There's No Way You Can Name All These Recent Movies...Unless You're A Huge Fan
- by Andrew Brethauer
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Over the last five years, movies have continued to wow audiences and push the limits of what film makers are able to do on screen. CGI and animation has come a long way, and the last five years has proved that new technology is always in the works in order to produce some of the best films we will ever see. But actors are also putting up performances of a lifetime, and directors are crafting masterpiece films that are winning awards and staying in our hearts and minds for years to come. But perhaps more important, they are entertaining us for the couple of hours a night when we go to the movie theatre, grab a bucket of popcorn and relax in front of the big screen, waiting for a story to unfold in front of our eyes.
So how many movies have you seen over the last five years? Can you name some of the biggest blockbusters, the ones that flopped, and the ones that took home Academy Awards? Take this quiz and see how much of a movie buff you are, or whether or not you got some catching up to do to make sure you didn’t miss something special over the last five years.
What movie is this?
This film was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen". It tells the story of a kind of awkward princess who sets off on a journey alongside a goofy iceman she meets along the way, his loyal reindeer, and a silly snowman named Olaf. The goal is to find her sister, whose icy powers accidentally trapped their kingdom in an eternal winter. The movie was so popular that it had parents beginning for their kids to just 'Let it go' and watch something else.
What movie is this?
Based on the 2012 novel of the same title, the film stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tyler Perry. Set in Missouri,. The story begins as a mystery that follows the events surrounding Nick Dunne (Affleck), who becomes the primary suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife, Amy (Pike).The film became quite a success mainly due to it's very controversial message, and the topic it was covering. We see Pike as a very manipulative victim, something we bet you didn't think was possible.
What movie is this?
This film takes place on the fictional Central American island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where a theme park populated with cloned dinosaurs has operated for ten years. The park plunges into chaos when a genetically created dinosaur breaks loose and goes on a rampage across the island. The movie has some incredible accolades following its release. People were very much on board with the idea of Chris Pratt taking on the lead role. And can you blame them?
What movie is this?
It was released in the United States on February 12, 2016, after an unconventional viral marketing campaign. The film became both a financial and critical success. It earned over $783 million against a $58 million budget, broke numerous records, and became the overall highest-grossing R-rated film, the highest-grossing X-Men film, and the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2016. The film stars Ryan Reynolds who first played the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009 and is known for breaking many film rules, such as the fourth wall.
What movie is this?
The film received praise for its screenplay, direction, performances, action, costume design, production merits, and soundtrack, though the CGI effects received some criticism. Critics considered it one of the best films set in the MCU and noted its cultural significance. It has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2018, as well as the third-highest-grossing film ever in the United States and 10th-highest-grossing film of all time. Its four-day opening weekend gross of $242.1 million and its three-day gross of $202 million in the United States were the second- and fifth-highest of all time respectively, and the biggest debut by an African-American director.
What movie is this?
Based on John Pearson's 1995 book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty, this film depicts J. Paul Getty's refusal to cooperate with the extortion demands of a group of kidnappers from the organized crime Mafia group 'Ndrangheta, who abducted his grandson John Paul Getty III in 1973.The film itself received positive reviews with critics praising the performances, and received three nominations at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Director and Best Actress.
What movie is this?
Inspired in part by Walt Disney's 1950 animated film of the same name. The film stars Lily James as the eponymous character, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter. It had its world premiere on February 13, 2015, at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and was released in theaters on March 13, 2015. It grossed over $543 million worldwide, and received mostly positive reviews. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design at the 88th Academy Awards.
What movie is this?
The film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the eponymous millionaire that the story is based around, with Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Debicki. The film follows the life and times of the millionaire and his neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), who recounts his encounter with his neighbor at the height of the Roaring Twenties in New York state. This movie is based on a famous novel of the same name, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
What movie is this?
Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Peter Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a group of extraterrestrial misfits who are fleeing after stealing a powerful artifact. The film became a critical and commercial success, grossing $773.3 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014, as well as the third highest-grossing film of 2014. Other characters on the team include Drax, the Destroyer and Groot.
What movie is this?
It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name also written by Neumeier and Miner. The film stars Joel Kinnaman as the title character, a cyborg police officer with Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish and Jackie Earle Haley in supporting roles.The film was released in the United States on February 12, 2014. It received mixed reviews, with praise for the performances, updates, style and political/media satire, but criticism for its lack of violence, social satire and humor compared to the original film.
What movie is this?
This film is the first of the trilogy and looks into the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism. Originally self-published as an ebook and a print-on-demand, publishing rights were acquired by Vintage Books in March 2012. Dakota Johnson stars as Steele while Jamie Dornan plays Grey. he film was the most awarded at the 36th Golden Raspberry Awards, winning five of six nominations, including Worst Picture.
What movie is this?
This film follows Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and his team who have returned to the United States to live normal lives until a rogue special forces assassin, Deckard Shaw, puts the team in danger again. This film is part of a franchise series, and also included Dwayne Johnson and the last performance of Paul Walker, who died during production of this film from a single-vehicle car accident. This film is the first to take place after Tokyo Drift, another film in the franchise.
What movie is this?
This superhero film is the first standalone film for this character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This character first came in during Captain America: Civil War, before getting his own standalone film. It also is the third reboot of this franchise, which was originally owned by Sony, but a deal was made so this character could be included in the MCU. The film stars Tom Holland as the main character the film is named after, while Robert Downey Jr. is also in the film, playing his Tony Stark character.
What movie is this?
Based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King. This film tells the story of seven children in Derry, Maine, who are terrorized by the eponymous being, only to face their own personal demons in the process. The novel was previously adapted into a 1990 miniseries. The main character the film is named for preys upon the children every 27 years, using a variety of powers that include the ability to shapeshift, manipulate, and go unnoticed by adults.
What movie is this?
This film is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Dan Brown. The film is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, and is the third installment in the Robert Langdon film series. It stars Tom Hanks, reprising his role as Robert Langdon, alongside Felicity Jones. Together with the previous film, it remains Hanks' only live-action sequel.The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $220 million against a production budget of $75 million.
What movie is this?
Based on the third novel best selling trilogy of E.L. James. It was praised for its hot erotic scenes. The film follows Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey who are played by Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan who reprises their role to marry and must deal with the young girls former boss, who begins to stalk them. The film was released in the United States on February 9, 2018, and grossed $368 million worldwide, making it the 5th highest-grossing film of 2018.
What movie is this?
Based on true events, this film follows a young woman who is played by Jessica Chastain who becomes the target of an FBI investigation of the underground poker empire. Some of her high profile clients were Hollywood celebrities and the Russian Mob. This film premiered at the Toronto film festival and received positive reviews for Chastain's role in this film. Once the film was released in theaters it grossed to more than $53 million dollars worldwide and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Drama.
What movie is this?
After moving from Minnesota to San Francisco, Ryley is all full of emotions. Within her mind's headquarters, the five basic emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger) comes to life and influence her actions via a control system. Not only does she battle on making new friends but her emotions Joy and Sadness goes on an epic adventure to help Ryley adjust to her new life. Joy, played, by Amy Poehler, earned the film an Academy Award for best-animated film and became the highest earning of $90.3 million on opening day.
What movie is this?
This film tells the story of a magician who then travels to another land through a twister and meets three extraordinary witches. The three witches who are played by Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Wiesz share their story on how the land was created. The film is a prequel to the 1942 movie of similar nature, however, Disney studios didn't have the copyright to incorporate the ties to the storyline for the original film. The movie premiered in 2013 and grossed $493 million at the box office worldwide.
What movie is this?
This star studded all American musical film tells the story of P. T. Barnum's creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the lives of its star attractions. The film received mixed reviews, but praised Hugh Jackman for his epic performance in this musical. The song 'This is me', which is featured on the films soundtrack, earned a top three spot on the US billboard charts and won a Golden Globe for its original song. The film also earned two nominations for Best Motion picture and Best Actor in a musical or comedy at the Academy Awards.
What movie is this?
The concept for this film originally was based on the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. This film itself is based on a 12-year-old boy named Miguel Rivera who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living. The film premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival in Morelia, Mexico and received positive reviews. Overall the film has grossed over $794 million worldwide and has one two Academy awards for best animation film.
What movie is this?
This musical comedy is the second installment of this franchise, with the original being produced in 2012. The film centers around the fictional Barden University Bellas, an all-female a cappella singing group, who try to beat out the German national team in a world singing championship. The film features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow and more, and it grossed over $287 million worldwide. It surpassed the total gross of the original film in five days.
What movie is this?
This biographical drama film centers around the Boston Globes investigative reporting team digging into a story about the church covering up abuse of children. It is based on a series of stories by the real team that uncovered the story in the Boston area and wrote about it in the newspaper, earning them 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The movie itself, which starred Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams, won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with Best Original Screenplay from six nominations in total.
What movie is this?
Based on true story, this film tells the story of a young woman who is a a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire with mops. The film featured Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper. The film received mixed reviews but later on gained recognition at the Academy Awards for Best Actress and was nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture. The film earned more than $54.3 million dollars in US and Canada at the box office.
What movie is this?
Martin Scorsese directed this black comedy film starring Leonardo DiCaprio who stars as Belfort. The film recounts Belfort's perspective on his career as a stockbroker in New York City and how his firm Stratton Oakmont engaged in rampant corruption and fraud on Wall Street that ultimately led to his downfall. One of the interesting trivia from the film is the use of one particular swear word that was used a total of between 506 and 569 times, making this the film with the most uses of the word in a mainstream, non-documentary film.
What movie is this?
This American biographical comedy-drama based on the 2010 book of the same name that talked about the financial crisis of 2007–2008 which was triggered by the United States housing bubble. The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, among others, and is noted for the unconventional techniques it employs to explain complex financial instruments., as well as other unconventional movie techniques, such as breaking the fourth wall to explain concepts such as subprime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations as a meta-reference.
What movie is this?
Susan Cooper a 40-year-old, single, desk-bound CIA employee played by Melissa Mcarthy who remotely assists her partner, field agent Bradley Fine, played by Jude Law, on a mission to help prevent a black market sale of a suitcase nuke. Susan uncovers evidence that Rayna, Boyanov's daughter, played by Rose Byrne, has contacted Sergio De Luca, a suspected broker with ties to various terrorist groups, so Fine infiltrates her home. The film was nominated for two Golden globes in Best Motion picture and Best actress.
What movie is this?
This film is a live-action/CGI remake of the Disney animated movie of the same name that was made back in 1967. It tells the story of Mowgli, an orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening Shere Khan, a Bengal tiger. The film introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli and also features the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Christopher Walken.
What movie is this?
This film is a sequel/spinoff to Finding Nemo which tells the story of a little blue and yellow fish. This fish is known for its short-term memory. In this film, she goes on a journey to find her home but ends up at the Los Angeles aquarium where she is eventually reunited with her birth parents. The film features some popular voices such as Ellen DeGeneres and Eugene Levy. The film premiered in 2016 and has earned over $1 billion dollars at the box offices making it the third highest-grossing animated film ever recorded.
What movie is this?
This movie brings back together all the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner discover a new artifical intelligence and secretly decide to use it to complete Stark's global defense program. The unexpectedly sentient being, believing he must eradicate humanity to save Earth, attacks the team and threatens to destroy the Earth by lifting up the city of Sokovia and dropping it back on the ground, to cause global extinction. The team manages to stop him in time and save the world.
What move is this?
This biographical sports true crime drama film is loosely based on the events surrounding multimillionaire E.I. du Pont family heir and wrestling enthusiast John E. du Pont's 1986 recruitment of two 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestlers, Mark Schultz and his older brother David, to help coach U.S. wrestlers for participation in national, world, and Olympic competition, and the subsequent murder of David by John du Pont in January 1996. The film stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.
What movie is this?
This biographical survival film is inspired by the true story of the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking in which the ship was taken by pirates, who then took the captain who had to be rescued. The film stars Tom Hanks and the hostage, and Barkhad Abdi as the Somali pirate leader who takes over his ship. It received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Abdi, who prior to becoming an actor was a limo driver.
What movie is this?
This period drama film was adapted from a 1853 narrative memoir by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two conmen and sold into slavery. He ended up working on plantations in Louisiana for years before being released. The film won the Academy Award in 2013 for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay and starred Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup and Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey. Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt also play roles.
What movie is this?
In this historical World War 2 film, Benedict Cumberbatch plays British cryptanalyst Alan Turing who leads a team of some of Britain's most intelligent codebreakers to try and break the German Enigma machine that they sent all their codes on. The team meets at Bletchley Park to try and decrypt the machine, in which Turing uses a machine that would resemble a computer to try and break the code. They ultimately do, which many say brought the war to an end two years quicker than it would have ended.
What movie is this?
This black-comedy crime film was inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s and stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists who are forced by an FBI agent to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians. The film also stars Bradley Cooper as the FBI agent and Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the unpredictable wife of Bale's character. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the 86th Academy Awards and nine other awards but did not win in any category.
What movie is this?
This biographical film was inspired to the memoir ‘Travelling to Infinity’ by Jane Hawking, who was married to famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. It depicts his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, his success in physics and how their life together started and came to an end. The film stars Eddie Redmayne who plays Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones who plays Jane. Redmayne won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance in this film, while it was also nominated for Best Picture.
What movie is this?
This historical drama film was based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel,[5][6] Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis. The film was produced by Oprah Winfrey, who also played a role in the film, while the film starred David Oyelowo as King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Roth as George Wallace, Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, and Common as Bevel. It won for Best Original Song at the Golden Glove awards and Academy Awards.
What movie is this?
This epic western film is based on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name as the title of the film, describing frontiersman Hugh Glass's experiences in 1823. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio who would finally earn his first Best Actor award at the Academy Awards for his leading role in this film. The movie is known for a scene where DiCaprio’s character is attacked by a bear and is left for dead, leaving the members of his group to decide if he should be mercy-killed or not.
What movie is this?
This science fiction film stars Matt Damon whose character is part of a team that goes to Mars in 2035. But while there, something goes wrong when a dust-storm threatens the team who have to leave the planet and leave Damon behind to survive on his own. It is thought that he is dead, by Damon, who plays Mark Watney, a botanist, figures out how to survive on the planet and get a signal back to Earth. He is eventually rescued and Watney is returned to earth. The film was put into the comedy category for awards and Damon won the Best Actor in Comedy at the Golden Globes for it.
What movie is this?
The film is set in a post apocalyptic desert wasteland where petrol and water are scarce commodities. It’s the fourth installment of this franchise and the reboot to it as well and stars Tom Hardy as the lead character. Production on the movie took years, as it started back in 1997, with attempts to shoot the film in 2001 and 2003 being delayed due to the 9/11 Attacks and War in Iraq. Many consider this film one of the greatest action films of all time and it received 10 academy award nominations, winning six of them.
What movie is this?
This sports film is a spin-off and sequel to the Rocky film series and stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis, the son of Rocky Balboa’s rival from the first Rocky movie. Sylvester Stallone reprising the role of Rocky Balboa, who trains the boxer, and he becomes ‘Hollywood Donnie’. Donnie doesn’t end up winning his fight for the Light Heavyweight championship against Ricky Conlan, but he goes the distance, earning his respect. The film ends with Donnie and a frail but improving Rocky climbing the 72 steps before the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
What movie is this?
This biographical film is about the life of personal computing innovator and Apple Inc. co-founder, which the film is named after. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film spans three acts, which cover about 14 years in his life, with each act taking place immediately prior to the launch of a key product, the Apple Macintosh, the NeXT Computer and the iMac. Jobs is portrayed by Michael Fassbender, with Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Katherine Waterston, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jeff Daniels in supporting roles.
What movie is this?
This film is a coming of age film and presents three stages in the life of the main character, Chiron Harris, who is played by Alex Hibbert as a child, Ashton Sanders as a teen and Trevante Rhodes as an adult. It explores the difficulties he faces with his sexuality and identity, including the physical and emotional abuse he endures growing up. became the first film with an all-black cast, the first LGBT film, and the second lowest-grossing film domestically to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
What movie is this?
This war film was directed by Mel Gibson and is based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. The film is set in World War 2 and focuses on the experiences of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic who, as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, refused to carry or use a weapon or firearm of any kind. Doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Okinawa.
What movie is this?
This film follows a man after his brother dies and he is entrusted with caring for his teenage nephew. Casey Affleck plays the main character of Lee Chandler, whose brother Joe does from a heart attack. He learns that Joe names him guardian of his son Patrick and over time, the two re-establish their bond. The story was done by Matt Damon, who gave up the starring role to Affleck. It was picked up by Amazon Studios and was nominated for the Best Picture award at the 89th Academy Awards.
What movie is this?
This musical romantic comedy stars Ryan Gosling as a jazz pianist and Emma Stone as an aspiring actress, who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles while pursuing their dreams. The film was written and directed by Damien Chazelle, and was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, tying the record for the most Oscar nominations and won six of them, including Best Director. During the Oscars ceremony, presenter Faye Dunaway incorrectly announced that this film had won Best Picture, which it had not.
What movie is this?
This war film was written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan and depicts the evacuation of this city during World War 2. It portrays the evacuation from three perspectives: land, sea, and air. It has little dialogue, as Nolan sought instead to create suspense from cinematography and music. Its ensemble cast includes Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy. It won Best Sound Editing, Mixing and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards
What movie is this?
This historical political thriller was directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the executive editor of the Washington newspaper she works for. Set in the early 1970s, it depicts the true story of attempts by journalists at the paper to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents regarding the 30-year involvement of the United States government in the Vietnam War.
What movie is this?
This film follows a mute custodian at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature, with the film being set in Baltimore in 1962. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Jones plays the Amphibian Man, while Hawkins plays Elisa Esposito, the mute cleaner at the office. t was nominated for seven awards at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, winning for Best Director and Best Original Score.
What movie is this?
This war drama film stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and is an account of his early days as Prime Minister, as Nazi Germany swept across Western Europe, threatening to defeat the United Kingdom during World War II. It leads to friction at the highest levels of government between those who would make a peace treaty with Hitler and Churchill, who refused. Oldman’s performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in the role as Churchill, while the film was also nominated for Best Picture.