No other word for it: Brilliant.

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2015)

Having decided to watch this on a whim, it turned out to be a fantastic way to spend just under two hours. I often found myself surprised at the amount of tension and anticipation that was created from a story that was essentially about drumming. It doesn't take a musical background to tap into the sheer passion that all characters exhibit throughout the whole film. The chemistry between the teacher-student duo of Teller and Simmons was incredible and I found both characters surprisingly insightful, with great depth and complexity. In saying that, all of the characters seemed to have some level that it was possible to understand, even the parents and girlfriend. It had my attention right from the start and it was definitely the best movie I've seen in a very long time.