I looked back at the year that is ending and put together a list of my favorites TV shows and Movies of 2015.
My 10 favorite TV shows of 2015
What an awesome year 2015 was for television, there are so many good shows available these days that I can barely keep up with them anymore. Even to put this list together was difficult, I left so many good shows out. The leftovers had an Awesome second season, so did You’re The Worst and Silicon Valley not to mention Netflix’ Jessica Jones, which I had zero exceptions about it and it had pretty solid first season. Actually Netflix kicked some serious ass this year, they produced some much good stuff! Anyway enough about the shows that didn’t make my list and on tho the ones that actually made it.
10 - Narcos [Season 1]
Narcos feels like a partial documentary filled with action-packed scenes and the usual of behind the scenes backstabbing and intrigue. A very high quality show in every regard. I have to praise Netflix for bringing this story to the global public. Making most of the dialogues in Spanish instead of English was a really nice touch as well. Looking forward to the second season!
9 - Halt And Catch Fire [Season 2]
The second Season of Halt And Catch Fire was a massive improvement over the first. Changing the focus from Joe MacMillan to Cameron and Donna’s journey at Mutiny, an upstart game company turned online contender was definitely the right move. The set design,cinematography, hardware, clothing and ambience make you really feel like you are in the 80’s. Watch it with an open mind and forget about how tech is now and focus in what it was like for developers and dreamers back then.
8 - Broad City [Season 2]
Broad City is so hilarious and weird [in a good way]. Abbi and Ilana are a natural duo who go together like Spaghetti and Meatballs. They have a perfect chemistry to the point that it almost seems like they are not acting but as if they were best friends in real life. Kudos on getting the hilariously foul mouthed Susie Essman to play Ilana's mom on Season 2. Genius! For Season 3 we need more Bevers!
7 - Rick And Morty [Season 2]
Hands down,the most outrageous show on TV right now. This animated show is smart and incisive, vulgar and unapologetic. I love the tongue-cheek writing and it is even better in the season 2. This is the only show with infinite possibilities that still make sense. Got it?
6 - The Americans - [Season 3]
The Americans is an insanely amazing spy thriller about two Soviet intelligence agents posing as a married couple to spy on the American government. I like how the quality of this show keeps improving. The show was good in season one, terrific in season two, and they've really upped the espionage factor for season 3 making it pretty awesome and thrilling to watch. In my opinion this is a very underrated show and people should pay more attention to it
5 - Game Of Thrones [Season 5]
It's not easy adapting sprawling fantasy books into a TV series, but HBO has done it beautifully with "Game of Thrones."I had very high expectations for season 5, and I am glad to say that GOT is still as consistent as ever. Direction, writing, acting and music are on very high level as usual. So much anticipation is finally released towards the end of the fifth season as so many moments that have been long awaited,finally happened. Things like, riding dragons, fighting the dead or two major characters finally coming face to face. I am really curious to see what is going to happen to the show now since they caught up to the books that spawned it.
4 - Bojack Horseman [Season 2]
Bojack Horseman is one the funniest animated television shows I've ever seen and season 2 builds beautifully on season 1, it is twice as funny and twice as dramatic as before. I would have never thought that a show about a talking horse could ever be so human and showcase so well the disparaging depths of depression and celebrity. Also the surreal blend of human with animal characters and the abundance of awesome animal nature gags never gets old
3 - Master Of None [Season 1]
The new Netflix original series Master of None is one of the best comedies I've seen in awhile. Starred, written and created by Aziz Ansari it touches on themes relevant to young adults in a funny and charming way. The show kinda reminds me of Seinfeld, but with a modern approach, basically they are doing funny observations of things like online dating and texting etiquette. The cast's diversity is one the highlights of the show and Aziz is very charismatic and it is nice to see him step into a lead role and kill it.
2 - Fargo [Season 2]
When I started watching the second season of Fargo I was wondering, is it possible that they could actually top the first season? And the answer is: Hell yeah, it is possible! Noah Hawley [the showrunner] has captured perfectly the essence of Coen's feature film masterpiece, and has expanded it to brilliant new levels. Man, I love this show! In a year where the popular True Detective fell so far from grace, Fargo is the crime anthology series that everyone should be watching. It really doesn't get much better than this. I need to do a special mention to the cast. It is terrific. It is crafted flawlessly. And hey, give Kirsten Dunst that Emmy!
1 - Mr Robot [Season 1]
Mr. Robot is absolutely the best show of the year. First time I heard about the show I thought “who will watch a show called Mr Robot? Dumbest name ever!” But I gave it a chance anyway and I am really glad I did. Remember that feeling you got when you watched the pilot for Breaking Bad? You knew it wasn't only going to be good, it was going to be something special. that was how I felt about this show. The acting is phenomenal [with a very strong performance by Rami Malek], the writing is great, the characters are endearing, the cinematography is excellent! I can not wait for season 2
My 10 favorite Movies of 2015
If TV has been kicking some ass lately the same can not be said about the movie Industry. I have watched more than 200 movies this year [I have an app for help me with the counting] and I struggled to put this list together. When you can barely take ten good movies out of a pile of more than two hundred is because something is wrong. 2015 was a terrible year for films and the movie studios have no one to blame but themselves. Let just hope next year things will get a bit better
10 - Amy
I was never an Amy Winehouse fan but I was living in London at the time between the peak of her career and her tragic downfall and it was impossible not to know what she was up to during that time, you just had to use the public transport and the “news” about her would be all over those crap tabloids they give for free on the underground stations. So nothing in this movie was a surprise for me but what was really interesting was the way the director chose to tell her story. Amy's demise unfolds through the use of "home movie" footage, well-edited balanced interviews with those in her circle, The result is sad but powerful in nearly every frame
9 - Tangerine
This is one of the most funny and original films of the year. Shot on three iphone 5s' on a $105,000 budget, Tangerine is outrageously and often uncomfortable to watch which is a good thing because sometimes is good to be out of comfortable zone. The movie is an interesting cinematic experience that’s neither judgmental or sympathetic.
8 - Sicario
Sicario is a Very intense film. Think Zero Dark Thirty in the nasty world of drugs. The movie revolves around an idealistic FBI agent enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.The directing, cinematography and the performances from Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro were fantastic.
7 - Me Earl And The Dying Girl
Based on the novel of the same name, Me And Earl And The Dying Girl feels like a mashup of Wes Anderson and John Hughes movies. The film takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride through a series of highs and lows, all filled with wit and an array of clever, laugh-out-loud classic film references.
6 - Straight Outta Compton
A terrific journey through the music and culture of the 80's and 90's this movie is one of the best music-based biopics I've seen! Definitely a classic! The three main leads give stellar performances. O'Shea Jackson Jr, plays his real life father Ice Cube in the film, and he looks more like Ice Cube Than Ice Cube himself. The director F. Gary Gray executed the movie with almost no flaw and the Detroit scene is EPIC!
5 - It Follows
One of the most exciting, original horror films I've seen in years. It Follows is a creepy and beautifully turned variation on the teen horror formula. The mood is somber, ominous and increasingly suspenseful throughout. The concept is fantastic and very well executed. Director David Robert Mitchell knows how to truly scare you and he does it with pure glee and abandon by keeping you on edge from the get go.
4 - Heaven Knows What
More than 20 years after "Kids" comes another raw look at life on the streets of New York. This is one of the most in-your-face cinematic depictions of drug addiction in recent memory. The lead actress, Arielle Holmes, also wrote the book that the film is based on, which is about her own life. It's a very difficult movie to watch, but it's exceptionally well-made and beautiful in its execution.
3 - Beasts Of No Nation
With the rough subject matter of child soldiers that this movie carries, is safe to say this is not a “fun watch” but is definitely a film worth seeing. The Movie is not a story about politics or right and wrong, it's a story about the cost of war on the people who are caught up in it. Idris Elba is a force as Commandant.
2 - Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max is absolutely incredible one of those movies that sets the bar. Jaw dropping action, intriguing plot and characters. This movie extends its climax point throughout the entire duration as it is a continuous roller coaster of intense action and tension. Plus, Charlize Theron is badass on it!
1 - Spotlight
Spotlight is a brilliant film, it holds nothing back and tells a haunting true story of a special investigation team at the Boston Globe that exposed the Catholic Church's cover-up of sexual abuse of children by pedophile priests. I can't say enough about the performances, each one is magnificent and Oscar caliber, Michael Keaton has never been better, and Mark Ruffalo is outstanding as usual. It's difficult to grab the attention of the audience without special effects these days but this movie delivers. Spotlight is incredible, devastating, and highlights an important and unique role the media can play in our society. Definitely my favorite film of the year
Well, that’s all folks. I hope you have enjoyed my Best Of The Year List and I see you all next year.