2014 has been a stellar year in terms of excellent movies, from the ground-breaking that took 12 years to make; to sequels that were miraculously better than their predecessors; to yet more triumphs in motion capture and more superheroes than you can shake a stick at.
Given the fact that I watch an obscene amount of films each year - and spend more time in the cinema than is probably socially acceptable - I felt it'd be worth looking back over the last year and evaluating my cinematic highs and lows, from my top 10 films of the year to mini-awards for "The Film That Was Just Genuinely Bad" to "The Film That I Wish Everyone Else Had Seen Too."
It's a varied bunch, so hopefully it'll provide a bit of inspiration going into 2015 for films I'd wholeheartedly recommend catching up on if you missed them first time round, as well as instant classics that are fully deserving of a rewatch.
The lists below only contains films that I've seen and have been released in the U.K. in 2014. Aside from an Odeon Screen Unseen preview and a film shown at the London Film Festival, all others have been on general release in the U.K. this year. Sadly, therefore, there's no The Theory of Everything, Foxcatcher, Selma, or Wild, to name a few of those featuring on similar end of year lists and beginning to be nominated for major awards in the coming months. I'm sure they'll feature on a similar list this time next year!
So, without further ado, here's my take on the best (and worst) films of 2014...
(IMAGE SOURCED FROM www.instagram.com/theacademy)
THE FILM THAT...
… Had a Positive Critical Reception That Seriously Baffles Me - Under The Skin
… Was Just Genuinely Bad - Jersey Boys
… Was Excellent Then Took a Bonkers Turn in the Last 20 Minutes - Cold in July
… Made Me Laugh Till I Cried - 22 Jump Street
… Made Me Laugh For All The Wrong Reasons - Labor Day
… I Wish I Hadn't Wasted My Time On - Transcendence
… I Wish Everyone Else Had Seen Too - What We Do In The Shadows
… I Wish I Could Experience For The First Time All Over Again - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
EXPECTATIONS
Failed to Meet Expectations - Godzilla
Lived Up To Expectations - Guardians of the Galaxy
Exceeded Expectations - Interstellar
THE THREE Bs
Most Beautiful - Mr Turner
Most Brutal - Whiplash
Most Boring - Grace of Monaco
THE BEST OF THE BEST
Best Book-to-Film Adaptation - Gone Girl
Best Score - Birdman
Best Summer Blockbuster - Edge of Tomorrow // Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Best Quote - Paddington - "in London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in."
Best British Film - Pride
THE CREAM OF THE (2014) ACTING CROP
Actor of the Year - Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
Supporting Actor of the Year - JK Simmons (Whiplash)
Actress of the Year - Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Supporting Actress of the Year - Emma Stone (Birdman)
Breakthrough Star - Jack O'Connell (Starred Up, '71, Unbroken)
FILMS OF THE YEAR
Outstanding Achievement in Film in 2014 - Boyhood
10. Gone Girl
9. Mr Turner
8. Paddington
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Birdman
5. Interstellar
4. Whiplash
3. Starred Up
2. Pride
It's worth mentioning, everything above is my opinion, and I've given each film's inclusion a lot of thought. I'm aware a few other obvious choices have been missed off but that's just tough!
What were your film highlights of 2014? Was there a film you regret not seeing or was everything you'd hoped it would be and more?
Do let me know in the comments below or drop me a tweet - I love getting film recommendations and watch an eclectic mix of movies, so recommend away!
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