2014 won’t go down in history as the best year for feature films. Much-anticipated films failed to connect with audiences (Exodus: Gods and Kings, Fury, Transcendence, The Expendables 3, and Winter’s Tale are prime examples), and even critically acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan didn’t deliver the awards-worthy sci-fi adventure fans of his films had been eagerly anticipating since Interstellar was announced. Yet even while most of the year’s theatrical releases left a lot to be desired, there were enough stand-outs to pull together a Top 10 list along with a handful of movies that deserved honorable mentions.
Keep in mind these are my picks for the best of the year and your list will likely differ as it’s all a matter of personal taste.
Top 10 Movies of 2014
1. Nightcrawler – Directed by Dan Gilroy, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel – Directed by Wes Anderson, Starring Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, F Murray Abraham, and Tony Revolori
3. The Fault in Our Stars – Directed by Josh Boone, Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, and Willem Dafoe
4. Gone Girl – Directed by David Fincher, Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Patrick Fugit, Kim Dickens, and Neil Patrick Harris
5. Locke – Directed by Steven Knight, Starring Tom Hardy
6. The Theory of Everything – Directed by James Marsh, Starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Harry Lloyd, David Thewlis, and Charlie Cox
7. Guardians of the Galaxy – Directed by James Gunn, Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, and Michael Rooker
8. Selma – Directed by Ava DuVernay, Starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, and Dylan Baker
9. Begin Again – Directed by John Carney, Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, James Corden, and Hailee Steinfeld
10. The Imitation Game – Directed by Morten Tyldum, Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, and Matthew Beard
Honorable Mentions: Into the Woods, The Babadook, The Mule, The LEGO Movie, Unbroken, and The Guest.
– Also of interest: Top 10 Actors of 2014 / The 10 Best Actresses of 2014 / Top 10 Supporting Actors / 2014’s Best Supporting Actresses
