George Beremov's TOP 20 Best-Reviewed Movies of 2015 PART 1 [20 - 11]

[click on the title to read the quick review]

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11. Spy (8.00/10)

Quote: "Constantly hilarious, smartly-plotted, variable in settings, dynamic in execution, held with style and great flair, and boasting one of the quirkiest and original fight and kill scenes this year..."

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12. Liza, The Fox-Fairy (7.75/10)

Quote: "Quirky, colorful, and truly one of a kind, this Hungarian black comedy with retro vibe, and an exotic Asian flavor often feels like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Wes Anderson's cinematic lovechild..."

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13. Brooklyn (7.75/10)

Quote: "Accurately depicting the life of Irish immigrants in the US in the '50s, "Brooklyn" is a touching personal story with huge heart, and authentic looks, further elevated by the sensual acting by Ronan..."

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14. The Walk (7.75/10)

Quote: "Offering visual thrills big enough to give you a huge adrenaline rush, and make your heart pound, an aspiring, if not inspiring true story that will hold your attention, and superb performance by Levitt..."

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15. Jurassic World [3D] (7.50/10)

Quote: "...as soon as things go out of control and the dino mayhem kicks in, this solid sequel instantly 'sharpens its teeth', providing enough big thrills, intense attack and chase sequences, and arresting visuals..."

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16. Straight Outta Compton (7.50/10)

Quote: "Full of attitude and rage, if a bit rough in the beginning, this controversial biopic depicts the struggles of street life, and those of success, in a brutally frank manner, never losing its dramatic impact..."

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17. Shaun the Sheep (7.50/10)

Quote: "...yet another winner from Aardman, boasting an inventive, rich in detail, and superbly-executed stop-motion animation, energetic and delightfully un-cheesy characters, and a nearly epic story..."

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18. Room (7.50/10)

Quote: "...uncomfortable to watch in its quietly dark and disturbing first half, set in a single filthy room, "Room" becomes very rewarding later on, in a way you have to experience to understand."

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19. Bridge of Spies (7.50/10)

Quote: "...a neatly-paced, deeply engaging spy thriller, led by Tom Hanks' great performance, that owes its nice look to the slick cinematography, and outstanding production design."

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20. 99 Homes (7.50/10)

Quote: "Gripping from beginning to the end, and with high level of intensity, but above all brilliantly-acted by its two capable leads, this is a contemporary rags-to-riches drama many viewers can relate to..."
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[4.75/10] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows [3D] (2016)

TMNT: Out of the Shadows [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: So loud and hectic, it's draining to watch, and so visually elaborate, it almost hurts the eyes, which combined makes it very busy and hard to handle most of the time, "TMNT 2" is a pointless sequel that, unlike its predecessor, doesn't even fall into the 'mindless fun' category, due to its paper-thin, often silly plot, barely impressive action sequences, heavy on CGIs, and characters that are either shallow, idiotic, irritting, or, well, largely underused.

Quick Reviews: 2015 Movies [PART 05]

The Green Inferno (2015) - Eli Roth's latest does posses a certain shock value, and it is so gruesomely graphic, it leaves nothing to imagination, but on the other hand, this cannibal splatter is everything but frightening, as it offers nothing but extreme gore. (5.50/10)

The Lobster (2015) - Its peculiar originality in terms of both concept and execution can't be denied, and the intentionally stiff, at times even bland acting is somewhat refreshing, but on the other hand, this real weirdo of a film is too moody, and pretentious. (5.75/10)

Steve Jobs (2015) - Certainly a good movie, if hardly an enjoyable one, "Steve Jobs" is busy, talky, and nerdy, but it doesn't possess the depth it's supposed to, and it somewhat tiresome most of the time, except for the final act, which is very emotional. (6.00/10)

Goosebumps (2015) - It is one of those 'horror' movies that could scare only a kid, and yet, with its enjoyable story, charming characters, brisk pacing, and delightfully cartoonish creature effects, "Goosebumps" is a fun ride that never fails to entertain. (6.50/10)

Victoria (2015) - The shot-in-a-single-take technique is remarkable, and give the movie a genuine feel of gritty realism, plus, the fact that it shifts from a moody romance to an insanely intense heist thriller turns it into a roller-coaster ride riddled with twists. (7.00/10)

Spectre (2015) - While certainly not the strongest Bond film from the Craig era, "Spectre" is still one with lot of thought put into it, as despite its uneven pacing, it remains an engrossing spy thriller with great action scenes, done in classic, if edgy style. (7.00/10)

Concussion (2015) - A bit too by-the-numbers, therefore predictable, yet compelling nonetheless, this is a superbly-acted and beautifully-filmed based-on-a-real-story drama that is on one hand genuinely inspirational, but on the other somehow disturbing. (7.25/10)

The Big Short (2015) - It i not easy to follow, the intentionally sloppy zoom-ins and outs are distracting, and some of the economical terms are very hard to get, but this is nevertheless a cleverly put together financial drama, as well as a true eye-opener. (7.25/10)

The Little Prince (2015) - Much like its source material, it's a bit odd and peculiar, but also adorable, and truly heartwarming, plus, the stop motion animation is every bit as stunning as the CGI one, and they both breathe life into the characters extraordinarily. (7.25/10)

The Walk (2015) - Offering visual thrills big enough to give you a huge adrenaline rush, and make your heart pound, an aspiring, if not inspiring true story that will hold your attention, and superb performance by Levitt, "The Walk" is a rarely exciting feature. (7.75/10)

[8.50/10] The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys (2016)

Quick Review: The vintage feel of the film, established through the hip late-'70s-L.A. location, stylishly retro production design, and toned-down, yet saturated color palette definitely enhances it visually, but what makes "The Nice Guys" really special is the unpredictability, and originality of its ingeniously "nuanced" script that is simultaneously hysterical, witty, and raunchy, as well as its superbly-cast and comically-gifted three stars that complement each other greatly, and have lots of fun doing it.

[6.25/10] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)

CTHD: Sword of Destiny (2016)

Quick Review: The subplots barely enrich the main story, which repeats the original one, and the entire tone of this long-delayed sequel diverges vastly from Ang Lee's masterpiece, lacking its elegance and finesse and yet "CTHD 2" remains watchable, as it manages to arrest the eye with its astonishing, if overly-stylized visuals and to excite with the expertly-filmed and inventively-choreographed fight scenes, and wire-work. The top cast saves it from mediocrity.

[5.50/10] Alice Through the Looking Glass [3D] (2016)

Alice Through the Looking Glass [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: Visually-ravishing, if narratively insipid, Bobin's inevitable sequel is a pure example of 'all style and no substance' - while the movie has some astounding special effects and production design to boast with, it's vastly let down by the overacting from almost everyone involved, and the joyless, at times convoluted time travel-ish story that may be too dark and quite confusing for the younger viewers, and not interesting enough for the elder audiences.

[5.25/10] The Other Side of the Door (2016)

The Other Side of the Door (2016)

Quick Review: Set in India for a change, the film definitely succeeds in creating a truly obscure tone, fully benefiting from its very atmospheric location, and Sarah Wayne Callies gives a strong central performance, portraying fear and despair equally as convincing but it's the lack of real suspense, the jumpy, yet cheap boo scares, and not-so-terrifying images that turn this one into a weak ghost story unable to stand out. Watch out for the gatekeeper, tho'.

[6.25/10] X-Men: Apocalypse [3D] (2016)

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Quick Review: It kicks off well with an impressive first act, set in ancient Egypt, but then very quickly loses its steam, jumping from one location to another to the point of becoming too incoherent. The mayhem goes even bigger in the second half, where the film starts to feel really overcrowded and loaded with CGI-y action that is not that startling anyway, paying too much attention to its indolent villain. J Law aside, the cast do a great job, and Quicksilver's rescue set piece is absolutely phenomenal!

[6.50/10] Southbound (2016)

Southbound (2016)

Quick Review: A blend of several different stories connected in some sort of random, yet cool and original way, and with each next being more twisted than the last, "Southbound" ends up being one of the very best horror anthologies ever created, as it not only offers satisfactory amount of creepy imagery, buckets of gore, and decent amount of scares, but it also demonstrates that when done with a thought, a horror flick can be effective and tasteful, even when it's crafted with less money.

[4.00/10] Bite (2016)

Bite (2016)

Quick Review: The introductory 10 minutes, shot in mediocre hand-held camera style, are pretty irritating to watch, but things are not getting any better at all further on -- in its core, a lamer, cheaper, and uglier version of the morbid 1986 cult classic "The Fly", "Bite" doesn't even attempt to be frightening, as it does not realize that continually throwing disgusting slime, body fluids, and nasty insect eggs in viewer's face, will not make the film any scarier, or in this case, scary at all. It's just icky.

[6.75/10] The Angry Birds Movie [3D] (2016)

The Angry Birds Movie [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: Okay, it's definitely not the greatest animated flick ever made, and the jokes are not always kids-appropriate, but considering it's video game-based and stuff, "Angry Birds" is actually pretty good — the pacing is vigorous, even frantic, the graphics are superbly polished, and the colors bright, the characters are either cute, funny, or adorable, and the 3D effects have the 'wow factor'. The movie also has a heart - a tiny, birdy one, but still heart.

CineMarvellous' TOP 15 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies of the 2010s (2010 - 2015)

[click on the title to read the review]

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1. The Conjuring (2013)

Quote: "An old-fashioned, atmospheric, tastefully-crafted, and genuinely frightening creepfest that can be easily considered one of the ten best horror movies of the past decade!" (9.50/10)

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2. Trolljegeren a.k.a.
The Troll Hunter (2010)

Quote: "Due to its chillingly-original concept, pitch-perfect execution and mind-blowing visuals, "The Troll Hunter" ranks right up there with such mocku-masterpieces as "[REC]" and "Blair Witch"." (9.25/10)

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3. The Loved Ones (2010)

Quote: "Dementedly-sick, extremely gory, brilliantly-creative and nightmarishly-funny, "The Loved Ones" is a true 
modern horror masterpiece!" (9.00/10)

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4. The Reef (2010)

Quote: "A brilliantly-shot, incredibly realistic, and super-intense edge-of-your-seat horror flick that easily ranks among the best 
shark-themed films of all time!" (8.50/10)

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5. Splice (2010)

Quote: "With its excellent pacing, fascinating visuals and unique story, "Splice" is a bizarre, yet hauntingly beautiful and quite 

memorable film experience." (8.50/10)

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6. Los ojos de Julia a.k.a.
Julia's Eyes (2010)

Quote: "Consistently tense, refreshingly unpredictable and utterly engrossing, "Julia's Eyes" certainly ranks as one of the most polished and skillfully-executed horror thrillers in recent history." (8.50/10)

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7. Tale of Tales (2015)

Quote: "Delightfully twisted in nature, obscure in tone, and even grimmer than any Grimm story ever told, "Tale of Tales" is far from being your typical 'happily ever after' fairy tale." (8.25/10)

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8. Let Me In (2010)

Quote: "Beautifully-filmed, subtly creepy and thoroughly compelling, 
"Let Me In" is one of those extremely rare cases, where the remake is even better than the original." (8.25/10)

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9. The Tall Man (2012)

Quote: "A thought-provoking, deeply disturbing and strangely captivating horror thriller with a great message, filled with mind-boggling twists and turns that will haunt you long after the credits roll." (8.25/10)

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10. Sinister (2012)

Quote: "Every bit as creepy as its title suggests, and also one of the best horror movies of 2012, as it manages to deliver genuine scares and tons of suspense, without having any major flaws." (8.00/10)

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11. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Quote: "A rare hidden gem of a horror movie that delivers a jolt after jolt as the plot unfolds, and culminates in a final act that features one of the scariest film sequences ever shown." (8.00/10)

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12. Sleep Tight (2011)

Quote: "A subtly scary and darkly unsettling psychological horror thriller that certainly won't help you sleep tight at night. At all." (8.00/10)

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13. Daybreakers (2010)

Quote: "The weird depiction of this vampire world makes "Daybreakers" unique to every other vampire movie." (7.75/10)

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14. Mother's Day (2011)

Quote: "A disturbing, and utterly uncompromising depiction of 
sheer terror that gets under your skin and stays there 
long after the credits roll." (7.75/10)

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15. Evil Dead (2013)

Quote: "This remake stands on its own, providing its anticipating audience with a heavy dose of ultra-gory gruesomeness, some brutally nasty death scenes, and a couple of good scares." (7.75/10)

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Honorable mentions:
[All rated 7.50/10]

American Mary (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Evidence (2012)
Final Destination 5 [3D] (2011)
The Tunnel (2011)
Piranha 3D (2010)
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[4.50/10] 13 Cameras (2016)

13 Cameras (2016)

Quick Review: For a film with such a limited budget "13 Cameras" looks very well-made, the acting is pretty adequate for the most part, even if none of the characters is genuinely likable, and the movie itself is just as voyeuristic as its title suggests, but sadly Zarcoff's debut feature never manages to get scary, or creepy, or disturbing enough for that matter, as the terror fails to reach the expected level, and the nasty-looking landlord turns out too dull to give anyone the chills he is supposed to.

[6.75/10] 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Quick Review: There're some very familiar ideas, and more then a few cheesy lines during the first twenty minutes, and honestly, it's nowhere nearly as effective as the movie it's been inspired by, but thanks to the claustrophobic setting, tiny but very talented cast, and a well-conceived script that will make you all wonder, along with the confined characters, whether they are imprisoned or kept safe, "10 Cloverfield Lane" turns out to be more tense and intriguing than it appears to be at first.

[4.50/10] Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Quick Review: It looks almost too slick for a comedy, owing that to the soft-toned color palette, and decent production qualities, and both leads Zac Efron and Robert De Niro are  charming and watchable enough in their roles, considering the horrible material they have to work with, but it's fair to say that "Dirty Grandpa" is a flat-out dumb comedy, devoid of any wit or fresh humor, that tries too hard to be cool and raunchy, but in never menages to bring more than a laugh or probably two.

Quick Reviews: 2015 Movies [PART 04]

Son of Saul (2015) - Shot at a 4:3 aspect ratio for more authenticity that mostly works against it in terms of viewing experience, "Son of Saul" is an extremely difficult film to watch, due to its heavy subject matter, and because it's, well, far from gripping. (6.00/10)

Carol (2015) - Basically plotless, and not particularly appealing to look at, because of the dull cinematography, yet amazingly well-acted by both Blanchett and Mara, "Carol" is watchable, well-made, and very seductive, albeit sadly, not at all that involving. (6.50/10)

The Good Dinosaur (2015) - Not half as inventive as Pixar's previous hit "Inside Out", and arguably the least visually impressive feature from the studio so far, yet still cute, kind-hearted and utterly adorable, "The Good Dinosaur" will win the children over. (6.75/10)

Dope (2015) - Tastefully crafted with flair, originality, and also a touch of quirk, but also clever, thoughtful, and refreshingly nostalgic in terms of visuals, because of its colorful '90s retro vibe, "Dope" is dope for sure, and proabably 'too cool for school'. (6.75/10)

The Hateful Eight (2015) - It may be Tarantino's laziest, most overwritten, and least satisfying effort yet, but he balances it out with some stylized over-the-top violence, slick cinematography and top-notch performances from the impressive ensemble cast. (7.00/10)

Ip Man 3 (2015) - The dramatic parts are surprisingly touching, and the fight sequences are thrilling, expertly-choreographed and performed to perfection, but the plot is slightly offbeat and way too by-the-numbers to surpass its excellent predecessors. (7.00/10)

Bridge of Spies (2015) - An intelligent film-making at its finest, "Bridge of Spies" is a neatly-paced, deeply engaging spy thriller, led by Tom Hanks' great performance, that owes its nice look to the slick cinematography, and outstanding production design. (7.50/10)

Room (2015) - Although pretty uncomfortable to watch in its quietly dark and disturbing first half, set in a single filthy room, "Room" becomes very rewarding later on, in a way you have to experience to understand. Both leads make the movie unforgettable! (7.50/10)

Sicario (2015) - Equally gritty and stylish in terms of visuals, "Sicario" is a focused, electrifying, and intelligently-scripted thriller that relies on so much more than just the action, as it has a few clever tricks up its sleeve, and a talented cast that carries it out. (8.00/10)

The Revenant (2015) - Worth-seeing for the truly breathtaking scenery alone, Innaritu's survival revenge thriller may be a bit hard to sit through at times, but it's also thrilling, masterfully-shot, and fueled by two of the very best male performances of 2015. (8.50/10)

[4.75/10] The Boss (2016)

The Boss (2016)

Quick Review: Melissa McCarthy can do no wrong, and she displays her natural comedic talent yet again in a role that actually suits her, but could have fit her way more if it was written with a little bit more thought, but even her efforts to cover up the stupidity of the script do not pay off, as "The Boss" is so obviously crude, profane, and moronic, nothing could save it. Not to mention the utter lack of quality humor, and the ridiculous attempt at adding an emotional side to the preposterous plot.