What's On's film writer Mike Shaw gives his view on the top 10 films of 2015.

I’ve struggled with this year’s list. It’s not that 2015 has been a bad year for films, more that the films I was excited about have largely been disappointing. Fantastic Four was terrible; Avengers: Age of Ultron was flabby and bloated, and while Jurassic World was entertaining enough, it wasn’t anywhere near as good as it should be. But, there were still some great movies this year, so here – in no particular order – are my top 10 of the year.

(Disclaimer: It goes without saying that this list was written before Star Wars was previewed, so that heartbreaking work of staggering genius will go unlisted.)

1. WHIPLASH
Let’s begin the list with a film from January. This story of a budding professional drummer had a great screenplay, wonderful soundtrack and brilliant acting, particularly from JK Simmons who won a Best Supporting Actor for his terrifying, tyrannical music teacher.

2. BEST OF ENEMIES
In 1968, the American network ABC broadcast 10 live debates between staunch right-winger William F. Buckley and arch-leftist Gore Vidal. The result changed TV politics forever. This gripping documentary charts those debates and the effect they had on the world. Next time you see two professional talking heads throwing jibes at each other on Question Time, blame ABC.

3. THE VOICES
A film about a man whose pets talk to him and encourage him to kill shouldn’t leave you with a smile on your face, but The Voices manages it. Ryan Reynolds reminds the world that he can actually act in this surprising psychological horror comedy.

4. THE MARTIAN
Ridley Scott is obviously a great director, but he does tend to be a bit miserable. That’s one of the reasons The Martian was such a great surprise. This story of an astronaut stranded alone on an alien world was one of the few big movies that lived up to its hype, and it’s surprisingly funny for a film where death is perpetually lurking in the next crater.

5. EX MACHINA
Like The Martian, Ex Machina was exactly the kind of smart sci-fi that makes me happy to do this job. The directorial debut of 28 Days Later and Sunshine screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina revolves around the relationship between a reclusive genius, his masterpiece – an android called Ava, and an unsuspecting employee. This fiercely intelligent film is all about character and dialogue and is utterly captivating, although it also boasts some of the best CGI of the year.

6. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
This story of a chav who turns out to be a promising secret agent had no business being as good as it was. Outrageously violent and packed with creative swearing, it’s a wonderful peek into a parallel universe where Colin Firth was cast as James Bond.

7. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION
Another film that conjures images of 007. However, this was the year that the Mission Impossible franchise officially became better than Bond. Endlessly inventive, with nailbiting stunts, Tom Cruise’s weird charisma and a superb co-star in Rebecca Ferguson, this was one of the most enjoyable action movies of the last 12 months.

8. INSIDE OUT
After a run of sloppy sequels and weak original ideas, Pixar came along with Inside Out and outdid itself. This beautiful animation takes us inside the head of an 11-year-old girl and is as bold and smart as any gritty low-budget release this year. Ingenious, funny and moving; Inside Out feels more like a Miyazaki movie than something produced in Hollywood.

9. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2
The Hunger Games series has been the most consistently strong franchise in recent years, and thankfully the finale did not disappoint. It suffered from a slightly over-long ending, but still outshone almost all of 2015’s other big releases.

10. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

I had high hopes for George Miller’s new take on Mad Max, but never expected the deranged masterpiece he ended up unleashing on the world. The most exciting, inventive director of the past 12 months is 70 years old. Let that sink in for a moment.