10 - X-men: Days of Future Past
This instalment marks a consistent theme for my list this year: surprises. I went into Bryan Singer's latest X-Men movie with apprehension, because the series as a whole has always been hugely varied in its entertainment value and critical reception. Thankfully, this latest outing was enjoyable from start to finish, and managed to seamlessly blend the older franchise with this current, updated interpretation.
9 - 12 Years a Slave
Released at the very beginning of this year in the UK, 12 Years a Slave was inarguably one of the most powerful movies I've seen in a cinema. By the end the entire audience was stunned into silence, and this shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody who has seen the film - it's engrossing and tragic throughout. It's definitely not a movie which I could recommend to everybody due to the intense nature and historical origins of the story, but 12 Years a Slave has remained with me in vivid clarity since I first saw it 12 months ago.
8 - Edge of Tomorrow
Continuing with surprising hits this year comes Edge of Tomorrow. Now known alternatively as 'Live. Die. Repeat.' due to poor box office results, this sci-fi action movie brought Tom Cruise back into the public eye as a more than viable choice for leading protagonist, and was just a very fun movie. The movie played with the idea of an ever-repeating day, which led to an enjoyable blend of comedy, action, and drama. I wouldn't be hugely surprised if you told me you haven't seen Edge of Tomorrow, as it appears most people chose not to, but I implore you to check it out as soon as possible.
If this were a list for the longest movie titles, then Dawn of the Planet of the Apes would be a definite front-runner. Regardless of its long-winded name, this sequel improved upon its already solid foundations in every way, and provided an engrossing comparison between ape and human life. The motion capture by Andy Serkis in particular was stellar, and allowed a sense of raw emotion previously unfathomable in CGI characters. The consensus for this movie is mixed to say the least, but I personally loved it.
6 - The Wolf of Wall Street
After first viewing this drug-fuelled Scorsese biopic, I was a little under-whelmed. I'd heard such insurmountable praise for the film that I had build my own levels of hype to unreachable standards... not surprisingly, they weren't met. But in hindsight, The Wolf of Wall Street is most certainly worthy of plenty of praise. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays infamous stock-broker Jordan Belfort as equally humorous and detestable, and all of the supporting cast make this 3-hour epic a joy to behold, even if certain scenes drag on a little longer than necessary.
5 - Gone Girl
Many movies this year had endings which didn't fully conclude or at least satisfyingly wrap-up the events which had preceded them. Gone Girl takes the crown for this. But does it matter? Not in the slightest. David Fincher's missing-person thriller was an intriguing ride from start to finish, and although the ending wasn't quite as punchy as I had hoped, it still didn't even come close to diminishing the rest of the movie. A film which definitely earns its 18 rating, Gone Girl makes for some very entertaining viewing.
4 - The Babadook
2013 provided us with some excellent horror. 2014 on the other hand, was considerably lacking. Perhaps this is why I loved The Babadook so much. Or, more likely, perhaps it's because it is an incredibly smart, eerie film. Boring gore is replaced by consistent tension, and in the place of lifeless stereotypes are characters who you genuinely feel attached to. Even if you're not a fan of horror, I would still urge you to watch this movie, as it may tempt you to check out some of the better films released within the genre, and convince doubters that horror movies can still terrify without requiring a loud bang in the night.
3 - Interstellar
What can I say about Interstellar that I haven't already? It's not Nolan's finest movie, but is still a phenomenal achievement which manages to appeal to a whole plethora of movie fans. On one side there's the moving relationship between Matthew McConaughey's character Cooper and his daughter, and then there's also an epic space drama which deals with time travel and relativity. The special effects are quite literally out of this world, and the movie embodies the idea of a proper 'cinema movie'. Watching this anywhere else but on a huge screen would truly be an injustice.
Marvel knows what they're doing when it comes to comic-book movies. This cannot be exemplified more than with Guardians of the Galaxy. Here, Marvel managed to take a relatively unknown series and turn it into an immensely popular film which was not only widely seen, but praised almost universally for its creativity and sense of fun. I've seen the film multiple times since its release, and the immensely catchy soundtrack is still a joy to listen to. Couple this with excellent characters, and you've got a real treat on your hands.
1 - Nightcrawler
Bet you didn't see this coming. Yes, my favourite movie of the entire year was a film which I actually saw without even planning to. Nightcrawler was a dark, menacing, and yet morbidly funny story a man who discovers that you can make a reasonable amount of money simply by recording brutal accidents which can then be sold to news outlets. It's a film which is practically driven entirely by Jake Gyllenhaal's amazing performance as Louis Bloom, but also features some breath-taking cinematography and witty dialogue. If you haven't seen this yet, rectify that.
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