The last few years have seen some great films and 2016 seems to be just as good, if not potentially better. The blockbuster slate this year is especially dense. This year will see the likes of Batman vs Superman, Suicide Squad, Deadpool, Civil War, Doctor Strange, X-Men: Apocolypse, Star Trek Beyond, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and more. Those are some big titles. Yet, this year will also feature the Coen brothers, Terrence Malick, Jeff Nichols and Martin Scorsese, among many other notable directors. This could be a huge year.

Another important note to add, is that because of the year’s blockbuster slate, we will see more of them spread out more so than normal. We’ll see Deadpool in early February and Batman vs Superman in March before we hit the summer in full swing. It’ll be fun to see how this impacts the box office, if it does at all. That said, whether you’re wanting to get your genre fill or your indie fix, 2016 looks to have some great films in store for us. So let’s swim through all the chaos and find which films are the one’s to look out for in 2016.

Alright (after the jump), let’s get into it and go over JD’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2016.

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RELATED: JD’s Top 10 Movies of 2015

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016

10) Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad is easily one of my most anticipated blockbuster’s coming out this year and it’s not because it’s a “superhero” movie (or in this case an anti-hero) but because of a name: David Ayer. Ayer has risen the ranks as one of my favorite director’s working today and both Fury and End of Watch both made my Top 10 in the respective years they came out. On top of that, this film features Oscar-winner Jared Leto as The Joker and everyone’s favorite Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Will Smith seems to be having fun again and even Jai Courtney looks good in this. Yeah, you read that right. This feels like an Ayer movie, it looks like a ton of fun and will have all the dark, rawness you’ll be looking for in this material. I can’t wait.

9) La La Land
Damien Chazelle took the world by storm in 2014 with the incredible Whiplash, which won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for J.K. Simmons. It was also my #2 movie of 2014. La La Land looks a bit different tonally but it has all the pieces in place, and it looks very exciting. It’s about a Jazz pianist and an actress who fall in love and it stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Yeah, I’m down and maybe I can even convince the wife to see this with me.

8) War on Everyone
John Michael McDonagh is one of those directors that many might not know, but he’s a director that I very much pay attention to. Similar to Ayer, McDonagh’s last two films, Calvary and The Guard, both made my Top 20 for the respective years they came out, with Calvary actually cracking my Top 10. His comedic sense of timing is stellar and the way he blends comedy and drama is impeccable. War on Everyone looks to be doing the same and with it starring Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña, this looks to be a riot of an experience.

7) Everyone Wants Some
In 2014, Boyhood made this exact same list and while it didn’t quite make my Top 10 of 2014 (it still guts me to this day), it was very close at my #11 spot. Still an incredible, amazing film. Richard Linklater just has the right formula to create such incredible, grounded films that deliver realistic and engaging conversation. On top of that, this looks hilariou too, so how can you not be excited for Everybody Wants Some? Linklater has even said it’s a spiritual sequel to Boyhood and Dazed and Confused, which excites me even further. Everybody Wants Somet picks up right where Boyhood left off (with different characters) with a college freshman moving into his dorm room. Well, that’s all I really need to hear.

6) The Nice Guys
Last year when we did this list and talked about our most anticipated of 2015, in this slot I had The Hateful Eight and Quentin Tarantino. I talked about how his writing and dialogue is just something you can’t miss in a given year. The same can be said for Shane Black. His writing is brilliant and his characters are so rich and full of life. As a director, it’ll be fun to see him go back to small scale and original vs the prowess of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This will be a better fit I think.

5) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
You mention Star Wars and I’m there. You mention war movies and I’m there. You mention Star Wars and a war movie at the same time and I’ve already purchased my ticket. Also, add in the fact that the events of this film are supposed to directly lead up to the opening of A New Hope and this couldn’t get any more exciting. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond to a Star Wars story that doesn’t revolve around our beloved iconic characters. As much as I love Star Wars Rebels (which could be linked to this film), I don’t think I’ll have a problem. More that though, this is a war movie that’s cemented in the lore of this rich universe that I love. This is gonna be up my alley, for sure.

4) The Witch
Last year on this list I had Crimson Peak and this year I have The Witch. Heck, even It Follows made my Top 20 of 2015. I was also a huge fan of The Babadook a few years ago and this year also features The Conjuring 2, which I’m very much looking forward too. The horror genre is slowly reeling me in and it’s actually pretty fun to see. As for The Witch, the hype surrounding the movie is great and the trailers look perfectly creepy and enticing. I’m genuinely, very excited for this and I almost can’t believe I just said that.

3) Hail, Caesar
The Coen brothers. Goodnight everybody! Okay, seriously though, I’m a huge fan of the Coen’s and anytime they have a film coming out, I will gladly eat it up. Hail, Caesar may seem familiar for those who love the Coen’s but it looks great and refreshing enough that it doesn’t bother me. Plus, this cast looks sooooo great. I’m curious about the February release but like other notable directors, even the Coen’s worst work is still better than a lot other things I see. That is to say, I’m not that worried about it’s release date. This looks like a lot of fun.

2) Midnight Special
Jeff Nichols is a director that you should be aware of if you’re not. His 2007 film Shotgun Stories was a great surprise of that year and Take Shelter in 2011 blew me away and ended up in my Top 5 for that year. Mud was also a pretty good film that came out at the height of the McConaissance and it was also a break out film for Tye Sheridan. All in all, Nichols is batting 100 for me as a director and the fact that he’s reuniting with Michael Shannon again for Midnight Special, boy am I excited. I’m genuinely anticipating this as much as I am any big budget film coming out in 2016. I cannot wait.

1) Story of Your Life
Incendies. Prisoners. Enemy. Sicario. Denis Villeneuve continues to impress and is one of my favorite directors working today. All four of those films I’m a huge fan of and Villeneuve’s direction in each one is masterful, deliberate and powerful. The performances he gets out of his actors is also worth nothing. Hugh Jackman’s performance in Prisoners is arguably the best of his career, Jake Gyllenhaal in Enemy is quite stellar and Benicio del Toro and Emily Blunt in Sicario need more recognition. It’s impressive what Villeneuve is able to get out of his actors. Villeneuve exhibits robust command in his direction and he creates drama and tension in a way that leaves me breathless and thrilled. Story of Your Life also features Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in a sci-fi world, which will be a fun twist to Villeneuve’s filmography. This can’t get here soon enough.

As for honorable mentions, there are about a billion others that I could list here. Several came very close to making my Top 10 list. As a big fan of the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them looks very appetizing and I can’t wait to see that world again. Disney’s The Jungle Book looks really great, I’m a big fan of that first trailer. Batman vs Superman, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocolypse are other big budget movies that are notable honorable mentions for me. But the big daddy of them all, outside of David Ayer and Rogue One, is Captain America: Civil War, which came very close to making this list. As for the smaller, artier picks of 2016, Martin Scorsese is back with Silence, a film exploring faith and that has my attention big time. James Ponsdolt is back with The Circle and he’s another director I’m quickly falling in love with recently. David Michôd’s War Machine looks utterly fascinating as well as Derek Cianfrance’s The Look Between Oceans. And you can’t forget Terrence Malick, a director who is polarizing for some but I enjoy most of his work and he’s back with Knight of Cups this year. Malick has another untitled project rumored to possibly come out this year too featuring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett that sounds amazing and would be great to see this year as well.

Jeremy Saulnier surprised us a in 2014 with Blue Ruin and he’s back with Green Room, which is finally getting a release after teasing us last year. David Mackenzie also surprised us that year with Starred Up and he’s also back with a new film called Comancheria. Ang Lee is back with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which sounds great on paper and seems to be a great fit for Lee. I know little about the film but I love seeing Mel Gibson back in the director’s chair with Hacksaw Ridge. A few others to mention real fast is Snowden, Assassin’s Creed, The Conjuring 2, Passengers, John Wick 2, Finding Dory, Doctor Strange, The BFG, Demolition, Keanu, The Bad Batch, Sausage Party, Neon Demon and Triple 9.

As for foreign language films, last year on this list I mentioned a film called A War, which is now getting some momentum from those who have seen it. The Turkish-French film Mustang is getting a 2016 release here and that’s one to look out for. Yorgos Lanthimos is back for another film called The Lobster, which has an incredible premise and we are very excited for that. A few others to keep an eye on is Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, Park Chan-Wook The Handmaid, Jafar Panahi’s Taxi and It’s Only the End of the World from Xavier Dolan.

Oh, and how can you forget? Jason Bourne is back this year! Bourne Legacy was alright but Matt Damon is back in Bourne 5 and that has me pretty hyped, as I love the main trilogy of this series. It seems like everyone is embracing old franchises and I’m okay with that. You listening Will Smith!?!?

We’ll discuss this on Episode 153 of the InSession Film Podcast, but what are some films you’re looking forward to in 2016? Which one’s did I miss?

Another year, another top 10 list. It seems like it was only a few days ago I was naming The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Whiplash as my best films of the year, rather than 365 days ago! I guess time flies when you’re having fun, as I certainly had a lot of fun watching these 10 movies from 2015. While I would still argue 2014 had a more bountiful selection of great films, 2015 felt like a more important year for film, and my top 10 this year feels even more special to me, and I’m sure I’ll be revisiting most of these as considerable candidates for some of my favorite films of the decade.

It should be known that my criteria for this list is doesn’t really separate my subjective or my objective view of these films. Yes, when ranking my favorites I am taking more of a personal liking into account, but my personal joy of a film is still well correlated with my objective view of that same film, and isn’t as separate as it may be for most others. With that, let’s get on with the show shall we? Here are my Top 10 Movies of 2015.

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RELATED: JD Duran’s Top 10 Movies of 2015

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Brendan Cassidy’s Top 10 Movies of 2015:

10) Phoenix
My list usually always consists of at least one foreign language film. This year, it was the German film Phoenix. Much like Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Phoenix is a film that deals with struggling identity, but as a repercussion of post war consequences. Nina Hoss gives one of the best female performances of the year (an already crowded race) as Nelly, a survivor of the concentration camps in Auschwitz, and goes to find her husband who may have indeed betrayed her. Her injured face reconstructed, he can no longer recognize her, but something about her strikes him as familiar, so much that he churns up a plan to change her back into a splitting image of his “late wife” for selfish reasons. A tale of conflicting identity or revenge? Or both? You decide. This all leads to arguably my favorite ending to any film all year, and what it jolt it is. Bring on the Criterion Collection release! Click here to listen to our full review.

9) The Martian
Welcome back, Sir Ridley Scott. The Martian was easily one of my favorite blockbusters of the year, a film crowded with a stunning cast in which everyone is given their due. But boy does Matt Damon prove he is still a star; his sense of humor is front and center, and it plays well into the film thematically as well. On that note, yes, I would side with the Golden Globes in calling this a comedy. This is a film that uses humor and optimism as a strategy for survival, but it continues to go deeper than that; it’s also a film that is thematically about mathematics, problem solving, engineering, and the movie entertains and informs, working as a promotional piece for young minds thinking of studying engineering in college. And it succeeds so well in doing that, thanks to Drew Goddard’s brilliant adapted screenplay. And all the disco music of course (I love ABBA, and I don’t care who knows it). Click here to listen to our full review.

8) Anomalisa
Boy do I love Charlie Kaufman. Anomalisa is one of the most unique animated films I’ve ever seen, and arguably the most “human” film of the year. The film features all the typical tropes we love (or hate, depending on who you are) from Kaufman; a melancholic look on existence, quirky humor, and surprisingly likable but despicable lead characters. Michael Stone, voiced wonderfully by David Thewlis, is crippled by the mundanity and repetition of his life, so much so that everything and everyone he sees, hears, and feels appears exactly the same. That is until he meets Lisa, voiced wonderfully by Jennifer Jason Leigh, who I would campaign for Best Supporting Actress in this film. Together, their relationship makes for such a well-balanced film thematically, at once a tragic story about losing yourself to life’s repetitions, and also an uplifting tale about overcoming your insecurity for being different. Be the anomaly in someone’s life. It is also worth recognizing Tom Noonan’s voice work for….well, everyone else. The film is certainly not as abstract as Kaufman’s previous scripts, but it is another fine work to add to his collection. And the stop motion animation is breathtaking! Click here to listen to our full review.

7) Room
Room is a tale of two halves, one dealing with the arduous situation of an abducted mother and son, and the other dealing with the repercussions of this event. And it never feels jarring or disjointed, but rather a consistent tale about the power of innocence and the importance of familial love. And it is wonderful. Brie Larson is a revelation, and Jacob Trembley gives one of the best child performances I’ve seen in a long time. In reality, this film is his story, as the film is primarily told from his point of view, allowing the film to become even more thematically rich. This all leads to another of my favorite endings of the year, and it is so beautifully earned. After enjoying his movie Frank last year, I’m now on the lookout for Lenny Abrahamson. Click here to listen to our full review.

6) Mad Max: Fury Road
Okay, I’ll play the bandwagon game. Yes, this is essentially just one long car chase. Hell, it almost feels like a 2 hour music video, with only few breaks for characters to just talk. But hot damn it’s so well done, and here we have 70-year old director George Miller to show the world that action filmmaking is indeed an art form in and of itself, something the modern age has forgotten. That’s not why this makes my top 10 though; in fact, this is one of the most emotionally and thematically rich action films I’ve ever seen. It has been called a feminist piece, and it certainly has important arguments to make about gender equality, but it goes so much deeper as it explores the notions of hope and redemption in a time and place when that is long gone. Charlize Theron is as great as everyone says, but it’s not her movie. It’s not even Max’s movie. It’s both their movie, and they needed each other to thrive and be redeemed. It’s in these moments of subtlety in Miller’s direction and Tom Hardy’s performance that help emulate that, and it’s all surprisingly moving. I can’t wait to explore this Wasteland again! Click here to listen to our full review.

5) Inside Out
Oh hello, Pixar! Where have you been the past 5 years? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were just working on this film, because this year you churned out one of your very best films. Inside Out is one of the most beautiful and profound animated films I’ve seen by any animation studio. Sure, it’s funny and charming, but boy is it smart! This is the film child psychologists will be showing to children, as it perfectly understands the meaning of childhood moodswings, their ability to constantly try and stay happy when that is both impossible and unhealthy. Sometimes, you need to feel sad, you need the tears to bring the joy, and that’s the recipe for growing up; emotional open-mindedness. The voice casting is perfect, the humor is spot on and smart, and like the best of Pixar it brings the water works (three times for me!). Click here to listen to our full review.

4) Carol
Carol is arguably my pick for the most beautiful film I’ve seen in 2015. By choosing to focus primarily on setting and theme to drive the story, the true colors of this film are able to shine more clearly, and literally (did you see how beautiful this film looks?!). Todd Haynes’ direction is so under-appreciated, as he turns 1950’s Brooklyn into a character in this film, further enhancing the film’s striking romance and themes of social conformity. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are as good as they’ve ever been in leading this film (yes, they are both leads!); their romance is beautiful and their social troubles are wonderfully, yet subtly, expressed. And it never feels forced or preachy, but real. It may be difficult subject matter for some to consume, but thematically it is fully rewarding. Also kudos to the supporting cast, as Sarah Paulson and Kyle Chandler are too wonderful in their respected roles. And Carter Burwell’s score, wow! Click here to listen to our full review.

3) Sicario
Incendies. Prisoners. Enemy. Now Sicario, and the soon-to-be-sequel to Blade Runner. Welcome to the masters club, Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve is a master in subtle intensity, while at the same time infusing the film with a striking moral commentary, one that continues to feel even more politically relevant as new threats and horrors emerge in our world today. For these reasons, Villeneuve is my pick for the best director of 2015; he paints a beautiful portrait (with the help of the great Roger Deakins of course) of the blurred definition of justice in a deteriorating world, and if that means we need to cross the moral line (or border?) to defeat our enemies. It’s incredibly profound. Emily Blunt represents that moral dilemma wonderfully, but Benicio del Toro steals the show, striking a surprising balance between hatred and heartbreak. And Josh Brolin’s charisma can’t be ignored either. This is not only a great film, but an important one. Click here to listen to our full review.

2) Creed
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of the Rocky franchise; I love the first film, but merely just enjoy the sequels. So if a year ago you told me “Rocky VII” would be in my top 3 favorite films of 2015, I would have sent both Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago after you. Good thing no one told me that, and good thing for the existence of director Ryan Coogler; his blend of old school melodrama with raw indie filmmaking makes for a rather unique movie-going experience, one that is both familiar and incredibly fresh. The way this movie touches on family, and what the real definition of building your own legacy means, is so moving; sometimes in order to set your own path for the future, you need to acknowledge what came before you, and what still shapes who you are. The passage of time is a crucial theme here, and Coogler’s nostalgic but fresh direction makes the filmmaking itself a symbol in showcasing that. Seriously, the movie didn’t deserve to be this good. On top of all this, Michael B. Jordan is a star, and Sylvester Stallone turns his most iconic character of Rocky Balboa into one of the best supporting performances of the year. Sign me up for Creed II. Click here to listen to our full review.

1) Ex Machina
Sometimes your love for a movie is defined by your sheer enjoyment of it. Sometimes it’s based on rewatchability, or its amazing direction and writing, or the performances, or maybe its cinematography. And even sometimes it’s a combination of all those things. But, it’s not very often that I can give my greatest compliment for a film, but tis the case here; I’ve seen Ex Machina four times now, and every time it felt like a completely different movie. Alex Garland has created a new favorite of mine in the sci-fi genre, a film that is about so much more than human relationships with artificial intelligence. Ex Machina has three main characters and three points of view, and you as the viewer have the ability to watch through each of their eyes. This makes for one of the most thematically rich sci-fi films I’ve seen in a long time, all at once about the desire for intimacy, the fine line between empathy and apathy as human characteristics, the means of manipulation for self-preservation, and even coping with loneliness. The film wouldn’t have got this far if it wasn’t for the three main performances, and Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domhnall Gleeson (who ultimately wins 2015) are truly magnificent, especially Vikander, who is a new superstar. And for a film that is Garland’s directorial debut (I’ve loved his writing already), it was easy to pick this as my best film of 2015. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out the rest of my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
12) Beasts of No Nation
13) Victoria
14) The Revenant
15) When Marnie Was There
16) Love & Mercy
17) White God
18) The End of the Tour
19) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
20) Spotlight

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

To hear us discuss our InSession Film Awards and our Top 10 Best Movies of 2015, subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher or you can listen on Soundcloud below.

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 152 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 152 (Part 2)

This is one of my favorite moments each year, as we countdown the year’s best films. On Episode 152 (Part 2) we got to break down our Top 10 Movies of 2015 and it was a lot of fun. This year was full of incredible movies and it was tough narrowing it down to just ten, but the films that landed in my Top 10 will surly resonate with me for a long time. For Part 1 of #152, we discussed this year’s InSession Film Awards, which is also worth checking out as we recap the best, and some of the worst, of film in 2015.

We do encourage you to listen to Episode 152 to hear more about our picks, but as we do every year, listed here is my Top 20 of 2015. And for the record, the separation between some of my films in my top and 11-20 is only inches. It pains me that some of these aren’t in my Top 10, but thus math doesn’t work well in my favor. That being said (after the jump), let’s get into it and go over my Top 10 Movies of 2015.

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RELATED: JD’s Top 10 Movies of 2014

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JD Duran’s Top 10 Movies of 2015:

10) Mommy
Xavier Dolan was a name I was unfamiliar with going into 2015 and boy has that changed. Mommy was a film we saw early on in the year and it stuck with me throughout as one of the very best. The film’s center relationship between this mother and son is absolutely captivating and the performances are stellar. The 1×1 box ratio gives the film an intimacy that is played out thematically in the film and it’s pretty riveting when you find out why it’s used the way that it is. The final act of this film is simply some of the best filmmaking I saw in all of 2015. Click here to listen to our full review.

9) Brooklyn
I’m a sucker for a good romance. I’m an even bigger sucker when it’s rooted in rich themes and concepts that shine throughout the film. Brooklyn‘s main romance is palpable and breathtakingly beautiful but it’s also cemented in something else. Saoirse Ronan, who gives arguably the best performance of the year, plays a character who has to move from Ireland to Brooklyn in order to find herself. The film wonderfully depicts the power of places in our lives and how sometimes that rubs up against family and nostalgia. The ending result is one of the best films of the year. Click here to listen to our full review.

8) Creed
Ryan Coogler is quickly rising the ranks as one of my favorite directors working today. He arguably gives us the best film in the Rocky franchise, and it’s the saga’s seventh installment. This isn’t a genre film. It’s an art film disguised as a boxing movie. The craftsmanship is incredible and it’ll make you raise your fist in the air. Sylvestor Stallone gives the best performance of the character and Michael B. Jordan is on his “A” game as well. And the way this film dives into legacy and family, it’s really moving stuff. Click here to listen to our full review.

7) The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu has certainly become a divisive filmmaker, but I’m not interested in his pretentiousness, politics or how he promotes his movies. I don’t find it offensive and all I care about is the final product. And for me, The Revenant succeeds on many different levels. The film is intensely visceral, the methodical pacing builds with purpose and it’s full of rich themes about mercy and faith, in a world that is completely void of both notions. Leonardo DiCaprio may have eaten raw bison, but again, not important to me. What is important is that he beautifully represents these ideas of mercy and faith in a way that I found profound and satisfying. Click here to listen to our full review.

6) Mad Max: Fury Road
This may come at a shock to those who listen to the show regularly and know how I felt about this film for most of 2015. However, on a re-watch (days before our Top 10 show), it completely changed how I viewed the film. The criticisms of the film I had, mostly surrounding the Max character, were fixed based on elements I missed before. It was the missing link for me. I had already loved the action, the score, the direction, the acting, the production design, everything else was gold. But when the relationship between Max and Furiosa changed for me, it became one of my favorite films of the year. I was moved by it. So yeah, crazy how that turned out. Click here to listen to our full review (and where I was kinda wrong about the Max character).

5) White God
White God was one of the most heartbreaking, yet satisfying experiences of 2015. This Hungarian film is about a dog who gets separated from his owner (a little girl) and goes on an arduous journey to survive. There are obvious allegories here about oppression and fighting against it, but that’s not how I read the film. For me, the allegory is more about love and what happens to someone when that bond is broken. You put that idea through the lens of an innocent dog and it’s devastating to watch. But what happens when love is rekindled? Well, you’ll have to watch White God to find out, but it blew me away. Click here to listen to our full review.

4) Ex Machina
Ex Machina is one of the more brilliant artificial intelligence movies I’ve seen in quite some time. The interplay between the three main characters is riveting, mysterious and always evolving. The film certainly brings up familiar themes and tropes regarding AI movies, but what makes Ex Machina stand out to me, is how it flips those ideas on it’s head and reaches the root of those notions. Whether it be manipulation, empathy, love, insecurity or other human characteristics that the film brings up, it all points back to intimacy and how we act on it as a meaningful way to live. That, and there was that dance sequence! Click here to listen to our full review.

3) Sicario
Denis Villeneuve continues to impress and showcases his strength as a filmmaker impressively with Sicario. This film is incredibly tense and it never relents until the final credits roll. Emily Blunt is as good as she’s ever been as is Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin. Roger Deakin’s cinematography is perfectly bleak and symbolizes this film so well. And thematically, it of course dives into the morality of lawless action in a fight that perhaps lost, but the film is more than that. The characters are wrapped up in a moral spectrum, but how they get there is just as fascinating as the choices they make when they are there. Click here to listen to our full review.

2) Room
Familial love is a beautiful thing and Room does everything it can to make that resonate on a deep level. The story depicted here is heartbreaking to see but the hope that comes from it is powerful. As good as Brie Larson is here, and she better win Best Actress at this year’s Oscars, Jacob Tremblay is just as good and just as important to this film working. The way he displays innocence is breathtaking to see and how it ties back to coping after a tragedy, is absolutely incredible. Simply, it’s a powerful film about love and family. Click here to listen to our full review.

1) Inside Out
Words can barely describe my experience with this film. It changed me to my core. It changed the way I looked at my life. To say I had an emotional response to film, is putting it very lightly. I explain heavily on Episode 152 (Part 2), but the way this film talks about joy and sadness and how they are intimately connected, it wrecked me. I will never forget this experience and I can’t wait to see how it sits with me more over time. And despite my subjectivitey, I think objectively it’s still easily one of the best films of the year. The voice casting is impeccable and the psychology of this film is brilliant. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out the rest of my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
12) The Big Short
13) Carol
14) Spotlight
15) Phoenix
16) It Follows
17) The Martian
18) Victoria
19) The End of the Tour
20) Trainwreck

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

To hear us discuss our InSession Film Awards and our Top 10 Best Movies of 2015, subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher or you can listen on Soundcloud below.

Part 1

Part 2

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 152 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 152 (Part 2)

This week marks our third annual InSession Film Awards show, which is really exciting and one of our favorite moments of the year. We’ll discuss all of the best that film had to offer in 2015 in many different categories and we’ll be capping it all of with our Top 10 movies of 2015. Just like our Awards show last year, this will probably go a little longer than normal but it’s well worth it, we promise.

So to help you prepare for this week’s show, we’ve laid out all of the categories we’ll be discussing. For each category, we’ll each come up with our own three nominations and then discuss our winner for that category. If you’d like to play along, click on the link below to download the category sheet, fill it out and stay tuned for Episode 150 this weekend!

Remember, treat each category as your own. Come up with your own three nominations and then pick a winner. If you’d like, email, Facebook or tweet us your ballot and again, stay tuned for Episode 150 to see how your list compares to ours!

Here are all the categories we’ll be discussing this weekend:

Individual Special Awards

– For this, we’ll make up our own special awards that we want to give away. Can be anything relating to film in 2015.

Biggest Disappointment

Worst Movie

Best Movie Trailer

Best Opening/Closing Credits Sequence or Scene

Best Surprise Actor/Actress

Best Surprise Movie

Best Use of Soundtrack Music

– Doesn’t have to impact movie, but just a song (non-score) used in the film. Opening and Closing credits count.

Best Score

Best Animated Movie

Best Screenplay (Adapted)

Best Screenplay (Original)

Best Director

Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Actress

Best Actor

Best Picture

– This will be our Top 10 of 2015.

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we’ll be discussing Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest film, The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Of course, Iñárritu was well discussed last year with his Best Picture winner, Birdman and he stirred up a lot of hard feelings for some when he also won Best Director over Richard Linklater. Iñárritu, like many of his films, is a very polarizing subject. Some people find him very pretentious and overbearing, while others appreciate his craftsmanship and artistic approach. Regardless of where you lean on this fence, I find the conversation pretty fascinating and we’ll talk more about it on the show this weekend.

As for me and where I lean when it comes to Iñárritu? Spoiler alert, he doesn’t irk me in any way. He’s not the first pretentious director to come from Hollywood and he won’t be the last. I really appreciate his craftsmanship and especially love the approach to both Birdman and The Revenant. A lot of people have problems with the “gimmick” but for me, the camera and editing (and in the case of The Revenant, the lighting as well) do a great job of supplanting me in both of those worlds and help me feel the chaos and immediacy of those films. And the real reason it works? There’s thematic resonance to those films that give life to the characters, which makes it feel more than just a “gimmick” to me. Perhaps it’s my own pretentiousness speaking, but filmmakers use different techniques and ideas all the time, I don’t get why everyone loses their mind when Iñárritu does it too.

At any rate, we look forward to discussing The Revenant this weekend. Regardless of how you feel about the director, there’s a lot to appreciate about this film. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are very good. Will Poultier gives a surprising performance that I didn’t expect either. The bear attack (not a spoiler) is one of the craziest things I’ve seen and it’s breathtaking to watch. It’s also worth noting, if you’re reading this before seeing the film, get the proper expectation. Remember, this is Iñárritu we are talking about. Do you really think, based off of his filmography, that this is a simple revenge thriller? No, no it’s not. This film isn’t about revenge. It’s about survival. Surviving and using tools that you may not know you would need to use in order to survive. There is a revenge element, for sure, but know this film is a lot more than that. Whether or not that works for you is a different story. I can completely understand why it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Again, this is Iñárritu we are talking about. As for me, well I loved it. And I’ll tell you why on Episode 151 this weekend.

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Be sure to listen to Episode 150, where we discuss Quentin Tarantino and The Hateful Eight!