Whiplash

A breath of fresh air. A whirlwind non-stop thriller disguised in the mirage of a musical drama. Chazelle intertwines his signature fast pace camera movements with themes of sacrifice and ambition. The drive to succeed and be great - “There are no two words in the English dictionary more harmful than good job.” The cost of that desire.  Justin Hurwitz kills it as ever. The last 15 minutes are electrifying to see play out. But dear god, J.K. Simmons is the most threatening, manipulative figure to hit the screen. A man that looms largely over the film demanding a lot of effort and holding so much power. Subtlety empathetic but ultimately irredeemable.