★★★★ 4 out of 4

If there was ever a movie that brilliantly took on the idea of pushing someone until they break, it would have to be Whiplash.

This movie is perfect. Whiplash is a story that anyone can relate to. If you had anyone telling you that you are not good enough, and trying to push you to your true potential, you can relate this movie in some way.

Whiplash is the story of Andrew, played by Miles Teller, a first year percussion major at the prestigious music school Shaffer Conservatory. Andrew wants to be a great drummer like his idol Buddy Rich. The conductor of the top jazz band, Dr. Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons, is a tough teacher that does not accept mediocre performers in his ensemble.

Andrew works his hardest and is accepted in to Fletcher’s band as a freshman – not a typical achievement. What he doesn’t know is that Fletcher is different from your typical conductor. Fletcher is an intense teacher that will make you cringe on the edge of your seat. He is abusive to his students when he sees that they are not living up to their full potential, and only wants the best musicians in his ensemble. Andrew wants to be the best and has to cut certain people and hobbies out of his life to reach that goal.  Andrew’s main goal is for Fletcher to notice him and let him play a solo in a piece they are performing for a competition.

What happens over the course of the movie is incredible. I won’t give you any spoilers, so I think you should watch it in order to find out how this scenario plays out. This film is truly one of the best music films ever. The soundtrack is fantastic.  It showcases a different topic of music that not many films had tackled before – the idea of a collegiate musician and their struggle to balance performance and life. I related to this film because I also strive for the same amount of work ethic that Andrew shows in his practices and strives to be the best. I’m so glad that this movie is getting all of the praise that it deserves.

At the Oscars this year, Whiplash won three out of the five awards it was nominated for. J.K. Simmons won Best Supporting Actor, and definitely deserved it. The film also won for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing. It also has been listed as one of the top movies of 2014, and was featured on many year-end charts. It is now in my top movies list after seeing it.

This is a movie that you could watch multiple times. There is something about this film that is so intense and relatable that makes viewing it again almost necessary. If you haven’t seen Whiplash, I highly recommend that you do. Whiplash is now available on iTunes and on DVD.