led me to conclude that neither of the professions would be a right fit for me but still, watching a film like Spotlight – quite possibly the year’s most well made albeit depressing film – it’s not hard for me to remember that strong desire to dive deep. And that’s exactly what the journalist team at the center of Spotlight do while looking into the widespread corruption and cover up involving the molestation of children at the hand of the Cathloic church. Beyond the nuanced performances, what truly elevates the movie is the restrained direction from Tom McCarthy that balances the sensationalism of the story and provides a mature and powerful look at it’s subject matter. – Lindsay
#06 / Sicario
Sicario is a gripping tale that trudges through a moral gray that leaves you questioning what you think is right and wrong. It’s gorgeous, thanks to the incredible work of cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall), and haunting, due to the stomach turning score of Johann Johannsson. Mix in the stellar direction from Denis Villeneuve and couple that with the outstanding acting of Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro, and you’re left wanting not just more from this particular story, but more from these characters that truly thrive amidst the darkness. – Nick
#05 / The Revenant
Take everything you know about the hardships of making this film, and it still is incredibly impressive and well done. You don’t need all that extra fuss to see that this movie is a brutal tale of survival with gorgeous filmmaking and top notch performances. This is true visceral filmmaking. Leo finally won that coveted Oscar this year, and it certainly isn’t one of those career achievement awards – this is one of his very best. I’m also not shocked to see Emmanuel Lubezki take home his third Best Cinematography win for the third year in a row (Birdman, 2014 & Gravity, 2013). – Jess
#04 / The Hateful Eight
The Hateful Eight shows off some of Quentin Tarantino’s best dialogue writing and boasts an amazing score by Ennio Morricone. The story is engaging and glues you to the screen. And with Tarantino’s signature levels of violence, the film proves a satisfying watch. – Rob
#03 / Star Wars: The Force Awakens
J.J. Abrams and his team had a big task ahead of them when they set out to make The Force Awakens, the first of six new Star Wars films and something many fans thought would never happen. Did they succeed? I think the reviews, fan response and box office speak for themselves. While TFA mirrored A New Hope, it also introduced new characters and conflicts as well, ensuring we’ll be obsessed about Star Wars for years to come. – Robert
#02 / Ex Machina
Ex Machina is one of the most engrossing sci-fi features of recent times, due to its intimate, atmospheric feel, its smart and often chilling script, and its overall originality and quality. Broader themes of artificial intelligence and humanity are presented through subtle, satisfying moments of hubris, vulnerability, ambition, and attraction. Thanks also to amazing performances from the films’ dynamic stars Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina was a sleeper hit that impressively stands on its own merits despite being released in a year filled with bigger, more recognizable, and equally well-received science-fiction franchise hits. – Sara
#01 / Mad Max: Fury Road
Here at French Toast Sunday we like to be entertained, we like to have fun. And really, in 2015, was there a better time to be had at the movies than with Mad Max: Fury Road? Heck, has there ever been a film as balls-to-the-wall nutso as this? It may well be nothing more than a two hour long car chase over a whole lot of sand, but when it’s arguably the greatest car chase put to film, with some of the most astounding action set-pieces, all of which were predominantly shot in real damn life, interesting and compelling characters played by award-winning actors, what does that even matter? It’s a film that made barren deserts look beautiful, spraying chrome over your mouth look normal and had everyone yelling “What a day, what a lovely day!” Is it the best film of 2015? You’re damn right it is. – Jay