A promising young drummer enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
When Lou Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
A family on a ski holiday in the French Alps find themselves staring down an avalanche during lunch one day; in the aftermath, their dynamic has been shaken to its core, with a question mark hanging over their patriarch in particular.
Director:
Ruben Östlund
Stars:
Johannes Kuhnke,
Lisa Loven Kongsli,
Clara Wettergren
After Ben and George get married, George is fired from his teaching post, forcing them to stay with friends separately while they sell their place and look for cheaper housing -- a situation that weighs heavily on all involved.
A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.
Director:
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Stars:
Michael Keaton,
Zach Galifianakis,
Edward Norton
Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24hrs into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.
Director:
Bradley King
Stars:
Danielle Panabaker,
Matt O'Leary,
George Finn
In the throes of a quarter-life crisis, Megan panics when her boyfriend proposes, then, taking an opportunity to escape for a week, hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika, who lives with her world-weary single dad.
Director:
Lynn Shelton
Stars:
Keira Knightley,
Chloë Grace Moretz,
Sam Rockwell
Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles-like being ... See full summary »
Directors:
Jemaine Clement,
Taika Waititi
Stars:
Jemaine Clement,
Taika Waititi,
Jonathan Brugh
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.
A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school, one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student tries to achieve greatness, and the professor tries to stop him.
The chart "Whiplash" performed in the film is of the type referred to by jazz players as a "time chart" - a piece with an unconventional time signature (in this case, 7/8). The chart's arranger - Hank Levy - is famous within jazz circles for his numerous "time chart" classics. See more »
Goofs
When Fletcher throws the chair at Neyman, the guitarist is behind Neyman in the first shot then missing in the second, probably removed to avoid being hit by a chair. See more »
Quotes
Terence Fletcher:
Do you think your out of tune. What are you there's no fucking Mars Bar down their what are you looking at. Look up here look at me do you think you were out of tune.
Metz:
Yes.
Terence Fletcher:
THEN WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU SAY SO.
See more »
Whiplash is low budget film making at its finest, and surely promises big things from rookie director/writer Damien Chazelle. Seeing this film in theaters was the first time this year that I have completely enraptured (granted, I have not seen all of the top films that have come out so far). Also, I am a succor for quality films about musicians, and Whiplash ranks in my all time favorites in that genre. The tension did not let up from the very first scene, especially as soon as the incredible J.K. Simmons enters. Simmons, along with Miles Teller (who's Project X days are now long behind him) have some of the best on screen chemistry I've seen. They're connected; one cannot act without it affecting the other. The film is almost entirely focused on this relationship, and the simplicity definitely services the film. I hope people will go and see it and vote with their pocketbooks for excellent low budget films.
12 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Whiplash is low budget film making at its finest, and surely promises big things from rookie director/writer Damien Chazelle. Seeing this film in theaters was the first time this year that I have completely enraptured (granted, I have not seen all of the top films that have come out so far). Also, I am a succor for quality films about musicians, and Whiplash ranks in my all time favorites in that genre. The tension did not let up from the very first scene, especially as soon as the incredible J.K. Simmons enters. Simmons, along with Miles Teller (who's Project X days are now long behind him) have some of the best on screen chemistry I've seen. They're connected; one cannot act without it affecting the other. The film is almost entirely focused on this relationship, and the simplicity definitely services the film. I hope people will go and see it and vote with their pocketbooks for excellent low budget films.