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  • Writer's pictureJames Rutherford

'Whiplash': An Exhilarating Depiction of the Relentless Pursuit of Perfection

Movie poster for the film Whiplash starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons

“Whiplash” (2014) is the intense and captivating story of young musical prodigy Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a performing arts student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City, where he is beholden to the fierce and merciless tutelage of famed music instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons).


In his highly acclaimed, Academy Award-winning performance, Simmons is absolutely bonkers as the supremely caustic Fletcher, whose methodology veers dangerously close to outright abuse. Teller, however, quite nearly matches him step-for-step as the young drumming virtuoso who desperately yearns to become “one of the greats” in the jazz music industry.


Written and directed by young Hollywood wunderkind Damien Chazelle (La La Land, First Man), "Whiplash" is a wonderfully original and stunningly engaging drama whose intensity levels raise it to near thriller-levels, culminating in a finale of such jaw-dropping spectacle you'll be breathless in utter exhilaration. Truly remarkable, A+ entertainment every step of the way.

 

View the trailer:


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