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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #30 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View Whiplash film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Aspiring jazz drummer Andrew Neiman earns a place in conductor Terence Fletcher's elite conservatory band. Fletcher's humiliations, sudden auditions, and exacting tempo demands push Andrew to equate artistic greatness with total physical and emotional sacrifice.

Why it belongs

Whiplash stages jazz rehearsal as combat, with Teller and Simmons making ambition, abuse, control, and exhilaration inseparable.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Chazelle shoots rehearsals like combat, deploying close-ups of hands, sweat, blood, cymbals, and Fletcher's gestures, while Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons transform musical discipline into an unstable contest among ambition, abuse, control, and exhilaration.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards3 wins2015 · official ceremony record ↗
Actor in a Supporting Role2015 · J. K. Simmonsofficial ceremony record ↗

Plus 2 additional wins

Golden Globes1 win2015 · official film record ↗
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture2015 · J. K. Simmonsofficial film record ↗
BAFTA3 wins2015 · official BAFTA 2015 Film Awards results ↗
Supporting Actor2015 · J. K. Simmonsofficial BAFTA 2015 Film Awards results ↗

Plus 2 additional wins

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 25041AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.1
Engagement9.8
Ease9.2

English · R
Narrative Feature
Mood: Accessible & Rewarding