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.
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.
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