Whiplash
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: October 10, 2014
8.8
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 1663 Ratings
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Positive:
1,536
Mixed:
68
Negative:
59
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
4
tomizawaMar 7, 2015
When a movie thrills me, whether it's by inducing sadness, anger, excitement, curiosity or fear, I have to conclude it's a good movie because transcends the screen and can have an effect on the viewer. This was not the case with "Whiplash".When a movie thrills me, whether it's by inducing sadness, anger, excitement, curiosity or fear, I have to conclude it's a good movie because transcends the screen and can have an effect on the viewer. This was not the case with "Whiplash". It only made me feel pity, disgust and need to /facepalm. I admit, this movie might be considered edgy (because it shows a sensitive topic) and maybe a work of art, but it lacked essence and relatability. Characters seem like empty and underdeveloped canvases. This film relied too much on shock value.… Expand
4 of 7 users found this helpful43
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4
WiscoJoeNov 24, 2014
This cliched after-school special of a movie plays like a cross between Black Swan and Mr. Holland's Opus and every other "struggling genius underdog" movie ever made. Fine performances from Teller and Simmons and incredibly tight editingThis cliched after-school special of a movie plays like a cross between Black Swan and Mr. Holland's Opus and every other "struggling genius underdog" movie ever made. Fine performances from Teller and Simmons and incredibly tight editing can't make up for the thread-bare story and the unlikable, unrealistic characters. If you're interested in jazz or in drumming, seek out a local music venue and treat yourself to something real.… Expand
7 of 13 users found this helpful76
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6
jeanrenoir13Jan 26, 2015
Disappointed by this overrated film. Incredibly conventional coming-of-age movie--the kid vs. the mentor who drives him hard to "make a man" out of him. Total cliche. Teller even LOOKS just like a Jewish Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid. AnDisappointed by this overrated film. Incredibly conventional coming-of-age movie--the kid vs. the mentor who drives him hard to "make a man" out of him. Total cliche. Teller even LOOKS just like a Jewish Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid. An Officer and a Gentleman and the first hour of Full Metal Jacket were much, much more better versions of this very familiar tale than this fairly lame, and totally predictable, film. J.T. Simmons is good, but not in the class with Louis Gossett, Jr, or Lee Ermey. And Richard Gere was much better than Teller in the "determined kid" slot.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
csw12Jan 6, 2015
Whiplash is a one man show with J.K Simmons. The problem is all the characters felt unrealistic and when J.K Simmons isn't on screen there isn't much to like. Whiplash can be compared to Black Swan, only Black Swan was more convincing.
1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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5
benuttyOct 20, 2014
If you've seen this already then you'll understand my clearest criticism: Damien Chazelle needs a Terence Fletcher in his life.

Aside from J.K. Simmon's performance and some stellar editing, I'm not sure there's anything spectacular orIf you've seen this already then you'll understand my clearest criticism: Damien Chazelle needs a Terence Fletcher in his life.

Aside from J.K. Simmon's performance and some stellar editing, I'm not sure there's anything spectacular or revolutionary here. If all you connect with is the thrill then this feels most like Black Swan (but better), and if you connect more with the story then its closest kin is The Devil Wears Prada (but better). Both comparisons make me sigh.… Expand
1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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6
onceagainOct 25, 2014
Boring. Like every other movie white people in Hollywood made before. Prolonged shots of someone sweating while drumming does not immediately mean 'intensity'.
1 of 6 users found this helpful15
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6
kriebelrJan 4, 2015
Positives: J.K. Simmons is terrifying, and really great. He plays a manipulative, abusive teacher that every student fears and longs to please.

Lots of times movies with music as a central theme have fake playing in them that isPositives: J.K. Simmons is terrifying, and really great. He plays a manipulative, abusive teacher that every student fears and longs to please.

Lots of times movies with music as a central theme have fake playing in them that is distracting. This movie is filmed in such a way that the fake playing isn't distracting. In fact, if you don't know better, you won't know the difference.

The story has a ton of interest and holds your attention. There are quite a few shocks along the way.

The Negative: Plot holes...plenty of them. One or two are acceptable...but they became a distraction.

I wish they would have explored the family dynamic more, especially attitudes favoring sports over music.

I think they wrote Simmon's dialogue a little over the top. Yes it had to be shocking...but it was like "Full Metal Jacket" shocking. Over the top in my opinion, and subtlety would have been better here.

The final scene was unrealistic and stupid. Made a great movie just good.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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6
NedRyerson1Feb 18, 2015
Whiplash is JK Simmons shining around and getting everyone at his feet. His acting as the music teacher that pushes students to the edge is absolutely breathtaking, nothing like what I have seen in a long time. This character represents allWhiplash is JK Simmons shining around and getting everyone at his feet. His acting as the music teacher that pushes students to the edge is absolutely breathtaking, nothing like what I have seen in a long time. This character represents all the obstacles that life puts in front a person that wants to succeed on a certain topic. The work with the cameras really helped to create this figure, staying with details and looking up, at him, or down, at the rest. The problems with this film starts when you look around at the other things on screen; the plot is almost nonexistent, leading to a chaos of nonsense; the protagonist is not well defined, making impossible for the viewer to understand his actions and decisions; and the camera's work that was magnificent at the beginning is lost along the way. So many incoherent things together definitely can't maintain a person's attention, although if you like to hear an hour forty five of drums, this movie is for you.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
SmoothrunnerNov 21, 2015
The fact that this movie has earned high rating from its audience is understandable - in the end, a bad sadomasochistic taste of mass audience is no longer a secret. What surprises me is critical acclaim - it seems that critics aren't gottenThe fact that this movie has earned high rating from its audience is understandable - in the end, a bad sadomasochistic taste of mass audience is no longer a secret. What surprises me is critical acclaim - it seems that critics aren't gotten far ahead from the public for which they write.

As for the movie, it is grotesque, stupid sado-masochistic fiction, indulging bad taste and low inclinations of its viewers.

Most sad thing is that someone not to bright might decide that this degenerative movie is actually depicting reality and will try to bring such kind of decay into the real life. From the other side, actual maniacs and degenerates might see this movie as an indulgence to their actions. Well, now I probably understood who those critics with positive reviews on this movie are :)… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
Mancunian2014Jan 30, 2015
Overall, a story one can somewhat relate to: youthful optimism, if not naivete, that they can be the best and that the one person who seems to hate everyone will love them if they only try hard enough. Andrew Neimann seems to think this isOverall, a story one can somewhat relate to: youthful optimism, if not naivete, that they can be the best and that the one person who seems to hate everyone will love them if they only try hard enough. Andrew Neimann seems to think this is possible but ultimately gets mixed messages from the perennially displeased Terrence Fletcher. Maybe he'll be the best drummer. Maybe he'll outshine all of Terrence's students, past and present. You know he never will though and it's not because we never good enough. It's because Terrence Fletcher could have done with a good dose of therapy to relieve his extremely toxic perfectionist tendencies. People don't become great because they are abused and deceived. They become great by being around people who give them positive reinforcement. Whiplash is a fantasy in this sense.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
AxeTJan 28, 2015
Yet another, another, another obscenely over-rated little movie that is fine but certainly NOT great!
Probably written by a Julliard student with a thinly veiled screenplay, and a thin narrative at that, the acting is decent if the leadYet another, another, another obscenely over-rated little movie that is fine but certainly NOT great!
Probably written by a Julliard student with a thinly veiled screenplay, and a thin narrative at that, the acting is decent if the lead characters fairly repugnant and not very pleasant to look at. The film improves as it goes and importantly it does stick with you, but is that enough for this little character study to be ridiculously over-praised by jackass critics and nominated for Best Picture by the monkeys at the Academy? Apparently so. It's an interesting subject for aspiring artists of all kinds yes, but a great film? No!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
DudeUnknownJul 12, 2015
One word: OVERRATED. Personally, I think the instructor's methods are correct, as long as there is no physical abuse. The kid was emotional, weak and not even that good of a drummer compared to the others. It's okay to try and pursue yourOne word: OVERRATED. Personally, I think the instructor's methods are correct, as long as there is no physical abuse. The kid was emotional, weak and not even that good of a drummer compared to the others. It's okay to try and pursue your dreams, and you shouldn't be stopped, but if you're going to do so, YOU'VE ACTUALLY GOT TO WORK HARD. If you have less natural talent, then you have to make up for it with hard work. Natural talent is a tiny factor. Either way, this movie went wrong by making the crappy drummer the main character, even though he's less deserving. Disappointing and insane. But I wouldn't go so far as to call it a bad movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
MrSuavehFeb 18, 2015
Great premise and acting wasted on a shallow story and one note characters. This story line is overflowing with interesting topics: sociopaths, human potential, bullies, jazz, prodigy, musical genius.

J.K. Simmons plays an abusiveGreat premise and acting wasted on a shallow story and one note characters. This story line is overflowing with interesting topics: sociopaths, human potential, bullies, jazz, prodigy, musical genius.

J.K. Simmons plays an abusive perfectionist instructor motivated by the love of music to produce a jazz great. He has one method of teaching and that is over-the-top emotional abuse. He has one example of this working, which is a myth: Charlie Parker drove himself to excellence because Jo Jones threw a cymbal at his head because Parker screwed up a performance. He deploys his method and cymbal story over and over and over again in the movie.

I thought the film was a revenge plot stuffed with filler made of:
1. J.K. dishing out emotional abuse with lots of Yelling! And Insults! And Slurs!

2. Miles Teller reacting by crying, getting mad or practicing until his hands bleed.
(Lots of bloody hand close-ups and bandages sometimes in slow-motion and sometimes in water because I guess the dispersing blood shapes are artistic.)

3. Great jazz tracks

So I was disappointed that there wasn't more to the characters and the story. Like, for example, why doesn't J.K. have to reconcile his methods against the damage it produces? Or why does he apply the same extreme method to every student when each has a different potential? At the very least show me J.K. at a children's music recital handing out compliments and encouragement to give him another dimension.

People like this exist everywhere in society, coaches, business, science. I don't think the J.K. character is unbelievable I just think this movie left him unexplored and caricaturized.

That said, the actors did a great job with the shallow script. If there were more to the movie it would of produced two incredible performances.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
veravixenMar 1, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. not bad too dramatic, which makes the whole movie more like a farce.
If such a teacher exists in real life, students are more likely to be destroyed than motivated, and he would be brought to lawsuit long ago.
Also the blood the accident just make the whole movie feels very posed and artificial.
Overall it's a not bad movie but far from being also.
I think it's very much overated.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
AvarahApr 20, 2015
One dimensional characters in this one trick pony film leave whiplash viewers feeling like lead -- bloodied and battered. I suspect Hollywood lovers will be ok with that.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
gopher1Jun 27, 2015
Whiplash has been compared to "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Full Metal Jacket - your basic go to films for abusive mentor and anxious/arrogant/disturbed pupil. I would offer up for comparison, The Paper Chase" from the late1970s. In thatWhiplash has been compared to "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Full Metal Jacket - your basic go to films for abusive mentor and anxious/arrogant/disturbed pupil. I would offer up for comparison, The Paper Chase" from the late1970s. In that movie, Juilliard acting teacher John Houseman - according to former pupils like Kevin Kline and the late Robin Williams, playing himself - playing legendary Prof. Kingsfield,, intellectually breaks down and then builds up (with absolute personal indifference) a first year Harvard Law student.

Minus the R rated language, it's basically the same story as Whiplash. Student struggles, has some success, immerses himself in every nuance of the course and the instructor, becomes obsessed with pleasing the distant father-figure teacher and, sacrifices his personal life and cool girlfriend because it gets in the way of the student fulfilling his destiny. Paper Chase has a much more believable ending and doesn't stray towards melodrama like Whiplash.
Paper Chase has held up over time, you can find law school professors like Kingsfield today, but I don't think in the current culture of education J.K. Simmons'' Fletcher would last a week in a college.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
jbrown8989Jan 7, 2016
I went in with high expectations and this movie did not deliver. The acting was really good but it wasn't the most exciting movie ever. Good for the critics but not my type of movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
NickTheCritickAug 9, 2022
I never understood all the enthusiasm for this film that didn't convince me at all instead. Jazz is not that, it is not a war. The script is overflowing, excessive and it all ends up looking ridiculously overloaded. JK Simmons' characterI never understood all the enthusiasm for this film that didn't convince me at all instead. Jazz is not that, it is not a war. The script is overflowing, excessive and it all ends up looking ridiculously overloaded. JK Simmons' character looks like Sergeant Hartman, but you are not in Vietnam here, but in a jazz school. Jazz doesn't make your hands bleed when you play drums, this is not the real impact of music in people's life . Chazelle's directing didn't convince me at all.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
AmadouIraklidisNov 10, 2022
Pretty decent, though the character became mostly insufferable by the end. A little bit of a taxing watch, though if it strikes your tone, it is definitely worth a viewing.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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