It's that time of the year again -- the time for lists. Making them is interesting because all of a sudden you're forced to decide what was actually memorable from 2015. It turns out a lot of movies were.
In a year where "Jurassic World" stampeded over box-office records while many mid-budget releases under-performed, plenty of films rose above the debris. It pains me to omit "It Follows," "Love & Mercy," "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence," "Queen of Earth," "The Hateful Eight" and "Amy" from this list. But the 20 movies that did stand out -- the ones that kept me thinking and laughing -- are excellent. Let's get right to it.
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20
"Grandma"
Sony Pictures Classics
19
"Beasts of No Nation"
Netflix
18
"Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck"
HBO
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17
"Chi-Raq"
Roadside Attractions
16
"The End of the Tour"
A24
15
"James White"
Film Arcade
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14
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
Sony Pictures Classics
13
"45 Years"
Artificial Eye
12
"Clouds of Sils Maria"
IFC Films
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11
"Spotlight"
Open Road Films
10
"The Martian"
20th Century Fox
9
"Ex Machina"
A24
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8
"Tangerine"
Magnolia Pictures
7
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Walt Disney Studios
6
"Room"
A24
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5
"The Big Short"
Paramount
4
"Inside Out"
Walt Disney Studios
3
"Brooklyn"
Fox Searchlight
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2
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
Warner Bros.
1
"Carol"
The Weinstein Company
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