44. Whiplash (2014)

A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

Director: Damien Chazelle

Writer: Damien Chazelle

Stars: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist

Story:
Andrew Neiman is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. He has been playing drums from a young age and aspires to become one of the greats like Buddy Rich. Famed conductor Terence Fletcher discovers Andrew practicing in the music room late one night and eventually invites him into his studio band as the alternative for core drummer Carl Tanner. Fletcher is abusive toward his students, mocking and insulting them; when the band rehearses the Hank Levy piece "Whiplash" and Andrew struggles to keep the tempo, Fletcher hurls a chair at him, slaps him, swears and shouts at him, and berates him in front of the class.

At a jazz competition, Andrew accidentally misplaces Carl's sheet music; as Carl cannot play without it, Andrew steps in, telling Fletcher that he can perform "Whiplash" from memory. After a successful performance, Fletcher promotes him to core drummer. Soon after, Fletcher recruits Ryan Connolly, the core drummer from Andrew's former lower-level class. Andrew believes Connolly is the less talented drummer, and is infuriated when Fletcher promotes him to core. Determined to impress Fletcher, Andrew practices until his hands bleed and breaks up with his girlfriend Nicole, believing she will hold him back.

Fletcher tearfully reveals in class that a talented former student of his, Sean Casey, has died in a car accident. The band rehearses "Caravan", but Ryan struggles with the tempo. Fletcher auditions Andrew, Ryan and Carl for hours while the class waits outside, and finally gives the position to Andrew.

On the way to the competition, Andrew's bus breaks down. He rents a car but arrives late and realizes he left his drumsticks at the car rental office. After an argument with Fletcher, Andrew drives back to retrieve the drumsticks. As he speeds back, his car is hit by a truck. He crawls from the wreckage and arrives on stage badly injured. When he struggles to play "Caravan" due to his injuries, Fletcher stops the band mid-performance to tell Andrew he is "done". Andrew attacks Fletcher in front of the audience, and subsequently is expelled from Shaffer Conservatory.

Andrew meets with a lawyer representing the parents of Sean Casey. The lawyer explains that Sean actually hanged himself, having suffered anxiety and depression after being part of Fletcher's class and band; Sean's parents want to prevent Fletcher from teaching. Andrew agrees to testify anonymously and Fletcher is later fired.

Months later, Andrew has abandoned music and is working in a restaurant while applying to different colleges. While walking down a street, he notices a jazz club and the exterior sign saying the name Terrence Fletcher on it, he enters the jazz club and sees Fletcher playing a piano on stage. Fletcher invites him for drinks in the club, and explains that he pushed his students hard so they might achieve greatness. He invites Andrew to perform at a soon approaching jazz festival concert with his band. Andrew agrees, and later calls to invite Nicole, but discovers she is in a new relationship and she declines.

On stage at the jazz festival, moments before the performance, Fletcher reveals that he knows Andrew testified against him. He leads the band in a new piece Andrew has never heard or rehearsed, and he finds no sheet music for it in his folder. Unable to follow the cues without sheet music, Andrew struggles through it and leaves the stage humiliated. As Fletcher addresses the audience, Andrew returns to the stage and interrupts with the "Caravan" drum intro, leading the rest of the band. Infuriated, Fletcher reluctantly follows.

However, when Andrew ends the performance with an extravagant Buddy Rich style drum solo, Fletcher appears to be very proud and he and Andrew exchange smiles. Andrew and the band proceed into the intro to a jazz peice.