14 Awesome 2015 Movies Everyone Thought Would Suck

8. Everest

Why It Should Have Sucked: Despite the outstanding cast, there were a lot of red flags here: the surprisingly lean $55 million budget, an underwhelming set of trailers which suggested it'd just be another forgettable disaster flick, and the fact that a real-life tragedy was being sold as a 3D event movie, which is just horrendously tacky. Why It Was Awesome: Everest makes the most of its modest budget and delivers a visually entrancing survival film, teasing rock solid performances from the ridiculously talented ensemble cast and, most surprisingly, avoiding the exploitative feel that its 3D presentation initially suggests. The 3D is great, too, but the real treat here is how emotionally resonant the film ultimately is: the character work is uncommonly strong for a film of this type, so most deaths feel like they matter, but the film is restrained with the sentiment and doesn't milk the deaths for all they're worth. It's respectful, thrilling and poignant all at once: a great movie.