A Very Well-Made Film

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2015)

Whiplash follows a first year music student who is talent spotted by the school's most fearsome teachers. Now one of the drummers in his class, Andrew (Miles Teller) is under pressure to become the best he can be, and more.
Making a film solely about drumming at least somewhat interesting can be a difficult task because it is such a niche interest. Whiplash manages to make a fantastic film about drumming. Please do not be put off by this film's subject; even if you know nothing about music or drumming, this is still a thoroughly entertaining film to watch and enjoy.
One of the reasons this film works so well is that the performances are all great. J.K. Simmons obviously steals the show as the terrifying Fletcher, whose rants are appallingly personal to the extent where you eventually start cringing at every drum solo, just waiting for him to stop the music and begin his bullying once more. Miles Teller also gives a great performance, although his hasn't received awards recognition, it is still a solid performance that proves he can do more than comedies.
Of course, it is not just the acting in Whiplash that makes it so successful; the direction of this is so effective that you can literally be on the edge of your seat during some of the drum solos. The only way to describe these scenes is as being almost like action scenes. The camera work at these moments is so fast-paced it creates a fantastically tense atmosphere. These are the aspects of the film that make it so great, it is difficult to convince most people to go see a film about drumming but hopefully people will give Whiplash a chance.