Whiplash is a movie about torture. About pushing man to his breaking point and beyond. About crushing souls. Destroying lives. People get bloodied. Emotionally, the toll is even greater. Yes, Whiplash is a movie about drumming.

Drumming.

Miles Teller, the consistently underrated actor who I once told I was glad he didn’t show his penis on screen, who responded with, “But you haven’t seen my penis,” stars as a musical prodigy who joins a competitive-neigh-torturous class helmed by judge, jury and executioner Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a man who takes delight in physically and psychologically punishing his students, because theoretically he wants them to be great.

He may just be an asshole.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash is a well made, well acted and surprisingly intense drama about the world of drumming. Teller is strong in the lead, though to say either he or Simmons deliver award-winning performances may be a stretch. Both are great, but they’ve both been even better elsewhere.

Whiplash is capped by an incredibly mesmerizing climax that may or may not blow the drumsticks out of your hands. It’s got more than a couple fuck-you moments that will make you gasp and giggle.

Didn’t see that coming.

Despite all that, the heaps of praise piled upon Whiplash—which “won” Sundance in 2014—is a bit much. It’s a very good movie, but it’s not that good. It takes a while to connect with Teller’s character—perhaps because so few can truly relate to and understand what he’s going through—and I never felt emotionally invested in the guy.

Whiplash isn’t perfect, and it isn’t the best movie of the year, but it’s a strong drama that certainly deserves recognition. Who knew drumming could be such torture… and so captivating at the same time?

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.