10.
Hidden
[No pic = no spoilers, imo.]
It's just one of those horror films that has a twist that's so good. Claustrophobia, xenophobia, and the fear of the dark all wrapped into a movie with quite an ending. I'm great at guessing what is going on, but I didn't guess the ending to this very unconventional zombie flick. Good to see horror isn't a total drag nowadays, what with "found footage"/shaky-cam b.s. Like with Cabin in the Woods, look up nothing on it before watching, or it takes the flavor out of it with spoils so easily given.
9.
Mad Max: Fury Road
For a film with such a linear plot, the spectacle was amazing. Don't need to see the previous films, this one stands all by its wonderful self. Best Mad Max to date.
8.
The Hateful Eight
Too far up my list? I don't think so. It's not Tarantino's best, but it's Tarantino. Appropriately at 8, imho. Great ride, if you have the patience. It does have a pretty good payoff with what's going down.
7.
Jurassic World
Nostalgia achieved? Check. Parallels to the original without not being its own story? Check. Made you like dinosaurs again and gave you a sense of wonder about them? Check. Good scifi plot? Check. Worth seeing? Check.
6.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
A fun ride. Certainly not perfect, but propelled the MCU into an interesting direction.
5.
The Final Girls
Horror-comedy at its finest, with a few heartfelt moments. This isn't the ok one with Abigail Breslin (Final Girl), no this one is entirely different. Spoofing Friday the 13, horror tropes and clichés, a girl and her friends get sucked into a horror film that the girl's late mother starred in. Meeting her mother and reuniting to take on Billy, a disgruntled camper turned killer. Oh yes, there will be laughs.
4.
Ant-Man
And the best comic book movie of the year goes to... Ant-Man? Shocked me to. Who didn't love Lewis? Fun(ny), exciting, it was a heist movie disguised as a supehero [movie].
3.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Stars Wars... It's back. Really felt the magic again. I don't care what the whiners say. It's supposed to be a parallel. And it did it with grace. Nothing's perfect, but this was not just good enough, it was a film that can stand alone. No need to see the other films. People don't seem to be taking in that factor very much.
2.
The Revenant
Fascinating story, characters and environment. Which the latter is somewhat a character in and of itself. Immersive.
1.
Ex Machina
This movie just is everything I love about scifi. It's cerebral, with great depth. The human-condition and its nature expressed fairly well for a movie under two hours. Thought provoking the entire time.
Other than Tom Hardy, Oscar Isaacs and Domnhall Gleeson have been kicking butt this year.