Whiplash (2014 film)

Whiplash is a 2014 American independent psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, and starring Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, and Paul Reiser. It focuses on an ambitious music student and aspiring jazz drummer (Teller), who is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor (Simmons). The film was produced by Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, and Right of Way Films. Sony Pictures acquired distribution rights for most of the world, releasing the film under Sony Pictures Classics in North America, Germany, and Australia, and Stage 6 Films in the UK, Scandinavia, Benelux, Eastern Europe (excluding the CIS), Greece, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Latin America. Chazelle completed the script in 2013, drawing upon his experiences in a "very competitive" jazz band in high school. Soon after, Right of Way and Blumhouse helped Chazelle turn fifteen pages of the screenplay into an 18-minute short film. The short film received acclaim after debuting at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, which attracted investors to produce the complete version of the script. Filming took place in September 2013 throughout Los Angeles over twenty days. The film explores concepts of perfectionism, dedication, and success, and deconstructs the concept of ambition. Whiplash premiered in competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16, as the festival's opening film, where it won the Audience Award Dramatic and the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic. The film opened in limited release domestically in the United States and Canada on October 10, 2014, gradually expanding to over 500 screens and finally closing on March 26, 2015. The film received acclaim for its screenplay, direction, editing, sound mixing and Simmons’s performance. It grossed $50 million on a $3 million budget during its original theatrical run. The film received multiple accolades, winning Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing, and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Simmons's performance won the Academy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, and Screen Actors Guild awards for Best Supporting Actor. It has since been assessed as one of the best films of the 21st century.