10. Straight Outta Compton

The rise of gangster rap was brought to the big screen with precision and style by director F. Gary Grey and stood out as one of 2015’s big winners. Showcasing an impressive debut from newcomer Jason Mitchell as the legendary Easy-E, Straight Outta Compton was an obvious stand out.

9. Testament of Youth

The horror, carnage, and loss of the First World War was brought to life in vivid detail in director James Kent’s heart-shattering adaptation of the classic bestseller Testament of Youth. Anchored by the presence and ability of rising star Alicia Vikander, this incredibly moving piece of cinema presented the war as told through the perspective of one young woman who witnessed it first hand, and who would forever be shaped and changed by its aftermath.

8. Creed

Director Ryan Coogler, and rising star Michael B. Jordan, staked their claim for greatness with this hard-hitting new chapter of the Rocky franchise. Jordon cut an impressive figure as talented but angry young prize fighter Adonis Creed-Johnson who, with the help of former champ Rocky Balboa, rises to the occasion. A thrilling film in every sense, Creed was a first class winner.

7. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

The stakes have never been higher for Tom Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt in this no-holds-barred action film. Reuniting Cruise with longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, his ‘need for speed’ was certainly attained with an adrenaline charging motorcycle chase, as well as featuring the actor brave a 5,000-foot drop from a moving cargo plane.

6. The Dressmaker

Revenge has never looked so good in director Jocelyn Moorhouse’s The Dressmaker. Featuring a story that is original, clever and fantastically sharp, The Dressmaker is anchored by a phenomenal performance from Kate Winslet as vengeful couturier Myrtle ‘Tilly’ Dunnage, and completed by the appearance of Judy Davis as mad old bat ‘Mad’ Molly Dunnage, not to mention Hugo Weaving as the fantastically camp Sergeant Horatio Farrett.

5. Legend

Tom Hardy was pure double trouble in this stylish and violent criminal biopic that brought the notorious Kray twins to life. Shaped by a solid story and brilliant production detail, Legend also saw Hardy effortlessly move between the criminally gifted Reggie, and the violently unstable Ronnie. Emily Browning completes this amazing film as East End ingénue Francis, whose fairytale gangster love affair quickly turns dark.

4. Sicario

Emily Blunt walked a brutal path straight down into the very heart of darkness in Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario. All notions of good and evil were shattered in this hard-hitting crime film which featured one of the most intense confrontations I’ve ever witnessed on screen, and Benicio del Toro was magnificent as the silent and brooding assassin Alejandro.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

For those wanting an adrenaline rush there was nowhere better to turn than George Miller’s gasoline charged, action-manic spectacular Mad Max: Fury Road. Featuring two brilliant performances from co-leads Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road brought to life a dangerous and dark world.

2. The Ground We Won

The camaraderie and brotherhood of the game of rugby stood at the heart of this extraordinary documentary film, which chronicled a group of good ol’ kiwi battlers who lived for the weekend and the game they loved. Captured with beautiful black and white cinematography, The Ground We Won was a moving portrait of a rural community, and the game that held them together in a piece of unmissable cinema.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an absolutely amazing cinematic feat, and is without a doubt my favourite film of the year. Capturing the nostalgia of the original trilogy, as well as introducing two amazing new co-leads, Force Awakens was action-adventure storytelling at it best. Utterly brilliant.

Feature image source: Walt Disney Pictures.

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Set thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the last remnants of The Empire have morphed into the dreaded First Order, while the Rebel Alliance fights on as the Resistance. It’s here that new characters Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) find themselves fighting alongside legends such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to bring balance to force and the galaxy.

5. John Williams – maestro at work

Mythic composer John Williams returns to the franchise he helped usher into cinema legend with a rousing and emotional score that gets to the very heart of the Star Wars saga, providing a sense of nostalgia, and exciting prospects for the future. With every beat you feel that a true master has meticulously crafted this stunning orchestral piece, which extends itself to every scene and truly brings the film together.

4. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away

From the moment the opening crawl beams on screen, we’re transported back to the wonder and magic of that galaxy far, far away where the Star Wars saga first unfolded. While audiences intimately know its vast setting, director J.J. Abrams and his brilliantly talented crew show us a completely new side of this universe which is filled with exotic new worlds, and the people, creatures and spaceships that populate them. This vast scope and attention to detail creates a compelling visual palette that audiences will find themselves completely absorbed by.

3. The power of the force

The power and mystery of the force, from its brightest light to the abyss of the dark side, shines through in Star Wars: The Force Awakens providing the film with its thematic centre. The emphasis placed on the force and its connection to both the characters and the general setting provides a solid base for the film to develop, as well as creating the central battle at its core.

2. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega – heroes for a new generation

For its lead protagonists, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has found two truly amazing performers in Daisy Ridley and John Boyega in the roles of Rey and Finn. Both actors demonstrate a spectacular commitment to their characters, creating two unique individuals whose motivations, feelings and actions are believable and understandable. Audiences of all ages will find a connection to each of them, and will not want to miss a second of their incredible journey on screen.

1. J.J. Abrams – Jedi master

But all the wonder and magic of Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes down to the vision and passion of one man, director J.J. Abrams, who imbues this new chapter with his own deep sense of love and reverence for the source material, and the very concept of Star Wars itself. Abrams has long said that this is a film made by the fans for the fans, and this statement couldn’t be truer when it comes to Force Awakens. It’s as if he has taken the collective desire of the Star Wars fan community, and created a piece of cinema that gives them everything they desire from a film set in this universe. With every passing second you feel his passion for the story and its characters, which has such intimacy and relevance that the film gets under your skin, and strikes a nerve. Abrams gives everything of himself as a filmmaker to The Force Awakens, and strikes the right balance between providing original material while honouring what has come before.

Image source: Walt Disney Pictures.

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