THE YEAR THAT WAS — We are on the doorstep of 2016, which means it's time to look back at 2015 and the movies we watched.

The KSL.com movie guys, John Clyde and Travis Poppleton, compile a list of their favorite movies of the year. Oftentimes they receive standing ovations, and other times they just incite riots. So, we'll see what happens this year.

Instead of just giving you a list of their favorite movies, the guys have gone with a new format this year and created categories.

As always we want you to weigh in on John and Travis' picks, but we also want to hear what your picks are as well.

Without further ado, here is the best of 2015 list:

Best performance

John: Matt Damon "The Martian"

This was a really tough pick for me because so many actors turned in really wonderful performances this year. Brie Larson was phenomenal in "Room," Will Smith had a spot-on performance in "Concussion" and the entire casts of "Spotlight" and "The Big Short" were all worthy of Oscar nods, but I have to give it to Matt Damon in "The Martian."

I connected with Damon as astronaut/botanist Mark Watney, and I could not get enough of him. "The Martian" was one of the best films of the year, but it would not have been nearly as memorable and powerful had it not been for Damon's performance.

Travis: Jacob Tremblay "Room"

This was probably the toughest category for me, and John's pick was definitely on my short list, however, "Room" was a movie that haunted me for days, and Jacob Tremblay's performance had a lot to do with that. Obviously, director Lenny Abrahamson deserves credit for capturing the best moments from the young actor, but Tremblay was ultimately responsible for carrying many of the film's weightiest and most pivotal scenes. Brie Larson will probably pick up a best actress nod for her "Room" performance, and rightfully so, but Tremblay, to me, was the big surprise of 2015.

Disagreed with critics

Travis: "Spy"

"Spy" was by no means the worst comedy of the year, but let's be honest, it didn't deserve a 93 percent score from RottenTomatoes.com either. Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper like a character from a Saturday Night Live filler sketch, and Paul Feig stoops to vomit gags and broken-record punchlines. As one of the few people still hoping Feig and McCarthy pull off a worthwhile Ghostbusters remake, "Spy" was a bit of a faith-shaker.

John: "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." received a 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and I believe that is criminally low. Many critics complained the movie took itself too seriously and the main cast lacked chemistry. I've been scratching my head over these arguments for months because the cast was electric and the fun level was at an 11. This movie was a blast and did not get the credit it deserved.

Will watch again

John: "Mad Max: Fury Road"

What can I say? Honestly? If you've seen the movie then you likely fall into one of two camps: the camp that loved it and the camp that hated it.

I'll admit that "Mad Max: Fury Road" is not for everyone, but it was very much for me and I can't wait to see it again. The filmmaking is a marvel, and if George Miller does not receive an Oscar nod as director and if he isn't in serious consideration to win, then I am planning a Hollywood boycott.

With all that said, Travis has a really phenomenal pick as well.

Travis: "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens"

As Nick Winters (Bill Murray) said so famously, "Star Wars! Nothing but Star Wars! Gimme those Star Wars.. don't let them end!"

With familiar characters, old-fashion dog fights, and the first non-whiney jedi protagonist in the history of the franchise— what more could "Star Wars" fans have asked for? I'd stick around to let you answer that, but I've got tickets for another screening of "The Force Awakens."

The one I connected with

Travis: "Me and Earl and The Dying Girl"

First, a huge tip of the hat to John's pick. My family had just moved to the Salt Lake area when "Inside Out" was released, and I have a Riley-aged daughter who took the transition pretty hard. As a result, "Inside Out" has become kind of our movie.

That said, "Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl" is a pretty accurate depiction of my high school experience. Sure, the daily conversations generated from my nerdy circle of friends never approached the witty material from Jesse Andrews's screenplay, but my friends and I were definitely socially awkward moviemakers who still have the embarrassing VHS tapes to prove it. Also, this was the first realistically sad movie I showed my oldest daughter, and I'll never forget watching her heart break in two when I explained the reason behind Rachel's squirrel drawings.

John: "Inside Out"

I need to point something out first, when I saw "Me, and Earl, and The Dying Girl" I texted Travis immediately and told him he had to see it. This movie is undoubtedly one of my favorites of 2015 and was leading the charge for the "one I connected with" pick. Then I saw "Inside Out" about a week ago.

Different things here and there kept me from seeing "Inside Out" until recently, and the film simply blew me away. Not only is it a moviemaking marvel from its clever storytelling and pinpoint pacing, but it struck a chord with emotionally that few movies can. "Inside Out" should be considered for best picture of 2015, not just best animated feature.

Worst movie of 2015

John: "Pixels"

First off the absolute worst movie of the year may have been "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2," but I think we all knew that wasn't going to be great. For that reason I went with another movie starring Kevin James, "Pixels."

This movie had potential, and that's what makes it so bad. The jokes are flat, if you can call them jokes, the characters are boring, and all in all it was boring and unfunny. Probably the two worst things an action-comedy can do.

Travis: "Chappie"

Let me get one thing out of the way before we chat "Chappie." "Nasty Baby" was without question the worst thing to call itself a movie in 2015. Luckily, "Nasty" never received a wide release, so I'm simply calling "Chappie" my worst pick from movies people have actually heard of. But really, my brain will never forgive me for recording the entire runtime of "Nasty Baby" into its memory banks.

With that out of the way, "Chappie" makes my worst movie of the year mostly because it should've been amazing. Writer and director Neill Blomkamp was responsible for the very relevant "District 9," and Shallot Copley, Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman are all actors who've proven capable in other projects. To gather a team like this around a compelling topic like artificial intelligence only to create a really terrible "Short Circuit" remake — well, that hurts more than "Pixels."

Best movie of 2015

Travis: "Spotlight"

"The Big Short" and "Spotlight" are not just two of the best pictures of 2015, but two of the best movies I've seen in years. John will cover "The Big Short," so let me just note that I knew "Spotlight" was supposed to be an important picture, but I had no idea it was going to boa-constrictor my heart and make me cry like a school boy for 128 minutes. I have no idea how Tom McCarthy went from directing "The Cobbler" to "Spotlight," but in addition to being worthy of his inevitable Oscar nod, McCarthy gets a purple ribbon in the most improved category as well.

John: "The Big Short"

I watched "Spotlight" and "The Big Short" in consecutive nights, and it took me days to recover. I sincerely struggled about whether I should pick "Spotlight" or "The Big Short" as the best of the year, but at the end of the day I had to tip my hat to "The Big Short."

Never have I seen a film that made me laugh until I cried and genuinely terrified me at the same time. The films takes an incredibly complex subject and explains it in the most creative and out-of-the-box way I've ever seen. "The Big Short" is truly a one-of-a-kind movie that I've never seen before. I agree with Travis that Tom McCarthy made an impressive jump from the likes of "The Cobbler" to a juggernaut like "Spotlight," but director Adam McKay proved that you can go from "Anchorman" to directing one of the most original and important films of the past decade.

John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories.

About the Author: Travis Poppleton

Travis Poppleton has been covering movie news, film reviews and live events for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010 and co-hosts the FlixJunkies podcast. You can contact him at tspoppleton@gmail.com.

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