Top 10 BIGGEST SURPRISES of 2015!

Welcome to our list of the TOP 10 BIGGEST SURPRISES of 2015!

It took us a while, but here it is, our list of the BIGGEST SURPRISES of 2015! These are movies we thought were going to be terrible, but blew us away. We try to keep an open mind when going into movies, and these are the top 10 that exceeded our expectations. Do you agree or disagree with our list? Let us know!
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10) "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.": We have not really liked Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer's acting in the past, so we didn't know what to think about "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." With tepid audience ratings, this film is definitely better than people say it is. It's funny, it's sharp, it's surprisingly well acted, it's action-packed, and we had a really fun time watching it in the theater.

9) "Danny Collins": Literally no one saw "Danny Collins" when it was in theaters, and we can't say we blame them. The trailer for this movie made it look painfully sub-par, and with little to no advertising, it wasn't a huge hit of a film. Surprisingly, Al Pacino dominates his role here in this touching, sweet story of a father trying to reconnect with his son. Pacino has not gotten enough recognition for his work here, in our opinion. We really enjoyed this one and it is much better than we anticipated.

8) "Goosebumps": Another demonstrative case of how misleading movie trailers can be, "Goosebumps" seemed to showcase all the "meh" bits of the film in any and all promotion leading up to its release. Jack Black is awesome as R.L. Stine, the story is fun and frightening, and the CGI manages to be a lot better than it looked in the trailer. A definite Halloween staple for kids and adults alike!

7) "Unfriended": Lots of people will disagree with us about "Unfriended," but we didn't hate it at all! It's got tons of horrific chills and is filled with some great murder scenes for the digital age. Sure, it's got jump scares and some stupid, contrived moments, but all in all, we welcome the unique premise in a market saturated with less than mediocre scary flicks. Watch this in pitch black darkness away from a cell phone or computer...if you dare.

6) "Spy": In the past, we have not been huge fans of Melissa McCarthy's antics. Just being fat isn't a joke, and she seemed, at one point in her career, to coast on her weight because she is a larger lady saying crass things. Apparently, it's automatically supposed to be funny because she is a woman and favors the "f" word. "Spy" is one of the best comedies of 2015, and a complete and total shock to us. We LOVED this movie and laughed the entire time. Aided by strong comedic performances by Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Jude Law, and Jason Statham, of all people, McCarthy and crew put on a solid show here in a movie we will most certainly own at some point in time.

5) "The Visit": M. Night Shyamalan has had many missteps as a director. "The Visit," shockingly, isn't one of them. This movie really brings the creeps from beginning to end. The documentary style camera work actually aids this movie instead of hinders it. You never know what's going to happen next, and though it's not Shyamalan's best work ever, it's still not "The Happening" bad.

4) "The Gift": Written by, directed by, and starring Joel Edgerton, "The Gift" came out of nowhere with a relatively small budget and a very vague marketing strategy. What a great surprise! Edgerton creates a wonderfu tension-filled mood throughout the film, one that kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time. He really has a knack for the camera as he frames his scenes in a brilliant, taut way. way. A stellar directorial debut!

3) "99 Homes": One of the biggest surprises of 2015 was also one of our favorite movies of the year. "99 Homes" looks harmless on the outside, but inside is a pair of powerhouse performances, a really heartbreaking story, and a well constructed look at what happened for 2 men as they profited from the 2007 financial crisis. Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield give two of the best performances of their careers in this hard to watch but very important film. A must-see for fans of the drama genre and a must-see for those who love to watch excellent acting.

2) "Paddington": The ultimate misleading trailer. "Paddington" looked to be "Norm of the North" bad, utterly silly with no redeemable moments. Astoundingly, this is one of the cutest, sweetest kids movies we have ever seen that isn't attached to the Disney and/or Pixar moniker. Artfully different, sentimental, and adorable, kids will enjoy the story for its cute factor, and adults will enjoy reliving a film about one of their favorite childhood toys.

1) "What We Do in the Shadows": There was crowd-funded effort to bring "What We Do in the Shadows" to the United States, and boy, are we glad there was! This vampire mockumentary is the best comedy of 2015, hands down. Satirical, sarcastic, witty, and above all, hilarious. we will never get tired of touting the hilarity that is this film. The laughs come early and often, even after multiple screenings. What are you waiting for?! SEE THIS MOVIE!!