Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone! Jazz instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) may be another brick in the wall for some students, but to aspiring drum great Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) he is the ultimate mentor/tormentor. Andrew is a student at the prestigious Schaeffer Conservatory in NYC and his ambition is as sky-high as the Empire State Building. He manages to luck into being one of the core members of Fletcher's band, but it's a dubious honor. While Fletcher manages to inspire Andrew to try harder, he does so by being an insanely cruel and manipulative jerk. "Whiplash" is a mesmerizing, tense and fabulously well-made film. Andrew and Phil clash on their interpretation of the character of Fletcher, but the consensus is that "Whiplash" is one of the best movies of the year.
