Despite the output of hundreds of features per year, Hollywood’s wide-release slate can often feel like a barren wasteland of retreaded material. While much of our year-end coverage will be focusing on the overlooked gems, today we’re highlighting the few big titles that surprised us over these past twelve months.
Note that the below ten features are strictly films that received a wide release on their opening weekend and not ones that eventually expanded with a roll-out. Some, for various reasons, arrived with virtually little-to-no anticipation around these parts, while others wildly exceeded our basic expectations, all managing to be among our favorites of the year. Check out our selections below and let us know what surprised you most in 2015.
The Age of Adaline (Lee Toland Krieger)
While my praise may not extend the lengths Jaden Smith is willing to go, The Age of Adaline is a refreshingly old-fashioned romantic drama that seemed to be quickly forgotten in its pre-summer-season release. Sporting a whimsical tone, thanks to a charmingly wonky voice-over from Hugh Ross, Lee Toland Krieger‘s studio debut is polished, pristine melodrama done right. In navigating this tale of immortality, Blake Lively and Harrison Ford each prove their worthy screen presence with a certain gravitas long missing in their respective careers. In fact, the latter actor is so emotionally engaged with the material that we hope it segues to a certain blockbuster arriving this week. – Jordan R.
Creed (Ryan Coogler)
Reviving any old property will always be a risky proposition. The risks of the baggage of previous installments weighing down the new narrative are high, and the risk of disappointing the old fanbase is even higher. Add in a story based on a subject as open to formulaic design as boxing, and the bar can seem to be set pretty low. It’s a hugely pleasant surprise, then, that Creed does everything right and somehow sails far above even the highest of expectations. The story of Apollo Creed’s son Adonis, (Michael B. Jordan), teaming up with Stallone‘s Rocky Balboa to train for a life-changing bout is moving and energizing in the best of ways. With killer performances and wildly assured direction from Ryan Coogler, Creed snuck up on audiences and left them cheering for more. – Brian R.
Inside Out (Pete Docter)
On paper, our expectations for Inside Out should have been quite high, considering it is Pete Docter‘s Up follow-up. But with Pixar in a slump these last few years and the trailers not exactly delving into the emotional complexities this film would lay bare, it’s safe to say I was taken aback at just how rewarding it would be. The studio is no stranger to fusing a poignant backbone with an immensely entertaining experience, and Inside Out strikes this perfect balance. For laying out a lucid, internal road map for children, we image this Pixar animation will be the company’s longest-enduring adventure for years to come. – Jordan R.
The Gift (Joel Edgerton)
The marketing did this film very few favors. Aside from introducing a great cast (Joel Edgerton, Rebecca Hall, and Jason Bateman), commercials and trailers made The Gift seem like little more than your typical “nice couple stalked by a creep” movie. Those who took the time to actually watch Edgerton’s directorial debut, though, soon found out that this was a movie with a lot more on its mind than cheap thrills. The story expands to encompass themes such as bullying, narcissism, and the way the past clings to the present, infecting every day with the shadows of what’s been done. Add in an ending that dares you to examine the grey-scale morality of all the parties involved, and you have one of the more intriguing, thought-provoking films to hit theaters this year. – Brian R.
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller)
Who would’ve thought that, twenty years since the last entry in this franchise, the brain behind the madness, George Miller, would return to direct one of the most blistering action films of the decade? The early trailers left some wary of what to expect, yet there was no denying the genuinely exuberant word of mouth from critics and audiences alike. And for good reason: there really wasn’t a theatrical experience that could match the intensity of this heavy-metal cinematic Cirque du Soleil. Riding a Wagnerian wave of apocalyptic mayhem to unfathomable levels of high octane, summer audiences witnessed it, became shiny and chrome, and made Fury Road one of the year’s biggest success stories. – Raffi A.
Magic Mike XXL (Gregory Jacobs)
A dance-movie musical-of-sorts that looks to the past by recalling the hang-out films of Howard Hawks and peers towards the future by integrating a widely diverse cast — without patting itself on the back — Magic Mike XXL makes for an unexpectedly dizzying experience. (And that’s coming from someone who’s not even into the pecs or abs!) The follow-up to 2012’s relaxed male-stripper picture doesn’t miss a step when Gregory Jacobs takes directing duties from Steven Soderbergh, nevertheless retained as cinematographer and editor, and a pacing change-up serves this cast well: as they travel across state lines and encounter party after party, their chemistry — a result of being with those you love and nevertheless want to slug every once in a while — never loses its appeal. A gonzo vision of America halfway through the 2010s, this is unexpectedly a film of the moment — or just a relaxing way to spend two hours. After all, your pleasure is what counts. – Nick N.
Paddington (Paul King)
Films based on classics of children’s literature are often a hit-or-miss proposition — for every Fantastic Mr. Fox there is Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Perhaps this is why Paddington, the delightful adaptation of Michael Bond’s classic tales, was one of 2015’s most pleasant surprises. The bear from “darkest Peru” has been a favorite in my household since my son was barely two years old, so, like many families, we went in hoping for a film that captured the spirit of the stories. Indeed it did, and then some. The choice of Mighty Boosh director Paul King to helm this project is a big reason why. But just as vital is a strong cast of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Peter Capaldi, and especially Ben Whishaw. As the voice of the anthropomorphic, duffle-coated bear, he brings sweetness and charm to the role. Paddington is that rare film with equal appeal for both children and adults. Even more rare? You’ll actually want the (already-planned) sequel. – Chris S.
Shaun the Sheep Movie (Mark Burton, Richard Starzak)
Movies like Minions have rightly biased us against kids’ entertainment that seem overly simple, being reliant on minimal dialogue and cute characters. Luckily, we have movies like Shaun the Sheep to remind us that snappy dialogue isn’t necessary for a film to have wit, intelligence, and real emotion. Using the brilliance of the character designs to sell every possible feeling under the sun, Aardman Animation has crafted a truly affecting and hilarious story. Channeling old silent comedies (e.g. Buster Keaton), they tell a simple story with a fiendishly clever attention to detail and a true grasp of character. Walking into this film, I was expecting a delightful trifle, then walked out shocked at how genuinely moved I was — not to mention how grateful I was that such films could still get made. – Brian R.
Straight Outta Compton (F. Gary Gray)
With a relatively unknown cast and a director whose work is often hit-or-miss, it was a surprise that F. Gary Gray‘s Straight Outta Compton is among the best films Hollywood has put out in quite some time. There are plenty of pictures that allow the audience to congratulate themselves on progressive viewpoints; fewer illustrate the formation of institutional racism at all, let alone with the nuance Gray does here. He examines the members of N.W.A. both as a unit — a group of Compton youth who made it out by broadcasting their story — and as individuals, each of whom exits or remains home in their unique ways. An ensemble of little-known actors, particularly Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as his father, Ice Cube — as well as sharp editing and impressive cinematography from Billy Fox and Matthew Libatique, respectively — make Straight Outta Compton one of the most electrifying films of the year, in addition to one of the smartest. – Forrest C.
Unfriended (Leo Gabriadze)
At first blush, the desktop-set horror film Unfriended sounded like a cheap cash-grab, an easy way to capitalize on this generation’s social media habits, but the Blumhouse production found emotional resonance in a surprising way: authenticity. Other than a brief, garbled riff on the Universal logo, Unfriended ignores any pretenses of being a film at all, instead framing all of its action through Skype calls and onscreen browsing. Admittedly, brand recognition with social media, Spotify, and other real-life applications does help in immersion, but there’s an eerie meta quality to the fact that pausing the film at any moment resembles the desktop and processes of a Mac. Eventually, Unfriended does surrender to a more traditional slasher narrative, but, for a long time, Leo Gabriadze’s film ratchets up paranoia in the most mundane way possible: an unexplainable computer. It’s the rare horror film that knows that, sometimes, that phantom window that won’t close at 2 a.m. can be much scarier than a killer hiding behind a door. – Michael S.
Which wide release surprised you most this year?