Year-End Lists

Brian Darr: 10 Best Feature Films of 2015, as published by Fandor’s Keyframe blog, submitted at the end of November

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Maps to the Stars
   David Cronenberg
2. The Assassin
   Hou Hsiao-Hsien
3. Son of Saul
   László Nemes
4. The Royal Road
   Jenni Olson
5. Phoenix
   Christian Petzold
6. Man from Reno
   Dave Boyle
7. The Diary of a Teenage Girl
   Marielle Heller
8. Office
   Johnnie To
9. Black Coal, Thin Ice
   Diao Yinan
10. Advantageous
    Jennifer Phang

A.A. Dowd: The Best Films of 2015, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Phoenix
   Christian Petzold
2. The Look of Silence
   Joshua Oppenheimer
3. It Follows
   David Robert Mitchell
4. 45 Years
   Andrew Haigh
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
   George Miller
6. Approaching the Elephant
   Amanda Wilder
7. The Duke of Burgundy
   Peter Strickland
8. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
   Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz
9. Son of Saul
   László Nemes
10. About Elly
    Asghar Farhadi
11. Carol
    Todd Haynes
12. Inside Out
    Pete Docter
13. Anomalisa
    Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson
14. The End of the Tour
    James Ponsoldt
15. Tu Dors Nicole
    Stéphane Lafleur

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2015

Dennis Cooper: 12 Favorite Films of 2015

[see also 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• Malgré la nuit
  Philippe Grandrieux
• A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
  Roy Andersson
• The Wolfpack
  Crystal Moselle
• The Look of Silence
  Joshua Oppenheimer
• Cemetery of Splendor
  Apichatpong Weerasethakul
• No Home Movie
  Chantal Akerman
• Hard to Be a God
  Aleksey German
• Natural History
  James Benning
• The Thoughts That Once We Had
  Thom Andersen
• Elri Paints Himself As A Tornado
  Michael Salerno
• Don’t Go Back to Sleep
  Stanya Kahn
• San Andreas
  Brad Peyton

Dana Stevens: Top 15 Movies of 2015, as published by Slate

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

Top Ten, in alphabetical order

• 45 Years
  Andrew Haigh
• Amy
  Asif Kapadia
• Carol
  Todd Haynes
• The Diary of a Teenage Girl
  Marielle Heller
• Inside Out
  Pete Docter
• The Look of Silence
  Joshua Oppenheimer
• The Second Mother
  Anna Muylaert
• Spotlight
  Tom McCarthy
• Spy
  Paul Feig
• Tangerine
  Sean Baker

Runners-Up, in alphabetical order

• The Big Short
  Adam McKay
• Bridge of Spies
  Steven Spielberg
• Clouds of Sils Maria
  Olivier Assayas
• Mustang
  Deniz Gamze Ergüven
• White God
  Kornél Mundruczó

Lisa Schwarzbaum: 20 Favorite Movies of 2015 (as posted on Twitter in this series of tweets: 1, 2, 3, 4)

[see also 2012]

• Inside Out
  Pete Docter
• Spotlight
  Tom McCarthy
• Carol
  Todd Haynes
• Mad Max: Fury Road
  George Miller
• 45 Years
  Andrew Haigh
• The Diary of a Teenage Girl
  Marielle Heller
• Spy
  Paul Feig
• 99 Homes
  Ramin Bahrani
• Timbuktu
  Abderrahmane Sissako
• Son of Saul
  László Nemes
• A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
  Roy Andersson
• Love & Mercy
  Bill Pohlad
• Phoenix
  Christian Petzold
• Victoria
  Sebastian Schipper
• Clouds of Sils Maria
  Olivier Assayas
• Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
  Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz
• Amy
  Asif Kapadia
• ’71
  Yann Demange
• Room
  Lenny Abrahamson
• Buzzard
  Joel Potrykus

Bilge Ebiri: 20 Best Movies of 2015, as published by New York Magazine’s Vulture

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2012]

1. Mad Max: Fury Road
   George Miller
2. Timbuktu
   Abderrahmane Sissako
3. The Mend
   John Magary
4. Best of Enemies
   Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon
5. Eden
   Mia Hansen-Løve
6. Heart of a Dog
   Laurie Anderson
7. Saint Laurent
   Bertrand Bonello
8. Room
   Lenny Abrahamson
9. Mustang
   Deniz Gamze Ergüven
10. Sembene!
    Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman

Honorable Mentions

• Blackhat
  Michael Mann
• Bone Tomahawk
  S. Craig Zahler
• Brooklyn
  John Crowley
• Carol
  Todd Haynes
• It Follows
  David Robert Mitchell
• Jauja
  Lisandro Alonso
• James White
  Josh Mond
• Spotlight
  Tom McCarthy
• The Keeping Room
  Daniel Barber
• The Second Mother
  Anna Muylaert

Ben Kenigsberg: 10 Best Films of 2015, as submitted to the Variety Survey

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Phoenix
   Christian Petzold
2. Buzzard
   Joel Potrykus
3. Carol
   Todd Haynes
4. Heaven Knows What
   Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
5. Approaching the Elephant
   Amanda Wilder
6. In Jackson Heights
   Frederick Wiseman
7. The Assassin
   Hou Hsiao-Hsien
8. The Hateful Eight
   Quentin Tarantino
9. We Come as Friends
   Hubert Sauper
10. Tangerine
    Sean Baker

J.R. Jones: Favorite Films of 2015, as published by The Chicago Reader

[see also 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. White God
   Kornél Mundruczó
2. 99 Homes
   Ramin Bahrani
3. Spotlight
   Tom McCarthy
4. Maps to the Stars
   David Cronenberg
5. Queen and Country
   John Boorman
6. Court
   Chaitanya Tamhane
7. Mommy
   Xavier Dolan
8. About Elly
   Asghar Farhadi
9. Youth
   Paolo Sorrentino
10. Results
    Andrew Bujalski

Runners-up

11. The Assassin
    Hou Hsiao-Hsien
12. The Diary of a Teenage Girl
    Marielle Heller
13. The Forbidden Room
    Guy Maddin
14. Best of Enemies
    Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon
15. A Poem Is a Naked Person
    Les Blank
16. Room
    Lenny Abrahamson
17. Bridge of Spies
    Steven Spielberg
18. What We Do in the Shadows
    Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
19. Black Mass
    Scott Cooper
20. A Most Violent Year
    J.C. Chandor

Ben Sachs: Favorite Films of 2015, as published by The Chicago Reader

[see also 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Fish & Cat
   Shahram Mokri
2. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Eden
   Mia Hansen-Løve
4. Blackhat
   Michael Mann
5. Love Battles
   Jacques Doillon
6. Hard to Be a God
   Aleksey German
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
   George Miller
8. Goodbye to Language
   Jean-Luc Godard
9. Office
   Johnnie To
10. Nasty Baby
    Sebastián Silva

Runners-up

11. Magic Mike XXL
    Gregory Jacobs
12. In the Name of My Daughter
    André Téchiné
13. Jafar Panahi’s Taxi
    Jafar Panahi
14. In A Foreign Land
    Icíar Bollaín
15. In Jackson Heights
    Frederick Wiseman
16. Ned Rifle
    Hal Hartley
17. The Wonders
    Alice Rohrwacher
18. Manglehorn
    David Gordon Green
19. On the Way to School
    Pascal Plisson
20. Aloft
    Claudia Llosa

Variety: 10 Best Films of 2015 (as voted by 14 Variety reviewers)

1. Carol
   Todd Haynes
2. The Assassin
   Hou Hsiao-Hsien
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
   George Miller
4. Spotlight
   Tom McCarthy
5. Phoenix
   Christian Petzold
6. The Look of Silence
   Joshua Oppenheimer
7. Inside Out
   Pete Docter
8. Brooklyn
   John Crowley
9. 45 Years
   Andrew Haigh
10. Son of Saul
    László Nemes

This list summarizes other lists, including these:

• A.V. Club: Nick Schager: The Best Films of 2015