Year-End Lists

Cinema Scope: Top 10 Films of 2014

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Horse Money
   Pedro Costa
2. Goodbye to Language 3D
   Jean-Luc Godard
3. Li’l Quinquin
   Bruno Dumont
4. Jauja
   Lisandro Alonso
5. Phoenix
   Christian Petzold
6. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. The Kindergarten Teacher
   Nadav Lapid
8. Maidan
   Sergei Loznitsa
9. Journey to the West
   Tsai Ming-liang
10. From What Is Before
    Lav Diaz

Michael Sicinski: Top 12 Films of 2014 (limited to “poll-eligible” films)

[see also The 30 Best Avant-Garde Feature Films of the Decade • Top 50 Films of 2018 • Top 30 Experimental Films of 2018 • Top 25 Films of 2017 • Top 10 Films of 2016 • Top 10 Films of 2013 • Top 12 Films of 2012]

1. Two Days, One Night
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
2. The Strange Little Cat
   Ramon Zürcher
3. Stranger by the Lake
   Alain Guiraudie
4. Closed Curtain
   Kambuzia Partovi and Jafar Panahi
5. Actress
   Robert Greene
6. The Story of My Death
   Albert Serra
7. Snowpiercer
   Bong Joon-ho
8. Charlie Victor Romeo
   Karlyn Michelson, Patrick Daniels, Robert Berger
9. Only Lovers Left Alive
   Jim Jarmusch
10. What Now? Remind Me
    Joaquim Pinto
11. Stray Dogs
    Tsai Ming-liang
12. Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
    Denis Côté

Karina Longworth: 16 Favorite Movies of 2014 (as posted on Twitter in this series of tweets: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2012 • 2011]

• We Are the Best!
  Lukas Moodysson
• The Immigrant
  James Gray
• Beyond the Lights
  Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Listen Up Philip
  Alex Ross Perry
• Under the Skin
  Jonathan Glazer
• Force Majeure
  Ruben Östlund
• Stranger by the Lake
  Alain Guiraudie
• Inherent Vice
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Bird People
  Pascale Ferran
• Tales of the Grim Sleeper
  Nick Broomfield
• Love is Strange
  Ira Sachs
• Laggies
  Lynn Shelton
• The One I Love
  Charlie McDowell
• Only Lovers Left Alive
  Jim Jarmusch
• Snowpiercer
  Bong Joon-ho
• Edge of Tomorrow
  Doug Liman

Ty Burr: 28 Best Movies of 2014, as published by The Boston Globe

[see also 2021 • 2010s • 2012 • 2011]

1. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
2. The Immigrant
   James Gray
3. American Sniper
   Clint Eastwood
4. Citizenfour
   Laura Poitras
5. Whiplash
   Damien Chazelle
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
7. Mr. Turner
   Mike Leigh
8. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
9. MANAKAMANA
   Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
10. Birdman
    Alejandro G. Iñárritu
11. Life Itself
    Steve James
12. Two Days, One Night
    Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
13. Dear White People
    Justin Simien
14. Under the Skin
    Jonathan Glazer
15. Locke
    Steven Knight

Honorable Mention

• The Babadook
  Jennifer Kent
• Blue Ruin
  Jeremy Saulnier
• Edge of Tomorrow
  Doug Liman
• Foxcatcher
  Bennett Miller
• The Homesman
  Tommy Lee Jones
• Ida
  Pawel Pawlikowski
• Listen Up Philip
  Alex Ross Perry
• Love is Strange
  Ira Sachs
• Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 and 2
  Lars von Trier
• Only Lovers Left Alive
  Jim Jarmusch
• Snowpiercer
  Bong Joon-ho
• We Are the Best!
  Lukas Moodysson

Alison Willmore: 14 Greatest Movies of 2014, as published by BuzzFeed

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Under the Skin
   Jonathan Glazer
2. Two Days, One Night
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
4. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
   Isao Takahata
5. Birdman
   Alejandro G. Iñárritu
6. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. Whiplash
   Damien Chazelle
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
   James Gunn
9. Ida
   Pawel Pawlikowski
10. Selma
    Ava DuVernay
11. Nightcrawler
    Dan Gilroy
12. Love is Strange
    Ira Sachs
13. Foxcatcher
    Bennett Miller
14. The Babadook
    Jennifer Kent

Christopher Orr: 30 Best Movies of 2014, as published by The Atlantic

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. A Most Violent Year
   J.C. Chandor
2. Selma
   Ava DuVernay
3. Birdman
   Alejandro G. Iñárritu
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
5. The Imitation Game
   Morten Tyldum
6. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
7. Gone Girl
   David Fincher
8. Ida
   Pawel Pawlikowski
9. Locke
   Steven Knight
10. Noah
    Darren Aronofsky
11. Foxcatcher
    Bennett Miller
12. Interstellar
    Christopher Nolan

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetically)

• American Sniper
  Clint Eastwood
• Big Hero 6
  Don Hall and Christ Williams
• Blue Ruin
  Jeremy Saulnier
• Calvary
  John Michael McDonagh
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  Anthony and Joe Russo
• Edge of Tomorrow
  Doug Liman
• The Hunger Games: Monckinjay – Part 1
  Francis Lawrence
• The Lego Movie
  Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
• A Most Wanted Man
  Anton Corbijn
• Nightcrawler
  Dan Gilroy
• Obvious Child
  Gillian Robespierre
• The Skeleton Twins
  Craig Johnson
• Snowpiercer
  Bong Joon-ho
• The Theory of Everything
  James Marsh
• Top Five
  Chris Rock
• Two Days, One Night
  Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
• Under the Skin
  Jonathan Glazer
• Whiplash
  Damien Chazelle

Miriam Bale: Top 9 Films of 2014, as published by Fandor’s Keyframe blog

[see also 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Maps to the Stars
   David Cronenberg
3. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
   Isao Takahata
4. Gone Girl
   David Fincher
5. Belle
   Amma Asante
6. Goodbye to Language 3D
   Jean-Luc Godard
7. Listen Up Philip
   Alex Ross Perry
8. Under the Skin
   Jonathan Glazer
9. Jealousy
   Philippe Garrel

Darren Hughes: 10 Favorite Films of 2014 (as published at his site, Long Pauses, where he also has lists of favorite unreleased films, experimental shorts, and discoveries)

[see also 2021 • 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2012]

1. The Immigrant
   James Gray
2. The Strange Little Cat
   Ramon Zürcher
3. Jealousy
   Philippe Garrel
4. What Now? Remind Me
   Joaquim Pinto
5. Norte, the End of History
   Lav Diaz
6. Goodbye to Language 3D
   Jean-Luc Godard
7. Night Moves
   Kelly Reichardt
8. Stray Dogs
   Tsai Ming-liang
9. The Last of the Unjust
   Claude Lanzmann
10. Closed Curtain
    Kambuzia Partovi and Jafar Panahi

Steve Erickson: 20 Best Films of 2014, as published by Gay City News

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
2. What Now? Remind Me
   Joaquim Pinto
3. Night Moves
   Kelly Reichardt
4. Actress
   Robert Greene
5. Stray Dogs
   Tsai Ming-liang
6. The King of Escape
   Alain Guiraudie
7. Goodbye to Language 3D
   Jean-Luc Godard
8. The Immigrant
   James Gray
9. Nightcrawler
   Dan Gilroy
10. Selma
    Ava DuVernay

Runners-up (alphabetically)

• The Babadook
  Jennifer Kent
• Beyond the Lights
  Gina Prince-Bythewood
• The Dog
  Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
• John Wick
  Chad Stahelski
• The Naked Room
  Nuria Ibañez
• National Gallery
  Frederick Wiseman
• Two Days, One Night
  Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
• Under the Skin
  Jonathan Glazer
• Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
  Denis Côté
• We Are Mari Pepa
  Samuel Kishi Leopo

Brian Darr: 10 Best Feature Films of 2014, as published by Fandor’s Keyframe blog. See also this list of documentaries.

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013]

1. Goodbye to Language 3D
   Jean-Luc Godard
2. Citizenfour
   Laura Poitras
3. Interstellar
   Christopher Nolan
4. Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
   Denis Côté
5. The Immigrant
   James Gray
6. Abuse of Weakness
   Catherine Breillat
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
8. The Dance of Reality
   Alejandro Jodorowsky
9. MANAKAMANA
   Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
10. Stray Dogs
    Tsai Ming-liang