Honorable Mentions:
How to Train Your Dragon 2: A terrific sequel that raises the stakes from the first two and is also, funny, touching, breathtaking, and takes some turns you don't usually see in most family films. This was a incredibly hard one to leave off my list.
Foxcatcher: A riveting and extremely compelling film that by the end of it just send chills down my bones. It also three incredible performances from Channing Tatum (who is sadly getting overlooked this awards season), Mark Ruffalo and the unregonizable Steve Carrell. The only real reason this isn't on my list is because I'll probably struggle to ever watch it again in the future (I probably will at some point though because the performances are so incredible)
The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1: A terrific well done build up to the grand finale, and I can't wait for Part 2.
Big Hero 6: Another animated film that was really hard leaving off this list. Regardless, I thought this was a really refreshing animated film with a terrific amount of heart, some great action sequences, and perhaps the most adorable character of the year in Baymax the robot.
Interstellar: Yes I'm sure many who know me well are probably surprised this isn't even quite in my Top 20, but besides that while this isn't my favorite Christopher Nolan film, I still found Interstellar to be a thought-provoking, engrossing, and beautifully directed film with some of the most impressive visuals I've ever seen, and one of the most overlooked performances of the year from Matthew McConaughney. I couldn't really quite put it on my Top 20 because I really need to give this one a second watch which I haven't been a able to do.
Based on the heartbreaking true life story of Alan Turing, I found this to definitely be one of the most compelling and moving bio-pics to come out in quite some time. The story of Alan Turing has always seemed like a pretty fascinating one, and The Imitation Game does a very good job at exploring the achievements he made as an incredible figure, as well as definitely exploring enough of the human side of him as well. With an effective script, fantastic cast, some very powerful moments, and a surprising amount of well placed humor, even in its slowest moments this movie definitely always held my attention, especially thanks to the award worthy performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, and Keira Knightley.
Talk about a pleasant surprise! When I first heard of the latest Keanu Reeves action flick, I thought to myself, considering its kind of generic plot, and a leading star clearly out of his prime, no way this can be all that. Thankfully, I was dead wrong, because "John Wick" is one of the most fun I had at the movies all year along. With a smart script that never takes itself too seriously, this felt like a really good throw back to those good 80s action movies with a classic revenge tale to go along with it and was ridiculously entertaining. The film is violent, but never graphic, the action sequences are exhilarating and very impressively crafted from directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, it's briskly paced, the supporting cast is a lot of fun, and most importantly, Keanu Reeves is totally kick-ass as our protagonist, making him one of the most memorable and bad-ass action heroes I've seen in quite some time. This was the perfect return to form for Mr. Reeves, and I wouldn't mind seeing him play this character again. A real treat for action genre fans.
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Here's another one that took me by a nice surprise. I've always liked Chris Rock. Granted I can't stand quite a few of his movies, but I've always found him to be a talented comedian so I was pretty interested to see what he would bring as a director (although this is third feature as a director, not his first) although I can't say I had much high expectations. I definitely wasn't expecting to get one of the most charming, surprisingly touching, cleverly scripted, and most importantly hysterical comedies of 2014. This was a exceptionally funny film that also plays as bit of a clever satire on the lifestyle of a hollywood actor who wants to be taken more seriously, and Chris Rock brings a impressive signature style . A great supporting cast is here with tons of hilarious cameos, but the real stars are Chris Rock himself as the lead star, and Rosario Dawson with their impeccable chemistry and natural performances. This had me smiling from beginning to end, and is definitely a must watch for not only fans of comedies, but fans of cinema in general.
A film that I had pretty much no prior knowledge about besides the fact that it starred Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. On the surface, this seemed like it would another typical romantic flick, but thankfully it took a much different turn than I was expecting. This was a surprisingly authentic, sharp, endearing, and soulful film with some of the impressive music I've seen in any film in quite some time. One song in particular, I still can't get out of my head. But, really what drives this film is the charismatic cast being lead with two terrific performances from Mark Ruffalo, and Keira Knightley, two performances that I think are definitely among the most overlooked ones in 2014 (and yet thanks to these two also starring in Foxcatcher and Imitation Game, these two are still more than likely due for Oscar nominations this year). Together they shared an undeniable chemistry, that without giving it away wasn't per say the type of chemistry you'd expect.
Wes Anderson, seems to certainly be one of those polarizing directors as most people when it comes to his films seem to either love or hate them, very few in between. Thankfully, I happen to love most of his work (that I've seen at least), and The Grand Budapest Hotel is definitely up there as one of my favorites of his if not my favorite. It's hilarious, odd, shocking, weirdly touching, visually breathtaking, very clever, filled with colorful and memorable characters and a whole lot of fun, exactly what you would expect from Wes. It's got his style written all over it, and that's probably why I loved just about every second of it. But, of course no Wes Anderson movie can go without mentioning the cast as he always gets the most impressive ensemble cast, and knows how to get the best out of them. Lots of amazing supporting work here, especially from Adrian Brody, Willhelm Dafoe, and Edward Norton, but the stars of the show are newcomer Tony Revolori as the memorable Zero, and especially Ralph Fiennes, who is simply brilliant and Oscar worthy as M. Gustave. Not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but it was for my.
My favorite comedy of 2014. I surprisingly loved 21 Jump Street, it was one of my favorite comedies in recent years, but considering the track records for comedy sequels, I was not expecting the most from 22 Jump Street. And, yet surprisingly enough I think I might even like this more than the first. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller once again prove they might be the best comedy duo directors working together, as they delivered a sequel just as gut-busting hysterical, quotable, self-aware, and entertaining as the first installment if not more so. Yes, this follows some basic sequel troops, but unlike pretty much every other sequels do, this at least embraces that, and is clearly having a lot of fun in doing so as was I watching it. There are numerous scenes here that had me laughing for like 10 minutes straight, one in particular that involves a Channing Tatum reaction. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum once again make for a terrific on-screen duo, and are now quickly becoming themselves to be one of the best on-screen comedic duos I've seen in a very long time, and I look forward to seeing where this franchise will go next, especially if they continue on putting out installments just as funny and as rewatchable as 22 Jump Street.
The best to sum up director Jon Faverau's Chef is simply: charming. Very few movies this year charmed me, made me feel as starving and made me feel so good inside as much as Chef did. I know that's probably a corny thing to say, but it's exactly how I felt while watching this wonderful film. There was never really a moment during this movie I didn't find myself smiling, and much of that is due to the authentic and charismatic cast who deliver great work across the board. Jon Favreau especially does what I think is his best work to date as an actor, as he's equally charismatic and sympathetic as the main character, while John Leguizamo is a surprising scene stealer as the best friend. But, certainly the biggest surprise for me here was Emjay Anthony, as the son who I thought surprisingly brought this natural screen presence that you don't normally see from kid actors. Simply put, this was simply a delightful, feel good, touching, and hilarious film that just had me floored.
Simply one of those few films where the more I think about it, the more I really dig it. Director Dan Gilroy's directorial debut is a mesmerizing, delightfully weird, intense, super cool, dazzling and twisted film that instead of being an action thriller like it was really marketed as is much more of a dark satire on broadcasting news, as well as one of the most fascinating characters studies of the year. There's some really great supporting players here such as Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, and Riz Ahmed all delivering solid work, but they're all overshadowed by the real star of the show, Mr. Jake Gyllenhaal, who turns in his electric and best performance to date as Lou Bloom. Gyllenhaal has always been a terrific and quite frankly underrated actor consistently delivering great work, but his turn as Lou Bloom is truly something else. He makes Lou Bloom a truly disturbed, chilling, despicable, arrogant, charismatic, funny, really fun and most of all unpredictable character to watch all at once, and never once did I actually feel like that was Jake Gyllenhaal I was watching perform on screen as he really disappears into this character. It's a dazzling performance that further shows this is one of the best actors working today, and a definite performance that better be announced as a nomination come Oscar time, I don't care how packed the race is. It's an unforgettable turn, and Nightcrawler is one of the most unforgettable gems of 2014 seeing as how it's done nothing, but grown on me since I first saw it.
Now, we're getting to the Top 12, which was actually really hard to put in proper order.
The first Raid movie, the Indonesian film that was released in 2012 was truly one of the most insane and action movies I had ever seen, so I thought there was no way The Raid 2 could possibly top the original in terms of intensity. But, man was I wrong, because did this movie truly had me basically sweating from the brutality and shock of it all. This is a really an incredible action film with some of the most impressive fight choreography, and well crafted action I've truly ever seen in my life. There are still to this day just so many scenes I can not get out of my head whether it be the amazing car chase sequence, hammer girl & bat boy, the fight in the club, or the ending fight in the kitchen. On top of that, you've got a very interesting crime drama story at its core that granted we've seen been done before, but I like that it has shades of some of the greatest crime films of all-time like The Departed, and Scarface, among others. Simply put, The Raid 2 was a breathtaking, and exhilarating ride with some of my favorite scenes from any movie this year. It is one of those truly rare sequels that tops the original, and definitely a needed watch for action genre fans, it's totally worth it even if you don't like to read movies.
If you'd told me over a year ago, a movie surrounding legos would be even in my Top 20 list, I'd of thought you were insane. Regardless, this was one of the biggest surprises of the year by far, as The Lego Movie was surprisingly a refreshing, charming, dazzling, extremely clever, and flat out hilarious. I should've known this would be a gem, considering the track record of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, but I definitely wasn't expecting what is probably my favorite animated film since Toy Story 3, dating all the way back to 2010. The visuals are absolutely beautiful, the characters are colorful and so memorable, there are some surprisingly exciting action sequences, the voice cast (consisting of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, and Morgan Freeman amongst many others) is amazing, there are memorable quotes that people will be quoting for years to come and the film takes some turns I did not expect. I think what surprised me the most about this film though is that never one did it feel like an advertisement for Legos, as Lord and Miller instead tell a though perhaps familiar, but rather touching story using lego characters. I can't wait to go back this universe again, and I still can't get that annoyingly catchy song out my head. Everything about The Lego Movie is awesome!
The X-Men franchise has been an interesting one to say the least. It's had its very high ups and very high downs with its previous installments, but I was excited to see that Bryan Singer was returning to the director's chair after he did a great job with the first two. And I must say he definitely returned with a bang, and delivered what I think is definitely the most complex, thrilling, and most emotionally moving X-Men flick to date. A thrill ride that definitely had me hooked from beginning to end with wonderfully crafted action sequences, wonderful characters, and a great involving story, this was not only I think a great superhero movie, but a wonderful sc-fi film to go along as well. And most importantly, a terrific cast consisting of not only the actors from X-Men: First Class, but the original trilogy as well, and every single one of these actors bring their A-game, especially James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence. It was great to also finally see Peter Dinklage in a big role like this. But, really the real star of the show was Evans Peters as Quicksilver. Remember when we all thought he was going to be awful judging by those goofy pictures of him in that weird costume? Yeah, well he ended kind of stealing the show even with just like 10 minutes of screen time.
Yet another film on this list I did not have high expectations for at all, as the trailers for this movie definitely made it seem like it would just be the same exact movie, Tom Cruise did a year ago, which was Oblivion (disappointment to the say least), and even with Emily Blunt being in this one, I just could not really get all that excited for this one. But, wow did this film surprise the hell out of me, because this was easily one of the most entertaining movies I saw all year. What looked like such a formulaic sc-fi film, turned out to be one of the most well constructed, exciting, totally kick-ass, and surprisingly funny sc-fi films I've seen in years. Tom Cruise may be 52 years old, but the dude can still convincingly be a bad-ass hero, and while on the surface it seemed like he was going to play the same character we're so used to see him playing, his character starts off as much more of a coward than you'd expect, and it was refreshing to see Cruise take on something a little different in what I think is his best role in years. But, the one who really impressed me the most here was Emily Blunt as his counterpart. Blunt has always been an actress I've admired and enjoy everything I see her in, but this was pretty much unlike I had ever seen her before as she turns in one of the most believable, bad-ass, sexiest (sorry not sorry, I had to use that word), and impressive action heroine performances I've seen in recent years, a role that further sells her as one of the finest actresses working today. Together, Cruise & Blunt share an electric chemistry, and are supported by some great supporting players in Bill Paxton, and Brendan Gleeson. Well done, director Doug Linman.
This was Marvel's most vibrant, dazzling, off-beat, original, funniest, and perhaps most entertaining flick to date. Whether it be the awesome characters, the self-awareness, the amazing soundtrack, smart use of humor, or just the whacky nature of it all, "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a film that just truly hit all of the right notes for me. It was Marvel's most riskiest project to date, and at least for this Marvel fan it certainly paid off, because this was perhaps the most fun I had all year. James Gunn, truly did a stellar job behind the camera here, bringing a refreshingly different tone from previous Marvel flicks, and I eat up just about every minute of it. It's surprisingly hilarious, gloriously silly, cleverly written, but also surprisingly heartfelt and touching. And come on, but how can you not love that soundtrack? But what really drives this movie are its lively main characters, all portrayed wonderfully by, Chris Pratt (2014 was really a bit the year of Chris Pratt wasn't it?), Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel. This is easily one of Marvel's best films to date, and I can't wait to see more from this characters.
Marvel is back on this list yet again. I'll admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the first Captain America movie. I thought it was a fun flick, but also downright corny with one of Marvel's weakest villains to date with Red Skull. So because of that I wasn't SUPER excited for this one, but man did this sequel really blow me away. It's highly rare a sequel ever surpasses the first film in every aspect, but The Winter Solider did just that. It's more complex, funnier, darker, more suspenceful, better acted, and is what I believe to be the most well crafted and tension filled Marvel flick to date. The action sequences are stellar, brilliantly crafted by the Russo brothers, the winter solider is a memorable villain, and the entire cast is at the top of their game. This movie took very much a spy thriller approach rather than a superhero one that I did not expect, and as many people have already pointed it's pretty much what you would get if Jason Bourne was a superhero. The entire cast is fantastic, Robert Redford, and Anthony Mackie were more than welcome additions, and Chris Evans as our titled hero, and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, have never been better in these roles, sharing a surprisingly great dynamic on screen.
Perhaps the finest horror film I've seen so far this decade. This Australian psychological horror film was one that I really knew nothing about until a month ago when I started hearing all these praise for it. I was glad I finally got to seek it out just the other night, because this was one of the few horror movies in recent memory to truly send chills down by bones. The Babadook starts off like it'll just be your typical hunted house film, but quickly ascends into one of the disturbing psychological films I've seen in years. And what makes this aspect so effective is really how quite human and emotionally involving the story here is with our two main characters, the relationship between the son and mother, both brilliantly portrayed Noah Wiseman and especially Essie Davis, whom I think delivers a performance worthy of Awards consideration. This is a rare horror film that doesn't use cheap jump scares to scare the crap out of its audience, as it instead uses a lot of imagery and symbolic which really just makes the payoff all the more satisfying and terrifying. A lot of the praise though must be given to the impressive direction from director, Jennifer Kent with her beautiful jaw-dropping shots and impressive vision, successfully creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The Babadook is a must see for fans of the genre (and I think film fans i general), and maybe the best of the genre I've seen in years. It won't leave my mind, and I certainly didn't have the most soundly sleep the night I watched it, as I remember double checking my closet for that Babadook. For sure to be a cult classic!
In my opinion, hands down the best and most well rounded blockbuster of 2014. Many of us were pleasantly surprise by just how good 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes was, as it really reinvented the Planet of the Apes franchise, so it was safe to say expectations for this film were extremely high, and surprisingly enough I think this was yet another sequel that manage to surpass its predecessor in nearly every way. This was a much darker, more complex, and a more emotionally satisfying sequel. From a technical standpoint, everything about this film is extremely impressive from director Matt Reeve's stellar direction, the powerful score, the sound effects, the action sequences and most of all the seamless CGI and special effects of the Apes themselves. Never once did it look like I was actually watching CGI apes instead of real ones, all of the effects looked so real and so well put together. But, really underneath all of the impressive visuals is a surprisingly very human story between the apes. Many seem to complain about the human characters here, but essentially this was meant to be a movie about the Apes themselves, and the community they've built, all of which I thought was characterized beautifully and lead to a thrilling, and surprisingly heartwarming Apes movie. But, of course the amazing motion capture performance from Andy Serkis can never go without mention, as the amount of humanity and heart he brings to the character of Caesar is what really drives this film. And the relationship between him and Jason Clarke's character as well as Clarke's very good performance definitely lead to a great and pretty touching dynamic to watch on screen. And, one of the things I loved the most about this movie was how it's so not black and white, I really understood all of the motivations of the characters, and there's no really clear cut villains here, even to a certain extent Koba. Many have called this the Empire Strikes Back of the Apes franchise, and I will concur with that as this was truly one of the most impressively crafted and satisfying sequels I've seen in years as well as a truly great sc-fi film. It's an incredible film that I will be watching many times in the future, and I can't wait to see where this franchise goes.
David Fincher's adaptation of the popular novel, might just be his most nail-biting, darkly comical, and cynical feature film to date. Prior to seeing this flick, I had refused to read the novel it is based off of, and I'm really thankful that I did because this movie just truly affected me in lots of different ways that I truly did not expect. Calling this film shocking or crazy would quite frankly be an understatement. Whenever the plot would take a certain turn or plot twist, I was completely sure I knew exactly where it would go and what would happen next, but then quickly it would make me look like a fool by taking a totally different unpredictable turn. And just when you don't think it could possibly get any more twisted, and dark than it has already become, it would fine a way to do just exactly that. It's a twisted mystery at its core, but also surprisingly plays much like a comical satire on the media and the influence the media has. And as with any David Fincher movie, it's masterfully directed, it's a visually breathtaking looking film with Fincher's signature style written all over it, and for a movie that is about 2 and a half hours long, for me it just flew by, never once was I bored by this film, or were my eyes not glued to the screen. And the performances across the board from the entire cast are terrific, Ben Affleck definitely gives one of the best performances of his career, but definitely the highlight is Rosamound Pike as the wife. Pike turns in a chilling and unforgettable performance that is surely a career defining one and will give her a much well deserving Oscar nomination. It's this performance along with the stellar direction that made this film one of the most suspenseful movies I've honestly probably ever seen, and by the end of this movie I was almost relieved that it ended in the best way possible because of how unease I felt throughout most of its running time.
Perhaps the most brutal and thrilling film I saw in all of 2014. I had heard a lot of great things about Whiplash before seeing it, so I'd say my expectations were fairly high, but even then I was certainly not prepared for the brutality, and intensity I had just experienced. On paper, this seemed like a pretty unoriginal premise about a young man learning how to become a professional while being under a strict professional teacher, but this film definitely takes different turns I didn't expect, and that works to its advantage. This is a realistic and compelling story about a young man pursuing his dream, to be one of the best at what he does and doing everything he can in order to achieve it no matter what the costs are, no sugar coating or happy go lucky kind of story is found here. Miles Teller in one of the most overlooked performances of the year, portrays this part flawlessly, bringing many different layers of emotions to this character, but the show stealer here as everyone has already mention is J.K. Simmons as his shockingly ruthless and verbally abusive teacher. Simmons completely looses himself in this role, in a terrifying, riveting and sometimes borderline comical turn, and anytime he's on screen, your eyes are glued on nothing, but him. His character, Terence Fletcher hands down gets my vote for the best villain of 2014, and Simmons should be the 2014 winner for Best Supporting Actor come Oscar time. And the back and forth between him and Teller was perhaps my favorite on-screen dynamic in 2014. For a movie about playing the drums something I know nothing about, this movie just gripped me the entire way through, and by the time it ended with perhaps my favorite ending from any movie in 2014, I practically had sweat dripping down on me due to everything I had just witness. Director Damien Chazelle seems to also not be getting enough attention as his vibrant and slick direction is what helps make Whiplash as brutal and intense as it is.
Now on to the Top 2 which was extremely difficult to make and put in proper order, but here it is for now.
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No other film in 2014 simply moved me and spoke to me as much as Richard Linklater's Boyhood did. It's touching story about life, growing up, and figuring out who you want to become to be, all of which I found myself very moved by and was able to relate to on so many different levels. And, just the way this movie was made where Linklater was able to follow this kid for over a 12 year period, and us the audience watching him grow up in front of our own eyes was just an astounding achievement to experience. Regardless of what you might think of the actual story, you can not at least have admiration for the amount of passion and effort Linklater put into making this film, and is a incredible directing achievement we will probably never see again. But, on top of the amazing directing achievement this film is, you've got a really incredible and authentic cast to go along with. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as the parents, both deliver truly moving and natural performances that will surely garner them Oscar nominations. A couple of scenes with Arquette in particular were quite heartbreaking and emotional to watch. And, Lorelei Linklater is also quite terrific as we are also seeing this girl grow up from a little girl to a young woman by the end of it, but Ellar Coltrane as Mason is the driving force. Watching him perform was so interesting to watch, because not only are you experiencing him become a young adult, but you also see the progression he makes as an actor, and I hope to see more from him in the future. And watching him playoff with every other cast member was always engaging to watch, as there was definitely an authentic chemistry amongst cast. It's an amazing feat to watch, and for a movie that is nearly 3 hours long, never once did I look at the time, or wanted this film to end. Richard Linklater is also not one of the best directors working today, but easily one of the best screenwriters as well as the authentic dialogue and characters he's able to create is always quite impressive. By the end of Boyhood, I truly just wanted to hug this movie, and that's honestly not something I'd say often about a film. This is a must watch for any film fan, and one I will definitely be showing many people around me.
Wow was this a riveting ride that was quite unlike anyother film I've seen before. There are many words that I can use to describe Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman: deliciously weird, dazzling, riveting, wild, funny, shocking, intense, heartbreaking, moving, dark, smart, and yeah just about whatever word you can think of can apply to Birdman. This movie took me on some kind of experience that was unlike any other movie I saw last year, and I really fell in love with every moment of it. As a film fanatic, it spoke to me on a lot of levels with all of things it has to say on Hollywood that I feel are relevant to today like the current states of blockbusters, and even has things to say regarding critics, but really underneath it all it's primarily a story about becoming relevant again, and what one must do to achieve that status. I found it to be a beautifully told story with many different layers behind it, and maybe perhaps the most fascinating character of 2014 in Michael Keaton's Riggan Thomson/Birdman. This is a very flawed, but ultimately sympathetic, and very compelling lead character, especially thanks to the career of a lifetime performance from Michael Keaton who completely disappears into this character. It's an unforgettable turn that I think not only should, but will give Keaton his first Oscar nomination and win. The great performances don't stop there, Edward Norton delivers his best performance in years, while Emma Stone and Zack Galifianakis in two very different roles for both of them deliver probably their best work to date. Naomi Watts and Amy Ryan, both also very good. But, as absolutely incredible this cast is, the real standouts of the show are the people behind the camera director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki. Inarritu just shoots this film so beautifully, shooting the film in a way that made it all look like one long take unlike anything I've ever seen before, and it's a perfectly paced film as well. And Lubezki's impressive one long shot stunt is a crowning achievement along that I think will surely give him another Oscar. The one long take shots is an aspect that could've easily come off as a gimmick, but is instead only use to its advantage. This was one of those films where right when the credits started rolling I found myself totally speechless by what I just saw, and wanted so badly to watch this movie again. It's one that I has never left mind ever since I first saw it, and is truly something special I see myself watching countless numbers of times once it hits the blu-ray shelves. Regardless, of what you might end up thinking of it it's an undeniably must watch for any cinema lover, and in my opinion is the best movie of 2014.
Well there you have it, my favorite movies of 2014, and the ones that stuck with me the most. As I said earlier, this was an impressive year of movies, and I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for us. Hopefully it's even better!
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