Warning there are spoilers!!!
Whiplash is a great movie directed by Damien Chazelle. This was his opening movie and it helped put him on the map with film nerds and then he made another big movie called La La Land.
His most recent movie Babylon wasn’t as popular as Whiplash and La La Land. Babylon only made only 63 million dollars at the box office with a budget of 110 million. Babylon is just too long, it’s also not very good, the story isn’t very interesting, and it’s easy to get lost as it is 3 hours long, and it drags on way too long. Whiplash and La La Land had a lot cheaper budgets as La La Land made 472 million dollars at the box office.
Seeing Whiplash in theaters was awesome. There is nothing like seeing a movie in theaters but you will never get the best experience unless you saw it when it came out.
Miles Teller is Andrew and J.K. Simmons is Fletcher; these are the two main characters as the plot centers around them. The plot of Whiplash is about Andrew’s progression as a drummer. Andrew is reserved and is a freshman at Shaffer music school which is the best music school in America. Fletcher is a prestigious conductor at Shaffer with a hot temper that wants to succeed.
Miles Teller is great in his role as this was essentially his breakout performance with Damien Chazelle. The intro is great as you get introduced to the main characters and as the story goes between the two actors it gets more interesting. Andrew joining Fletcher’s band is great as he joins as the backup to Carl, one of the other drummers. One of my favorite scenes is at the performance when Andrew loses Carl’s folder with the music and Andrew takes over for Whiplash.
As it progresses with Andrew gaining a bigger role in Fletcher band we see Andrew’s progression as a drummer. When Fletcher chooses Ryan, another drummer, to join the band it feels like a stabbing in the back to Andrew as he had worked so hard to become the lead drummer and he just had it taken from him.
My favorite scene in the movie is when Andrew is in a rush to get his sticks to play in the second concert and he crashes. In that moment I felt a race of emotions as he’s probably not going to be able to play and it made me think he wouldn’t get there in time. For him to play horrible and not do well after crashing just felt like Fletcher didn’t give him a chance as he clearly couldn’t play.
Another one of my favorite parts is the final scene with Andrew performing horribly in the first piece and you wonder if he will recover, but he does take the lead in the final piece and does a great job bringing the other members of the band in as he leads.
The ending does run a couple minutes too long. My mom and I both agreed on that but it’s still great. Overall Whiplash is an amazing movie not perfect and not a five star movie but it will hold up forever. 
Tripp Flansburg • Jan 14, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Your review of Whiplash does a great job showing your enthusiasm for the film, particulary through your detailed breakdown of key scenes and character relations. Your insights into Andrew’s progression and Fletcher’s tough teaching add depth, especially when talking about moments like the car crash scene and the climactic final performance. However, the review could benefit from a more focused structure—some points, like the box office comparisons and personal experiences, feel a little disconnected from the main point of the movie that you were talking about. Also, adding more about why certain scenes stood out emotionally or technically could help strengthen your argument for the film’s lasting impact. Overall, your passion for Whiplash comes through, making it an engaging read.
Grayson v • Jan 14, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Your review of Whiplash does a good job of pointing out some great moments, such as the car crash scene and final performance, but it relies heavily on summarizing the plot. The comparison to Babylon is interesting, though it could be better related to what makes Whiplash unique. Less retelling of the story and more about the themes of the film or emotional resonance would help strengthen your critique. Overall, it’s a good review, but a bit more depth could be added.
Aryan Moore • Jan 14, 2025 at 1:23 pm
I appreciate your insight and opinion on this movie! Your summary and recap were on point. Additionally, in the second paragraph, your use of a drawn-out sentence and repeated use of the word “long” help to emphasize your point about the movie’s extended length – it was quite clever. Furthermore, the last three paragraphs made me feel like I was watching the film as your descriptions were vivid and the explanation of emotions and events was captivating and engaging. Fantastic work Mr. Schaeffer!
Ian Kloiber • Jan 14, 2025 at 1:13 pm
I enjoyed the article a lot. I also enjoyed a lot of the minor details like how the movie was a breakout movie for Miles Teller. I did think some of the details could have been summarized a little cleaner and more simple but it still is a very enjoyable article. Good job and I hope to read another review soon.
Danny Kirsch • Nov 13, 2024 at 11:56 am
This article has inspired me to watch Whiplash. This is a good article but I feel like the part about Babylon was drifting away from the main focus on Whiplash. It shows how successful Whiplash is compared to Damien Chazelle’s other movies, but I feel like the article didn’t need that part in it.
Andrew Goodell • Nov 8, 2024 at 9:42 am
I love the movie but unlike you I actually like the ending. It shows the consequences both positive and negative of obsession which is ultimately what the movie is about. He pushes away his family, girlfriend, and his self care as he chases a dream to become the best. The ending shows his obsession in the form of his solo.
Timothy Dekenipp • Nov 8, 2024 at 9:30 am
What is your opinion on how Andrew deals with pressure to succeed, not just from his family, but from his music school as well? Overall the article does a good job describing the movie, and covers the important emotional beats throughout the movie. I would disagree though, in my opinion Whiplash is a 10/10 movie.