What a great year for movies. Seriously, making this top 10 list and getting the order right was very difficult. Now its time to celebrate the best movies to come out in 2014, per my opinion.
Now this list and the order of the movies is subjective, based on my own personal opinion. You may disagree with every film on this list and you may wonder why a movie you enjoyed isn't on the list. But that's half the fun isn't it? If everyone agreed on everything the film community would suck.
Before I give you my Top 10 list, I have a few honourable mentions. Some of these films were so close to making the list, others weren't but I still enjoyed them a lot so I felt like including them. They're as follows in no particular order:
Boyhood
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
How to Train your Dragon 2
Locke
John Wick
Godzilla
22 Jump Street
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Babadook
Out of those films above, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Babadook were the 2 closest films to breaking onto the list. But, they didn't because 2014 was a very competitive year for movies. Without further ado, let's start with number 10.
#10 Gone Girl
Gone Girl was a great movie and just about makes it onto the Top 10 list. I loved this movie. It was an intelligent crime thriller that's twists and turns made sense without every ruining the complex narrative that they had to work with. Obviously, David Fincher makes this film engrossing and intense to the best of his ability, and Rosamund Pike is sensational as Ben Affleck's wife in a performance which should see her receive a nomination from the Academy.
#9 The LEGO Movie
Everything was awesome with this animation which turned out to be my favourite of the entire year, despite being released as early as February. It's gorgeously animated, has a great sense of humour which satires the clichés of Hollywood blockbuster movies and appeals to all ages. It only becomes a great movie when a big reveal in the third act gives the film another dimension and greater emotional depth. I've seen it 5 times now!
#8 Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler, as a first time effort from director Dan Gilroy, is beyond impressive. Boasting some of the best cinematography of the year, Nightcrawler also houses undoubtedly one of the best male performances of the year. Jake Gyllenhaal transforms himself into psychopathic, independent cameraman Lou Bloom, one of the funniest, smartest and most insane characters to come out of a 2014 release. If you like dark comedy like I do, Nightcrawler is brilliant!
#7 Birdman
Continuing the theme of dark comedy, at number 7 I have Birdman. I recently reviewed this one and I'm glad it made the top 10 list. Birdman boasts some of the best acting of the year from one of the best casts of the year, and is shot gorgeously by Emmanuel Lubezki to make it look like one continuous tracking shot. It plays out like a stage play. Its also on my list because I like films which ask the viewer questions while the narrative is progressing, and Birdman has a lot to say about family life, relationships, Hollywood blockbusters, Indie films and most notable for me, film critics.
#6 Interstellar
One of 2014's more polarizing film, Interstellar was a film where I cherished the experience. It's Nolan's most ambitious film to date. It has some of the most jaw dropping visual effects I have ever seen, a typically epic score from the genius that is Hans Zimmer and some great acting from Matthew McConaughey in particular. While I didn't agree with aspects of the film's finale, up until then I was immersed into the grandiose space environment and invested in the characters. Interstellar is a great sci fi film that isn't ashamed to be as ambitious and thought provoking as it is.
#5 X-Men: Days of Future Past
There's one side of me that savours films which become true pieces of art as they have so much to say about something. Then there's the other side of me that really geeks out at comic book movies, and this year one of those films I geeked out in was X-Men: Days of Future Past. Bryan Singer's return to the franchise has elevated the X-Men higher than they've ever been before. This film had a surprisingly strong emotional core down to some great acting and deep characters that all get their time to shine. Plus, the Quicksilver scene was worth the price of admission alone. It's my favourite X-Men film to date and one I've experienced 4 times.
#4 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
This may just be my favourite movie from Marvel Studios, even ahead of The Avengers. Seriously The Winter Soldier was god dam awesome and nothing less than that. It wasn't the film everyone expected it to be as it's narrative was a huge game-changer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's also one of the best 2014 releases at realising its themes, with ideas concerning patriotism, security and government conspiracy all wrapped up in a film about a superhero. On top of that, Black Widow and Nick Fury were more relevant than they've ever been, The Winter Soldier himself is a badass and it has some of the best action sequences Marvel have ever produced.
#3 The Raid 2
Speaking of awesome action sequences and awesome action movies, we have The Raid 2 in the top 3. My first experience with this film was incredible. While the first Raid was fantastic as a pure action flick that plays out like a video game, The Raid 2 blows the sequel out of the water. This time, the amazing fight and action sequences are coupled with a complex story that demands your attention. I can't stop raving about those action sequences though, they're the best I've ever seen in my life! If you love action, this is essential viewing.
#2 Whiplash
What a film Whiplash is. It's simple for sure, but it's astounding in it's style and execution. The psychological warfare developing between Andrew, played by Miles Teller, and Fletcher, played by JK Simmons, escalated the tension to a level I didn't know was possible. We've all had that one goal we push ourselves to achieve even if it is beyond our capabilities and we've all had that one teacher who was so harsh on us despite achieving the results at the end of the day. Anyone can relate to Whiplash, and anyone can enjoy it because it's execution is near perfect. I can't wait to buy this film on blu ray.
#1 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
I said it after I saw it and I stand by it to this day, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of the best films I've seen in my entire life. It plays out like a work of Shakespeare through the tension between the 2 camps and the conflict from within those 2 camps. I really enjoy movies where 2 characters butt heads and you can understand where both of them are coming from, and the rivalry between Caesar and Koba is similar to Andrew and Fletcher in Whiplash. "Dawn" has everything good about filmmaking in it and delivers as an entertaining summer blockbuster. It's one of the most intense and emotionally investing films I've ever seen. It's my favourite film of 2014, and one of my all time favourites.
That concludes my Top 10 favourite films of 2014. Agree/disagree with my list? What was your favourite film of 2014?
Thanks for reading,
Matt
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