Whiplash (2014) Movie Review

Whiplash (2014) - Movie Review - Quick Movie Reviews by Haris

Andrew is a drummer and a first year student at the Schaffer Conservatory. He’s selected by the school’s senior instructor, Mr. Fletcher, to play on his studio band. Fletcher is – to say the least – a difficult and demanding task master who accepts and expects nothing less that perfection from his students. His methods of getting the best from his students include verbally abusing them, throwing objects at them and creating a level of tension so high that average individuals would likely crumble under the pressure. Andrew tries to impress him and eventually quits but a surprise encounter with Fletcher gives him a chance to show just what he can accomplish – or to fail.

This movie has a perfect mix of tension and drama and the excellent jazz music is just the icing on the cake. There were a lot of scenes I could have picked as my favorite one, but, the one I liked the most was a conversation between Andrew and Fletcher in a bar. I would say my least favorite scenes were between Andrew and his girlfriend Nicole (Melissa Benoist). The acting seemed very wooden from both of the actors when they were on screen together. The movie also seemed a bit too slow at the beginning, but, the next hour and forty minutes are absolute fast-paced madness and I love it. J. K. Simmons is by far the best part of the movie. Fully deserved his Oscar and Golden Globe wins in the best performance by an actor in a supporting role category. Words cannot describe how good he is in this movie, you just have to see it. He can really get all the emotions out of you. You hate him and want to punch him, he can give you the creeps, you even feel sorry for him in one scene. A great character and an even better performance. I couldn’t really imagine anyone else in this role, honestly. Perfect casting! 10/10*

Director: Damien Chazelle
Written by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
Runtime: 107 minutes