Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash (2014), an American indie psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, follows jazz drummer Andrew Neiman as he attends the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in hopes of achieving the same success as his childhood hero Buddy Rich. The conductor of the Studio Band, Terence Fletcher, recruits him to play for the ensemble as an alternate for core drummer Carl Tanner. However, Andrew soon discovers that Fletcher is exceedingly strict and abusive towards his students. This becomes apparent when Fletcher throws a chair at Andrew and then physically and verbally assaults him for not keeping tempo during the rehearsal of ‘Whiplash’. Despite this treatment, Andrew is determined to impress Fletcher and pushes himself to practice obsessively, often causing blisters that bleed on his hands. At a jazz competition, Andrew accidentally misplaces Tanner’s sheet music. With no other option, he performs from memory and replaces Tanner for the next set.

Following a successful performance of ‘Whiplash’, Fletcher decides to promote Andrew to core drummer. However, his excitement is short-lived when Fletcher surprisingly offers the position to Ryan Connolly, a lower-level ensemble drummer at Shaffer. Andrew’s laser focus on music leads to strained relationships with his family and ultimately ends his romantic relationship with Nicole, as he dedicates himself fully to pursuing his dreams. After an intense five-hour rehearsal of ‘Caravan’ where Fletcher demands they play at breakneck speed, Andrew earns back the core position alongside Tanner and Connolly. While on their way to the next competition, their bus experiences a flat tire. In a rush, Andrew rents a car but realizes too late that he forgot his drumsticks at the rental office. Despite Fletcher’s initial reluctance, he agrees to wait for Andrew as he quickly retrieves them.