Top 10 Best Movies of 2014

Script written by Joe Jatcko.

Top 10 Best Movies of 2014

This is a countdown one year – 2014 to be exact – in the making. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 movies of 2014.

For this list, we’re choosing films released in 2014 based on a mix of their popularity, critical acclaim, box office results, acting content, ability to entertain, and more.

#10: “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)

With virtually every big-budget movie in theaters being either a sequel or a remake, something this original doesn’t come by every day – or even every year. Director Doug Liman’s perfectly paced action-sci-fi flick takes tropes like alien invasion, time travel, and mechanized soldiers, and cleverly and innovatively employs them in “Edge of Tomorrow.” The result is kind of like “Groundhog Day” if you replaced Bill Murray with a robot Tom Cruise, and the groundhog with giant squid-like aliens. Live Die Repeat, indeed!

#9: “Gone Girl” (2014)

Based on the best-selling Gillian Flynn novel, this whodunit is crafted into one of the most taut and arresting thrillers to come along in years by seasoned director David Fincher. In this penetratingly precise critique of American media culture, a stellar Ben Affleck explores the complexity of a character grieving the loss of his wife, while simultaneously being suspected in her disappearance, and forced into a role of a public figure. The film is a biting look at a brave new world where more importance is often placed on perception than truth.

#8: “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014)

While this certainly isn’t the first installment of this franchise, it might be the best. This is in a large part due to the leap in development of the titular apes: fantastic acting, coupled with advances in CGI, allowed audiences to relate to the non-human characters on an entirely new level. The resulting interplay between lead ape Caesar—played by the incomparable Andy Serkis—and the extremely disturbed Koba, forms one of the strongest and most complex dynamics between characters in any movie, ape or non-ape related.

#7: “Interstellar” (2014)

Perhaps one of the most ambitious films of its generation, Christopher Nolan’s sprawling space epic took audiences from a future dust bowl Earth through wormholes to distant planets, and ultimately, places only theoretically possible. Helmed by Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper, a brilliant astronaut, “Interstellar” boasts an all-universe cast and succeeds as a compelling character study, as Cooper must constantly grapple with the fact he may never see his family again. Oh, and he’s also gotta save the human race.

#6: “Whiplash” (2014)

Winner of both the Dramatic Audience and Grand Jury Prizes at the Sundance Film Festival, this drama captivated audiences with its frank—and sometimes frightening—depiction of a talented young drummer and his manic, but brilliant, instructor. The film is anchored by performances from young up-and-comer Miles Teller as the student Andrew, and—the usually cuddly—J.K. Simmons as the intense and unpredictable instructor, Terence Fletcher. Both inspiring and unsettling, “Whiplash” will leave you breathless.

#5: “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

Probably the most convincing sign yet that there will be Marvel superhero movies as long as there are movie theaters, this James Gunn-directed entry was a unexpected box office smash. Don’t let the gun-toting raccoon fool you, this movie does have some dark moments, but all in all it’s a space romp. In addition to the foul-mouthed, Bradley Cooper-voiced raccoon, ¬¬¬Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Dave Bautista form a rag-tag alliance of mercenary bad-asses that any galactic supervillain would be wise to fear.

#4: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” (2014)

Although it was a strong year for superhero franchises, 2014 will also be remembered as the year the art house struck back. “Birdman” is Alejandro González Iñárritu’s surrealistic look at a former superhero actor’s attempt to prove his artistic integrity in the form of a Broadway play. The film is a scathing indictment not only of superhero films, but also actors, critics, and ungrateful, good-for-nothing kids. Yet, despite its crotchety tone, the black comedy crackles with energy, dynamite performances, and the constant feeling that anything can—and will—happen.

#3: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)

A story wrapped in a book wrapped in a movie, this Wes Anderson production follows the misadventures of one Monsieur Gustave H., concierge of the decadent candy-colored titular hotel, and played by an elegantly profane Ralph Fiennes. When his former mistress drops dead, leaving him an absorbingly expensive painting—which Madame D.’s family accuses him of stealing—Gustave must evade the police, Nazi-like military personnel, and a cast of other Pink Panther-like villains, to prove his innocence. Always at his side is his favorite “lobby boy” played by the outstanding young Tony Revolori.

#2: “Nightcrawler” (2014)

A stunning directorial debut from Dan Gilroy, this neo-noir crime thriller presents its audience with the bloody side of nighttime Los Angeles and those who seek to document it for profit. Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerizing as a precocious, but unfeeling freelance videographer – or “nightcrawler” – who stops at absolutely nothing to get his shot. As frightening as he is, the scariest thing may be that his demeanor is no less cold than the average TV viewer who watches the same images from the safety of his or her home.

Before we reveal of top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “How to Train Your Dragon 2” (2014)
- “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
- “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014)
- “Foxcatcher” (2014)
- “The Lego Movie” (2014)
- “The Imitation Game” (2014)

#1: “Boyhood” (2014)

A cinematic experience like almost no other, veteran indie director Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age drama tracks child actor Ellar Coltrane over the course of almost 12 years. In an era where unconvincing CGI is expected to stand in for aging, we watch Coltrane’s Mason, his parents as played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, and his sister as played by Linklater’s own daughter, Lorelei, naturally age as their characters evolve on screen. With practically universal acclaim and multiple awards and nominations, “Boyhood” is an unparalleled look into someone else’s life, and it may very well end up changing your own.

Do you agree with our list? Which movies defined your 2014? For more entertaining top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.