By 2014 was a pretty great year for movies, so coming up with a year end list was pretty tough for me. Originally I thought I’d just do top 5, and then top 10… but no. It had to be top 15 because I saw so many awesome films last year, and it just wouldn’t be fair to ignore the movies in the 11 through 15 slots.
So let’s get the ball rolling…
15. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
I totally love Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy, and even though Mockingjay is my favorite of the books I’ll admit the book has a ton of faults. When it was first announced the final book would be split into two movies, I was concerned. Mockingjay isn’t a long book and it didn’t feel like there was enough material for two movies.
But then I went to see the film and it was worlds better than I was expecting. While the novel felt rushed, the movie takes its time to let the story unfold and the audience finally gets to really see all the devastation District 13’s rebellion is causing. The actors’ performances are great, and it’s nice to see the final chapter of the trilogy getting the attention it deserves.
Read the review here!
14. The Lego Movie
In 2013, my friend and I went to a movie for Valentine’s Day. That movie was Dredd. In 2014, the same friend and I wanted to see a movie again for the same holiday, so we ended up at The Lego Movie.
Despite sitting through the panel for this movie at San Diego Comic Con in 2013, I knew virtually nothing about it. I just knew it involved Legos and Batman was in it.
In the end, I can easily say everything about The Lego Movie was awesome.
Read the review here!
13. Edge of Tomorrow
Any movie that lets me see Tom Cruise die over and over again is amazing and wonderful. I was skeptical of this film because I really can’t stand him, but I ended up seeing it since my friends wanted to go.
Edge of Tomorrow ended up being a really fun movie that I didn’t totally hate Tom Cruise in, and it goes without saying Emily Blunt was a total badass. It was definitely a very pleasant surprise but I do wish the movie had been a bigger hit than it was.
Read the review here!
12. Godzilla
My only complaint about Godzilla is that Bryan Cranston should’ve been in way more of it. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let me say that this movie was awesome. I like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and I especially liked how his character was just trying to get home the whole time, but kept getting swept up in all the kaiju insanity.
Maybe Godzilla himself should’ve been in more of it, too, but the moments that he was on screen were incredible. I know a lot of fans were wanting an old school monster for Godzilla to fight, but I thought the Mutos were unique and still managed to fit nicely into the big fighting monster genre.
Read the review here!
11. John Wick
The biggest surprise movie of 2014 for me was John Wick. I didn’t have any interest in seeing it until my friend told me that the story involved a dog.
Being the dog-crazy person I am, after that I decided I had to see it… and I’m definitely glad I did. Keanu Reeves may not be the most versatile actor, but I liked him as Wick and the rest of the cast was full of a lot of unexpected, but awesome actors. The fight scenes were fun and the soundtrack was the perfect icing on this revenge filled cake.
Check out the sweet doggy!
10. The Raid 2 – Berandal
I’ll admit I haven’t seen The Raid Redemption, but it’s on my to-watch list. I ended up seeing The Raid 2 – Berandal with my friend to kill time on the day of Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s theatrical release.
The only thing I expected was that there would be martial arts. That was literally all I knew about the first movie, so when this one revealed that it had a pretty good plot AND tons of the best fight choreography I’ve ever seen, I was sold.
Read the review here!
9. The Boxtrolls
As the third feature film from Laika Studios, The Boxtrolls may not be the strongest story-wise, but it’s got a ton of heart and it’s a fun movie for kids and adults.
What really impresses me about this studio, though, is the amount of sheer creativity that goes into making their movies. With practically every animated movie coming out now being nothing but computer graphics, it’s so refreshing to see stop animation still being used so masterfully.
Read the review here!
8. Birdman
I think the last movie I saw Michael Keaton in was one where he was Batman. I knew the basic premise of Birdman, and since I love superhero movies I was curious about what seemed like a critique of that genre.
Birdman is a great character piece with an incredible cast. Emma Stone is easily one of my favorite leading ladies, and I’ve always liked Ed Norton, but Michael Keaton shined the brightest in this film.
Read the review here!
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
I’m a diehard fan of Marvel’s movies and comics, but even I was puzzled by their choice to make Guardians of the Galaxy into a film. It seemed like something that was too comic book-ish for general movie audiences to enjoy.
Luckily, Guardians turned out to be a smash hit and it was also a much needed break from all the dark and serious superhero movies we’ve gotten over the past decade. There was nothing about this movie I didn’t like, but I think my favorite thing about it was how colorful it was. With bright pink and blue people, a talking raccoon and a loveable tree, Guardians of the Galaxy came out of left field and now is one of my top favorite superhero movies.
Read the review here!
6. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
I used to live in a town that barely ever got foreign films. Now that I live in Los Angeles there’s so many that I don’t have time or money to see them all, but when I heard about this movie, I was intrigued.
Ana Lily Amirpour’s directorial debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a must-see for anyone who considers him/herself a movie buff. It’s a quiet, simple film, but it also packs a lot of heavy punches in the form of great acting and beautiful storytelling.
Read the review here!
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
I can’t say enough how much I love Wes Anderson movies, and The Grand Budapest Hotel seems like a love letter to all his fans. It still doesn’t beat The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as my favorite, but it’s a close second.
Everything about this movie is beautiful, charming, and a little bit disturbing (the cat’s fate still makes me cringe). Also, if anyone thinks Ralph Fiennes didn’t do his best performance of his career in this movie, I will fight you.
Read the review here!
4. Song of the Sea
Technically I saw Song of the Sea this year, but its official release date was in December of 2014, so I’m counting it.
Cartoon Saloon already made me a fan of their work with their first feature, Secret of Kells, but this movie was something truly special. Maybe I’m a little biased because I think seals are the best animals in the world, but the story of Song of the Sea is truly touching and the craftsmanship that went into creating it is just extraordinary.
Read the review here!
3. Under the Skin
I read Michel Faber’s novel this movie is based on a few weeks before I went to see it in the theater. The novel was weird and cool, but I couldn’t imagine how it’d translate into a film.
It turns out that Jonathan Glazer was not trying to make a literal adaptation of the book, and that’s okay with me. Under the Skin doesn’t improve on the novel because it’s a completely separate entity. Yeah, there are similarities, but overall the movie is a bizarre journey into femininity and the search for companionship. It’s also apparent after watching it that Jonathan Glazer is the closest we are to a modern day Stanley Kubrick.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
There won’t be any Best Picture nomination for Captain America, but in my mind, it’s a masterpiece. The Winter Soldier was my most anticipated movie since the second it was announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2012.
As an interpretation of my favorite comic story ever, this movie could not have been more perfect. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered to me was that I was seeing my favorite characters come to life in a way that was interesting unlike any other superhero movie. I hope Marvel continues with these genre films, since it gives superheroes a cool twist they didn’t have before.
Read the review here!
1. Interstellar
I get pretty emotional during movies, especially the ones that are as emotionally charged as Interstellar was. Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors, so I’m always eager to see what he’s up to. This movie felt different from all his others. It certainly had a lot of big ideas, but when it boiled down to its core, Interstellar was about family.
So I pretty much spent the entire movie sobbing because it was just so darn beautiful. The story, the cinematography, the special effects… everything was perfect.
I wasn’t sure anything could top how much I loved The Winter Soldier (because I’m horribly biased), but Interstellar went above and beyond anything I saw last year.
Read the review here!
So here’s hoping 2015 is full of awesome movies, too! What were some of your favorites from last year?