A movie that plays to it's own beat (Minor Spoilers)

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2014)

Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons battle for the extent of the movie and I never wanted it end. Teller plays a dedicated drummer who is driven by the idea of being driven. He knows that in order to be the best drummer he can be he would have to sacrifice everything (even his body in different parts of the movie). He is able to convey his passion for drumming while also performing on the drums in an incredible fashion. J.K. Simmons plays the music teacher from hell. He is great at what he does but he will tear people apart in order to get the best out of them. Simmons goes through every insult in the book when he is in full rage mode and it is hysterical.
What impressed me just as much as the acting by the two actors was the direction of this movie. Damien Chazelle does a great job in only his second movie. The shots of the drumming at all different angles throughout the course was a very unique aspect to this film. One shot of Teller putting his bloody hand into ice water stuck in my mind.
The storyline which Chazelle wrote was also extremely original and didn't fall into many clichés that I was expecting. There was a love interest that was involved and as the movie went it could have fallen into the trap of needing to include her to perfectly wrap things up; it didn't go that way and I was glad to see that.
The movie changes tempo quite often, which I enjoyed a lot. There are moments of high stress, comical back and forth, mutual understandings, and an overall authenticity to it all that makes you care about what is going on.
The end of this movie is amazing. Even though the acting and directing throughout the entire movie are great, the last scene is where it all comes together. The battle between Simmons and Teller comes to a final clash and it is safe to say that they both win with how it all plays out. One of the most satisfying and original endings in recent memory.
Whiplash is an under the radar film that will pleasantly surprise those who go out to see it.