Whiplash

A fantastic thriller that tackles the question “What is the price of perfection?”. The film follows a young student at a music school (played by Miles Teller) whose dream is to become one of the greatest drummers in modern jazz, and his new teacher (played by JK Simmons) who attempts to mold his pupils to the highest standard through his brutal teaching methods.

Whiplash is great for many technical reasons, such as its cinematography and masterful soundtrack, however I hold it in such high regard due to its core themes and the way it twists viewer expectations to perfectly demonstrate them. JK Simmon’s character, Fletcher, is concretely established as a cruel teacher with utter disregard for the emotional effects his teaching has on his students. Although Miles Teller does eventually defy his teacher’s constant critiques by performing a one-in-a-lifetime drum solo, the victory is hollow upon further consideration.

Fletcher’s core belief is that abuse helped mold some of the greatest musicians of all time, and so the only way to defy his character would be to accept failure. By refusing to give up drumming and instead wholly dedicate himself to the art, Miles Teller’s character has allowed Fletcher’s horrific practices to be validated. Fletcher has expertly manipulated both Miles Teller and the audience into believing that going above and beyond his standards is an act of defiance, when it instead plays perfectly into his hand. It is a brutal realization that really only comes after the credits roll, and is why I think Whiplash stands as one of the greatest movies of the past two decades.