The Best Films, TV Shows and Books of 2015

It’s that time of year again.

Not really. But it is still far enough out that any of these ideas can make it under your tree before that time of year comes around.

I can’t decide whether 2015 has been a good or bad year for content. In film’s case, I think it has been fairly forgettable insofar as tentpole films are concerned. (Yes, I’m aware we’re days away from a new Star Wars.) But actually I think I rather like that. It has been one of those years for me, so I haven’t seen as much cinema as I’d like. A lot of these happened because there were last minute tickets going on the day at work. It was all highly unplanned, which means the list skews more indy than most. I will say I’m disappointed no Australian films made it onto the list, purely for nostalgic reasons.

TV has been pretty good. Books have been mixed, but much of that has been my own fault, as I’ve been reading for research rather than pleasure.

A reminder of the rules:

In all cases, the media in question has to have been released in 2015 in the UK and has to be new in 2015. (Which is a pity because South Park has been astonishing.)
This list is based on the precision science of my personal opinion of the randomly consumed media of the previous 12 months.
The ordering may change based on shortlists of TV shows and films I have yet to watch but come highly recommended, spelled out below.
The lists are in no particular order until the final two.

The Best Films of 2015

Bird Man

Slow West

The Wonders

Hard to be a God

Tangerine

Love and Mercy

Brooklyn

A Girl Walks Home Alone and Night

Maps to the Stars

While We’re Young

Mistress America (runner up)

Amy (winner)

This was really a foregone conclusion. I saw this in the cinema as a work event. No dry eyes in the house. A wonderful story of music and artistry and humanness.

Not Yet Seen

Obviously I haven’t seen Star Wars yet, either. But it will likely get its own post. Plus it’s not like y’all aren’t going to see it eventually.

Chi-Raq

Carol

London Road

The Falling

Sunset Song

Trainwreck

Joy

The Assassin

The Best TV of 2015

TV actually had a pretty good year. The Netflix/Amazon Prime effects are coming into their own. Speaking of… Yes, I’m aware Man in the High Castle isn’t on this list. Didn’t love it. You should probably watch it though.

Mr Robot

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

This almost could’ve won. But too many Actual Worthy Shows came out this year. Nevertheless I laughed till I cried, threw up in my mouth and my flatmate came downstairs because he thought I was seriously injured.

London Spy

Sens8

Catastrophe

The Last Kingdom

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Bloodline (runner up)

I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this show. It’s wonderful. It’s like some kind of operatic, Shakespearian thing set in the Florida Keys. Do yourselves various favours and watch it.

Wolf Hall (winner)

I don’t think I have seen anything so masterfully played as this. Yes, Mark Rylance is probably Britain’s best actor working today, but this is… I have to say masterful again. I was astonished. You will be astonished. Nothing about this is any less than flawless. Nothing.

Not Yet Seen

Jessica Jones

Empire

12 Monkeys

The Best Books of 2015

Didn’t get through a vast amount of new fiction this year on account of a backlog of books purchased but not yet read. Also, it turns out writing two books of your own really throws a spanner in the ‘reading for pleasure’ works.

I’m going to split out a few as subcategories here, as it is inevitably a broader church than film or TV.

The Watchers (fiction winner)