Movies

We’re a little over halfway through the year, making it the perfect time to look back on what’s happened in movies to this point. Here’s a quick look at 5 of the best and worst of what’s been on the silver screen in the first six months of the year.

Best of 2015 (So Far)

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

After an almost 40-year wait, George Miller came back triumphant. He brought back a Mad Max that combined 2 hours of non-stop action with a subversive female-centric plot, placing Max (Tom Hardy) as second wheel to a phenomenal Imperator Furiousa (Charlize Theron). Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to garner awards to match the critical praise and box office success due to its sci fi/action genre, but we can keep singing its praises until some academy somewhere listens.

“Inside Out”

This creative, highly anticipated work from Pixar is likely the next animated classic. It follows the internal mental turmoil of a girl in the midst of a family move, personifying her emotions into characters: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). It’s an emotional tour-de-force in cartoon form, combining humor with insight and a dream team cast of modern comedy greats.

“Ex Machina”

Another science fiction film that will never get the formal accolades it deserves, considering it ranks with “Blade Runner” for sleekly contemporary film-making prowess. It features terrific performances from Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleason that are more powerful for being co