The summer movie season is often considered the time of year when brainless fun takes priority over “great” cinema, but that’s a hefty load of bollocks. Every calendar month sees its fair share of gems and garbage, big and small — the summer months just see more high profile releases under the impression they have to trade intelligence for blockbuster status. 2015’s is the ninth summer in a row to gross over $4 billion domestically, and while some of the best films of the season contributed to that boffo box-office others opened in incredibly limited release or simply failed to find an audience.
I’ve seen 94 movies released between the beginning of May and the end of August (plus 60+ as-yet domestically unreleased titles I managed to catch at film festivals that aren’t eligible for this list), but that’s still not close to being everything that opened this summer in theaters, VOD or home video. Some notable titles I’ve missed this summer include Inside Out, The End of the Tour, Trainwreck and Dude Bro Party Massacre 3, but with that said here are my picks for the Best Films of Summer 2015.
10. We Are Still Here
Summer isn’t typically thought of as the best time of year for horror — sunshine doesn’t often mesh well with terror — but while the studios trotted out some incredibly lackluster efforts (Poltergeist) the little guys were brewing up some real nightmares. Writer/director Ted Geoghegan old-school chiller delivers a tight, fresh story alongside a creepy basement’s worth of atmosphere and a third act that paints every available wall blood red. Add in some sticky practical effects, legit scares and some friendly genre faces, and you have one of the year’s best horror films.
9. Assassination
Korea’s occupation by Japanese forces in the early 20th century gave rise to all manner of atrocities, but the subject is mined for something more than outrage here. It’s a serious action/thriller about a team of Korean resistance fighters tasked with killing a Japanese general, and just as he did with The Thieves, Tazza, and Woochi, director Choi Dong-hoon crafts a terrifically entertaining film centered on charismatic players, exciting set-pieces and weighty dramatic beats. There are double and triple crosses littered throughout as the film hurtles towards the beautiful chaos of a frenetic wedding shootout, and Gianna Jun (My Sassy Girl) anchors both the action and the heart along the way.
8. A Hard Day
It’s common knowledge that South Korean filmmakers know how to create exciting, suspenseful thrillers (see above), but there’s something of a misconception that they’re all dark, grisly affairs. The truth is that a lot of them have a wickedly funny sense of humor too, and this relentlessly-paced, blackly comic gem is a fantastic example of that. Murder, twists and consequences are the name of the game, and the constantly evolving tale is complemented by some exhilarating fights and suspenseful set-pieces. It’s an immense amount of fun that’ll have you rooting for this poor guy’s day to get worse before it gets better.
7. Tomorrowland
Yeah. That’s right. The rest of you can hate Brad Bird‘s latest all you want while I sit here secure in the knowledge that it’s an immensely entertaining and ridiculously optimistic adventure for the eyes, mind and heart. The lead character is a smart, independent, science-loving teenage girl, and while it initially appears to be another tale about “the one” who can save us all it subverts that idea with the radical notion that we can actually save ourselves. Far from just a message movie though it’s also an energetic ride featuring some beautifully orchestrated action sequences big and small and some equally well-crafted laughs. Give it a chance. You might just be surprised.
6. 10,000 KM
There are only two actors here — Natalia Tena and David Verdaguer — playing longtime lovers separated by an ocean when one gets a job in the U.S., but they fill the screen with the emotional weight of dozens more. It’s entirely possible that this Spanish film took hold of me so fiercely because it hits so close to home, but even if your loved one isn’t pursuing a dream that takes her or him far away for long periods of time the raw intimacy here is more than enough to relate to. Their interactions, exchanges and moments of solitude are sexy, painful, familiar, heartbreaking, hopeful and utterly mesmerizing.
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