Whiplash (2014)

A strange drama, Whiplash follows a teenage drummer named Andrew who is invited into a prestigious jazz group by an overzealous instructor. The instructor demands absolute perfection from the group and is unforgiving and abusive whenever his ensemble misses the mark. Andrew soon becomes as obsessive as his teacher and the growing tension between the pair leads them towards madness. Filled with jazz numbers and drum solos, Whiplash is easy to recommend to fans of either however it is difficult to relate to the characters - especially if, like me, jazz isn't your cup of tea. As reality blurs towards the end I found myself losing interest in the characters and the performances felt long - even boring - at times. This is not a film that I'd watch again but many would.

5/10