Whiplash - Damien Chazelle - 2014

As someone trying to up his jazz drum game, I loved this film. But I'd also love it as someone interested in films that can make an audience gasp at something as unspectacular as dropping a folder of sheet music onto a chair.

The kinetics of the drumming (actually played by Miles Teller) are worth the spectacle, and J.K. Simmons own acting impressively stands toe-to-toe with it. Without the combo of the two- the narrative is shockingly thread-bare (until the finale!).

I think it's a fool's errand to see value in how Fletcher treats his students- I see it more as great character work. Discipline and expectations are how one moves to great to a hobby, but I don't believe it's Fletcher's venom that is to cite for Andrew's success.