Whiplash (2014)

Director: Damien Chazelle
Stars: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist
Runtime: 106 minutes

Synopsis: A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 5/5
Editing: 5/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Score/Soundtrack: 5/5

Verdict: You've all seen "Whiplash". You all know what it's about. And if you haven't, I urge you to stop whatever you're doing and go watch it because I've never met anyone who didn't love it. It's that good. It's that engaging. It's an instant classic.

The film, as you know it, follows Andrew's dedication to becoming one of the best drummers of his generation. And to achieve that goal, he will have to go through a drill-sergeant type of conductor, Fletcher, who will not only exhaust him physically but also and more importantly mentally. J.K. Simmons is an absolute treat in the movie as Fletcher and probably the easiest Oscar win of the decade. Opposite him as Andrew, Miles Teller is phenomenal and possibly one of the biggest Oscar snubs of the decade. The performances are layered, believable, and flawlessly delivered. The interactions between these deeply complex characters are engaging, emotional, and even at times entertaining to watch, leading to a third act that left me completely speechless. Everything else surrounding them, from the music to the cinematography, is absolutely perfect. I truly tried to find a flaw in the movie, but for the life of me couldn't find anything. I am no musician so maybe a few notes were out of tune but I honestly couldn't tell if that was the case.

Thematically, the film could be compared to "Black Swan", but out of the two, "Whiplash" is for me the better movie by quite a mile (forgive the pun). I absolutely love every single aspect of the movie and enjoy it a little more with every viewing. I have no problem calling it a masterpiece because it is one without a shadow of a doubt.

FINAL GRADE: 9.5/10