Another year is over, but before we all start to get extremely excited regarding the huge films 2015 has to offer, why don’t we take a look at Screen Critix favourite movies of the past twelve months?
2014 brought some fantastic films (and quite a few terrible ones too). So to celebrate the new year, Screen Critix lists their favourite movies from 2014. How many have you seen?
Notable films that came close – Gone Girl, Locke, Nightcrawler.
Check out our Best of 2013 list here.
10. Boyhood
One of the favourites to win the Oscar; Richard Linklater’s film follows a young boy through twelve years of his life. Boyhood is unique – we have never seen an actor undergo so much physical change as the main character does in Boyhood. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette are both on fine form and could be looking at Oscar nominations.
9. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Bryan Singer returned to the director’s chair and created the best X-Men movie yet. Set in both the future and the 1970’s, we saw Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) travel back in time in order to stop Mystique assassinating an inventor – a turning point for the destruction of all mutants. Look out for the Quicksilver scene in the kitchen, our favourite of the year.
8. Snowpiercer
Chris Evans is on a never-stopping train. The world has frozen and the last remaining humans are all living on the same train yet class still divides them all. Evans wants to be treated and fed like those towards the front of the train and sets out a plan to do so. Dark, interesting and with action packed scenes, Snowpiercer deserves to be watched. Tilda Swinton is excellent in a supporting role too.
7. Begin Again
The best romantic comedy of 2014, Mark Ruffalo is a down-on-his-luck record producer who stumbles across Keira Knightley’s English bar singer in New York. The two start a friendship and embark on a quest to create her an album and try and fix their lives. A great film with some great performances.
6. The Theory of Everything
The story of Stephen Hawking and how he overcame his disability to become one of the greatest and most respected minds in the living world. Edie Redmayne is incredible as Hawking and should easily be looking at being nominated in the next couple months.
5. The Drop
The Drop is a lot better than we thought it would be. Tom Hardy is mesmerising as the seemingly simple yet on the ball barman who works for his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini in his last role). The bar they run is robbed and the Chechen gangster owners want the money back. The film also stars the excellent Noomi rapace and the cutest dog ever.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The second Chris Evans film on the list. Captain America returned with a brilliant 70’s inspired conspiracy thriller. The Winter Soldier, who many believed to be a myth, has come to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D and our Cap’, but he is more than up to the task. The return of Hydra, Robert Redford, Black Widow, a fight in an elevator and Captain America fighting UFC legend Georges St-Pierre….what more could you want?
3. Edge of Tomorrow
The biggest surprise of the year by miles is the Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt action film Edge of Tomorrow. Superbly made by Doug Liman, Cruise stars as an American Army PR man who is thrown into the front line to fight aliens. The twist, he has to relive the day over and over until he wins the war. Brilliant, funny and full of great action set-pieces; Edge of Tomorrow is a great movie.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
2014 was Marvel’s best year to date. Both films deserve to be in the top 5 of everyone’s list. Guardians was certainly the bravest picture though. Characters that most haven’t heard of, including a walking man-tree and a loudmouth Racoon, many wrote it off as soon as it was announced. I bet they are feeling stupid now though, as Guardians of the Galaxy was the biggest film of the year. Laugh-out-loud funny with some real heartfelt moments; Guardians was the most fun we had at the cinema in 2014 and we can’t wait for the sequel. C’mon James Gunn, we are too excited.
1. Interstellar
There is always huge buzz surrounding new films by Christopher Nolan, and Interstellar was no different. Humanity is on the brink of collapse due to the lack of food. Matthew McConaughey is picked to go on a mission to go into space and through a nearby wormhole in order to find a new habitable planet for mankind. Interstellar is breath-taking in its visuals, score and performances. It’s also very emotional and keeps you thinking way after the credits have rolled. Interstellar, our favourite film of 2014.