Top 25 of 2015 (from #5 till #1)

5. Inherent Vice

It has been since the turning of the century that drug-infused films were popular (Trainspotting, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Big Lebowski, Human Traffic, Go, Requiem for a Dream, Blow, Spun,...). After that, tons of stoner comedies were made along the lines of National Lampoon's legacy. The last few years though, more ambitious drug movies are on the rise again: Enter the Void, Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus, Spring Breakers, A Field in England and now Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice. While I enjoyed all of Anderson's films in the past, I cannot say he has ever made a film that I consider to be one of my all-time favorites. He's undoubtedly very talented, but his films all have a rather pretentious feeling to them. Inherent Vice is no exception to this. At the same time, it is a film that hasn't been as well received as most of his others (which of course still is a reception that was way above average). I cannot really point out why that is, since Inherent Vice is definitely my favorite Anderson film. Just like most of his older work, this isn't a very accessible film: the plot is rather complex, with a lot of supporting characters and strange (often drug-infused) dialogues. It is the adaptation of a book by Thomas Pynchon, an American writer who is known for his dense and abstruse novels. "Inherent Vice", the book, was conceived as part-noir and part-psychedelica and that's exactly what Anderson made out of it - a worthy adaptation indeed. The eccentric performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin, alongside the compelling voice-over of Joanna Newsom and the hazy soundtrack of Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, make Inherent Vice into a neo-noir to be reckoned with. The fuzzy storyline isn't as important as the 1970s atmosphere Anderson, Greenwood and DoP Robert Elswit try to create. Keep that in mind when watching this film. It'll be so much more rewarding in the end.

4. Dear White People

Dear white people, we address this film to you. *nominations for the Academy Awards are announced* Dear white people, thanks for nothing. We don't need to get into the god-awful white, heterosexual, cisgender dominated Oscars again. Although I want to stress that those who agree with Charlotte Rampling on this, really need to be educated. Not enough black people to have deserved a nomination? How about O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Shameik Moore (Dope), Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq), Will Smith (Concussion), Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Mya Taylor (Tangerine), John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) or Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)? Or where were Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), André Benjamin (Jimi: All Is by My Side) and Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) last year? And this is just the actors... Moreover, this probably is just the tip of the iceberg. I think the best response is to just ignore the Oscars. Their authority is only derived from the fact we always keep on referring to them as if they have some artistic, creative or qualitative merit, while it all is just a festivity of Hollywood's glitter and glamour. Yes, black people should fight this, since nobody should be excluded from even the most shallow kinds of celebrations, but on the other hand, why not look to the alternatives? Dear White People offers us exactly this kind of tension: do black people want to be part of white peoples' "world" or do they want their own "world"? And what about integration, assimilation and subversion of white and black "cultural differences"? Dear White People shines a light on all those positions and, for once, cherishes even the anarchist point of view. This movie is funny, thought-provoking and intensely human, all drenched in an authentic hip hop soundtrack (not a nostalgic one like in Straight Outta Compton and Dope, but a contemporary and militant one). It embraces the complexity of ethnic oppression and at the same time it is very clear on one subject: racism today still exists, and the fight against it is not over. Don't be trapped in the dual "with us or against us" framework, but do pick a side in the complex, polygonal shape our world is made out of instead of insisting that it's all the same.

3. Birdman
Praised by the press and movie buffs everywhere, slandered by the many people who thought they were going to see a witty take on the superhero genre. Best film of the (past) year(s) vs. ridiculously overrated. It seems there's no real "in between" when it comes to Birdman. It also seems the first, more elitist reception will make it into the history books. In this case I say: deservedly so. Yes, Birdman is very deceiving in its presentation of the one long take, Iñárritu's script is incredibly conceited and the final tone of the film offers nothing but a cynical view on the way Hollywood and Broadway work. That's all true. But what's new? Isn't Marvel doing exactly the same in their own way? At least Birdman isn't deceptively ironic and doesn't try to conceal lack of content by CGI-ing the shit out of us. It is angry. Frustrated even. But in its frustration, it hits the right spot: in a world and time where the so-called free market dictates what is good and what is bad, where an artist should be more of an entrepreneurial businessman than a creative free spirit and where money buys critical acclaim through marketing and media coverage, Birdman - in all its arrogance - actually tries to say something meaningful. It is a pity that Iñárritu couldn't really transcend cynicism, but why shouldn't there be more cynicism towards an industry that blindly wallows in its own greatness? Maybe he should lighten' up a bit. Maybe he shouldn't emphasize the difficulties of making "art" so much. Yes, yes. Humans aren't flawless, so don't expect them to be. The pure seriousness of Iñárritu's work testifies of his personality: he probably isn't a man of great humor and possibly has issues putting things into perspective sometimes. In the world we live in today, I can relate to that. So yes, cynicism is a red line through some of my favorite films of last year (Youth, Irrational Man, The Big Short, While We're Young, The Lobster): I truly believe our lives are construed through free-market capitalism and cultural navel-gazing; I also believe that's why gleeful entertainment, high profit and their preservation seem to be some of the most important aims left - so we can compare ourselves to others in terms of success. That's my kind of cynicism. But it isn't an indifferent or frustrated cynicism. I see it as a beautiful, joyful way of looking at today's world, provoking me to look for alternatives and solutions in corners and places I haven't looked before, or to find beauty in things that aren't capitalized upon as much. Birdman therefore is a euphoric piece of cinema: it triggers adrenaline in me. It makes me combative and prevents me from throwing in the towel. When I see Mad Max: Fury Road, I enjoy its entertainment value and I'm captivated by its technical and artistic merits. When I see Birdman, I feel compelled to do something more than just passively stare at films and write about them. It's the difference between entertaining and vigorous cinema - the former makes me feel cheerful, the latter makes me more invested in life. I need both.

2. The Duke of Burgundy

Without a doubt, Peter Strickland (Katalin Varga, Berberian Sound Studio) is one of today's masterminds in aesthetic cinema. He proves this mastery yet again in his latest effort The Duke of Burgundy. The stylish costume and production design, the visual perfection, the cunning dialogues, the vivid acting performances, the entrancing score and the thought-provoking script all contribute to one of last year's most immersive experiences. In this movie a lesbian couple lives according to the 'DS' of BDSM: Dominance and Submission. It portrays two female lovers, Evelyn and Cynthia, with a slight age difference who almost constantly maintain the dominant and submissive role in their lives. But who is it that actually dominates: the dom or the sub? Everyone who has some knowledge of or experience with BDSM knows that domination is a layered concept, especially in sexual relations. It's not the rather simplistic notion people read about in 50 Shades of Grey. Christian Grey is an abstraction of the dominant figure. He's nothing more than a (fe)male rape-fantasy. This rape-fantasy however comes closer to DS-reality: in a rape-fantasy it is the person who comes up with the fantasy who is actually being the dominant one. (S)he makes up the rules, the context and the words of the fantasy. (S)he decides who is allowed to "rape" or dominate her/him, not the person who is considered to be the dominant one. Nothing of that in 50 Shades of Grey of course, since this meta-reflection would destroy the fantasy of the book (and film). But that makes it possible for men's rights activists (aka. male chauvinist pigs) to still believe that many women want a strong, dominant man at their side - and those who don't, subconsciously want it. The Duke of Burgundy smashes this ignorant, macho bullshit in its face. There's not one male actor present in this film. And although the director himself is male, it never feels as if he's lusting for some cheap girl-on-girl action. The movie doesn't give in to that lesbian fantasy some men suffer from, since they're not invited to the party. At all. Penetration is just completely absent. The Duke of Burgundy defies our notions of sexuality more than 50 Shades of Grey ever could. This film is must-see material from one of the world's most interesting and promising directors working now.

1. Victoria
Scene one, shot one, take three. Action! ... ... ... Aaaaand... Cut! That's a wrap, people! Translate to German and you get a general idea of how the shooting of Victoria sounded like. Unlike Iñárritu's Birdman, director Sebastian Schipper's Victoria is genuinely a film shot in one long take. It took him three attempts, but the film itself consists out of only one take. It's not the first time this happened in the history of film, but it nevertheless is nothing short of brilliant. After I saw this - two times now - I wanted to swamp everyone with an overload of superlatives. Germany really is a country to keep an eye on: the past few years we got a lot of great stuff from there (Der Samurai, Feuchtgebiete and Oh Boy). It appears this creative wave is not over yet, but we'll have to wait to see if these films get into theaters in Belgium. Some of them were screened uniquely on film festivals, like German Angst, Von jetzt an kein Zurück, True Love Ways and Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark, but others (like Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk!, Love Steaks, Der Nachtmahr and Der Bunker) seem to get no attention whatsoever. Since Germany is a neighboring country, it often stuns me to see how few German films we get to see in our theaters. Especially compared to French and British films. Luckily Victoria did get a chance. With tons of improvised dialogue, incredibly authentic acting and often discomforting, but humane interactions between the protagonists, this film is really the best thing I've seen in 2015. And although it wasn't particularly underrated, it did deserve a lot more attention and acclaim in the press and on social media. This. Is. Cinema.


I'd like to close this top 25 with some honorable mentions of films that didn't make the cut. The Belgian films Paradise Trips (nice to see lifestyle anarchists and contemporary hippies not being portrayed as a bunch of stupid, juvenile losers) and Le tout nouveau testament (minus the final scenes) were a lot of fun, more so than the slightly overrated (but still very well-made!) D'Ardennen in my opinion. I also enjoyed Relatos salvajes, Turist, Mia madre, Umimachi Diary, Que horas ela volta?, Il capitale umano, La meraviglie, Le petit prince, Les cowboys, El club and the rather underrated Når dyrene drømmer, O menino e o mundo and Tu dors Nicole. American indies like The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Slow West and other mildly popular films like The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Shaun the Sheep Movie, A Most Violent Year, The Voices, Hungry Hearts and The Gift all too deserve to be mentioned. By contrast, festival favorites like Omoide no Mânî, Mita tova, The Dark Horse, La isla mínima, Mustang, Dheepan, As mil e uma noites, Ixcanul, Hrútar and Shan he gu ren just left me indifferent or even bored. Others were a bit disappointing, like Métamorphoses, Loin des hommes, Lucifer, Xenia and Schneider vs. Bax.

Biopics and historical epics (often the only way Hollywood tries to offer something else than entertainment) still aren't my cup of tea, so Unbroken, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Foxcatcher, Selma, Bridge of Spies, The Water Diviner, Far from the Madding Crowd, Woman in Gold, Mr. Holmes, Suffragette, Black Mass, Pawn Sacrifice and the most overrated piece-of-crap of last year, American Sniper, didn't do anything for me. I did enjoy some biopics and period drama's though, first and foremost the British (and quite underrated) Belle, followed by Wild, Big Eyes, Jimi: All Is by My Side, Phoenix and Son of Saul. It is very deliberate that I put Son of Saul last. While I absolutely stand in awe of its technical merits, the film itself bothers me: it's too voyeuristic and it appeals too much to the horrific images we associate with the Endlösung. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not a product of the Holocaust Industry, but it isn't provoking us either. It's too observing. It's like watching a re-enacted documentary. All in all, the film feels to me a bit too much like an application for Europe's arty-farty film elite...

If 2016 will be as good a film year as 2015 was, there won't be much to complain about. Provided that you aim your eyes, heart and brain in the right direction and don't expect anything unrealistic. Don't be deceived by marketing or critical acclaim. Follow your gut. When doing so, every year will have a lot of wonderful movies to offer, and bitter or outdated remarks about lack of talent and creativity, will vanish into thin air. Just don't confuse entrepreneurial sales pitches with genuine, humane enthusiasm - both are optimistic and confident, but the former is deceitful and empty (nothing should be expected from it), while the second is full of life and inherently anarchist.

Top 25 of 2015 (from #10 till #6)

10. While We're Young

Noah Baumbach is a director many love to hate. He is too self-aware, too ironic and not authentic enough. In short: he's a hipster because he was a hipster before hipsterism was hip. Together with fellow citizens Wes Anderson, Woody Allen and Jim Jarmush, Noah has a rather intellectual following. The contemporary hipster-zeitgeist has entered his works since he cast mumblecore favorite Greta Gerwig in Greenberg (and afterwards co-wrote France Ha and Mistress America with her). This influence is very present in While We're Young. An older, fortysomething couple, Cornelia and Josh (Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller), see their peers getting married, have children and do other "grown-up" stuff. A rather disciplined routine has sneaked into their lives and drained all the energy out of them. When they meet the twentysomethings Darby and Jamie (Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver), they suddenly revitalize. The young couple couldn't care less about social media or the internet, they don't use computers and consciously ignore the digital age. At first glance, their lives even seem to be carefree. Cornelia and Josh are allured by this somewhat primitivist attitude, and it doesn't take long before they fall in love with the younger couple's authentic way of life. This love blinds them from the fact that people remain people, with their own agendas, flaws and issues. While We're Young is not (only) about the young couple keeping up their appearances, it is about the older couple projecting something they deem lost (i.e. authenticity) on the younger couple and inductively finding it. While it may seem a somewhat cynical movie in the end, I feel it is more about the way that people who have lost their joie de vivre can deceive themselves in believing that imperfect things (in this case the pre-digital era, human beings,...) are perfect. It is by embracing the downside of things though, we can see beauty and authenticity without becoming disappointed or disillusioned. And that's exactly the way I look at While We're Young.

9. Black

Aaah, one of Belgium's most critically acclaimed films of 2015! No, not the most hyped film. Like I continue to stress: a hype is created by marketing and buzz. F.C. De Kampioenen 2: Jubilee General! and Safety First - The Movie were the most hyped Belgian movies of 2015. Black, D'Ardennen and Le tout nouveau testament were, in their turn, the most critically acclaimed and - because of that - they created a lot of buzz around their release which then resulted in a hype. Like with all critically acclaimed movies many people feel the urge to rebel against that verdict (that's why a film like F.C. De Kampioenen 2 gets off easy). As if fifteen film journalists have the power to make a definitive judgment against which all other judgments have to be measured. In the meanwhile De Kampioenen is just cashing in (despite negative reviews) and we all forget that Flemish "it's just all about a misunderstanding, oh no, hahahaha!"-humor is still dominating our wallets and bank accounts. For some reason we, as an audience, resent Black because of its unearned reputation, but at the same time we, as an audience, keep paying for adapted-from-television comedies, which we all know is just something that's only about the lulz anyway. We get mad for all the wrong reasons in this country and that's why I will stick with it: Black is one of the best Belgian films ever made. I agree, Adil and Bilall themselves have a very persistent way of showing up everywhere. They embody the kind of over-the-top entrepreneurial spirit and hysterical enthusiasm I find extremely irritating and even fake. Moreover, Black is an obvious Hollywood-influenced movie (Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bay, Tony Scott) with some imagery that clearly was inspired by Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers. In that way, Adil and Bilall have more in common with Jan Verheyen (one of Belgium's most "Hollywoodian" directors) than some care to admit. The difference is that the street cred of Black trumps all of Verheyen's, Bay's and Scott's movies. Like, really, all of them. Combined. So while both directors' attitude in the media may feel phony, their intentions of disrupting comfort zones and their efforts of bringing actual diversity in the Belgian movie scene, are absolutely not. Next time, maybe they should try to write an original script though, so we can see how creative their storytelling skills are.

8. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
More often than not, winners of some of Europe's most acclaimed awards (Golden Bear, Golden Palm, Golden Lion) just don't do the trick for me. Nonetheless, a winning streak began in May 2014 (Palm for Winter Sleep), went on to September 2014 (Lion for A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence) and ended in February 2015 (Bear for Taxi). I think that was the first time in my life this happened. The Swedish gem by master of the absurd Roy Andersson, hit all the right buttons. Just like in the Greek Weird Wave, people in Andersson movies are devoid of basic, human emotions. Emotions they lost because of the disenchanted world they live in. It magnifies the cold, apathic and narrow-minded mentality our own world seems to keep cultivating. The Camus- and Beckett-like absurdism of Andersson's A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence is of unprecedented quality. Because of that, this film is not easily digested. Just like in absurdist philosophy, this film resists all attempts to give meaning to it. It just is. The only thing we can do is accept it or, if we don't want to give in to the absurd, reject it. By accepting it, we can feel more liberated, more free. If we reject it, we are confronted by the absence of that which most of us aspire the most: meaning. This absence creates frustration, aversion and disapproval (in relation to the film) or despair, depression and elusive beliefs (in life). Absurdism finally got a few moments in the spotlights again. The icing on the cake though, is the repetitive singing of Felix Anéer's version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (here: "Halta Lotta"), which sounds even more bleak when considering the Europe we live in today. Glory, glory, hallelujah, indeed!

7. The Lobster

Imagine a world where there are only two options for every human: being in a relationship or being turned into an animal. Not quite the world many of us would like to live in. Yorgos Lanthimos uses this dystopic tale as an allegory for the state Greece (or Europe, or the whole Western World) is in. There are no real choices, there is no real freedom. Or you go into a relationship (fake it if you have to), or you get cast out as an animal. In The Lobster we see David (Colin Farrell), who has recently been dumped, enter a hotel where all single people get rehabilitated. They get 45 days to find a new partner, otherwise they will be turned into an animal. Those 45 days hang like a noose above their necks, so they use whatever means necessary to find a suitable partner. To extend their stay at the hotel, they have to enter the nearby forest and hunt the singles - for every one of them they shoot, they get an extra day. The only choices they are left with  are completely meaningless (for example: they get to pick their own animal). When David escapes the hotel, he comes across a resistance group of singles. But the alternative isn't as beautiful as he hoped it'd be. The singles have become vengeful and have embraced some very authoritarian rules (for example: you cannot get involved with another human being). Ultimately, it appears every choice left to David, is between the devil and the deep blue sea. What's left is the utterly cynical and black resolution David turns to in the end. Allegoric much? The Lobster, just like Dogtooth and Alps, holds up a mirror to all of us. It may seem suffocating to get confronted with a worldview so grim, but it's not like Yorgos wants us to accept this view of the world. The Greek Weird Wave is a product of the state Greece is in. It's no surprise films like this arise from that country. Instead of only praising the gallows humor and black comedy, we can also approach it as an invite to fight the gruesome "faith" we are all in (and still are heading towards). Seen from that point of view, The Lobster's cynicism is just a witty, spirited and genuine way of confronting us with ourselves.

6. Lost River
Lost River is the perfect example of how a pastiche transcends itself. It is drenched in Terrence Malick and Nicolas Winding Refn (whom Ryan Gosling both thanks in the credits), spiced with David Lynch, a pinch of Harmony Korine and even some giallo dust. It is politically charged like a Michael Moore documentary and at the same time narratively quite dramatic like a Derek Cianfrance pic (whom Ryan also both thanks). With a crew comprising of DoP Benoît Debie (Spring Breakers and permanent DoP of Gaspar Noé and Fabrice Du Welz), composer Johnny Jewel (Bronson and some stuff in Drive) and editors Nico Leunen (Altiplano, The Invader, Kid, Waste Land, N: The Madness of Reason and permanent editor of Felix van Groeningen) and Valdís Óskarsdóttir (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and worked on several occasions with Harmony Korine and Thomas Vinterberg), it is almost impossible to not stay true to those influences. And while those influences are very clear and rather shameless, Ryan Gosling adds to them an almost perfect ingredient: synthesis. It proves he can both direct and write. He has exactly the right finesse and mindset it takes to weave all of the puzzle pieces together in a dreamy, provocative, emotional and reverberating work of art. Even the trailer and video clip-like featurette were of an outstanding nature (although that merit probably goes to the editors). Lost River was scorned and ridiculed by most of the press: the pastiche was labeled as sheer theft and consequently devalued. If you insist in calling it theft, please remember that this so-called theft was so transparent, that the remark of it being theft, is actually quite redundant and it serves no greater purpose than ill-advised slandering. Ryan has made an unfaked, magical experience of all he stole, with dialogues that are borderline poetry, a spellbinding score alongside the many saturated colors that elevate the senses and a political awareness we haven't seen anywhere in his acting career. Lost River, in one word, is immersive. I've watched it two times now and if it keeps on growing the way it does, in some years from now, this may actually become my favorite movie of 2015.

Next up: the top 5!

Top 25 of 2015 (from #15 till #11)

15. It Follows

Why is it that when an indie horror film gets critically acclaimed it immediately becomes hyped, but when a gazillionth haunted house / ghost movie hits theaters, including marketing campaigns on television, numerous websites and public space, we don't use the word "hype"? It Follows, like The Babadook, is a so-called hyped film, but what about Paranormal Activity, The Cabin in the Woods, The Woman in Black, Devil, The Conjuring, Insidious, Mama, Sinister, The Purge, Oculus, Annabelle or Dark Skies? Why aren't they accused of being hyped? It all feels like double standards to me, so I refuse to acknowledge It Follows is more hyped than any of the above. It's undoubtedly a popular film, a lot more than most other indie horror flicks. But so what? If you don't like it, you just don't like it, don't start whining about the film being overhyped. It Follows benefits from the 80s revival, just like The Guest, Ping Pong Summer, The Editor, The Final Girls and Turbo Kid, but it isn't an exploitation movie. While indeed the soundtrack is synth-based and the setting is really limited, its inventive ways to use a completely saturated genre (i.e. ghost stories) is effective and playful. Of course, this isn't a serious movie, nor will it bring about a shift in mainstream horror, but it is something authentically different from most commercial horror flicks these days - especially in its use of colors/lighting, score and casting. It might be that it isn't your cup of tea, even if you're a horror aficionado, just don't blame it for being overhyped (unless you only like obscure horror flicks, but why did you watch it then in the first place?). Finally, a thumbs up for (Brittany Murphy look-alike) Maika Monroe; I'm kinda curious what the future will bring for her!

14. What We Do in the Shadows

Probably one of the wittiest horror comedies in a long time. Vampires and werewolves have become boring and unscary. The 19th century has long gone by and that what makes us really terrified isn't to be found in books or movies anymore; let's just say global Newspeak is doing a better job on that front. What We Do in the Shadows knows scary isn't working anymore. Instead it rediscovers the banned-to-television genre of the mockumentary. Deadpan master Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Taika Waititi, forming the comic duo The Humourbeasts, came up with the idea in 2005 when they made the short What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires. Vampirism wasn't as hip back then as it is now, but their patience has been rewarded: What We Do in the Shadows is probably one of the most popular films ever to hail from New Zealand (coming in after everything Peter Jackson-related of course). Some entertainment just is more creative than other, and it seems New Zealand has what it takes to make 'serious unserious' horror flicks: from Jackson classics Bad Taste and Braindead, to Black Sheep in 2006, to Housebound, What We Do in the Shadows and Deathgasm the last few years. Waititi has been signed to direct the third Thor installment (Thor: Ragnarok) in 2017. Let's hope something of his deadpan style makes it to the final cut of the new episode in the Marvel 'is-getting-old-real-fast' Universe...

13. La belle saison
Isn't feminism supposed to be totally hip these days? Aren't many educated women self-proclaimed feminists? Or is most of it merely a fad, without real revolutionary vision and attitude, but a way of just identifying oneself? Being a man, it makes it difficult to proclaim that feminism nowadays is often a liberal pose (defined in terms of rights and career opportunities) than a true radical stance that concerns itself with anarchist, transgender or transnational issues. Luckily I see a lot of conflict within feminist organizations and movements, although politicians and other female authoritarian figures will often emphasize and embrace more white and privileged visions on feminism. Today, if feminism isn't just a trend to you, intersectionality is probably one of your main concerns. That's what La belle saison is all about. Unlike Suffragette, which is a representation of feminist history many like to see and applaud, La belle saison doesn't try to impose us with liberal superiority. This movie is really all about a romance between two women during the 1970s, not a way to divert feminist history away from people like Emma Goldman or Rosa Luxemburg and make it all about Emmeline Pankhurst and suffrage. Because of that, La belle saison is a very humane, complex film that doesn't push its viewers towards one side. It transcends liberal notions of femininity and oppression, and captivates its audience by way of its score, photography, humor, acting and dialogue. This movie is highly underrated and deserved so much more attention. Especially recommended for those who liked Olivier Assayas' Après mai.

12. Knight of Cups

Malick. Oh boy. If there's one director that polarizes audiences, it must be him. I couldn't bare some of the muddled reviews and pompous praise The New World, The Tree of Life and To the Wonder got. I saw his movies were special, unique and had a lot of creativity in them, but they all felt distant, unemotional and outright woolly. And that was exactly the problem. They all aspired to be spiritual, poetic and immersive; they were aimed at our senses and emotions, while they debunked more cerebral and rational approaches. Ironically, it was only in a rational way I could grasp this: I understood rationally what these movies aspired to be (which I applaud very much!), but I didn't feel it (so, in the end, to me, Malick failed). Enter Knight of Cups. The circumstances in which I saw this movie were almost exactly the same as I saw the previous movies, so it's not like I was high on drugs, was emotionally more invested or had a very receptive moment due to whatever cause. Nevertheless it overwhelmed me. Big time. It was as if Malick, after experimenting in his previous works, finally hit the right spot. The religious mumbo-jumbo of The Tree of Life was gone, as was the poetic celebration of love and romance of To the Wonder. Knight of Cups has - of course - a lot in common with Malick's older films, but its spirituality is more of an atheistic, contemporary kind (no Christian symbolism!), and its romance is more concerned with happiness / sadness and life / death than with downright emotions (no love story!). There's a reason why I thought the father-son relationship and the priest's speeches were some of the most redundant elements of the whole film: they reminded me too much of The Tree of Life and To the Wonder. Malick should let go of narrativity completely, because it distracts too much from the audiovisual and meditative flow of the moment. If Malick really is all about mesmerizing his audience, abolishing linearity while maintaining contemplative spoken word, should be his primary concern. In short: let go of meaning and let experience take over. Maybe Malick's magnum opus is still in the making.

11. The Big Short
The world is dictated by man-made laws being sold as natural, free-market laws. People in power get cynical because the whole situation feels inevitable: we are at the end of history and capitalism has triumphed, the only conflict left is of a cultural nature, not of an economical. That's the story we've been told since the end of the 1980s: communist, socialist, nationalist and statist ideologies are remnants of the past (as they should be) and we have nothing left to turn to. Free-market capitalism is possibly the biggest piece of smothering, dangerous and self-deceiving propaganda the world has ever seen. We get paralyzed by it. We get cynical. And because we get paralyzed and cynical, this propaganda becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Big Short is a tale of this state the world is in, seen from the eyes of some of the naive hypocrites who sail the ship: hedge funders, rating agents, big bankers and businessmen, real estate agents, privately funded economic scientists, financial entrepreneurs, laissez faire capitalists, traders and stockbrokers, commercial journalists,... All those who safeguard the never-ending status quo of the financial and capitalist world. In The Big Short there are no good guys, not even the ethically confused Mark Baum (Steve Carell), the speculative Michael Burry (Christian Bale) or the disillusioned Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt). Sometimes they say or even do "the right thing", but in the end they all are trapped by the dictatorship of free-market laws they abide by, wish to preserve or see no alternative to. That's why The Big Short can be such a beautiful film: it embodies sheer free-market capitalism (A-list actors, big budget, sells criticism as a commodity,...), but it fails to glorify it through its content - it bursts the bubble of it being "free". Some might say it's cynical, but it's only cynical if you still hope for change while Wall Street or free-market capitalism thrive (or believe freedom and free-market capitalism can co-exist). The Big Short shows us that the system we all live in today is truly, inherently bankrupt (pun intended). And while our belief in free-market capitalism crumbles, the film proves that this "awakening" can be "taught" in a fun, gratifying way. It's like an enthusiastic, didactically dubious professor of economy has made an effort to explain the whole situation to us in a sexy and comic fashion. Or like a TED Talk where things get clarified as being beyond hope, as long as we expect solutions to come from reformist policies instead of revolutionary acts and the total negation of capitalism. Finally, The Big Short, for me, legitimizes the treatment of political and judicial authorities, financial institutions and those who propagate free-market capitalism with utter contempt.

Next up: films 10 to 6!

Top 25 of 2015 (from #20 till #16)

20. Irrational Man

A Woody Allen movie is always somewhat of an intellectual movie. It will come as no surprise that most of his fanbase is comprised out of lefties and philosophy or literature majors. Irrational Man is exactly the kind of movie that is directed towards them. Joaquin Phoenix plays Abe Lucas, a professor in philosophy who suffers from an existential crisis. When he comes across Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), an enthusiastic student of him, it appears he gradually finds joy again. But it is something of a completely other nature that makes him overcome his crisis. Something that, at the same time, will test his new relationship with Jill. The characters and dialogue are frivolous in the typical, intellectualist Allen-way. The atmosphere and humor are dark while maintaining a constant, almost unbearable cheerfulness. It is because of this frivolity and cheerfulness Irrational Man never is a full-on intellectual movie. Just like Allen's older work the film reflects on problems and worries which are all quite "First World", meaning they are inherent to people who have the time and energy to think about life and 'the big questions'. Most of Allen's movies are directed towards First Worlders and the sorrows that afflict them. This film is primarily focused on the philosophical concept l'ennui, or boredom. It has been a major concern of many 19th and 20th century philosophers and Allen now tries to look for a (rather cynical) way to get out of this existential void. Intellectualist? Yes, but not in a metaphysical, essayistic or highly theoretical way. Ennuyeux? Absolutely not.

19. Reality

Charlie Kaufman, look out, you're getting competition. After several 'certified weird' movies, Quentin "Mr. Oizo" Dupieux (Rubber, Wrong, Wrong Cops) finally made a movie that wasn't just aimed at a hipster audience. Reality may be full of self-referring puns and props, people who haven't seen his previous works won't be confused by them or even notice them. It still is a highly ironic movie, but at the same time Dupieux seems to explore the unique style of meta-master Kaufman. In Reality director Jason Tantra is looking to fund his film 'Waves'. The producer he contacted is completely convinced of his ridiculous story (about televisions that literally kill people), but wants Jason to look for the perfect scream before he signs off on the project. While the director is trying to nail this perfect scream, he discovers his movie is actually already made (by Dupieux himself maybe?). Logic is nowhere to be found in Reality, especially because Dupieux puts another, Lynchian layer to the story; a layer about another director who makes a movie (for the same producer) about a girl who finds a videotape in a wild boar. Reality is somewhat of a weird curiosity and because of that it'll eventually become cult. Dupieux is very aware of that fact though, which make his movies always kinda conceited. However, in a way his ironic, hipster vibe is an authentic snapshot of today's zeitgeist. It raises the question of how far a film can go in grasping itself through its own medium without becoming trivial or redundant. Dupieux, just like Kaufman, really is expanding today's cinematic frontiers. Next step: seeing ourselves watching ourselves at the end of a movie, as an unexpected plot twist!

18. Taxi

Low budget and subversive filmmaking have acquired a new dimension. Taxi is Panahi's third film made while being banned from directing, but its silent protest sounds louder than ever. Panahi casts himself as a taxi driver, roaming the streets of Teheran and picking up passengers (played by anonymous actors). Although the film is staged and thus fictional, the themes, conversations and secrecy are very real. Iran's censorship is provoking Panahi to keep on making films without really attacking Iranian society itself. He merely shows it, including its defaults. Strong, transgressive criticism can still flourish in societies that smother freedom of speech. It's much harder to make "dangerous" movies in so-called free societies. Taxi is a reminder of this fragile condition most Western societies are in, especially today. Freedom of speech is being questioned by the same people that use it to spread hatred and racism. We all claim to be Charlies, but in the end we can't cope with real diversity of opinion since ours is always better and more true than that of others. In that way Jafar Panahi also defies our own conception of freedom of speech, especially through all of the dialogue we hear from the passengers he picks up with his taxi. His movie is the embodiment of true freedom of speech, which we all applaud. But his movie equally shows the frustration that opposing opinions trigger in people: you can't hurt or kill them for it, but it feels so gratifying when a powerful authority thinks and speaks the same way we do (frequently forgetting these authorities are often the reason why we think the way we do). When these powerful authorities take measures to marginalize, ridicule or silence other opinions, we believe this to be proof of our own superiority. It can be through bans or censorship, like in Iran. But it can manifest itself more subtle: through ignoring or trivializing certain voices and communities. This can be done by knowingly or blindly discriminating others because of their views, or by trying to provoke illegal actions by not considering or taking into account other people's opinions (and thereby discrediting them), like in the West. In a way, Panahi's situation has the benefit of being more clear. We, in the West, can only point to vague or intuitive feelings of repression, 'cause public opinion really believes we have total freedom of speech. Is it even possible for us to make a subversive movie like Taxi? And, moreover, should we be glad and reassured if the answer is 'no'?

17. Sicario

I expected a serious American film about the drug war at the border of Mexico and the United States for a long time now (it has already been 15 years since Traffic), but I didn't expect it to come from Denis Villeneuve (my more evident, rather biased guesses were Iñárritu or Cuarón). It proved to be the right man for the job. Incendies showed his affinity with ethico-political complex situations, Prisoners demonstrated his ability to create nail-biting suspense and Enemy revealed his craftsmanship concerning visual style. Sicario is a synthesis of all those merits. It is one of the most brutal, morally complex, visually stylistic and adrenaline packed movies of last year. Above all, it confronts us with a situation that's been going on for decades, where extremely violent cartels, corruption on both sides of the border and endless smuggling of drugs and migrants create unbearable living conditions for millions of people throughout Mexico. The official death toll of the drug war is estimated above 120.000, not including several thousands who have gone missing. Juárez, the city depicted in this movie, is one of the most dangerous places in the world because of its constant violence. People get killed every day in that city, which makes it an actual war zone. Sicario, a Spanish term for 'hitman', shines a light on this ferocious reality through the eyes of an American FBI agent. We see her principles and values deteriorate in the gruesome context of the drug war. This is a necessary film, although its sheer brutality and hopelessness might scare off some people. For those who want to know more about the subject, see the documentaries Narco Cultura or Cartel Land. Want to see a Mexican point of view? I'd recommend Sin nombre, La jaula de oro and Heli. Just don't expect to find a more comforting picture in those films...

16. Theeb

It remains to be seen if Theeb will get the attention it truly deserves. A lot will depend on the winning of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but its competition is fierce, especially from festival favorites Son of Saul and Mustang. My support goes out to Theeb though, because I'm just not feeling the universal acclaim for Son of Saul, nor do I buy into the inauthentic celebration of liberated femininity in Mustang. Theeb on the other hand, presents us with a story of survival and adventure against the backdrop of World War I in Hejaz, seen from the eyes of a young Bedouin boy. Its imagery is stunningly beautiful and the poetic use of Arabic language casts a cinematic spell on its viewers. The word 'theeb' means 'wolf' and at the same time it is the name of the boy - an allegoric way of telling us people sometimes have to become wolves to survive, especially in harsh conditions. When Theeb's older brother is requested to guide a British officer to a well across the pilgrims' trail in the Wadi Rum, the young one follows him into the desert, unknowing this will be the start of a ruthless struggle for survival. This film can best be described as a coming-of-age story or as a western, both not in a traditional way. On top of that, the execution is exceptionally enchanting. So while Naji Aby Nowar grew up and partly studied in Britain, this movie nonetheless empowers Arabic filmmaking by showing it has more to offer than most people would expect.

Next up: films 15 to 11!

Top 25 of 2015 (from #25 till #21)

The ten most entertaining films of 2015 were addressed in my previous post. Now it's time to see what 2015 had to offer in another area: movies that, at least to some degree, left the realm of pleasing and entertaining and tried to add or subtract something. Again, this doesn't mean these films are better or superior to the ones in the top 10. They only are commercially more risky (or not commercial at all), narratively more contested or simply more difficult to watch or grasp. They require affinity to the subject or style and sometimes even an acquired taste.

A justified remark was made on my distinction between entertaining and other-than-entertaining movies: isn't it inherently elitist to make a distinction at all? And, in doing so, am I not neglecting craftsmanship and technique in these entertaining movies? I thought about this and don't think the distinction is elitist, provided that the connotation you give to 'entertainment' is not negative. 'Entertainment' is just a way to describe movies whose main purpose is to entertain and are commercially rather safe. I use it in a descriptive, not derogative way.

It may still sound like I'm devaluing craftsmanship and technique by equating it to entertainment and thereby not acknowledging the audiovisual merits. Aren't movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Mad Max: Fury Road really, really well-made and don't they deserve to be in the same overview as so-called arty or intellectual movies? The short answer is yes. Nevertheless I stand by my distinction because my angle of incidence is different. I separate entertaining movies from movies that aren't (only) invested in entertaining. By doing so, I recognize the audiovisual qualities implicitly - I just don't make a distinction between movies that are visually striking and well-crafted, and those which are not.

Like all distinctions, this one also suffers from arbitrariness. That's okay though, it just serves as a framework that tries to offer another perspective on evaluating cinema. This perspective isn't primarily focused on objectivity (like craftsmanship and technique), but rather on subjectivity. Subjectivity isn't necessarily blind to cinematographic merit, it just recognizes that other considerations can play an equally or even more important role in evaluating a movie. It is more intuitive and less rational. Moreover, objectivity can create a blind spot for movies that entertain, provoke, challenge or inspire without being particularly well-made according to the contemporary standards of what is considered to be "a good film". Objectivity doesn't usually take perception into account.

While the whole distinction may be a bit intellectualist in itself, I admit, it is motivated by evaluating movies more intuitively. It is not trying to devalue entertaining movies into guilty pleasures and in the meantime neglecting their cinematographic qualities. It is trying to uplift those entertaining movies to the same level as so-called arty or intellectual movies, without being blind to the fact that movies still are mostly about entertainment and thus other-than-entertaining movies aren't suited for everyone. Hence, two different lists. One directed towards everyone who's able to watch movies, including movie buffs. Another one directed towards those who, like I said in my previous post, are value seekers, think mainstream entertainment is boring or want to resist marketing's dictatorship on cinema. Just like there's nothing wrong with entertainment, there's also nothing wrong with wanting something else.

The top 25 I'm starting now is focused on films that (at least partly) subvert entertainment. This can be done in many ways: films that need more focus or attention to watch, films that experiment with style or narrative and confront us with things we aren't used to, films that evoke certain feelings or thoughts we not felt or thought of before, films that try to transform entertainment itself, etc. Let's start with the first five.

25. Love
Just like his previous movies, Gaspar Noé (Irréversible, Enter the Void) divided audiences all over the world. Noé is one of those French directors who can be blamed for elitism, arrogance and egocentricity which many people - not entirely unjustified - associate with the typical French art film. Along with compatriots and contemporaries Leos Carax, Alain Guiraudie, Denis Dercourt, Bertrand Bonello, Christophe Honoré and more recently Yann Gonzalez, Gaspar Noé keeps this tradition alive (which quite possibly is one of the reasons why the derogative concept "arty farty" came into being) and in doing so he presents us some very polarizing cinema every few years. Love is his latest achievement, and just like Guiraudie's L'inconnu du lac or Kechiche's La vie d'Adèle, it defies our understanding of the (fine) line between cinema and pornography. The explicit sex scenes in the film aren't simulated or choreographed which can induce feelings of shame, awkwardness and unease in its viewers, especially if you're viewing it in a public theater. Although the main intention, according to Noé, was to make a love story where there's real, emotional sex, the movie succeeds mostly in provoking its audience, not in moving or grasping them on a deeply emotional level. There will always be exceptions of course; its warm colors, poetic dialogue and sensual cinematography can evoke strong emotional feelings. For me it didn't, although it did make a rather lasting and deep impression.

24. Macondo

Like all social realist cinema, Macondo focuses on contemporary problems, more specifically migration and refugees. It's a recurring and quite popular theme in many European movies these days, see for example Dheepan, Atlantic, Mediterranea, Babai, Brak, Problemski Hotel and Simshar. None of them are as powerful as Macondo though. Situated in the Macondo refugee settlement in Vienna, Ramasan, an 11-year-old Chechnyan boy, lives with his mother and two younger sisters. His father is absent and tradition dictates he, being the only man in the household, is responsible for his family. When Isa, an old comrade of his father, shows up, Ramasan feels the urge to protect his family from this intruder. Throughout the whole movie you can feel Sudabeh Mortezai, the director, has really lived this situation. This authenticity makes up for an almost unfelt depth in social realist cinema. Furthermore, the child actor playing Ramasan is incredibly convincing. He makes the psyche of a young boy taking responsibilities one cannot live up to at that age, both touching and confronting. His resistance to accepting the help of Isa, who's sincerely worried and only means well, reveals a psychological irrationality that's inherent to both Ramasan's age and the macho culture he's used to. A film that deserves more attention, especially from those who love Britain's new wave of social realist directors like Shane Meadows, Andrea Arnold and Clio Barnard or the Belgian Dardenne's.

23. Whiplash
Everybody who's into rock music knows that drummers often get teased with endless jokes about them being dumb, untalented or not real musicians. Maybe it's time for some empowerment through cinema, 'cause after Whiplash, drumming won't be looked down upon anymore. The next time you go to a concert and the drum solo kicks in, you won't be compelled to take a bathroom break or go to the bar to get some drinks. You will stand in awe of the agility, vigor and rhythm the drummer has. Whiplash isn't just a movie about drumming though. It's a movie about irrational ambition, willpower and unprecedented discipline. You think talent is what makes you good at something? Think again. Talent is only part of it. You have to practice constantly, fail, try again, fail harder and do better. Working trumps being talented; nothing comes "just" naturally. At the same time the aspiration to excel in something can take dangerous forms. Whiplash shines in at the dynamic between Fletcher, a ruthless teacher (J.K. Simmons' performance is scary as hell), and Andrew, his ambitious disciple who wants to be one the best drummers in the world. While Fletcher is praised by many, his methods have more in common with military bullying than responsible education. According to him, this authoritarian method brings out the best in his students. Andrew's descent into obsession proves it doesn't. A lesson he learned the hard way.

22. Charlie's Country

Just like everywhere in the world, indigenous people are repressed and looked down upon as being curiosities and remnants of the past. At best they're the subject of anthropological studies which, certainly in the beginning of the 20th century, romanticize and even idolize them. In Australia these indigenous people are Aboriginals. Charlie's Country reflects upon Charlie, an Aboriginal man who lives in the Northern Territory (where almost one in three people is of Aboriginal heritage) and battles against the advancing westernization of his culture and territory. The many laws that prohibit his movements and habits make him leave his community and embark on an adventure to find his roots. But finding your roots while being accustomed to a certain degree of comfort, is a hard thing to do. Charlie's Country confronts us with the impact of so-called progress on people and communities many consider to be backward and uncivilized. While this story itself is nothing new, the visceral performance of protagonist David Gulpilil and Rolf de Heer's tender and respectful rendition of Aborginal life makes it stand out. The film never tries to romanticize a certain way of life. It questions the primitivism some people look up to as being "more true" to ourselves as human beings, but at the same time it questions the imperial tendencies of so-called Enlightened values. Just like many movies that aren't B/Hollywood-sexy or haven't gotten critical acclaim throughout the world, Charlie's Country got quite neglected. Don't give in to this silence. Watch it.

21. Youth
My anticipation for this movie was just plain unrealistic. After La grande bellezza, which is one of my favorite films of the past ten years, there was no way Paolo Sorrentino could top that. Nevertheless, my anticipation stayed and - like expected - Youth didn't outdo La grande bellezza. This doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie. On the contrary, it definitely was one of last year's finest. Just like his previous installment, Sorrentino made a rather cynical movie. There is no joy to be found in getting older, even when you're an acclaimed director or composer and have tons of money. The world is just an endless succession of grief, disappointment and melancholy; the only way to cope is to become cynical and inert. It reveals an inconvenient truth of contemporary, mostly Western society: in our search for knowledge, careers and money, we lost our will to give meaning to life. Youth contemplates this cynical way of living, but at the same time shows it isn't devoid of feelings or emotion - although they manifest themselves mostly through regret and nostalgic sentiment. While the message to be found here is almost the opposite of my own vision on life, the aesthetical way of giving form to this cynicism is so beautiful and immersive that you almost feel enticed to accept it. Just like in La grande bellezza, Sorrentino uses the sound and light design to its full extent. And while the English of Michael Caine never sounds as poetic as the Italian of Toni Servillo, the dialogue writing is equally captivating. Sorrentino is making cynicism lyrical and he's doing it like no one has ever done before.

Next up: films 20 to 16!

Top 10 of the most entertaining films of 2015

Making a top 10 of the most entertaining films of a certain period, is something I wanted to do for some years now. It is motivated by the fact that to most people in the world, film is associated with leisure time and entertainment. Sure, these days more and more people are interested in film beyond its sheer entertainment value, but they still are a minority compared to the entire world population who are able to watch movies.

When people come home from a hard day's work and want to do something that relaxes them, watching a movie is only one of so many options to consider. If they choose to watch one, their preference probably won't go to some highly praised movie that won awards on obscure festivals or made it to the top 10 lists of erudite film critics. Film is mostly entertainment to many people and, this can't be stressed enough, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

While I do prefer more profound, stimulating and transgressive cinema, I very much can relate to watching a film only for its entertainment value. For me, watching complex, layered and stylistically exhausting or challenging movies can feel like a hard day's work. Which doesn't mean it isn't fun or enjoyable (many people love their hard day's work, no?), but you can't keep that level of concentration and effort all of the time.

To acknowledge there is a difference between movies made to entertain us and movies that want to transcend this, makes it easier to appreciate each kind of film on its own. In this respect, comparing a Bulgarian art film with an American blockbuster feels completely useless since their intention, form, content and target audience are so different. You can prefer one over the other, of course, but it feels a bit nonsensical to mention both of them in one, quantitatively ordered list.

This is why I chose to make two lists this year (apart from the fact that I just love making these lists): one with the most entertaining films and one with films who aren't (only) about entertainment. The first one to counter elitism, the second to counter commercialism. This post will address the first. I would recommend this list to everyone who hasn't got the time or the interest to watch many movies, but can enjoy a recreative one now and again. If you are more of a value seeker, think mainstream entertainment is boring or want to resist marketing's dictatorship on cinema, this list probably isn't for you. A note of importance is that this list will focus primarily and even solely on English movies, since this is the language that dominates most of our spare time (in the West anyway).

Like all previous years, the entertainment industry still is completely consumed by remakes, sequels, prequels, spin-offs and reboots (Spectre, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Cinderella, Pan, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, Minions, Furious 7, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Insurgent, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Horrible Bosses 2, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, Taken 3, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Poltergeist, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Terminator Genisys, Insidious: Chapter 3, Ted 2, Fantastic Four, Sinister 2, Vacation, Hitman: Agent 47, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, The Transporter Refueled, Hotel Transylvania 2, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Wild Card). Even original screenplays are getting very scarce since more and more adapted screenplays from tv-series, books, comics, short stories/films and plays get picked up (Big Hero 6, Fifty Shades of Grey, Ant-Man, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Martian, Mortdecai, Seventh Son, The Walk, Entourage, The Peanuts Movie, The Longest Ride, Paper Towns, In the Heart of the Sea, Home, Pixels, Dark Places, The Gunman). Creativity these days is about being creative within the framework of screenplays and storylines that themselves don't aspire to be more than a copy of something that already exists. This maybe explains why so many blockbusters are visually and technically striking and beautiful, but narratively can be quite predictable and uninspired.

Of course, originality in screenplays still exists, albeit being formulaic (Ricki and the Flash, Sleeping with Other People, Krampus, The Age of Adaline, The Intern, The Night Before, Ouija, The Nut Job, San Andreas, Man Up, The Last Witch Hunter, The Taking of Deborah Logan, Tracers, Run All Night, She's Funny That Way, Survivor, Solace, Burnt). In some instances this leads to wonderful ideas (Tomorrowland, Jupiter Ascending, Inside Out, Regression, The Good Dinosaur, The Interview, Chappie, Focus, Infinitely Polar Bear, Self/less), but when it comes to the execution of those ideas they mostly fail to deliver. On other occasions the execution is quite good, but the ideas themselves - despite being original - lack imagination and a more interesting approach (Straight Outta Compton, Spy, The Green Inferno, Crimson Peak, Southpaw).

The following top 10 consists out of four sequels, three adaptations and three originals. First, here are some films that didn't make the cut but deserve being mentioned:

- Family entertainment: Cinderella, Pan, Minions, Big Hero 6, Tomorrowland, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur.

- Blockbuster entertainment: Spectre, Ant-Man, The Martian and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Martian actually could've been in the top 10, since it was one of the most unexpected comedies last year, but I finally decided to give a lesser known film the spot.

- Niche entertainment: Regression, The Green Inferno, Crimson Peak, Chappie, Straight Outta Compton, Focus, Spy, The Walk, Southpaw and Infinitely Polar Bear.

Personally I thought The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Jurassic World, Fifty Shades of Grey, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mortdecai, Seventh Son, Insurgent, Home, Jupiter Ascending, The Interview and Self/less were disappointing to awfully bad. Instead of entertaining, they irritated me to the point that I couldn't even watch some of them till the end.

Damn, let's see this top 10 already!

10. We Are Your Friends
In all honesty, I believe this to be one of the most underrated entertaining films of 2015. The story tries to capture the spirit of a certain part of today's youth, more specific those affiliated with the EDM music scene. Richard Silverman, the writer of the film's story, compares this spirit to rock 'n' roll in American Graffiti and disco in Saturday Night Fever. While I doubt that EDM will have an equally big impact on the evolution of music, it cannot be denied that festivals like Tomorrowland and reborn party scenes in (among others) Berlin, Ibiza and Florida speak to the imagination of many young people around the (Western) world. When you walk across a small, little, almost deserted village in Spain and come across some ten-year-olds who ask you where you're from, and upon answering "Bélgica" they immediately shout out "TOMORROWLAND!", it feels like EDM in all its variaty has the potential to become the sound of a generation. This might sound overtly romantic (being logically inductive and all), but against the backdrop of the never-ending economical recession the need to party away all the worries and responsibilities is real to many people. We Are Your Friends shines its light on a group of American (do'h) youngsters in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles who aspire to do something great with their lives. Zac Efron, who's gradually growing as an actor, plays the lead role of 23-year-old DJ Cole Carter. He tries to break through in an already saturated music industry while hanging out with his friends. Although the story is far from original and the score is made out of some of the most cheesy and commercial EDM out there, its timeless sentiment and contemporary setting will undoubtedly relate to many young people today (see the statistics on IMDb: the ratings are negatively correlated to the age of the voters), making it possible for We Are Your Friends to become somewhat of a cult hit in twenty years from now. And if not, we will always have the amazing rotoscoping scene while Cole is high on angel dust. To all those who have a soft spot for coming-of-age stories and can get over the fact that this is all very First World-centric: it might be exactly the kind of entertaining film you want to see on a Friday or Saturday night, provided that you're not off to party, of course.

09. Everest

The past years we got a lot of "(wo)man vs. nature" films: The Way Back, 127 Hours, All Is Lost, Kon-Tiki, The Grey, Life of Pi, Tracks and Wild. Before that, there were classics such as Deliverance, Cliffhanger, The River Wild, Cast Away, The Beach and Into the Wild. This "(wo)man vs. nature" genre, that balances between drama, thriller and adventure, has its own kind of audience - those who are fascinated by our most primal instinct: survival in the face of nature's greatness. While you can hardly say that Everest is as impressive as most of the above films, it is one of the most entertaining. Entertaining in the way that its build-up manages to make you feel constantly anxious. Knowing that people die every year while trying to conquer the world's highest mountain - during the shooting of the movie in April 2014 in Nepal, sixteen Sherpa's died in an avalanche -, adds to this continuous feeling of tension. The vast landscapes (mostly shot in the Alps) make up for an impressive, but daunting scenery. And although the daredevils' desire to climb Mt. Everest feels ridiculously dangerous, you cannot help but feel admiration. Everest is definitely the kind of movie that is directed to a more specific audience, but the cast (Brolin, Watson, Knightly, Worthington, Gyllenhaal) will probably lure viewers who normally wouldn't watch this. Since most of the cast members haven't got much individual screening time, this probably isn't the best idea though. It's not like watching Suffragette for Meryl Streep (where she has about five minutes of screening time) or Into the Woods for Johnny Depp (barely ten minutes), but for some actors (especially Knightly and Worthington) it isn't that much more. Anyhow, everyone who usually likes these kinds of adventure movies and often stands in awe of nature's grandeur, might enjoy this one a lot.

08. Magic Mike XXL
Magic Mike didn't leave a big impression on me. Soderbergh failed to convince with his story about a male stripper who wanted to become an entrepreneur. It all felt too much as an advertisement for the Chippendales. While Magic Mike XXL has the same kind of advertising potential, it actually is a lot more entertaining because it doesn't try to be something that it's not. The whole film has actually a very episodic kind of vibe: Mike's dancing scene in his working space, the dance-off in the gay club, the striptease act in the gas station, the MDMA trip in the fro-yo van, the events in the strip club, the awkward situation in the mansion,... Magic Mike XXL isn't really a consistent film but that's exactly its strength. While the ending is a bit anti-climactic, there are so many moments during this film where you cannot help but chuckle because of the overwhelming feel good-vibe. Yes, the upper torso's of male leads Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello definitely might make some male viewers wish for those bodies, but for some reason the laid-back atmosphere of the movie doesn't inflict insecurity on its male audience like so many movies still keep on doing towards women. This is the updated, American version of The Full Monty which the first Magic Mike missed out on. Although some will consider the second installment to be the lesser one, this might have more to do with sex differences than the the film itself (see the statistics on IMDb: there wasn't much difference in rating between males and females with Magic Mike, but with Magic Mike XXL the female audience loved the film a lot more than the male audience). Is it due to the fact that XXL has a more free-spirited vibe, including a rather gayish aura sometimes, that makes heterosexual, macho men feel more insecure, not about their bodies, but about the need to feel affirmed in their sexual orientation? Who knows. Maybe you should be the judge of that and prove me wrong.

07. Pitch Perfect 2

This is what crowd-pleasing looks like; a perfect example of our contemporary bread and circuses. All elementary emotions that feel so profound in puberty and still have the possibility to resonate with adults, are triggered throughout the whole movie. It's fun, it's charming and it has some of the most effective musical scenes of 2015. Of course, if you're not into music or dance flicks, Pitch Perfect 2 will not make you change your mind. But if you do love those kinds of movies, it'll entertain you just as much as its predecessor did. Anna Kendrick's "Cups" went on to become a major hit after the first one, which made me doubt if a second movie was desirable. Bringing back writer Kay Cannon and the whole cast, while replacing director Jason Moore with Elizabeth Banks, turned out to be a success: Pitch Perfect 2 is as witty, as feel good and as easily digestible as the first one. Like expected, this film scores higher with a younger, female audience, but being an adult male I refuse to label it just as a guilty pleasure, since I won't feel guilty for something that entertained me. Nor will I frame this ironically: watching it while saying it's bad. Life is too short to do things ironically. So if you can appreciate a nice (pop)music-centered film and are tired of watching the same talent shows over and over again, just watch this instead - it'll be a lot more fun and entertaining.

06. The Visit
Give M. Night Shyamalan tons of money and you get The Last Airbender and After Earth. Give him the lowest budget he ever worked with (apart from his 1992 debut) - which still is $5 million -, and you get his most refreshing and entertaining film since Signs. ... Or make that The Sixth Sense. Who would've thought Shyamalan would make such a great found footage film one day? Even more, who would've thought he made a fairly successful attempt of reinventing the genre? Both child actors give incredibly believable and naturalistic performances. Rebecca, the oldest, wants to make a documentary of her grandparents whom she never met. Her technical knowledge about framing, mise-en-scène and documentary filmmaking are a delight for movie buffs. Tyler, the younger brother, is a hip hop fan and raps like a boss. He walks the walk and talks the talk of a true rebelling teenager. Shyamalan has made plot twists his trademark and The Visit is no different, but that is by no means the strength of this movie. It is the first time Shyamalan made a film that feels authentic, transcending both comedy and horror. If you can mix both 'scary' and 'funny' with an interesting narrative and stylistically solid cinematography, it makes up for a perfect scary movie night. Just get your expectations straight: this flick is not in the same category as the endless supply of ghost / demon / possessed / exorcism / haunted house stories.

05. Into the Woods

Who better than choreographer Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) to direct this wacky Broadway musical? When a childless couple tries to have a baby, they get help from the witch who lives across the street. In their adventures to meet the witch's demands they come across Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack (the one from the beanstalk) and Rapunzel. These days reviving old fairy tales seems like a commercial certainty, especially if the Disney label is on the credits. But unlike all the remakes and origin stories, Into the Woods is an adaptation of the 1986 Broadway musical that wasn't particularly child friendly. I doubt the film will appeal to younger children because it is often (obviously) layered, morally ambiguous and can be freakishly weird. The isolated atmosphere of the wood in this undisclosed, fantasy land, can create a nightmarish feeling. Especially Meryl Streep, who excells yet again as the witch, can be rather creepy sometimes. Maybe not a film suited for family occasions, but on the other hand it is nice to see Disney bring a more adult-oriented fantasy film on the market. Into the Woods is without a doubt the most satisfying musical since Sweeney Todd and Across the Universe. Next time, don't ask Tom Hooper to direct Les Miz, ask Rob Marshall.

04. Kingsman: The Secret Service
Spectre, Bridge of Spies, Spy, The Imitation Game and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. all made an effort in trying to make spy movies sexy again. In my opinion they all failed. Sure, the opening scene from Spectre was impressive. Yes, I had a few genuine laughs with Spy. Bridge of Spies was way better in its first half an hour of courtroom drama than everything that followed, The Imitation Game was more of the same tiresome biopic galore and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was just too generic. Where are the crazy and morally subversive villains? Where are all the over-the-top gadgets? Why... so... seriousss? I'm not saying spy movies should suffer from the same ADHD as Archer, but is it that difficult to lighten' up the mood without becoming trivial? Kingsman: The Secret Service hits that spot just right. It feels like an adrenaline rush that keeps on going, literally culminating in dozens of colorful explosions. Samuel L. Jackson's Valentine is probably the coolest, craziest and creepiest bad guy since Heath Ledger's The Joker. Add some of the most brutal action scenes of the year and a lot of witty dialogue, and you've got yourself the spy movie you've been waiting for since James Bond got prefabricated with Brosnan and humorless with Craig. Definitely one of the most entertaining movies of 2015!

03. American Ultra

I stand by this. Really. American Ultra is without a doubt one of the most entertaining stoner movies in a long, long time. I watched it both high and sober and both times it all felt right. The dialogue is recognizable and Jesse Eisenberg's mimicry of a pothead is simply spot-on. The paranoia, erratic thought spirals and constant need to relax in stressful situations (all inherent to cannabis intoxication), provide an excellent start for this romantic action flick with great chemistry between Eisenberg and Stewart. Topher Grace's overacting might be irritating sometimes, but all in all he is just a means to tell a love story of two mavericks.  And although the storyline is undoubtedly farfetched, Max Landis' writing is some of the most creative and original in Hollywood these days (which Chronicle already proved of course). American Ultra is niche cinema and will mostly please the audience that is looking for stoner fun. On the other hand, this stoner fun has definitely more to offer than what we see in most Kevin Smith, Rogen / Franco, Todd Phillips or Harold & Kumar movies, since this is about more than comedy alone. It tries to delve into the core of THC-influenced conversations and situations: from its dreaminess and feelings of profound revelations to the inexhaustibly creative and manic mind. I'm not saying this movie grasps it all, but against the setting of a violent manhunt and a tragic romance, there's more to American Ultra than meets the eye. Don't expect it to be groundbreakingly perceptive though, the film's primary goal still is to entertain.

02. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This is the best Star Wars movie of the whole franchise. There. I said it. Like every skeptic I was very annoyed with the violent marketing which wasn't based on getting to know this film, but about shoving a product so far down your throat there was no escaping it. Normally, when this strategy is used, I refuse to acknowledge the product's merits, 'cause it all feels fabricated and it's just part of a big, commercial propaganda scheme. It's the kind of marketing that creates opinions about a product before the product itself is experienced, bought or tested. People get equally polarized and worked up about it as during political elections or moral disputes. That's why marketing of this size does more harm than good: no movie is worth that kind of attention and the childish bickering that goes along with it. It can be fun, of course, to troll people. Die hards, pro- and anti-Star Wars, have trouble putting things into perspective. Especially when you emphasize the vital role marketing, and not the film's qualities, plays in forming an opinion. But in the end it's just best to block and ignore everything Star Wars related. Debunk its marketing by not giving it any more buzz. This is the second time I write about The Force Awakens and it'll be the last. Concerning the franchise itself, I am more an anti- than a pro-Star Wars person. George Lucas made up an interesting universe, I'll give him that, but its protagonists were completely flat and its action was more charming than it was exciting. The first trilogy's entertainment value has dropped significantly compared to The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams revived the Star Trek franchise and now does the same with the Star Wars franchise. It might be that in forty years Abrams also feels outdated, but in the meantime he is the one who started the wonderful beginning of a new saga for a new generation to enjoy. Simultaneously, it'll probably be the first time since The Lord of the Rings trilogy that a franchise will (at least partly) succeed into transcending generations, sexes and nations all over the world. In that respect I thought this was the best Hollywood blockbuster since The Dark Knight. Curious to see if the next five episodes will live up to the standard Abrams has set.

01. Mad Max: Fury Road

All of you who refused to watch the fourth Mad Max movie because it never could live up to the original trilogy: you were wrong. Apart from the character's name, the post-apocalyptic world and George Miller's directing, this film leaves the original trilogy as it was. Narratively it has nothing to do with Gibson's character or the storylines from the movies in 1979, 1981 and 1985. Above all, this movie has been in the making for over fifteen years. This is not a project that was fixed in a few years time to revive a cult phenomenon and quickly cash in on it. This is Miller's long awaited artistic project. There have been thirty years between Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road. Miller was 40 in 1985 and is 70 now. It's a wonder this movie saw the light of day at all! So, while DiCaprio and Iñárritu try to gain respect by never missing an opportunity to stress the fact that they went through hell while shooting The Revenant, I've never heard Miller doing the same. The fact that the whole film was shot in sequence, almost all stunts were practically executed (by artists from Cirque du Soleil and Olympic athletes), they shot in extremely hot circumstances in the Namibian desert and Tom Hardy broke his nose, are all examples of the harsh conditions in which Fury Road was made. The movie itself feels like a constant rush of blood to the head, a pure and genuine adrenaline ride. It features some of the most intense car chases ever shot on film, combined with a pumped up score by Junkie XL and a delightful saturated color palette (I can't wait to see the black and white version!). Add to that the central theme of female empowerment and the tackling of one of the world's biggest challenges - water scarcity -, and you've got yourself some rather intelligent and aesthetically beautiful entertainment.

There it is. My top 10 of the most entertaining films of 2015. Next up: a top 25 of the best films of 2015. Some of them also will be about their entertainment value (although more in an "indie" way), others will demand more focus, patience, affinity to the subject or an acquired taste. In all honesty, Mad Max: Fury Road could've been in the top 25, 'cause it really is one of the best movies of 2015.