Three-Word Summary: Sadistic band director

Rating: 5/5

Watching the Oscars inevitably makes me realize how few movies of quality I watched during the year.

J.K. Simmons won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying Terrence Fletcher in Whiplash. And it was well deserved.

Fletcher is an abusive and border-line psychotic band director at a prestigious music conservatory in New York. The film revolves around the relationship between him and a young drummer named Andrew who has extreme motivation and potential.

As Andrew raises to the level of core drummer in the studio jazz band, this relationship grows increasingly tense and violent. As unrealistic as some of these scenes may be, they do a masterful job of displaying the depth of both characters.

Because this film isn’t real about the band or even the music, as much as it’s about the relationship between a crazy teacher and his driven student.

Fletcher justifies his actions by claiming that he pushes students to their potential by raising expectations. While believes this to be true, it’s obvious when he starts throwing furniture that he’s actually a delusional monster, more set on destroying the talent around him than cultivating it.

Whiplash is a powerful movie, in part because of it’s simplicity. There are only a few characters of consequence and limited settings. The plot is focused directly on its main two characters, who are both acted phenomenally.