BEST ACTION: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Truth be told, 2015 was absolutely stacked with action movies, making it one of the tougher categories to decide. However, when it gets down to it, Mad Max: Fury Road stands tall above the rest. George Miller’s fourth Mad Max installment is, without a doubt, the best of the franchise. From its first frame, Miller straps you in and takes you for the ride of a lifetime. The visceral set pieces, astonishing world-building, stunning cinematography, and gritty performances in Fury Road are all next level. Although it may not have been a huge success at the box office, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s not only my favorite action movie from 2015 but also may be the overall best actioner of the past decade.

BEST ANIMATED: INSIDE OUT

Bar none. I mean, what’s the competition? Hotel Transylvania 2? Minions?? Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest?!? There is no need to overthink this one, so I’m not going to waste words elaborating any further. Inside Out is the only and obvious choice.

BEST COMEDY: SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Forget what critics and audiences thought of Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse when it first came out because they were WRONG! Whenever I rewatch this flick, I can’t help but fall more in love with it. Is it cheesy, raunchy, and absurd? Absolutely, but it knows exactly what it is and owns it. The acting and writing perfectly capture the spirit of the film, and while this may be a hot take, this underappreciated gem is one of the best zombie comedies of all time. Sure, Scouts Guide is mindless and ridiculous, but it’s also a lot of fun and wildly entertaining. Director Christopher Landon deserves a scout's badge for his ability to blend horror and comedy so perfectly together.

BEST DRAMA: ROOM

For Best Drama, I’m going with A24’s Room, which became the studio’s first film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This gut-wrenching film is devastating yet hopeful, mainly due to the chemistry between Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, who play mother and son. Their performances in this harrowing tale of survival, love, and perseverance are truly remarkable. Larson, who is phenomenal in this film, rightfully won the Oscar for Best Actress for her tour de force performance; however, newcomer Jacob Tremblay should’ve also been nominated and won because it’s one of the greatest and most authentic child performances I’ve ever seen. Director Lenny Abrahamson has a gift for directing riveting dramas (if you’ve seen the limited series Normal People, you know what I mean), and it’s the little things he does in this film that make me cry.

BEST HORROR: GREEN ROOM  

While 2015 may have been an overall weak year for horror, I had a hard time deciding between two standouts: Green Room and It Follows. Ultimately, A24’s Green Room came out on top, mostly because I find myself rewatching it quite often. For horror fans who crave an adrenaline-fueled, gripping, and bloody film, this thriller is for you. Packed with endless tension, this pulse-pounding flick will have you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Frankly, Green Room is just such an underrated and underappreciated gem that I must call it out here because not nearly enough people talk about it, especially with how chilling and menacing Patrick Stewart is as a neo-Nazi villain. Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier delivers a punk rock flick that is one of my top movies of 2015, genre be damned.

BEST ROMANCE: MR. RIGHT 

Despite not being the most romantic film I've ever seen, Mr. Right is a delightful little rom-com that gives me so much serotonin, especially given Sam Rockwell’s charm, though I admit bias since I adore him. Alongside Rockwell is Anna Kendrick, and the pair have electric chemistry; her eccentric and chaotic liveliness is a wonderful match for Rockwell's offbeat and deranged charisma. Together, they make what could’ve been an unmemorable action rom-com into something truly enjoyable. It's by no means a masterpiece or groundbreaking because its premise is a bit batshit crazy, but it’s quirky and just a whole lot of fun. A hitman meets the girl next door… What’s not to love? And let’s be honest, there’s nothing more romantic than throwing knives at each other on your first date.

BEST SCI-FI: EX MACHINA 

People may be shocked that I don’t have Star Wars: The Force Awakens listed here, but when I think of sci-fi as a genre, I want a thought-provoking piece of cinema that makes me ponder the possibilities of life. Sometimes, I even want a story that gets under my skin. Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, yet another A24 movie, does just that. This film is so brilliant that I'm still in awe that it's Garland’s directorial debut. It offers everything you could possibly want in a great sci-fi movie: it boasts stunning special effects, an awesome score and soundtrack, amazing performances (including a memorable dance sequence with Oscar Isaac), and an insightful story. The themes and issues of artificial intelligence, as well as the interplay between man and machine, make one wonder what actually makes humans human. If a statement like that isn’t revolutionary, then I don’t know what is.

BEST HIDDEN GEM: TANGERINE

When life gives you lemons, go watch Sean Baker’s Tangerine. Shot entirely on an iPhone 5, this is indie filmmaking at its finest. Baker is an expert at this type of slice-of-life movie, immediately immersing the audience in an odyssey that follows two best friends embarking on a wild day around Los Angeles. This offbeat comedy is surprisingly heartfelt, as Baker's screenplay gives the characters a sense of familiarity and realism through raw and intimate dialogue and scenarios. It may not be Baker's first film, or even his most popular, but it's certainly the one that put him on the map for me. Frankly, not enough people talk about its greatness. If you haven’t checked out Tangerine yet, it's already 10 years old, so what are you waiting for? Get to it!