Written by Tyrone BruinsmaHonorable Mentions: -Anomalisa [Dir. Charlie Kaufman] -Ant-Man [Dir. Peyton Reed] -The Big Short [Dir. Adam McKay] -Black Mass [Dir. Scott Cooper] -The Blackcoat’s Daughter [Dir. Osgood Perkins] -The Boy and the Beast [Dir. Mamoru Hosada] -Carol [Dir. Todd Haynes] -Chappie [Dir. Neill Blomkamp] -Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe [Dir. Lu Chuan] -Creed [Dir. Ryan Coogler] -Dark Was the Night [Dir. Jack Heller] -The Dressmaker [Dir. Jocelyn Moorhouse] -Embrace of the Serpent [Dir. Ciro Guerra] -The Empire of Corpses [Dir. Ryoutarou Makihara] -Eye in the Sky [Dir. Gavin Hood] -Furious 7 [Dir. James Wan] -The Gift [Dir. Joel Edgerton] -The Green Inferno [Dir. Eli Roth] -The Hallow [Dir. Corin Hardy] -Heaven Knows What [Dir. Safdie Brothers] -Hyena Road [Dir. Paul Gross] -In the Heart of the Sea [Dir. Ron Howard] -Jupiter Ascending [Dir. The Wachowskis] -Knock Knock [Dir. Eli Roth] -Krampus [Dir. Michael Dougherty] -Kung Fu Panda 3 [Dir. Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni] -London Road [Dir. Rufus Norris] -The Look of Silence [Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer] -Love [Dir. Gasper Noe] -Macbeth [Dir. Justin Kurzel] -Maggie [Dir. Henry Hobson] -Regression [Dir. Alejandro Amenábar] -The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water [Dir. Paul Tibbitt] -Spotlight [Dir. Tom McCarthy] -Spring [Dir. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead] -Suite Française [Dir. Saul Dibb] -The Survivalist [Dir. Stephen Fingleton] -Tale of Tales [Dir. Matteo Garrone] -Tremors 5: Bloodlines [Dir. Don Michael Paul] 20. Blackhat [Dir. Michael Mann]I was either gonna put this or Furious 7 on this list and I have a preference for Michael Mann's cyber neo noir action thriller. This thriller about hackers is easily one of the most underappreciated films of 2015, featuring great performances and awesome visuals. It's very similar to Mann's other underappreciated action thriller Miami Vice from 2006, and like that film touts some amazing action scenes. If you have not seen Blackhat, I highly encourage you to seek it out. I know there were complaints about Chris Hemsworth not looking like a traditional hacker, but considering people also were bent out of shape with Denise Richards playing a scientist in 1999...I've come to dismiss those fake arguments. 19. Inside Out [Dir. Pete Docter]One of Pixar's most acclaimed works, Inside Out is an effective story in exploring how our emotions do and do not define us. In a sense, it's almost a child friendly precursor to Barry Jenkins' Moonlight. Pete Docter of Monsters Inc and Up creates a wonderful directed and animated world of a young girl and inside her mind. The voice cast is magnificent, the script is effective, the creativity and imagination is great and the emotional strength still lasts. The film's lasting success comes both from effective characters, thematic resonance in regard to emotions and honest sincerity. 18. The Witch [Dir. Robert Eggers]The masterful directorial debut of Robert Eggers, The Witch is a horror film about the religious paranoia surrounding pilgrim era Americans. The cinematography, mood, sound, visuals and horrific imagery truly shine in this atmospheric art-house horror. While many have criticized the ambiguity of the film, as well as the slow pace-it's ultimately purposeful and brilliant. The entire cast gives 100%, it's genuinely unnerving and has a lot to say-regardless of how you interpret it. 17. Kingsman: The Secret Service [Dir. Matthew Vaughn]Kingsman was one of the big surprises of the mid 2010's both in how good the film was, the success it made and the positive audience reception. What's effectively a comic book style spy film that takes the classy James Bond style espionage action and fills it with gore, upfront sexual references and non-PC humor is one of the best action films in recent memory. The cast of classic actors and newcomers all fit the material as either new archetypes or subverted ones and the filmmaking is great. Seriously, I know the two follows up to this were incredibly disappointing-but Matthew Vaughn deserves to work in the MCU, Star Wars or DC universes considering his good track record far outpaces his bad. And yes, all the action scenes, gags and "that" ending are what make this film so damn good. 16. Bone Tomahawk [Dir. S. Craig Zahler] The directorial debut of this immensely talented filmmaker, Bone Tomahawk is one of the best modern westerns alongside Django Unchained. A brutal western with morally murky characters, intense violence and a truly disturbed conclusion when act 3 rolls around. The talented star studded cast makes excellent work out of the solid script, with the film suitable for genre buffs and traditional audiences familiar with darker work. Basically if you're expecting a dry and boring direct to DVD western, you're in for the shock of a lifetime. 15. Bridge of Spies [Dir. Steven Spielberg]While Steven Spielberg never got to make a James Bond film in the late 70s/early eighties: between his action films in Indiana Jones franchise and The Adventures of Tintin and mature spy thrillers like Munich and Bridge of Spies-one could argue he surpassed that franchise's quality. Bridge of Spies is an expertly made cold war spy thriller crossed with a court room drama, making it feel like Oliver Stone's JFK. The script by Matt Charman and the Coen brothers is excellent, Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance give Oscar worthy performances and it's just a great work of cinema. 14. Ex Machina [Dir. Alex Garland]The directorial debut of Alex Garland who wrote 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Dredd-Ex Machina is one of the best debuts in modern cinema. A tightly wound, perfectly acting sci-fi thriller about the nature of humanity, technology and storytelling. The performances by all are magnificent, the use of effects and cinematography are excellent and it really is a brilliant little film. 13. The Lobster [Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos] Following up from his debut films Dogtooth, Yorgos Lanthimos made what I think is his best film (even though later efforts The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favorite show his growing ambitions). The Lobster is an absurdist sci-fi comedy that feels like a mash up between A Clockwork Orange, Her and Ther Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise. A film that explores the absurdity of societies belief in the necessity for relationships and the polar opposite of that-The Lobster is a wondrously dark film that makes you examine the ever-changing world in this now timeless film. The ensemble cast do great with this surreal script and the execution from specific use of slow-motion, the horror/thriller music and even use of animals all works to make this one of the best films of the year. 12. We Are Still Here [Dir. Ted Geoghegan]This low-key horror film easily stands as one of the best Lovecraftian horror films ever made. Feeling closer to a slow burn 70’s American thriller or 80’s Italian Giallo horror, the film is a masterclass in doing a lot with very little. Its small cast is talented, the use of practical and computer effects are great and it’s genuinely scary. It's not reaching for thematic or narrative heights, but what it executes in its small scope is nothing short of amazing. If you haven’t seen this, you absolutely must. 11. Avengers: Age of Ultron [Dir. Joss Whedon]While I've gone back and forth on this film, I can't deny I've probably rewatched it more than another other Marvel film and was the one I got most hyped for. The numerous action scenes are big, bold and well crafted (with the Hulk V.S Hulkbuster scene being my favorite), the cast continues to have great chemistry and banter, it has fun surprises and James Spader as Ultron is one of my favorite villains. Does it have issues? Yes, but when much like the Fast and Furious series at its best-when the machinery of the production works-it WORKS. And while many preferred the simple, concise and fun Ant-Man of the same year...I'm gonna go for the bigger hitter. 10. It Follows [Dir. David Robert Mitchell]A chilling metaphor for STD’s, a cinematography showcase and one of the most inventive horror films in recent memory. This film about a sexually transmitted demon is still one of the best examples of an indie horror film done right. Creepy imagery, nasty implications and executed to near perfection. The young cast do extremely well with the material, the effects are impressive and while we don’t need a sequel…I kind of want one. The director’s follow up film Under the Silver Lake is a strange one to say the least, but certainly worth a look. 9. Jurassic World [Dir. Colin Trevorrow] I don’t quite get the hatred for the Jurassic World series considering the first film in the new series is just too much fun for me to turn down. A fully realized dinosaur theme pack is a joy to see, the mostly fun cast do well with the material and the film’s blatant attempt at Aliens sequel territory works wonders. Scenes like the Indominus Rex eating people, Pterosaurs causing chaos and THAT ending are just so much fun to watch. I will admit I wish there were more practical dinosaur effects, but the CGI looks good and the film overall carries the audio/visual quality you expect from the series. 8. The Hateful Eight [Dir. Quinten Tarantino]A Tarantino film we almost didn't get due to the leaked script, The Hateful Eight is probably the nastiest film he’s made since Reservoir Dogs. A snowy Western mostly set in a single room, it feels very much like Tarantino combined his directorial debut with John Carpenter’s The Thing to make a tense, dialogue thriller for the ages. Samuel Jackson, Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh dominate the screen with a brilliant cast, providing drama, humor and horror in equal measure. The cinematography and score feels right out of the 70’s, giving you an old-school film that’s a joy to watch. 7. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation [Dir. Christopher McQuarrie](Trigger Warning: Depression/Suicide Mention) So I’m gonna open a personal anecdote about this film and why it means a lot to me. I watched this film after a very traumatic event that left me depressed and feeling suicidal. My mother encouraged me to do something with her and we saw this film in cinemas. It didn’t cure my depression (My doctor said that this was the time my depression was most visible) as I’ve still been fighting it to this day. But Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation did remind me of the joys one can find in cinema and relief it provides people. On the non-emotional side, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation was the best Mission Impossible film until its sequel Fallout. It was the most action packed, perfectly crafted and righteously fun film in the series at that point. The hilarious opening leads into incredible action scenes like a masterclass opera sequence and a 3 part action beat leading from an underwater heist, to a car chase and finishing with a bike chase. Returning and new cast members perform at the top of their game, with Tom Cruise fully committed to playing Ethan Hunt as a madman. The bombastic score, in sync direction/editing and hefty sound design really paint this as a modern day blockbuster with skill. I will say I wish the 3rd action beat was a bit more impactful, but it’s still an amazing film. 6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Dir. JJ Abrams] 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars returns with a banger. While much has been said about the Disney Star Wars sequels, spin-offs and TV series (not counting the words of bigoted grifters, because those opinions are all outrage merchant garbage) I think The Force Awakens still holds up as the best pure blockbuster anyone can enjoy from 2015. The mix of practical and CGI effects are great, JJ Abrams’ direction is the best it’s been and the cast do well with their characters. Is it a somewhat meta retread of the original film? Yes. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Do I think a lot of this franchise’s hatred stems from nostalgia blinded fans who forgot how much they exaggerated their hatred for the prequel trilogy and obsessed over “SJW/Woke Disney”? Yes, yes I do. Look, it’s fun and well made-you’re allowed to enjoy it. 5. Sicario [Dir. Denis Villeneuve] This dark and nasty crime thriller courtesy of director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan is one of the best in recent memory. A cartel thriller involving the FBI and CIA, with all dark shades of gray in between should be a simple film, but Sicario elevates it with drawn out scenes of tension and visually outstanding storytelling. It’s an absolute masterpiece, even if the 2018 sequel was disappointing. Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro and the rest of the skilled cast lead the audience down a violent, unnerving and frighteningly real story you won't forget. 4. The Revenant [Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu]The Revenant fits into the underappreciated realm of art-house macho action films alongside Aguirre The Wrath of God, The Northman, 300 and Gladiator. The story of a fur trapper left for dead and on a journey for revenge after bear attack is one of the greatest set ups to see Leonardo DiCaprio finally earn his Oscar. The numerous action scenes are brutal, yet gorgeously shot, the musical score is relentlessly haunting and overall it’s one of those great cinematic experiences that comes along once in a lifetime. Is it a bit long and pretentious? Maybe, but I routinely return to this outstanding piece of cinema. 3. Crimson Peak [Dir. Guillermo Del Toro]I feel like even fans of Guillermo Del Toro’s work never truly appreciated this film. Crimson Peak is a gorgeous and disturbing piece of gothic horror cinema that deserves to be praised as an artwork. While MCU fans will mostly recognize the amazing Tom Hiddleston here (and yes, he is amazing), the rest of the cast succeed with the difficult material they’re given-but Jessica Chastain truly shines as a camp diva. Like all of Del Toro’s work, it’s gorgeous, violent, thematically rich and a true love letter to horror. While just shy of Pan’s Labyrinth or The Shape of Water in perfection, Crimson Peak is a horror film I hope you will discover the true wonders of. 2. The Martian [Dir. Ridley Scott] Ridley Scott’s masterpieces are extensive: The Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Legend, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut, American Gangster and The Last Duel all stand as landmarks in cinephiles’ minds. But it was such a joy to see his 2015 sci-fi masterpiece The Martian be truly appreciated by critics and audiences alike. Based on the self published novel of the same name, The Martian follows Matt Damon as a marooned astronaut on Mars and the people trying to save him. The film is seemingly unconventional with no physical villain, sci-fi/horror element or a cast the main hero can play off for much of the film. But it’s very much akin to an epic version of Cast Away or 127 Hours, a story of human ingenuity and survival in the face of incredible odds. It’s an aspirational story with the ensemble cast delivering so much to keep us engaged in the story and Ridley Scott’s best features as a director in full view. The Martian really is the kind of magical cinema we sorely miss when it’s not around. 1. Mad Max: Fury Road [Dir. George Miller]But the best expression of 2015 cinema as art is this violent, gonzo return to the Mad Max series by its original director. Mad Max: Fury Road is the best film of 2015; perfect direction, storytelling, colors, music, sound design, minimalist acting/dialogue, thematic engagement and of course-action. Mad Max: Fury Road has yet to be topped in action cinema with the closest being Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and the last truly perfect action film before it being Pacific Rim. It’s a once in a generation piece of filmmaking that will continue to be studied for decades to come. It’s just so perfect and if you’ve not seen it/appreciated its brilliance…well go watch it. There’s nothing from 2015 that I consider more perfect than this.
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Written by Tyrone BruinsmaDishonorable Mentions -Accidental Love [Dir. David O. Russell] -Aloha [Dir. Cameron Crowe] -Bound [Dir. Jared Cohn] -The Boy Next Door [Dir. Rob Cohen] -By the Sea [Dir. Angelina Jolie] -Child of God [Dir. James Franco] -Code Name: K.O.Z [Dir. Celal Cimen] -Cool Cat Saves the Kids [Dir. Derek Savage] -The Danish Girl [Dir. Tom Hooper] -Dark Places [Dir. Gilles Paquet-Brenner] -400 Days [Dir. Matt Osterman] -The Gunman [Dir. Pierre Morel] -Harbinger Down [Dir. Alex Gillis] -The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) [Dir. Tom Six] -Joy [Dir. David O. Russell] -Last Knights [Dir. Kazuaki Kiriya] -The Last Witch Hunter [Dir. Breck Eisner] -The Man from U.N.C.L.E [Dir. Guy Ritchie] -Monsters: Dark Continent [Dir. Tom Green] -Mordecai [Dir. David Koepp] -Muck [Dir. Steve Wolsh] -Navy Seals V.S Zombies [Dir. Stanton Barrett] -90 Minutes in Heaven [Dir. Michael Polish] -Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension [Dir. Gregory Plotkin] -Patterns of Evidence: Exodus [Dir. Timothy P. Mahoney] -Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 [Dir. Andy Fickman] -Pay the Ghost [Dir. Uli Edel] -The Ridiculous 6 [Dir. Frank Coraci] -Self/Less [Dir. Tarsem Singh] -Shark Exorcist [Dir. Donald Farmer] -Sinister 2 [Dir. Carian Foy] -Ted 2 [Dir. Seth MacFarlane] -Trainwreck [Dir. Judd Apatow] -Unfriended [Dir. Leo Gabriadze] -United Passions [Dir. Frédéric Auburtin] -Victor Frankenstein [Dir. Paul McGuigan] -The Visit [Dir. M. Night Shyamalan] -Walt Before Mickey [Dir. Khoa Le] -War Room [Dir. Alex Kendrick] 10. Spectre [Dir. Sam Mendes]I’m having a hard time figuring out if Spectre or Quantum of Solace is the worst Daniel Craig Bond film. Solace was a rushed, incoherent, shaky cam piece of nonsense, while Spectre is a slow, methodical and rather boring film. I will admit I enjoyed the overly flashy opening sequence and the opening credits with Sam Smith’s “Writings on the Wall” being my favorite Craig era song. But after that, the film falls into a slow-paced pseudo-mystery where nothing happens for long stretches. The film might look gorgeous and ooze atmosphere, but forgets to insert an interesting plot or entertaining action sequences. It takes itself way too seriously and seems to think it’s an expensive arthouse film. I wonder if Nicolas Winding Refn would have improved the film, but the lackluster screenplay makes me think not, so I'm glad he declined. Monica Bellucci and Christoph Waltz are completely wasted here with the eventual plot reveal being an embarrassing attempt at fan service. 9. Pan [Dir. Joe Wright] There is no cinematic version of Peter Pan that holds up. The Disney version is racist, the Robin Williams Hook sequel is just ok and the 2003 version is…mostly just a retread of the Disney version and boring. But Joe Wright’s $150 Million origin story for Peter Pan is easily the worst and feels like a PowerPoint office presentation of what an LSD trip looks like. It’s got a very strange, inconsistent tone that bounces between an attempted deconstruction and a silly pulp sci-fi tale. Hugh Jackman is the only cast member who knows he’s in a garbage film, giving a scene chewing performance for the ages. Rooney Mara however has the unfortunate distinction of playing Tiger Lily, despite being as a white as snow. I know this film tried to make the Neverland Natives completely multi-cultural, but Tiger Lily is always a Native American character, and this comes off as a bad attempt at not being racist with the whole “I don't see color” bad faith belief. Its attempt at a radical new take on Peter Pan, is just a classic Jesus/Man with a 1000 Faces story you’ve seen a million times with an ending that renders the conflict pointless. It’s bizarre, visually and tonally inconsistent, full of bad comedy and barely uses the crocodile. Despite having an almost surrealist appeal, it’s bad folks. Can we have the HD release for the Peter Pan and the Pirates cartoon now? 8. Hitman: Agent 47 [Dir. Aleksander Bach]After the last bad Hitman film, someone decided the best way to reboot it would be to make it more generic and less like the games aside from the bare minimum references. While this film is competent in everything, it has no soul or memorability. Visually bland, action boring, story cliche and lacks everything about the Hitman series that made it iconic. I look forward to when someone can make this game work on film. 7. Terminator Genisys [Dir. Alan Taylor]Let’s be honest, no Terminator sequel after T2 qualifies as a good film. There’s fun moments and good bits throughout the sequels, but none hold a candle to the original or its pumped up sequel. Terminator Genisys is easily the worst, with the name being terrible on its own. An attempted in-continuity reboot/prequel/sequel, the film feels like a compilation of random pieces of the franchise smashed together to appease fans. Unfortunately, the cast feels boring, the script is a poorly thought out mess and none of the action sequences are entertaining. It’s mostly just a series of terrible fan service, cheap twists and CGI effects. It’s amazing how this film has such an over complicated set-up, yet such a simple execution that bad 90’s action films would demand more ingenuity. In the end…you forget this even existed didn’t you? 6. Fant4stic [Dir. Josh Trank]A victim of studio interference, an in-experienced director and corporate mandated spite: Fant4stic is a film that I wish could have been good. There’s the germ of an interesting idea with the film being executed more like a 50’s sci-fi horror film as opposed to a superhero action flick. If they’d kept to that tone, with ideas clearly taken from 1988’s Akira-we might have had an interesting picture. But the drawn out first act, disappointing action scenes and inconsistent tone just leave it as a mess that was stripped to the bone in editing. The cast is clearly trying, but the material gives them nothing to work with. I almost feel like Ben Grimm aka The Thing has homosexual feelings for Reed Richards and it got lost in the editing bay-but I won’t know. It’s a box office and critical disaster that even its director Josh Trank disowned. Both Fox and Trank deserve the blame as Fox kept messing with the production and Trank responded with unprofessionalism. I don’t think it’s the worst film of the year, just a considerably bad film. 5. Taken 3 [Dir. Olivier Megaton]The Taken films were never high art, but this end to the trilogy was a notoriously horrible film from an action, editing and storytelling standpoint. After the bad last one, the series continues to take itself seriously with a convoluted retread of The Fugitive. Aside from Forest Whitaker playing the cliche detective role, every other actor including Liam Neeson is phoning it in. The action scenes are all horrible, with the editing being an atrocious nightmare-wherein Neeson jumping over a fence taken more than a dozen edits. Considering this came out after John Wick showed Hollywood how people want to see action-this is embarrassing. 4. The Gallows [Dir. Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff]2015 was the year the Found Footage genre died. After Paranormal Activity gained traction in 2009, it only took 6 years for the film industry to wear out its welcome. This was the year The Visit, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and The Gallows all came out, with the latter being the worst. The Gallows is a poorly shot, poorly acted, pretty nonsensical horror film that doesn’t even have the good graces to be scary. It comes off like some student filmmakers wanted to make a pretentious rip-off of Grave Encounters and managed to get it both released and with a sequel. On a budget of only $100’000, the film made $40 Million: a 400% profit return. But just because garbage makes money, doesn’t mean it’s not garbage. This film joins the ranks of the worst found footage films alongside Megan is Missing, the Paranormal Activity sequels, Quarantine and Diary of the Dead. It just sucks. 3. Jem and the Holograms [Dir. Jon M. Chu]I never grew up with Jem and the Holograms, but even I know this isn’t Jem and the Holograms. This is a very cheap, cliché “Star is Born” music story that only towards the end pretends to have an interesting plot. The cast is forgettable, the music is white noise and the lack of the original cartoon’s…everything, leaves the film feeling like a shallow cash-grab. Considering it was produced by Jason Blum (who was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar for Whiplash) and directed by Jon M. Chu (G.I Joe: Retaliation, Crazy Rich Asians), it’s a very poor showing. The film couldn’t even make back half of its $5 Million budget and was soundly rejected by everyone. The film hints at a possibly interesting sequel at the end, and at the time-was even considered to cross over with the Transformers and G.I Joe films as a kind of Hasbro Cinematic Universe…that’s hilarious. It’s boring, cliché, doesn’t fit the source material and feels like a step above an Asylum production. I mean, they purchased out of context archival clips just to get Dwayne Johnson, Chris Pratt and Ariana Grande into the film. How cheap can you get? 2. Pixels [Dir. Chris Columbus] Pixels is one of Adam Sandler’s worst films alongside Little Nicky, Jack and Jill, the Grown Ups films and That’s My Boy. Pixels is a spit in the face to any fan of gaming, using classic games and characters for a garbage high-concept comedy. While Chris Colombus does do a decent enough job in direction and the VFX aren't terrible, it’s the script and intent that break this film. The story has no idea what’s going on, rules are broken at random, the villains’ motivations and actions make no sense, and overall it’s just a stupid film. But what’s worse is that it pretends to like gaming, while taking every opportunity to make fun of games and gamers. It’s like that one scene from Grown Ups where Adam Sandler shows a distaste for modern violent video games, ballooned into one giant piece of pop-cultural vandalism. It’s not funny or respectful and fits into Sony’s never ending string of bad films. Seriously how do you produce RoboCop, Heaven is for Real, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sex Tape, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 1 and 2, Aloha, The 5th Wave, Passengers, Risen, The Emoji Movie, Flatliners, Peter Rabbit, Holmes & Watson and Morbius without going out of business? I’m almost amazed. Only positive I can say is that Kevin James would make a better president than Donald Trump. 1. Fifty Shades of Grey [Dir. Sam Taylor-Johnson]And here’s the unsurprising worst film of 2015. Fifty Shades of Grey is a terrible film, based on a terrible book, written by a terrible person. Now, I don’t hate this film like some immature “critics” did because it was erotica aimed at women and briefly being labeled “mummy porn” as older women bought it. I don’t hate anyone who enjoys this film as purely erotic stimulation and enjoyment. I hate this film because it’s a demonizing depiction of the BDSM community, a glorification of domestic abuse and allowed a toxic, ego-maniacal writer to have power, influence and riches.
Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the most inaccurate depictions of the BDSM community, displaying Doms as emotionally stunted mommy’s boys who need to beat women to feel better. Having researched the BDSM community and everything Christian Grey (a name that clearly seems to be stolen from the 2002 BDSM themed erotic comedy Secretary) does is on the “Don’t” list of the community. Anastasia Steele’s character is a blank slate who mostly allows abuse to be committed upon her, giving her no real agency. The rest of the cast are nothing entities, because the origins of this story are a series of watered down copies. The original writer of the books (who doesn't deserve to be named) made two fanfictions of Twilight (and has been using her legal powers to hide this from the internet even though it’s common knowledge), repurposed those fanfictions as “original” erotic stories, published them after throwing tantrums over editing attempts to improve her terrible writing and finally nailed a 3 part film trilogy. During the production of the film, the female director and screenwriter Sam Taylor-Johnson and Kelly Marcel attempted to improve the story, whereupon the original writer threw more tantrums because someone wanted to fix her terrible book. In the subsequent sequels, a less ambitious male director was chosen and the author’s husband was brought in to write the script. Universal essentially allowed a person of toxic scruples (who responds to claims of rape in the book with childish memes) to hijack their adaptation of the direct the sequels while making life difficult for the women of the first film. The reason I think the first film is the worst is because its attempts to fix the original source material were ruined by letting a terrible writer who can’t work with others have too much control. An attempt to elevate a book was squandered by letting the author into the kitchen. The entire series isn’t particularly sexy and doesn’t achieve anything in the way of art house erotica dramas of the 70’s or the pulpy erotic thrillers of the 90’s. It’s just a bad film, an unsexy erotica, a toxic piece of work and basically an allowance for someone to steal from another writer. Why watch this when you can just watch porn? This is a film trilogy that ended up making $1.3 Billion at the box office. Fifty Shades of Grey and its original author suck. I don’t blame anyone in this production other than her. |
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