Best-Reviewed Movies 2015 – Wide Release

Critics Consensus: With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller's post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.

Synopsis: Years after the collapse of civilization, the tyrannical Immortan Joe enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel. When the warrior Imperator Furiosa leads... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Directed By: George Miller

Critics Consensus: Inventive, gorgeously animated, and powerfully moving, Inside Out is another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.

Synopsis: Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, but her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader

Directed By: Pete Docter

Critics Consensus: Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Synopsis: Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: Brooklyn buttresses outstanding performances from Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen with a rich period drama that tugs at the heartstrings as deftly as it satisfies the mind.

Synopsis: Young Irish immigrant Eilis Lace navigates her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: John Crowley

Critics Consensus: Warm, funny, and brilliantly animated, Shaun the Sheep is yet another stop-motion jewel in Aardman's family-friendly crown.

Synopsis: All is well at Mossy Bottom Farm, except for the fact that the animals will do anything to get out of work. So, Shaun the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Richard Webber

Directed By: Mark Burton, Richard Starzak

Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.

Synopsis: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney, presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Spotlight gracefully handles the lurid details of its fact-based story while resisting the temptation to lionize its heroes, resulting in a drama that honors the audience as well as its real-life subjects.

Synopsis: In 2001, editor Marty Baron of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate allegations against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber

Directed By: Tom McCarthy

Critics Consensus: Smart, original, and above all terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels -- and leaves a lingering sting.

Synopsis: After carefree teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, she learns that she is the latest... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary

Directed By: David Robert Mitchell

Critics Consensus: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation continues the franchise's thrilling resurgence -- and proves that Tom Cruise remains an action star without equal.

Synopsis: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson

Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie

Critics Consensus: Paddington brings a beloved children's character into the 21st century without sacrificing his essential charm, delivering a family-friendly adventure as irresistibly cuddly as its star.

Synopsis: After a deadly earthquake destroys his home in Peruvian rainforest, a young bear makes his way to England in search of a new home. The... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: Paul King