‘Tis the season to be making lists. While children are putting the finishing touches on their requests to Santa Claus, cinephiles are collating their rankings of the year’s best films. And the prestigious Sight & Sound are getting the yearly tradition rolling with their unveiling of the 20 Best Films of 2015.
Voted on by 168 movie critics from around the world, it’s not a surprise to see things lean very auteur heavy. Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s acclaimed "The Assassin" takes the top spot, Todd Haynes‘ "Carol" is right behind, while Christian Petzold‘s "Phoenix," Jafar Panahi‘s "Taxi Tehran," Apichatpong Weerasethekul‘s "Cemetery Of Splendour" and more rank. But that’s not to say critics don’t like their blockbuster or genre fare. George Miller‘s "Mad Max: Fury Road" takes third place, while Pixar‘s "Inside Out" makes the cut, as does David Robert Mitchell‘s "It Follows."
Check out the full list below (and note Paul Thomas Anderson’s "Inherent Vice" slips in as it debuted in cinemas abroad this year).
Sight & Sound Top 20 Films Of 2015
1. The Assassin
2. Carol
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Arabian Nights
5. Cemetery Of Splendour
6. No Home Movies
7. 45 Years
8. Son Of Saul
9. Amy (tie)
9. Inherent Vice (tie)
11. Anomalisa
11. It Follows (tie)
13. Phoenix
14. Girlhood (tie)
14. Hard To Be A God (tie)
14. Inside Out (tie)
14. Tangerine (tie)
14. Taxi Tehran (tie)
19. Horse Money (tie)
19. The Look Of Silence(tie)
You mean Incoherent Vice don\’t you.
Nice to see "Inherent Vice" recognized, after getting the limited release treatment in the U.S. (645 screens at widest release).