Just over a year ago I wrote a blog entitled “The Top 13 Films of 2013,” praising the year for its quantity of entertaining, well crafted, and sometimes even superb, movies. That post ended with the sentiment that it would not be likely for 2014 to feature such an array of high-quality work.
Well, that’ll teach me to be a pessimist, because 2014 came, went and brought with it even more fantastic cinema than 2013. So without further ado, let’s dive into my picks for the 14 best films of 2014.
14. TUSK
Starting the list off with an animal-like roar is Tusk!
Tusk comes from the mind of writer/director/editor Kevin Smith, aka the guy who makes those talky comedies with lots of low brow jokes (as well as the very flawed but very intriguing Red State) and is colloquially known as that movie where Justin Long gets turned into a human walrus.
If that sounds like a goofy-as-hell premise for a film, that’s because it is. And Tusk is well aware of it. It never loses its grasp on the inherent ridiculousness of the plot, and it sure delivers on that ridiculousness, but what makes Tusk most surprising, is that it also finds time for actual, effective drama.
It’s like Smith set out to make a goofy B-movie but couldn’t help letting real characters and genuine human emotions seep in along the way.
I can’t in good conscience recommend this movie to everyone. In fact, it’s safe to say that plenty of people will outright hate it. If you can appreciate a movie with a bizzarro concept and are a fan of cult horror movies, definitely give this a chance.
It might not be perfect, but Tusk is far better than a movie about a human walrus suit should have the right to be.
13. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
In 2013 I complained about a lack of quality blockbusters, and 2014 almost felt like a direct response to that complaint. It was an embarrassment of riches in the blockbuster genre. Though striking films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Edge of Tomorrow, and Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t quite make this list, one of the ones that particularly stood out was Matt Reeve’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
This is a intense, stressful movie that keeps your gut twisted for the entirety of the running time. It’s obviously notable for the amazing CGI, and equally amazing performances by its mo-cap clad actors, but Dawn is too smart a film to rely purely on digital trickery.
Its well-developed characters and razor-on-a-string tension are what make Dawn of the Planet of the Apes one of 2014’s best films.
Speaking of tension…
12. BLUE RUIN
I’m a big fan of genre pieces. Especially when that genre is revenge thrillers. Pull one off and you’ll have me grinning. Pull it off while also doing something fresh, and that grin will be miles wide.
Blue Ruin is a simple revenge thriller about a man who is out for, well… revenge. The most self-evident twist is that it features a protagonist who is immensely under qualified to be in this type of movie. He is not an action hero. He screws up. A lot. And it hurts.
Blue Ruin is shot flawlessly by writer/director Jeremy Saulnier, and if nothing else, should be mandatory viewing for all filmmakers. Why? Because the visuals and storytelling create a unique harmony. There is not a single shot wasted.
11. THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY
The Two Faces of January has the feel of a small, intimate Hitchcock thriller. This is certainly not a movie that reinvents any wheels, rather, it just spins them in the smoothest way you could hope for. It’s a movie that revolves entirely around three characters, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac.
Mortensen and Isaac are incredible. Seriously, both of their performances are as good if not better than anyone nominated for Best Actor in this year’s ceremonies. Dunst also does a great job, but unfortunately the script never allows her character to be as fully realized as the two male leads.
Nevertheless, The Two Faces of January is a powerful and engaging thriller that knows exactly what it wants to be, and hits its target perfectly.
Fun aside… Viggo Mortensen gives the most convincing portrayal of being drunk I have ever seen on screen.
10. A MOST WANTED MAN
Anyone who has seen Philip Seymour Hoffman’s work knows how talented an actor he was, but I will say that he is as good in A Most Wanted Man as he is in his finest films.
Aside from the fantastic cast, A Most Wanted Man is a beautifully shot movie with a tense script that keeps the twists and turns coming, but not at the expense of some wonderfully realized characters. This movie asks tough questions and doesn’t necessarily provide answers.
It’s a spy thriller that must not be missed by fans of the genre, and as added incentive, it features a heart-in-throat ending I’ve not seen in years.
9. BIRDMAN
The freshly crowned Best Picture winner might just be one of the most original and intoxicating movies I’ve ever seen. Birdman is audacious filmmaking. It’s risky to the point of being a disaster begging to happen. So it’s a good thing writer/director Alejandro Iñárritu and his team pull it off like a magic trick.
Not every single beat works, but when it’s firing on all cylinders, Birdman is impossible to take your eyes off of. And it’s not just a technical marvel, though it certainly is that–the performances from the entire cast are flawless. The writing is snappy. The music is… wow! But it’s the characters that make me want to watch it again and again.
Months after seeing it, I’m still thinking about the scenes between Emma Stone and Edward Norton on that New York City rooftop.
8. WILD
On the surface, a movie about hiking sounds pretty, well… boring. But as The Lord of the Rings taught us, a movie that, on a surface level, is about getting from point A to point B, can be so much more when done right. And Wild sure does it right.
The movie’s success starts with the brilliant screenplay by Nick Hornby and extends to the subtle but effective direction of Jean-Marc Vallée, but ultimately Wild lives or dies on Reese Witherspoon’s performance.
And what a performance it is. She is riveting as Cheryl Strayed, and through an unconventional use of flashbacks and sound design, Wild manages to put you into her head in a manner I haven’t quite seen done on film before.
7. NIGHTCRAWLER
Nightcrawler presses a lot of my buttons. Dark, socially awkward protagonist, check. Interesting career subculture, check. Economic storytelling, check. As much a social commentary as it is a character study, Nightcrawler is most notable for Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance. As it should be—he steals the shows.
But he’s supported by a versatile cast, a tight script, and an absorbing soundtrack. This movie doesn’t waste any time. It moves at a pace reflective of its protagonist’s frenzied state of mind, and as such, is immersive and engaging from first frame to last.
If you’re a fan of movies like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy or Drive, then Nightcrawler is your movie.
6. FOXCATCHER
I’ll be honest, the first time I saw this movie, I left the theater with a resounding “Eh.” I certainly enjoyed the film and thought it was well directed and exquisitely acted, but something just wasn’t sitting right. I felt detached from the events I had seen unfold… cold… at a distance.
And then I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Honestly, for at least two weeks, there wasn’t a day when Foxcatcher didn’t enter my brain. So much so that I was compelled to go see it again. And then it clicked.
This is a difficult film. It’s subtle. It raises many more questions than it answers. But it’s riveting. Like Two Faces of January, it is essentially a three-character movie but the characters are so well-defined and so realistic that it makes you uncomfortable.
Mark Ruffalo, in particular, kills it. He gives what is easily one of the most human performances ever captured on film, and as much as I love J.K. Simmons, Ruffalo should have walked away with the Oscar.
5. INHERENT VICE
Inherent Vice is a movie so overstuffed with plot, it’s practically leaking from the edge of the frame, and yet, the plot really isn’t the point at all. The point is… well, frankly, I’m not sure what the point is. I’m not even sure if there is a point. But that’s just what makes Inherent Vice so much damn fun.
This movie is goofy, it’s wild, it’s unpredictable, and features one hell of a dynamic protagonist. Joaquin Phoenix slays it as Doc Sportello, and brings a humanity and vulnerability to the character that becomes the heart of the movie.
This isn’t Paul Thomas Anderson trying to change cinema, this is him having a blast making a movie. And though, as with Tusk, I can’t say this is for everyone, if you lock into what this movie is trying to do you are going to love the ride.
4. GONE GIRL
Ah yes, the worst date movie of all time. Gone Girl continues 2014’s trend of spectacular thrillers, and outdoes them all. On the surface, David Fincher has created an extremely well-made genre piece, but dig beneath that surface and you’ll find a world of rich, complex characters that demand revisiting.
Though their choice of material and visual style is quite different, Fincher reminds me most of Stanley Kubrick. Both men are extraordinarily talented, knowledgeable filmmakers who frequently get labeled only as visual stylists, when in fact they are equally successful at drawing out compelling work from their actors.
They are also both perfectionists, and that perfectionism is all over Gone Girl. Every frame of this movie is a gorgeous sight to behold—even the gruesome ones. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, then I hope its various twists haven’t been spoiled for you. But even if they have, see it anyway. It’s worth it.
3. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
X-Men: Days of Future Past has absolutely no right to work as well as it does. But here we are. This is summer entertainment at the highest caliber. It is the best of the X-Men films, one of the best comic book movies ever, and one of the best sci-fi/action films I’ve seen in years.
What’s truly remarkable about Days of Future Past is how many things it does so well. It’s a time travel movie, it’s a post-apocalyptic movie, it’s a 70s thriller, and it exceeds in all three categories.
It effortlessly balances a large cast of characters across two different time periods, and unlike more recent superhero films, it features a climax that is actually about those characters and not just a CGI city being blown to smithereens.
2. WHIPLASH
Oh, man. Ooooohhh, man. Now this is a movie. Whiplash is a firestorm. It is a relentless, razor’s edge horror film disguised as a music drama. If you’ve avoided this movie because “eh, drumming, who cares,” then you are doing yourself a major disservice.
Yes, drumming is at the center of this film. But Whiplash is oh so much more than that. It’s a movie about drive, about greatness. About how far a person will go to achieve that greatness.
I won’t say any more about this movie other than that it is amazing, and unlike some other ones on this list, I would unflinchingly recommend it to anyone. This is just an incredible piece of cinema.
1. FRANK
Another movie about music! It’s funny, both Whiplash and Frank explore very similar ideas about the struggle to achieve greatness and what it does to a person, but they both do it through totally different approaches.
Whereas Whiplash feels like a horror film, Frank feels like… well… like Frank, its titular character. This is a weird, screwball comedy that occasionally dips into some real dark and heavy territory. It follows Jon, an amateur musician who joins an experimental band and struggles mightily to live up to their level of creativity.
Without revealing where the story goes, Frank manages to send Jon on an almost Walter-White-like path, testing our allegiance to him throughout the narrative. This is a fascinating movie that takes risks, that’s not quite like anything else you’ve ever seen before.
I can’t guarantee this movie will work for everyone (partially, it will depend on your taste in music), but for those whom it does hit home? It’s going to hit hard.
Frank is on Netflix Instant as of this post, so give it a shot.
In fact, all of these movies are either already available or about to be available on home media. So shell out the few bucks to rent them and see what 2014 had to offer.
Also, these may be 14 fantastic movies, but so many other memorable candidates were released throughout the last year–I’m still trying to catch up myself–that it would be a shame if all we watched were movies deemed worthy by awards shows.
There’s simply too much good cinema out there for that. So go out and watch some.
