With the debates still raging about The Best Films of 2014, we canvassed our awesome writers about what they are looking forward to next year. As with the best of list, we tallied up everyone’s ranked picks and it was hard work keeping this down to twenty – damn, 2015 is going to be another cracking year!
20. GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF
Incisive documentary-maker Alex Gibney (We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) brings stunning revelations about Scientology to the big screen, adapting Lawrence Wright’s non-fiction page-turner of the same name.
19. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY
Sidse Babett Knudsen (the Prime Minister in TV’s Borgen) leads this erotic drama from the director of Berberian Sound Studio as a woman with a keen interest in moths, butterflies, and testing the sexual limits of her lover.
18. WHILE WE’RE YOUNG
Comedy from writer-director Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, The Squid and the Whale) sees an uptight New York documentary-maker (Ben Stiller) and his wife (Naomi Watts) find their jouve de vive returning after meeting a couple of spontaneous young artists (Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried).
17. THE GUEST
The family of a serviceman killed in action receive an unexpected visit from one of his comrades (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey‘s Matthew Crawley). He soon ingratiates himself into their lives until revealing a talent for violence. From the makers of You’re Next.
16. BLACK HAT
Michael Mann (The Insider, Heat) hacker thriller starring Chris Hemsworth as a convict asked to help with an investigation targeting a high-risk networking criminal – an endeavour that will take him and his American and Chinese partners from Chicago to Jakarta.
15. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
Oscar-nominated writer-director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) delivers this crime drama set in ’80s New York, starring Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Albert Brooks (Drive). In 1981, what would statistically end up being one of the city’s most violent years, an immigrant and his family attempt to grow a business amidst a world looking to drag them into the dark and rampant NYC underbelly.
14. ANT-MAN
Paul Rudd is Scott Lang, Marvel’s size-changing scientist, sadly no longer directed by Edgar Wright but Peyton Reed (Yes Man). Co-stars Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Judy Greer, Hayley Atwell – and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, an older scientist who also donned the Ant-Man costume.
13. FURIOUS 7
The action moves to Los Angeles, where it all started, in the seventh Fast & Furious. Having taken down Owen Shaw in the previous film, Shaw’s brother (Jason Statham) seeks revenge on Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew. Kurt Russell also joins the cast, with Dwayne Johnson, Tokyo Drift star Lucas Black, Michelle Rodriguez and the late Paul Walker all returning.
12. JURASSIC WORLD
Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, the vision of founder John Hammond is now reality – a fully-functional theme park open to the public and populated by dinosaurs. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) stars alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and a bunch of dinosaurs, presumably eating people.
11. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
Adaptation of E.L. James’ best-selling erotic novel – the fastest selling paperback of all time (its explicit sex scenes of bondage and masochism has been devoured by over 70 million blushing readers). The novel, the first of a trilogy, traces the relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson, The Social Network) and wealthy entrepreneur Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan, TV’s The Fall).
10. ’71
Jack O’Connell (Starred Up, and the forthcoming Unbroken) leads this war drama as a young British soldier, left in a daze when his unit accidentally abandons him on the hectic streets of Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Winner of Best Director at 2014’s British Independent Film Awards.
9. SPECTRE
Daniel Craig and Skyfall director Sam Mendes return to James Bond for this newie that looks to uncover the elusive sinister organisation ‘SPECTRE’. Co-stars Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw.
8. INSIDE OUT
From Disney/Pixar and the director of Up, this film is set inside a little girl’s head where five emotions – Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness – try to guide her through life.
7. THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Tarantino’s eighth film, a western set in post-Civil War Wyoming. The story – famously leaked in January 2014 by Gawker Media, a spat which threatened to derail the entire project – follows a plot of betrayal and deception involving bounty hunters. Typically stellar cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Jennifer Jason Leigh and… Channing Tatum?!
6. CHAPPIE
Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) helms this sci-fi biopic of a “new-born” robot, observing a near-future Earth as he grows to discover a sense of self. Stars Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel, Blomkamp’s go-to actor Sharlto Copley, and Die Antwoord members Yolandi Visser and Ninja.
5. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Writer-director Joss Whedon returns to helm this sequel to Marvel’s mega-hit, 2011’s The Avengers. The 11th Marvel film, our heroes reassembling to battle the sentient robot Ultron (James Spader). The core Avengers cast returns, along with new faces Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
4. BIRDMAN
Michael Keaton (Batman) leads this black comedy, from the director of 21 Grams, as a washed-up actor – known for portraying iconic superhero Birdman. Now, he’s trying desperately to succeed in an upcoming Broadway play in order to win back his family and former glory. We’ve actually already seen this – check out our five freaking star review.
3. INHERENT VICE
Joaquin Phoenix reteams with The Master director P.T. Anderson to play pothead private investigator ‘Doc’ Sportello in a shaggy dog detective film set in 1969. Based on Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 novel, co-starring Jena Malone, Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro and Maya Rudolph.
2. STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS
The first Star Wars film since Disney bought the rights to George Lucas’ space opera franchise, directed by J.J. Abrams (Lost). The story is set 35 years after Return of the Jedi, with Lucas’ main cast returning alongside Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley.
1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Director George Miller (director of the first three Mad Max pics and, um, Happy Feet) brings the dystopian classic of Australian New Wave cinema back, with Tom Hardy as Max. Co-stars Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is fighting over the necessities of life. There are two rebels who can restore order: there’s Max (Hardy), and Furiosa (Theron) – a woman who believes her path to survival is across the desert, back to her homeland.
There are also cars. And post-apocalyptic scumbags. Lots of cars and post-apocalyptic scumbags. We’re predicting lots of destroyed cars and dead post-apocalyptic scumbags.
