Whiplash movie review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Whiplash is a psychological drama about this college student, played by Miles Teller, who decides that he wants to become a drummer for the band at the school he goes to. However, things get complicated for him when, upon starting the class, he finds himself stuck with the most aggressive and controlling instructor on the planet, played by J.K. Simmons. The film is directed by Dave Chazelle, and is based on a short film of the same name by that director, also starring J.K. Simmons.

The acting in this film is one of its many highlights, with Miles Teller giving probably one of the better performances in his career so-far. I remember when Spectacular came out, Teller seemed like he was this kind of charming comedic actor type, and he did it well, but I'd never suspect he'd be able to do a role like this. But, to my surprise, he does a pretty good job here. However, that being said, he is greatly overshadowed by the shear oscar worthy gold performance that J.K. Simmons gives in this movie. This guy played this character so well, and some of the lines almost felt ad-libbed. J.K. Simmons performance in this movie is by far one of the best performances of the year, and I honestly think he has to win the oscar for best supporting actor.

One of the things that makes J.K. Simmons performance so great in this film is that you can feel his presence off screen. This guy has a lot of shear intensity that even when he's not on camera, or even far away from the characters, you can feel his presence in the scene. All that plus the scenes when he's on screen makes for one of the most anxiety inducing and intense movies I have seen in my life. I've seen some films where the entire fate of the human race is on the line, and those don't even come close to putting me on the edge of my seat as much as this kid on stage and J.K. Simmons telling him not the screw up.

Another fantastic aspect of this movie is just how strangely relatable it is. This kid is in such an awful situation, with his dreams of becoming a drummer right there, and the only thing in his way is this total jerk of a composer. The relatability aspect comes in the form of how personal this movie is. For example, if you've ever had a terrible boss, or a terrible teacher, or just anyone who has an egomaniacal control freak and had power over your ambitions, you will relate to this movie. 

Final Rating
Whiplash is an absolutely brilliant movie. It's personal, and yet it's relatable for (I'd assume) most people. It puts you on the edge of your seat, it engages you, and it's kind of hard to watch. The best comparison I can make for Whiplash would be kind of like the first half of Full Metal Jacket for an entire film, in the context of drumming. Miles Teller is really good in the movie, and J.K. Simmons needs to win the oscar for best supporting actor. I highly recommend you go watch Whiplash as soon as possible.

Whiplash: 5/5