Before I give my top ten of 2014, it's worth noting down what films I still haven't seen. What with this film coming pretty close after the end of the year, it would have been quite impossible for me to have seen close to everything worth seeing from 2014 just yet.
For the record, here's a list of movies (several of which are nominated for Oscars) which will be 2015 releases in the UK:
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Foxcatcher
- The Theory of Everything
- Whiplash
- Wild
- REC 4: Apocalypse
- Selma
- Still Alice
- John Wick
So not only have I seen none of them, but they were not even eligible for the list. I'm keen to see most of these though.
I am very keen to check out the following:
![]()
- The Boxtrolls
Animation from the same people who brought us "Coraline" and "Paranorman". I loved both of those earlier projects, so I'm very keen to see their latest offering.
![]()
- Get Santa
Christopher Smith, director of "Triangle" and "Black Death", has directed a Christmas comedy with Stephen Graham, Jodie Whittaker and Rafe Spall. Warwick Davis appears as an elf and Jim Broadbent stars as Father Christmas on the run from the police. I very nearly went to the cinema to see this and if it weren't for Christopher Smith's appalling tv adaptation of the Da Vinci Code rip-off "Labyrinth" by Kate Mosse, I'd probably have made more of an effort. Still, I've heard good things and I'm very keen to check this out.
![]()
- The Guest
From the creators of "You're Next" and with a neat Drive-esque new-retro soundtrack. I've heard comparisons to "The Terminator". I've just GOT to see this!
![]()
- Maps To The Stars
David Cronenberg has been very hit and miss, but with Mia Wasikowska involved it's hard to resist.
![]()
- Starred Up
A prison drama which at least one LJ user recommended to me. Looks intriguing and I hope to see it soon.
![]()
- We Are the Best!
An endearing sounding Swidish-Danish drama about some young kids who bond through their love of punk rock. A lot of people seem to have loved this.
![]()
- The Wind Rises
The latest Hayao Miyazaki film (the genius behind the anime studio "Studio Ghibli") and possibly his last ever.
I'll probably have to see the following at some point:
![]()
- Boyhood
Sounds like a typical plodding indie movie with a neat little gimmick. But everyone seems to think this is the big Oscar contender and that it fully deserves to win an award, yet no one seems to be able to explain why. If this is a waste of time, I'm going to be so annoyed.
![]()
- Gone Girl
I haven't enjoyed a David Fincher movie since "Fight Club". I don't know what is going on with this director, but I feel like he's completely lost his flair.
![]()
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
I have never really enjoyed a Wes Anderson film yet and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" completely turned me off his work. But everyone is raving about this one for some reason. I may actually give this one a miss.
![]()
- The Imitation Game
I'm not keen on the suggestions that Alan Turing is portrayed as a traitor in this movie. That's what I've heard anyway, but I really hope it's false. I guess we'll have to see.
![]()
- Mr. Turner
Mike Leigh hasn't had a great track record for me. I saw his previous film "Another Year" and was bored to hell by the banal unrealistic characters (apparently produced by improvisation to make them seem more natural). Also a long time ago I gave up on his widely praised "Secrets And Lies". But nevertheless I'm hearing a lot of a positive recommendations for "Mr. Turner", so I'm resolved to the possibility that I may once again be left shaking my head and wondering what all the fuss was about.
![]()
- Two Days, One Night
A popular film with the critics, but I'd never heard of it until I organised a list of the most highly rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes. We'll have to see.
So with those possible exclusions admitted, let's push on with my top ten of 2014!
(Click here for choices 25-11)
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10.All Cheerleaders Die
UK Release Date: 27 October 2014
Lucky McKee is awesome. This time he's handling a more comedic film than his previous efforts. I loved how the action escalates. Zombies, magic, high school drama, blood, sex, jealousy, backstabbing between 'friends' and the occasional self-serving psychopath. This is a complete rollercoaster of a film. The ending is pretty sudden with a promise of a sequel which may or may not come to pass, but I felt this really worked well as film in its own right anyway. While perhaps not on the same level as McKee's "The Woman", I absolutely loved this movie.
![]()
9.Proxy
UK Release Date: N/A
A very happy surprise. "Proxy" has a horrible and shocking event towards the beginning and starts off seeming like a serious drama about a woman come to terms with trauma. Yet it gradually becomes clearer and clearer that this is about women exploring personal tragedy and embracing self-destruction, like a female version of "Fight Club". I've heard it suggested that this film is misogynistic, but I felt like we really got into the minds of these characters even if that's a twisted place. About half way through the film feels like it ought to be over, but I'm really glad it doesn't end there because the second half is so wonderfully nuts. I've never seen a film quite like this one before and that's always a good sign. Sure, this still hasn't been released in the UK, but there's no release date announced and I was able to get hold of the import DVD so I feel it may as well go in the 2014 list.
![]()
8.Raze
UK Release Date: 16 June 2014
I wasn't sure how a film about kidnapped women forced to fight to the death would work. However, there's a variety of characters and even with the rather quirky scenario we become pretty emotionally involved. The filmmakers are careful to ensure that the story unfolds in a way that explores the characters rather than making it a series of fighting set pieces. Yet the fights are often pretty entertaining too. The appearance of Doug Jones giving inspirational speeches to the captive female fighters was very welcome and he chews the scenery like a boss. Zoë Bell, a regular stunt double for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, knocks it out of the park as the lead protagonist here. "Raze" was my favourite film in 2014's horror marathon. Awesome.
![]()
7.The Lego Movie
UK Release Date: 14 February 2014
Wonderful comedy, beautiful animation and just generally enormous fun. I found both Princess Unikitty and the cartoonish portrayal of Batman to be an utter delight. I wasn't quite so keen on the bit where live-action Will Ferrell showed up, but the film was endlessly watchable in any case. I particularly loved the references to "The Matrix".
![]()
6.What We Do in the Shadows
UK Release Date: 21 November 2014
The "Flight of the Conchords" team come up with one of the best horror-comedies of all time. So wonderful and novel was this piece of work that the inevitable comparisons with "Shaun of the Dead" felt a little insulting. Vampires have never been spoofed quite like this. I was particularly surprised by the results of the visit from the police.
![]()
5.Edge of Tomorrow
UK Release Date: 30 May 2014
Stupid marketing failed to let anyone know how funny this film was going to be. A sci-fi movie that makes use of the "Groundhog Day" premise (i.e. a day repeating over and over again) was a neat little concept, but "Edge of Tomorrow" also takes advantage of the comedic and emotional consequences of this central theme. "Edge of Tomorrow" also has some absolutely fantastic action sequences and some gorgeous sci-fi imagery.
![]()
4.Pride
UK Release Date: 12 September 2014
A British comedy about gay pride with a plethora of major British and Irish acting talent. Frankly I wasn't sure that this would be terribly good, since great acting talent doesn't necessarily guarantee a great film. However, I was completely blown away. Just when I was wondering whether Dominic would ever shine in any other role than McNulty from "The Wire", he absolutely knocked my socks off with his performance here. Paddy Considine is always amazing and has a very powerful central role here too. The same goes for Joe Gilgun who is yet another actor who deserves to be snapped up and given a Marvel role. (Oh yeah, btw anyone notice how Chiwetel Ejiofor got announced for a role straight after I suggested it? Please do that for Joe Gilgun now! *pleads with cosmos to reorder itself*) "Pride" is one of those enchanting British comedies and hopefully this will continue to be cherished for years to come just like "Four Weddings And A Funeral", "The Full Monty" and "In The Loop".
![]()
3.Snowpiercer
UK Release Date: N/A
Joon-Ho Bong is a director who has never disappointed me so when I heard he was directing a sci-fi movie (I LOVE sci-fi!) with such a stellar cast (Jamie Belle! Tilda Swinton! Kang-Ho Song! John Hurt!) I couldn't wait to see it. Now for some stupid reason the Weinstein's seem to have decided not to release this very widely at all and it's currently not slated for a release in the UK at all. As with "Proxy" lower down in the rankings, I've got my import DVD and frankly I'm counting this as a 2014 release. It's not showing any signs that it'll ever be properly released in the UK and it's a real pity. The level of inventiveness and imagination here is breathtaking, with some quite incredible and bizarre turns from beginning to end. The central "Snowpiercer" train is quite literally a microcosm of society and the film fulfils the proper sci-fi function of using an unlikely scenario or maguffin to tell us more about the real world. Chris Evans is quite wonderful in the lead role and really deserves more credit for his performances outside of the Marvel universe.
![]()
2.The Double
UK Release Date: 4 April 2014
Richard Ayoade proves that he's not only an absolutely hilarious performer, but also a stunningly talented director. After Paddy Considine stole the show in one of his few comedic roles in Ayoade's last film "Submarine", he almost does so again as the lead in a cheesy low budget sci-fi tv-show-within-a-movie that appears on the television at a number of points in the film. But mostly this is an adaptation of Dostoyevsky and, while keeping a suitably dark and dismal tone for that material Ayoade balances this with some wonderfully entertaining black comedy in a similar vein to the Coen Brothers "A Serious Man". Our central protagonist is a weak-willed and timid victim, but when he meets his confident, amoral, parasitic doppelganger he soon realises that it's time for him to grow a backbone before it's too late. An incredible piece of work and an amazing cinematic experience.
![]()
1.Nightcrawler
UK Release Date: 31 October 2014
This year's "Drive" basically (which perhaps explains why some of the posters look almost identical to the "Drive" poster). A morally ambiguous central character who, at some points, drives a fancy car. While "Drive" was a critique of the action movie genre, "Nightcrawler" is a critique of capitalism and the entire job market culture. When I first saw "Nightcrawler" I was fairly certain the lead character was a psychopath, but I've come to understand why Gyllenhaal objects to that characterisation. The lead character has the same cold approach to people as the job market. He makes use of people like a corporation and uses the same cold and empty phrases to motivate them, even while he is pleased to see his own career progression in the same way. It's bizarre that the business philosophy culture seems to suit him particularly well because of his lack of humanity. It might even be argued that he has molded himself in that way to suit that very culture and is rewarded for doing so. As well as being a shocking and disturbing adrenaline rush of a film, "Nightcrawler" has an important warning for its viewers about the society in which they live.
![]()
You can see part one here.
For the record, here's a list of movies (several of which are nominated for Oscars) which will be 2015 releases in the UK:
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Foxcatcher
- The Theory of Everything
- Whiplash
- Wild
- REC 4: Apocalypse
- Selma
- Still Alice
- John Wick
So not only have I seen none of them, but they were not even eligible for the list. I'm keen to see most of these though.
I am very keen to check out the following:
- The Boxtrolls
Animation from the same people who brought us "Coraline" and "Paranorman". I loved both of those earlier projects, so I'm very keen to see their latest offering.
- Get Santa
Christopher Smith, director of "Triangle" and "Black Death", has directed a Christmas comedy with Stephen Graham, Jodie Whittaker and Rafe Spall. Warwick Davis appears as an elf and Jim Broadbent stars as Father Christmas on the run from the police. I very nearly went to the cinema to see this and if it weren't for Christopher Smith's appalling tv adaptation of the Da Vinci Code rip-off "Labyrinth" by Kate Mosse, I'd probably have made more of an effort. Still, I've heard good things and I'm very keen to check this out.
- The Guest
From the creators of "You're Next" and with a neat Drive-esque new-retro soundtrack. I've heard comparisons to "The Terminator". I've just GOT to see this!
- Maps To The Stars
David Cronenberg has been very hit and miss, but with Mia Wasikowska involved it's hard to resist.
- Starred Up
A prison drama which at least one LJ user recommended to me. Looks intriguing and I hope to see it soon.
- We Are the Best!
An endearing sounding Swidish-Danish drama about some young kids who bond through their love of punk rock. A lot of people seem to have loved this.
- The Wind Rises
The latest Hayao Miyazaki film (the genius behind the anime studio "Studio Ghibli") and possibly his last ever.
I'll probably have to see the following at some point:
- Boyhood
Sounds like a typical plodding indie movie with a neat little gimmick. But everyone seems to think this is the big Oscar contender and that it fully deserves to win an award, yet no one seems to be able to explain why. If this is a waste of time, I'm going to be so annoyed.
- Gone Girl
I haven't enjoyed a David Fincher movie since "Fight Club". I don't know what is going on with this director, but I feel like he's completely lost his flair.
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
I have never really enjoyed a Wes Anderson film yet and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" completely turned me off his work. But everyone is raving about this one for some reason. I may actually give this one a miss.
- The Imitation Game
I'm not keen on the suggestions that Alan Turing is portrayed as a traitor in this movie. That's what I've heard anyway, but I really hope it's false. I guess we'll have to see.
- Mr. Turner
Mike Leigh hasn't had a great track record for me. I saw his previous film "Another Year" and was bored to hell by the banal unrealistic characters (apparently produced by improvisation to make them seem more natural). Also a long time ago I gave up on his widely praised "Secrets And Lies". But nevertheless I'm hearing a lot of a positive recommendations for "Mr. Turner", so I'm resolved to the possibility that I may once again be left shaking my head and wondering what all the fuss was about.
- Two Days, One Night
A popular film with the critics, but I'd never heard of it until I organised a list of the most highly rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes. We'll have to see.
So with those possible exclusions admitted, let's push on with my top ten of 2014!
(Click here for choices 25-11)
10.All Cheerleaders Die
UK Release Date: 27 October 2014
Lucky McKee is awesome. This time he's handling a more comedic film than his previous efforts. I loved how the action escalates. Zombies, magic, high school drama, blood, sex, jealousy, backstabbing between 'friends' and the occasional self-serving psychopath. This is a complete rollercoaster of a film. The ending is pretty sudden with a promise of a sequel which may or may not come to pass, but I felt this really worked well as film in its own right anyway. While perhaps not on the same level as McKee's "The Woman", I absolutely loved this movie.
9.Proxy
UK Release Date: N/A
A very happy surprise. "Proxy" has a horrible and shocking event towards the beginning and starts off seeming like a serious drama about a woman come to terms with trauma. Yet it gradually becomes clearer and clearer that this is about women exploring personal tragedy and embracing self-destruction, like a female version of "Fight Club". I've heard it suggested that this film is misogynistic, but I felt like we really got into the minds of these characters even if that's a twisted place. About half way through the film feels like it ought to be over, but I'm really glad it doesn't end there because the second half is so wonderfully nuts. I've never seen a film quite like this one before and that's always a good sign. Sure, this still hasn't been released in the UK, but there's no release date announced and I was able to get hold of the import DVD so I feel it may as well go in the 2014 list.
8.Raze
UK Release Date: 16 June 2014
I wasn't sure how a film about kidnapped women forced to fight to the death would work. However, there's a variety of characters and even with the rather quirky scenario we become pretty emotionally involved. The filmmakers are careful to ensure that the story unfolds in a way that explores the characters rather than making it a series of fighting set pieces. Yet the fights are often pretty entertaining too. The appearance of Doug Jones giving inspirational speeches to the captive female fighters was very welcome and he chews the scenery like a boss. Zoë Bell, a regular stunt double for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, knocks it out of the park as the lead protagonist here. "Raze" was my favourite film in 2014's horror marathon. Awesome.
7.The Lego Movie
UK Release Date: 14 February 2014
Wonderful comedy, beautiful animation and just generally enormous fun. I found both Princess Unikitty and the cartoonish portrayal of Batman to be an utter delight. I wasn't quite so keen on the bit where live-action Will Ferrell showed up, but the film was endlessly watchable in any case. I particularly loved the references to "The Matrix".
6.What We Do in the Shadows
UK Release Date: 21 November 2014
The "Flight of the Conchords" team come up with one of the best horror-comedies of all time. So wonderful and novel was this piece of work that the inevitable comparisons with "Shaun of the Dead" felt a little insulting. Vampires have never been spoofed quite like this. I was particularly surprised by the results of the visit from the police.
5.Edge of Tomorrow
UK Release Date: 30 May 2014
Stupid marketing failed to let anyone know how funny this film was going to be. A sci-fi movie that makes use of the "Groundhog Day" premise (i.e. a day repeating over and over again) was a neat little concept, but "Edge of Tomorrow" also takes advantage of the comedic and emotional consequences of this central theme. "Edge of Tomorrow" also has some absolutely fantastic action sequences and some gorgeous sci-fi imagery.
4.Pride
UK Release Date: 12 September 2014
A British comedy about gay pride with a plethora of major British and Irish acting talent. Frankly I wasn't sure that this would be terribly good, since great acting talent doesn't necessarily guarantee a great film. However, I was completely blown away. Just when I was wondering whether Dominic would ever shine in any other role than McNulty from "The Wire", he absolutely knocked my socks off with his performance here. Paddy Considine is always amazing and has a very powerful central role here too. The same goes for Joe Gilgun who is yet another actor who deserves to be snapped up and given a Marvel role. (Oh yeah, btw anyone notice how Chiwetel Ejiofor got announced for a role straight after I suggested it? Please do that for Joe Gilgun now! *pleads with cosmos to reorder itself*) "Pride" is one of those enchanting British comedies and hopefully this will continue to be cherished for years to come just like "Four Weddings And A Funeral", "The Full Monty" and "In The Loop".
3.Snowpiercer
UK Release Date: N/A
Joon-Ho Bong is a director who has never disappointed me so when I heard he was directing a sci-fi movie (I LOVE sci-fi!) with such a stellar cast (Jamie Belle! Tilda Swinton! Kang-Ho Song! John Hurt!) I couldn't wait to see it. Now for some stupid reason the Weinstein's seem to have decided not to release this very widely at all and it's currently not slated for a release in the UK at all. As with "Proxy" lower down in the rankings, I've got my import DVD and frankly I'm counting this as a 2014 release. It's not showing any signs that it'll ever be properly released in the UK and it's a real pity. The level of inventiveness and imagination here is breathtaking, with some quite incredible and bizarre turns from beginning to end. The central "Snowpiercer" train is quite literally a microcosm of society and the film fulfils the proper sci-fi function of using an unlikely scenario or maguffin to tell us more about the real world. Chris Evans is quite wonderful in the lead role and really deserves more credit for his performances outside of the Marvel universe.
2.The Double
UK Release Date: 4 April 2014
Richard Ayoade proves that he's not only an absolutely hilarious performer, but also a stunningly talented director. After Paddy Considine stole the show in one of his few comedic roles in Ayoade's last film "Submarine", he almost does so again as the lead in a cheesy low budget sci-fi tv-show-within-a-movie that appears on the television at a number of points in the film. But mostly this is an adaptation of Dostoyevsky and, while keeping a suitably dark and dismal tone for that material Ayoade balances this with some wonderfully entertaining black comedy in a similar vein to the Coen Brothers "A Serious Man". Our central protagonist is a weak-willed and timid victim, but when he meets his confident, amoral, parasitic doppelganger he soon realises that it's time for him to grow a backbone before it's too late. An incredible piece of work and an amazing cinematic experience.
1.Nightcrawler
UK Release Date: 31 October 2014
This year's "Drive" basically (which perhaps explains why some of the posters look almost identical to the "Drive" poster). A morally ambiguous central character who, at some points, drives a fancy car. While "Drive" was a critique of the action movie genre, "Nightcrawler" is a critique of capitalism and the entire job market culture. When I first saw "Nightcrawler" I was fairly certain the lead character was a psychopath, but I've come to understand why Gyllenhaal objects to that characterisation. The lead character has the same cold approach to people as the job market. He makes use of people like a corporation and uses the same cold and empty phrases to motivate them, even while he is pleased to see his own career progression in the same way. It's bizarre that the business philosophy culture seems to suit him particularly well because of his lack of humanity. It might even be argued that he has molded himself in that way to suit that very culture and is rewarded for doing so. As well as being a shocking and disturbing adrenaline rush of a film, "Nightcrawler" has an important warning for its viewers about the society in which they live.
You can see part one here.