Best Films of 2015

Of the 2015 (the year, not the number) movies I have watched thus far, with only one exception I was very pleased with all of them.

Below is my ranking and some brief write-ups of the year's best movies along with their current domestic grossing ranks in parentheses. (NO SPOILERS)

Top Movies

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (1)
• It brought back the feel of Star Wars without us having to try to convince ourselves that the magic was still there, which the 2nd trilogy only achieved in episode 3.  The new characters and story-lines introduced have me excited for the subsequent episodes.
2. The Martian (8)
• Mostly just very fun and beautiful to watch.  But it also forced me to think about separation, human contact, and endurance.  Not a movie that I'm dying to see again, but I had a blast experiencing it the 1st time.  
3. Inside Out (4)
• A really fun exploration in psychology.  
4. Two Days, One Night [2014] (197)
• Technically a 2014 movie out of France, but I couldn't get my hands on it until 2015 so I'm including it here.  A simple story, but with very high stakes.  The acting was great, and it had me on the edge of my seat at times.
5. Still Alice (102)
• Somewhat similar to 'Two Days, One Night'.  A sobering movie about alzheimers.  
6. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (57)
• I won't be sad if this doesn't become a series.  

No Thank You
Jurassic World (2)
Avengers (3)
Ant-Man (13)
San Andreas (19)

Maybe on an Airplane
Furious 7 (5) - Although, the fact that my brother now owns and swears by all 7 of the movies in the series has me second-guessing myself.
Hunger Games (7)
Spectre (10)
Mission Impossible (11)

Ranking of Non-2015 Movies Viewed During the Year (Informational Only)

1. Gattaca [1997]
• A great futuristic sci-fi film; and a lot of fun watching the likes of Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and Uma Thurman in their nascent primes.  
2. Into the Woods [2014]
• A great way to watch a Sondheim musical in the comfort of your own home.  The 'Agony' song was one of the funniest scenes I watched all year.
3. The Adjustment Bureau [2011]
• Watched this while I was on a Matt Damon kick after watching 'The Martian'.  It's kind of a genre-bender but I got credit at home for it being a romantic movie, so I was happy. 
4. Big [1988]
• It has some great scenes but it ends a little too awkwardly.
5. The Imitation Game [2014]
• It was helpful to learn about Alan Turing but the movie didn't succeed in making me appreciate his genius, or in stretching me intellectually.  I mostly came away with learning about his quirky personality, some stuff about cracking the Nazi code with Keira Knightley, and the challenges of being homosexual in the 50's.  I would have preferred that the movie exhibit more focus, and perhaps pull off something more clever with the Turing test or something.  
6. The Theory of Everything [2014]
• The comments above apply here as well, only to a greater degree.  The acting yes, was stupendous, but I came away feeling hollow about Stephen Hawking's life, and never really getting the chance to appreciate his genius -- only allusions to it.