A few months ago, we shared our most anticipated summer film releases. Now that summer movie season is over, we share what ended up being our favorite movies from the past few months. Click through the slideshow to see a few of our staff picks for best movies of summer.
Allyson Johnson’s Top 5 Summer Movies
Click here to see Allyson’s Most Anticipated Summer list.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – My poor lone blockbuster. I love these films, I genuinely do. I think they’re fun, offer plenty of spectacle and they give us a leading action hero who never seems to give less just because it’s an action film role. The increased screen time for Simon Pegg’s Benji (a surprise heart of the film), great comedic chemistry between Pegg and Cruise, a three act structure that never loses it’s momentum, and a terrific showcase for Rebecca Ferguson makes this not only one of my favorite films of summer 2015, but my favorite Mission Impossible installment to date.
Advantageous – I’ve been particularly vocal about just how evocative I found this film to be. Directed by Jennifer Phang the film is haunting and beautiful and showcases why female directors should be given the reigns to genre films more often.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – I knew I was going to like this film from the trailer as it had the kind of aesthetic and coming of age narrative that I’m a sucker for. My expectations for the film were matched and surpassed with this genuinely funny and moving film.
Advertisement
Queen of Earth – Alex Ross Perry’s newest film made me jump. I can’t say I’m usually one for psycho dramas with horror elements, but Queen of Earth is so riveting and expertly shot, with oodles of atmosphere that I didn’t mind being stressed out about for 90 minutes
Mistress America – My favorite Noah Baumbach movie to date, Mistress America is charming, self-effacing and has one of the best scores of the year so far. Greta Gerwig delivers a complex and hilarious performance, proving that her collaborations with Baumbach are paying off. Also, this and Queen of Earth would be a killer double feature.
Advertisement
Evan’s Picks for Top 5 Summer 2015 Movies
Click here to see Evan’s Most Anticipated Summer list.
Wow, I mean I can get on a hype train, but I must have been so excited for Avengers in that moment that I even tried to give Terminator a pass? Odd. Ultimately, the summer was weak in the blockbuster department, but when I didn’t go to the theater to see Mad Max those 4 times, I saw a few great features as well. I’m cheating on this list with a couple of films that truthfully came out in the spring, however I didn’t see them until June and July.
It Follows – It’s rare in this millennium to come across a film in the horror genre that relies exclusively on building suspense, and when I bought the Blu Ray for the quickly growing indie production this July on a whim, I didn’t quite realize the carefully crafted piece of art house filmmaking that I was going to see. Every piece of story and framing is mesmerizing, succeeding-if nothing else-at making the viewer highly anxious for the duration of its runtime, only able to recognize it’s effect until the film has finished.
Straight Outta Compton – Sure, the film can be discredited for a tonal shift halfway through, or a doctored history of Dre, Cube and the rest of the crew, but the film emulates the racial tensions in the late ‘80’s and early 90’s in a highly effective way that undoubtedly feels even more relevant today. This film is about the pinnacle of hip hop and gangster rap, and broadens the reach of NWA to a whole new generation while making the words of their discography more potently understandable.
Advertisement
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – Time and again, I want to expect a film spearheaded by the Tom Cruise machine to be a terrible mess just to make him go away, only to be proven that I enjoy him as an action star. But this effort from the man who directed Jack Reacher (and wrote last year’s Edge of Tomorrow) is one of the best of the films centered around the I.M.F.’s scheming, sneaking and stunt-ing. When you think Tom Cruise’s addiction to adrenaline in filmmaking can’t get any nuttier, he goes straight bananas here.
Ex Machina – The words “Oscar Isaac” are enough to sell this film based on performance, but if that doesn’t cut it for you, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina is an evolution of science fiction and conversations about robotics and AI for the 21st century. It’s cerebral, intimidating and terrifying, yet seeping with humanity throughout; and Alicia Vikander’s portrayal as Ava, the AI in question, is both cheerful and chilling.
Mad Max Fury Road – You know what? I’ve said my piece multiple times over for Mad Max. If you STILL haven’t given this a chance, you’re on your own. I’ve lost hope for you. Begone.
Stephanie Jones’ Top Picks
Click here to see Stephanie’s Most Anticipated Summer list.
I think that it’s funny that this list calls for me to list exactly 5 movies because that’s literally how many I saw over the summer. So, these are the ones I have:
Straight Outta Compton – I literally have nothing bad to say about this one. Just like N.W.A’s music, the entire film was filled with the same in your face attitude. All of the lead actors did a fantastic job portraying the hip-hop legends.
Inside Out – This pick definitely surprised me. Not only was the humor great (all of the dialogue between Sadness and Joy kept me laughing), but the film also had a lot of heart and I loved the message that it had.
Mad Max: Fury Road – Mad Max was pure adrenaline from beginning to end. I think it definitely captured the same feeling the original films had.
Jurassic World – Going into Jurassic World I didn’t have a whole lot of expectations, but I ended up liking it. I thought that Chris Pratt did a decent job.
Avengers: Age of Ultron – I expected nothing short of great action scenes and good storytelling and I got just that. After watching Age of Ultron I can’t wait to see what’s next for our favorite superheros.
Alex Hanavan’s Top Picks
Click here to see Alex’s Most Anticipated Summer list.
Mad Max: Fury Road – I loved the original Mad Max and it was refreshing to see a reboot do it such justice. The fact that the action sequences were made with little to no CGI make it all the more impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance by Charlize Theron whom I had only recognized from Prometheus.
Jurassic World – Out of all of my most anticipated movies of the summer this was by far at the top of my list. I was beyond thrilled to be able to step into the (Jurassic) world of this series. I continue to be impressed with the comedic versatility and on-screen attitude of Chris Pratt. And now I’ll go watch Guardians of the Galaxy again, no shame.
Inside Out – Pixar never disappoints (yeah I know you’re screaming Cars 2, I know…I know) and Inside Out is no exception. To take a uniquely complicated idea and present it in very approachable and simple terms takes true skill. It takes even more passion to make the audience care and feel all of the emotions on screen. Plus it doesn’t hurt that the movie boasts an all-star cast and Phyllis Smith is a pure delight as Sadness.
Ex Machina – I love all science fiction, especially the subcategory concerned with the staggering pace of change of robotic technology and artificial intelligence. It’s frightening and yet oddly inspiring to see a film that paints such a believable picture of the near future. It’s refreshing whenever a sci fi film that is grounded in reality actually manages to be entertaining. Ex Machina made it quite approachable for any audience to enjoy.
Southpaw – I was thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed Southpaw. Seeing Jake Gyllenhaal’s transformation from Nightcrawler to Southpaw was unbelievable. The cinematography has such weight to it that the boxing sequences were genuinely startling. Out of all of the cheesy sports movies that try desperately to give their audiences any sort of feels, few nail it, but Southpaw does.
Josh Cabrita’s Top Picks
An unconventional biopic on the elusive author David Foster Wallace is the best film of the summer. The End of the Tour is a poignant and funny head-scratcher that forces the audience to engage with how media can shape multi-faceted people into one-dimensional images and archetypes. Oftentimes, biopics are merely hagiography, but this is a film that constantly challenges our perceptions. James Ponsoldt, who directed The Spectacular Now, one of my favorite coming-of-age films in recent years, has made a layered film with a remarkably dramatic performance from Jason Segel. A post-modern “bromance” with two intellectuals who almost never stop yapping about consumerism and television may seem plodding, but The End of the Tour is a trip I wish never came to a close.
If Me and Earl and the Dying Girl were a person, I would wrap my arms around him and squeeze as hard as I could. Based on my first viewing, this was one of the most affecting and lovely films I’ve ever seen. It’s funny, sad, moving, and profound. That it also subverts almost every expectation while reinventing tropes you’ve seen a million times makes it that much more unpredictable and moving. Greg, an awkward high school senior who interacts in the safety of his empty social cocoon, befriends a girl with leukemia. He closely resembles attributes I see in myself: awkwardness, unattractiveness, complete ineptitude in interactions with girls but also possesses a head-over-heels love with cinema.
- The Tribe
Over the course of 130 minutes, no word is spoken and no sign is translated. We are left to interpret every interaction, every gesture, and every expression without the help of narration. A boy comes to a new boarding school for the deaf and is confronted by the bullies and ring-leaders who run the school’s distribution of drugs and prostitution. As the nameless entrant (we know none of the characters’ names) begins to get involved in the routine of the criminal ring, which appears to be led by a principal and carpentry teacher, he forms a sexual relationship with one of the prostitutes. This is a film with no words that will leave you speechless.
Throughout this melodramatic story about a holocaust survivor, Christian Petzold is crafting a disturbing perspective of Germany. In terms of its morality, sovereignty, and infrastructure, the country is collapsing. Thieves, beggars, and rapists creepily lurk in the shadows of the city that has bombed ruins around every corner. The streets are overrun by American soldiers, a foreshadowing of the economic influence and imperialism that would come in future decades. Every allegorical element of post-war Germany is disturbingly bleak. The film, which seems to be designed to address the mainstream and art-house spectator, is thoroughly dramatic but also thought-provokingly allegorical.
In Indonesia from 1965-1966, union members, farmers, and intellectuals were all branded communists and subject to execution. In that short span, close to one million people were killed, and the perpetrators have ruled the country ever since. Joshua Oppenheimer’s genre-defying debut, The Act of Killing, which is one of this decade’s finest films, chronicled some of the odious gangsters directly involved in the genocide as they bragged and recreated their killings on film. The Look of Silence has a significantly smaller scope–we follow one man’s search as he learns about his brother’s murder by interviewing those involved with the killing–but it is almost as powerful.
Runners Up: Bang Bang Baby, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Irrational Man, Inside Out
Gabrielle Bondi’s Top 5 Summer Movies
Click here to see Gaby’s Most Anticipated Summer list.
Most of the movies that made an impression on me this summer are the indies. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The End of the Tour, Phoenix, and Mistress America were all wonderful little gems this summer. Many of those I hope make it past the onslaught of upcoming Oscar-bait-y fall films to awards season. However, there were quite a few blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road, the new Mission Impossible, Inside Out, and Straight Outta Compton that rose above the rest of the fodder. Alas, I can only pick five films for this list, and here they are ranked:
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
- Phoenix
- The End of the Tour
- Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
- Trainwreck
What were your favorite movies this summer?
Advertisement