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Edition · 2014
The Year in Film · 2014

Best of 2014

The films that defined 2014 — ranked by IMDb score.


These films defined 2014 — the year's highest-rated releases, ranked by IMDb score. Some are awards bait, some are popcorn fare, some quietly snuck in under the radar. All earned their place on the list.

  1. 01.
    Interstellar

    Interstellar

    2014·Dir. Christopher Nolan·169 min·8.7

    The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

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  2. 02.
    Whiplash

    Whiplash

    2014·Dir. Damien Chazelle·107 min·8.5

    Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

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  3. 03.
    Roger Waters: The Wall

    Roger Waters: The Wall

    2014·Dir. Sean Evans·133 min·8.5

    A concert film that the former Pink Floyd singer-songwriter made on various tour dates between 2010 and 2013, when he was playing his former group's 1980 double-album in its entirety.

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  4. 04.
    The Salt of the Earth

    The Salt of the Earth

    2014·Dir. Juliano Ribeiro Salgado·110 min·8.4

    During the last forty years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed the major events of our recent history: international conflicts, starvations and exodus… He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of the wild fauna and flora, of grandiose landscapes: a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet's beauty. Salgado's life and work are revealed to us by his son, Juliano, who went with him during his last journeys, and by Wim Wenders, a photographer himself.

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  5. 05.
    Too Many Cooks

    Too Many Cooks

    2014·Dir. Casper Kelly·11 min·8.4

    "Too Many Cooks" is a humorous parody of US sitcoms of the 1970s and the 1980s, meanwhile what seems like an interminable opening theme, a mysterious killer makes his way and kills (preparing a lunch with their limbs) various members of the Cook Family.

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  6. 06.
    Bangalore Days

    Bangalore Days

    2014·Dir. Anjali Menon·172 min·8.3

    A fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover & explore!

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  7. 07.
    Ulidavaru Kandanthe

    Ulidavaru Kandanthe

    2014·Dir. Rakshit Shetty·154 min·8.3

    Malpe, a small fishing town on the Arabian Coast. Located 6 kms to the west of the temple town, Udupi. Malpe's beaches are washed clean everyday by the sea. The waves ensure that nothing gets left behind on the sands. But then, the waves cannot reach everything. It is the time of the year when Udupi and its surroundings are decked up to celebrate Sri Krishna Janmaashtami. Men and children walk the streets dressed up as characters from mythology. Teams painted as tigers are seen dancing to drum beats all around the town. But violence seems to be brewing in Malpe this Krishna Janmaashtami.

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  8. 08.
    Drushyam

    Drushyam

    2014·Dir. Sripriya·150 min·8.2

    Rambabu, a cable operator, lives with his beloved wife Jyothi and two daughters. One day, his family inadvertently gets involved in a grave crime and he must go to great lengths to protect them.

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  9. 09.
    Jigarthanda

    Jigarthanda

    2014·Dir. Karthik Subbaraj·170 min·8.2

    A budding director endeavors to research a merciless gangster for making a film on gangsterism. But his secret attempts to conduct the research fail when he gets caught for snooping.

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  10. 10.
    The Look of Silence

    The Look of Silence

    2014·Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer·100 min·8.2

    An optician grapples with the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966, during which his older brother was exterminated.

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  11. 11.
    Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

    Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

    2014·Dir. Jay Karas·80 min·8.2

    Fresh, unflinching and devastatingly honest, Bill Burr lets loose in this feature length comedy special. Burr shares his essential tips for surviving the zombie apocalypse, exposes how rom-coms ruin great sex and explains how too many childhood hugs may be the ultimate downfall of man.

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  12. 12.
    Doctor Who: Last Christmas

    Doctor Who: Last Christmas

    2014·Dir. Paul Wilmshurst·57 min·8.1

    The Doctor and Clara face their Last Christmas. Trapped on an Arctic base, under attack from terrifying creatures, who are you going to call? Santa Claus!

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  13. 13.
    Feast

    Feast

    2014·Dir. Patrick Osborne·6 min·8.1

    This Oscar-winning animated short film tells the story of one man's love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.

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  14. 14.
    See You in Montevideo

    See You in Montevideo

    2014·Dir. Dragan Bjelogrlić·141 min·8.1

    A football team from Belgrade, former Republic of Yugoslavia gets a chance to go to the First World Football Championship, but things get complicated along the way.

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  15. 15.
    PK

    PK

    2014·Dir. Rajkumar Hirani·153 min·8.1

    A stranger in the city asks questions no one has asked before. Known only by his initials, the man's innocent questions and childlike curiosity take him on a journey of love, laughter and letting go.

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  16. 16.
    Valley Uprising

    Valley Uprising

    2014·Dir. Nick Rosen·99 min·8.1

    In the shady campgrounds of Yosemite valley, climbers carved out a counterculture lifestyle of dumpster-diving and wild parties that clashed with the conservative values of the National Park Service. And up on the walls, generation after generation has pushed the limits of climbing, vying amongst each other for supremacy on Yosemite's cliffs. "Valley Uprising" is the riveting, unforgettable tale of this bold rock climbing tradition in Yosemite National Park: half a century of struggle against the laws of gravity -- and the laws of the land.

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  17. 17.
    The Grand Budapest Hotel

    The Grand Budapest Hotel

    2014·Dir. Wes Anderson·100 min·8.1

    The Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars and his friendship with a young employee who becomes his trusted protégé. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, the battle for an enormous family fortune and the slow and then sudden upheavals that transformed Europe during the first half of the 20th century.

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  18. 18.
    Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

    Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

    2014·Dir. Keegan Kuhn·90 min·8.1

    Follow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.

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  19. 19.
    Wild Tales

    Wild Tales

    2014·Dir. Damián Szifron·122 min·8.1

    Injustice and the demands of the world can cause stress for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This includes a waitress serving a grouchy loan shark, an altercation between two motorists, an ill-fated wedding reception, and a wealthy businessman who tries to buy his family out of trouble.

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  20. 20.
    Kaththi

    Kaththi

    2014·Dir. A. R. Murugadoss·167 min·8.1

    Kathiresan aka Kaththi, a criminal, escapes from the Kolkata prison and comes to Chennai, where he comes across his doppelganger Jeevanandham, fighting for his life after being shot at by unknown men. Kathir decides to pass off as Jeeva and make away with a lump sum amount but once he realizes who Jeeva really is, Kathir turns a crusader.

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  21. 21.
    Gone Girl

    Gone Girl

    2014·Dir. David Fincher·149 min·8.1

    With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.

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  22. 22.
    Virunga

    Virunga

    2014·Dir. Orlando von Einsiedel·100 min·8.1

    Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa’s oldest national park, a UNESCO world heritage site, and a contested ground among insurgencies seeking to topple the government that see untold profits in the land. Among this ongoing power struggle, Virunga also happens to be the last natural habitat for the critically endangered mountain gorilla. The only thing standing in the way of the forces closing in around the gorillas: a handful of passionate park rangers and journalists fighting to secure the park’s borders and expose the corruption of its enemies. Filled with shocking footage, and anchored by the surprisingly deep and gentle characters of the gorillas themselves, Virunga is a galvanizing call to action around an ongoing political and environmental crisis in the Congo.

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  23. 23.
    Queen

    Queen

    2014·Dir. Vikas Bahl·146 min·8.1

    Rani, a 24-year-old homely girl, decides to go on her honeymoon alone when her fiancé calls off the wedding. Traveling around Europe, she finds joy, makes friends, and gains new-found independence.

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  24. 24.
    Citizenfour

    Citizenfour

    2014·Dir. Laura Poitras·113 min·8.0

    In June 2013, Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her.

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  25. 25.
    Guardians of the Galaxy

    Guardians of the Galaxy

    2014·Dir. James Gunn·121 min·8.0

    Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.

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  26. 26.
    Mommy

    Mommy

    2014·Dir. Xavier Dolan·138 min·8.0

    A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.

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  27. 27.
    The Blue Elephant

    The Blue Elephant

    2014·Dir. Marwan Hamed·151 min·8.0

    After a five-year hiatus, psychiatrist Yehia returns to work at Abbasiya Hospital. He’s assigned to evaluate a patient who turns out to be his old friend. As events unfold, Yehia uncovers dark secrets that challenge his understanding of reality.

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  28. 28.
    Ugramm

    Ugramm

    2014·Dir. Prashanth Neel·133 min·8.0

    Shivarudra Lingaiah, an MLA candidate, who along with Dheeraj, is awaiting to extract vengeance upon Prabhakar by killing his Daughter Nithya. She arrives at Bangalore to Talagavara to visit her late mother's grave and is kidnapped by Dheeraj's gang on the way. Agastya is an automobile mechanic, who saves her from Dheeraj's gang. He takes her to his house for safeguarding as advised by Prabhakar's family-friend, Vishwa.

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  29. 29.
    The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

    The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

    2014·Dir. Brian Knappenberger·105 min·8.0

    Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

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  30. 30.
    Haider

    Haider

    2014·Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj·150 min·8.0

    A young man returns to Kashmir after his father's disappearance to confront his uncle - the man he suspects to have a role in his father's fate.

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  31. 31.
    Winter Sleep

    Winter Sleep

    2014·Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan·196 min·8.0

    Aydın is a hotel owner and a retired actor in rural Turkey. As winter emerges he begins navigating the conflicts within the relationships with his wife, sister and existence.

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  32. 32.
    Song of the Sea

    Song of the Sea

    2014·Dir. Tomm Moore·94 min·8.0

    The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.

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  33. 33.
    The Imitation Game

    The Imitation Game

    2014·Dir. Morten Tyldum·113 min·8.0

    Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

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  34. 34.
    The Gunfighter

    The Gunfighter

    2014·Dir. Eric Kissack·9 min·8.0

    In the tradition of classic westerns, a narrator sets up the story of a lone gunslinger who walks into a saloon. However, the people in this saloon can hear the narrator and the narrator may just be a little bit bloodthirsty.

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  35. 35.
    Jim Jefferies: Bare

    Jim Jefferies: Bare

    2014·Dir. Shannon Hartman·76 min·8.0

    Smart, crude, and in-your-face, Australian comic/actor/equal-opportunity-offender Jim Jefferies is not for the faint of heart. Whether he is lampooning gun control, auditioning disabled actors, or over-sharing sexual experiences, the FXX "Legit" star proves nothing is out of bounds and even less, off limits. Filmed during the Boston run of his recent stand up tour.

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  36. 36.
    Ankhon Dekhi

    Ankhon Dekhi

    2014·Dir. Rajat Kapoor·104 min·7.9

    Bauji resists his daughter's request to let her marry the man she loves as the neighbours incessantly shame him. However, his opinion changes after he meets him and he decides to change his viewpoint.

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  37. 37.
    The Raid 2

    The Raid 2

    2014·Dir. Gareth Evans·150 min·7.9

    After fighting his way through an apartment building populated by an army of dangerous criminals and escaping with his life, SWAT team member Rama goes undercover, joining a powerful Indonesian crime syndicate to protect his family and uncover corrupt members of his own force.

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  38. 38.
    Edge of Tomorrow

    Edge of Tomorrow

    2014·Dir. Doug Liman·114 min·7.9

    Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.

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  39. 39.
    The Fool

    The Fool

    2014·Dir. Yury Bykov·116 min·7.9

    The Fool is a movie about a simple plumber. An honest man, he is up against an entire system of corrupted bureaucrats. At stake are the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dorm that is at risk of collapsing within the span of the night.

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  40. 40.
    Manam

    Manam

    2014·Dir. Vikram Kumar·163 min·7.9

    A married couple die in an accident, leaving behind a son. As he grows up and becomes successful, he comes across reincarnations of his father and mother as youngsters, and vows to bring them back together.

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— End of Chapter —