Best of 2015: Movies, TV, and Music

Here's the last of this year's recap posts: my favorite movies and television of 2015 (with a couple of albums thrown in, too). As always, some of these were new releases, but others have been out for a while, and I just watched for the first time this year.


The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I've seen this movie twice in the last month, and both times I've planned on writing a review of it. But apparently I can't think of anything to say! :) I loved this one. It's just a lot of fun...very funny and entertaining in a glossy, perfectly 60s way.

Cinderella. There's not a lot to say about this one...it's just a nice, traditional adaptation of the fairy tale. The casting was perfect, the costumes were gorgeous, and the whole film was just pretty. You can read my review here.


Into the Woods. I love how this movie combines humor with darker twists on typical fairy tales. It was visually stunning and the songs are catchy (too catchy sometimes). It's definitely unlike anything I've seen before. I reviewed it here.


Inside Out. I love Pixar films, but honestly, the premise of this one didn't appeal to me at all. So I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was...it's probably in my top three or four favorite Pixar movies. The plot was creative and the attention to detail was incredible. Sadness was definitely my favorite character. :) I reviewed it here.


Mr. Holmes. I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, and this was a take on his story that I'd never seen before. It was a quiet sort of movie, and a bit sad, but still really good.

And now on to the television shows or mini-series...


Poldark. This was definitely my favorite new TV show of the year. I got a disc of it from Netflix, watched the first three episodes, and got so hooked that I went that week and bought the DVD so I could watch the rest of it immediately. (I never do that, but that's how sure I was that I'd love the rest of the season.) When Poldark first aired on PBS, I didn't have a lot of interest in watching it, but now I can't wait for the next season. (Especially after that cliffhanger! Goodness.)


Marple. I've only seen the first two seasons so far, but I'm really enjoying this show. I'm just trying to read some more of the Miss Marple books before I watch their adaptations...


Foyle's War. As with Marple, I've only see the first two seasons of this show so far, but I already love the characters. I don't hear a lot of people talking about this show, which is a shame. It's about a police inspector solving crimes in England during World War II.


Grantchester. And yet another British mystery show...can you tell that I've really been into mysteries this year? :) This one is about a young clergyman who teams up with a cop to solve crimes in their local village.


Death Comes to Pemberley. As a Jane Austen fan, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this mini series, but I ended up enjoying it. For the most part, I loved how they showed the characters from Pride and Prejudice six or seven years later (though Mr. Darcy was a bit too moody), and the cast was great. The scenery and costumes were beautiful. And of course this one also involves a murder mystery...

I only found two new albums this year that I really loved. The first one was Holly Arrowsmith's For the Weary Traveller. I thought that it would be a little too traditionally folk for my taste, but I ended up listening to it nonstop for most of the summer and fall. I also really loved Look Homeward's self-titled debut. (You can still download it for free here.) Some of their songs remind me of the Avett Brothers, which is basically the biggest compliment I can give a band. :)