5. Snowden
Depicting the life of the most infamous whistle blower of the century Edward Snowden, “Snowden” rests on Joseph-Gordon Lewitt’s shoulders. He portrays the character convincingly, giving us a first person perspective of what he went through during the fall out. Although it is not as great as Oliver Stone’s masterpiece “JFK” – another true story depicting the dark sides of government bodies- Snowden is a brilliant film and a must watch.
4. Deepwater Horizon
Gripping, thrilling and occasionally horrifying Deepwater Horizon tells you that not all disasters are natural. It doesn’t evoke melancholy but rather it makes you angry, leaving you ashamed of the human species and what we did to this planet. Filled with engaging characters, great action choreography and a stunning cinematography, this movie will let you stay engaged and enraged.
3. Nocturnal Animals
Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) receives a copy of “Nocturnal Animals”- a novel written by her ex-husband. The movie treads between three narratives- Susan’ present, Susan’s past and the plot of the novel. Jake Gyllenhaal is at his usual best portraying the twenty two year old boyfriend and a weak forty four year old father. The movie is unpredictable and finally when you feel you can actually predict what’s gonna happen next the movie ends. Tom Ford- You are a genius.
2. Hell or High Water
Hell or High Water is a heist thriller but not the typical heist we are accustomed to. They aren’t experts, They don’t have Plans A, B and C and the most important of all they have families, lives. The movie is a terrifically written, wonderfully acted and exceptionally crafted Neo-Noir piece. If you love Texas and love Heists there is no need to look elsewhere. After all, how many movies are as genuine as this.
1. Arrival
After all who can make thrillers better than Denis Villeneuve. The movie’s plot is simple : Aliens land on the earth and a linguistic expert is brought to communicate with the Aliens (Heptaods). After all that’s what Aliens will do. The won’t go Rambo against us. But with this narrative Denis Villeneuve twists this narrative right at its head- yeah literally. The movie is a maze, right from its opening shot and at the end, when he presents you the key to the maze, you are bewildered. Ecstatic. The biggest mystery to me is how did Amy Adams not get nominated for Oscar, let alone win it. She was terrific, beyond words. It was undoubtedly the best performance of the year, walking a thin line between revealing and hiding what goes through in her head. Because, a step on either side, would’ve been catastrophic.
Read More: Thriller Movies 2015
