With record-breaking numbers, 2015 was a huge year for movies. It was a year where many older franchises attempted to make a comeback, with some earning top spots among the most successful ever made while others simply crashed and burned. 2015 also offered a chance for groups thought to be underrepresented at the movie a chance to shine. Women in particular were everywhere, whether it be award contenders (“Carol,” “Brooklyn,” “Room”), comedies (“Pitch Perfect 2,” “Trainwreck,” “Spy”), or even invading the boys club of action spectacles (“Star Wars,” “Mad Max,” “Sicario”). Other races and ethnicities also got the chance to take center stage, whether it was in “Creed,” "Straight Outta Compton," “Furious 7,” or again “Star Wars.” To compile this list, I chose to pick ten movies that stood out from the rest. These were the movie experiences that dared to push the envelope, think outside the box, and above all, help remind us why we love going in the first place!

10. “The Revenant”

Video courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Our list begins with what may be one of the year's most stunning yet brutal movies. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, the real-life frontiersman who was forced to brace to untamed wilderness after being left for dead following a brutal bear attack. In the film, Glass also seeks revenge toward John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the man who not only left him to die but murdered his son as well. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, fresh off his Oscar win for “Birdman” crafts a stunning survival tale that grabs hold and never let’s go.

Much of this could largely be attributed to the visual wizardry of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the back to back Oscar winner for both “Birdman” and “Gravity,” whose long continuous takes draw intimacy between the audience and the characters on screen. Yet, praise must also be given to DiCaprio. While not the actor's finest work (see ether “The Aviator” or “The Wolf of Wall Street” for that) it is by far his most physically challenging and he gives us 200 percent. It’s a film that manages to show both the visual grace of nature found in the works of Terrance Malick, as well as the vicious brutality of it that is so often explored in the films of Werner Herzog. It may not be a walk in the park, but “The Revenant” is undoubtedly a movie that sticks with you.

9. “Carol”

Video courtesy of The Weinstein Company

It’s undoubtedly the most passionate romance of the year! Based on the novel “The Price of Salt,” “Carol” stars Rooney Mara as a young department-store clerk who becomes smitten with a glamorous older woman (Cate Blanchett), whose husband has filed for divorce after learning his wife prefers the company of women. It serves as a companion piece of sorts to director Todd Haynes 2002 film “Far From Heaven,” both dealing with same-sex love affairs in the early 1950s. While things don’t get steamy till about the last third, Mara and Blanchett keep the flames burning through the passionate gazes they throw each other’s way.

Haynes’ meticulous dedication to detail and subtle storytelling create an eloquently wrapped film in which all the drama seems to be taking place under the surface. The longing that we see in these women’s eyes is not only a byproduct of constricting social norms but a feeling expressed by all who feel for someone they cannot have. For most of the movie, we watch Blanchett and Mara “feel each other out.” Their subtle flirting and deep gazes are but a test to see if the other feels they way they do. Together, all this adds up to a film oozing with both craftsmanship and elegance.

8. “The Martian”

Video courtesy of 20th Century Fox

To think that Ridley Scott could deliver a movie as fun, uplifting, and overall pleasant as “The Martian” seems an unfathomable thought. The legendary filmmaker has always excelled when it comes to scale and grandeur but few, if any, of his films manage to pull at any emotional strings. Scott has always been a master of imagery and moving parts as opposed to characters for which we form emotional connections to. Yet, “The Martian” is a crowd-pleaser through and through. Matt Damon delivers a terrific movie-star performance as lovable astronaut Mark Watney, who is left stranded on Mars after the rest of his crew is forced to make an immediate evacuation.

A great deal of the movie plays out like “Cast Away” in space, with the ever cheerful Watney using his skills to keep both sane and alive. On the other end is almost every other actor in Hollywood playing various members of Watney’s crew and those at NASA pushing themselves to come up with a rescue plan. Not only is this an odd space picture coming from the filmmaker that made it so terrifying with “Alien” but “The Martian” also seems to differ from other films of the same sub-genre that have graced our screens in more recent years.

Like “Alien,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” managed to play up the bleakness and danger of space, while Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” chose to view it as a vast unknown calling for us to unlock its secrets. Here, space is a place of work and “The Martian” is ultimately a movie about people doing the work that needs to be done and doing it well. It’s a movie that gets high on its own science, bringing with it a marvelous dedication to detail and real-world authenticity.

7. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

Video courtesy of Lucasfilm

While the cynical few might try and turn their noses away at this movie, it’s hard to escape its grasp. Who cares if it’s not considered “high art”! “The Force Awakens” was more than just a movie, it was an event! J.J. Abrams successfully managed to rekindle the fire that was lost with those disappointing prequel films and helped many of us fall in love with “Star Wars” all over, including drawing in a few new viewers along the way. No other movie this year was more hotly anticipated and subsequently more fun.

By blending elements of both old and new, Abrams successfully created a film that acts as a bridge between George Lucas’s original trilogy and the franchise's future. But what brought back that magic? It could be Abrams decision to return toward practical effects and locations in order to retain the feel of the originals. However, the argument could be made that casting marks the film’s real high point. Yes, while it was great to see that Harrison Ford still has some swagger left in him as Han Solo, the movie’s real stars would be its newly discovered talent, most notably John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.

It’s popcorn entertainment at it’s finest. In a world currently plagued by racism, global warming, and terrorism, it took a special kind of movie to unite billions across the globe. No matter what nation, sex, or skin color, “Star Wars” was something to be excited about. A movie that brought a little bit of pop escapism into the world, just when it needed it.

6. “Room”

Video courtesy of A24

Looking for the years biggest emotional powerhouse? Then look no further. This indie gem will hit you in ways you never expected. Brie Larson stars as a young woman imprisoned in an enclosed room, where she has been kept by her rapist captor for seven years. Her only form of company or solitude resides in her 5-year-old son, Jack. However, when conditions in their prison become even more bleak, she is forced to find a way to escape for the benefit of both her and her son. For most movies, that there would be enough. But, “Room” takes things a step further as Larson’s character struggles to bring her son into the larger world that he had no idea existed.

At the end of the day, it’s a story about the relationship between a mother and son; a bond that against all odds can never be broken. To say that Larson gives a terrific performance would be an understatement. Her role in the movie “Short Term 12” may have gone overlooked but here she is unforgettable. The Academy might as well give her the award for Best Actress now and get it over with. Yet, as great as she is, Larson’s performance would be nothing without child actor Jacob Tremblay, who plays her son. The movie’s power resides in the skill and intensity that both these actors bring to the table. Few movies this year gave the kind of emotional punch of this one, creating something truly astounding.

5. “Anomalisa”

Video courtesy of Paramount Pictures

You’re not quite sure what you’ve just seen when you finish “Anomalisa” but somehow you know it’s special. It comes as no surprise that it’s from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, the brainchild behind such creative films as “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation," and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Kaufman’s work has always strayed a little toward the bizarre but that’s actually what makes it so fascinating. As out-of-the-box as much of his work can be, there always resides a deep human understanding. His characters feel real, even if the situations the find themselves in are not, and often deal with issues that we experience on a day to day basis.

Kaufman’s latest is an exploration of loneliness and mundanity through the eyes of a man on a simple business trip. Oh, and did I mention it’s an animated movie with stop-motion puppets? The lead character, Michael (David Thewlis), spends most of the movie in a daze of depression and inability to connect with others. The people around him all appear to be the same boring figure and his life seems to be one little annoyance after another. That is until he meets Lisa (a terrific Jennifer Jason Leigh), the shy young women who he starts an affair with in order to feel some sense of excitement and passion that has been missing from his life.

At a certain point, you forget you are watching puppets. These feel like real people with real emotions and, even when Kaufman strays into the surreal, you never lose the feeling that you are experiencing something genuinely human.

4. “Steve Jobs”

Video courtesy of Universal Pictures

Audiences seemed to stay clear from this biopic of the late apple CEO but what a dazzle they missed! Perhaps they simply felt they already knew the story of Jobs’ life or maybe there were bad connotations with the awful movie “Jobs” that came out a few years ago, starring Ashton Kutcher. However, the stellar screenplay from writer Aaron Sorkin (“The West Wing,” “The Social Network”) is less a Wikipedia page summary of Jobs’ life than it is three act play striving to understand who the tech giant was as a person through his interaction with others. Of course, all of this given with visual flair by director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “28 Days Later”).

The movie also boasts numerous great performances from stars such as Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, and Jeff Daniels. However, the real firecracker here is Michael Fassbender as Jobs himself. Fassbender has always been immensely talented but this performance takes his acting talent to new heights. The movie rushes along with the speed and energy of a runaway locomotive, barely giving you a chance to catch your breath. Everyone involved here is working at the top of their game and it’s a thrill to simply go along for the ride and see where this movie takes you. Movie biopics are often such a bland form of cinema but “Steve Jobs” brings both a freshness in perspective and energy to stand out among the crowd.

3. “Inside Out”

Video courtesy of Disney and Pixar

Pixar is back! Yes, “Inside Out” is not just the year’s most heartwarming, and surprisingly funny movie, but also it’s most original. Writer/director Pete Doctor (“Monsters Inc.,” “Up”) personifies our inner emotions of sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and joy only to send them on a fantastical adventure through the mind of an eleven-year-old girl. Of course, as with all great Pixar movies, whether they be “Finding Nemo” or “Toy Story,” this is a film just as much for adults as it is children. No doubt the little ones will be delighted by the lovable characters and eye-popping visuals but those in the older crowd a likely to find a movie so rich that it will no doubt take multiple viewings to fully appreciate everything it has to offer.

“Inside Out” offers us a fascinating look into the way we think and perceive the world that is doused in colorful imagery and clever humor. It’s a movie able to be enjoyed on two levels; a basic fun level; filled with all the laughs and heartfelt tears you can muster, and an intellectual level; admiring the complexity and layers by which Doctor and the rest of Pixar have crafted this film. For those who say animation is only reserved for kiddy flicks, this and “Anomolisa” are the shut-up juice; proving that this genre is ripe with intellectual and heartfelt storytelling that holds no boundaries.

2. “Spotlight”

Video courtesy of Open Road Pictures

With its meticulous attention to detail and the process of reporting, “Spotlight” might just be the finest journalism film since “All the Presidents Men”. Chronicling The Boston Globe’s investigations into the Catholic church’s cover-up of molestation crimes, the movie dives deep into the real blood and sweat that makes reporting like this possible. Like “The Martian,” this is a movie about people at work and doing their job well. The fact that the movie is this good comes as a pleasant surprise for a film that could just have easily been a mid-level throw away with big flashy stars. And, despite a stellar cast including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams, among many others, the real star here is the reporting itself.

Perhaps indie-director Tom McCarthy is to thank, giving this movie a feel that is somehow genuinely un-Hollywood. The material and the work it takes to present that material is what takes center stage. Even though we know the outcome of the story, we are glued to the screen and deeply invested in the drama at hand. The movie is both a testament to the power of good journalism as well as a behind the scenes look at work that goes into breaking these kinds of shattering news stories.

1. “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Video courtesy of Warner Brothers

While my number two pick is more likely to be the Academy favorite come Oscar time, there is no doubt that George Miller’s return to the dystopian wasteland he created in back 1979 was the year most mesmerizing movie experience. Miller has done more than simply reboot his franchise, he’s stabbed an adrenaline needle into it and cranked everything up to eleven! The stunts and sequences that Miller captures on camera are so fearless, so astounding that it’s a wonder no one was killed making this picture. And while the use of real cars and practical effects are impressive in this largely CGI age, the real brilliance of this film comes through Miller’s choreography and understanding of space.

You never at any point lose track of where things are going and where they are in relation to each other. These may be some of the finest action sequences ever put on camera but Miller has gone beyond simply turning the action movie into an art form. The seventy-year-old director has brought cinema back to its more primeval form. If film is the ultimate visual medium, then he seems to have mastered it. Every frame and every movement tells a story. It’s very reminiscent of something like Buster Keaton’s “The General,” leaving one to argue that Miller has simply disguised a silent film as a summer blockbuster.

With its visual magnificence, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is a picture with the ability to rejuvenate one’s love with movies. It satisfies our most primal urges as cinema viewers and takes us on a rollercoaster through the dark chasms of Millers imagination. Miller has reminded us why we go to the movies and given us a picture bursting with all kinds of explosive possibilities for visual storytelling.