selma2014 was a year filled with fairly impressive films, yet as a whole, was fairly forgettable and disappointing. Sure there were some early gems such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Lego Movie, but I spent most of the year thinking “Is this it?” and not feeling confident in my #1, Boyhood. In fact, if it wasn’t for Selma, I would have been highly disappointed in the year. Furthermore, this year gave me the worst film I have ever seen, and despite what my friends think, it isn’t American Sniper. No, that honor belongs to the hate crime against cinema that is Transformers: Age of Extinction. I didn’t watch as many documentaries this year, but I still managed to get in a viewing of Citizenfour. Honestly, you’re better off with Glenn Greenwald’s articles. Snowden’s actions are still highly debated by the nation, but one thing we can all agree on is he lacks onscreen magnetism. If I had to make any changes to this list, I’d continue going back and forth on if The Guest and Into the Woods deserve a spot in the Top Ten, debate if Interstellar really holds up, and I’d most certainly move up They Came Together a few spots. That film is hysterically funny. Oh, and I’d move Nymphomaniac (which I view as one five hour film) out of the bottom ten-it was most certainly better than The Fault in Our Stars, Unbroken, Still Alice, and Begin Again. The only films I can say for certain hold up are SelmaBoyhood, and especially Whiplash and Calvary. I also think that The GuestThe Lego Movie, and especially Guardians of the Galaxy are good choices for escapism, but that’s about it. Honestly, 2014 was a fairly artsy year, but lacked the substance needed to last.

  1. Selma
  2. Boyhood
  3. Whiplash
  4. Calvary
  5. Birdman
  6. Gone Girl
  7. The Imitation Game
  8. Guardians of the Galaxy
  9. The Lego Movie
  10. The Grand Budapest Hotel
  11. The Guest
  12. Into the Woods
  13. Nightcrawler
  14. Interstellar
  15. Ida
  16. Edge of Tomorrow (*now known as Live. Die. Repeat.)
  17. 22 Jump Street
  18. Wild
  19. Foxcatcher
  20. Dear White People
  21. How To Train Your Dragon 2
  22. Godzilla
  23. Snowpiercer
  24. They Came Together
  25. Locke
  26. A Most Wanted Man
  27. X-Men: Days of Future Past
  28. Under The Skin
  29. Two Days, One Night
  30. The Interview
  31. Inherent Vice
  32. The Theory Of Everything
  33. Lucy
  34. Noah
  35. Neighbors
  36. Only Lovers Left Alive
  37. Veronica Mars
  38. The Babadook
  39. Big Hero 6
  40. Mr. Turner
  41. Jersey Boys
  42. Starred Up
  43. About Alex
  44. Leviathan
  45. Begin Again
  46. Still Alice
  47. Unbroken
  48. The Fault In Our Stars
  49. Nymph()maniac (II is better than I)
  50. The Judge
  51. American Sniper
  52. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  53. Annie
  54. Transformers: Age of Extinction

DOCUMENTARIES

  1. Citizenfour