Clawing to the top with blood-stained drumsticks

Rating: 9/10 (30 April 2019)

Tape your fingers now or else those nails will be bitten down to nubs when this is over. Equally unbearable and exhilarating, Whiplash turns the teacher-student relationship right on its head; far more Full Metal Jacket than anything inspirational. To that end, this is the best I've ever seen from J.K. Simmons, spewing venom as Miles Teller strains under his withering abuse. This is psychological thriller against the backdrop of jazz (a sentence I never thought I'd see myself typing), and Simmons is the emotional terrorist you just do not see coming. That goes for the whole movie, one that I've never seen anything like. There's a wealth to appreciate here, from the masterful editing and direction to the music, and the hype is absolutely warranted.
And is it just me, or does "Not my tempo" belong up there with "Is it safe" as far as chilling lines go?