We here at Hypable like movies (shocker!). The year has had highs and lows, but here are our selections for our favorite movies of 2014.
To send out the year with a bang, we asked several members of the Hypable staff to share their favorite film of 2014. Their answers were as varied as the staff themselves, so odds are one of your favorite films made the list too.
For each film we explain why it was our top pick and avoided repeats. We’d love to hear which film is your favorite in the comments!
Later in the month our film critic will be sharing a list of the overall best movies of the year. Until then, enjoy this list of the Hypable staff’s favorite movies of 2014!
Joshua Nealey – ‘Gone Girl’
Director David Fincher brought us one of the best films of 2014 with Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Having not read the book, the film was a constant mystery that left me on the edge of my seat for nearly the entirety of the film.
Its look at how the media twists news for its own benefit was incredibly relevant without feeling preachy. Gone Girl also gave us one of the best supporting actor performances this year with actress Kim Dickens as the no nonsense detective who simply wanted to find the truth.
Gone Girl was impeccable in every technical aspect, but what was even better was its truly unforgettable story. It didn’t leave moviegoers with a nicely wrapped ending, it ended with us yelling and screaming, a lot like one of Amy Dunne’s victims.
Jimmy Bean – ‘The Lego Movie’
The Lego Movie is more than just shameless tiny plastic brick propaganda. It’s sweet, ruthlessly funny, and features a roaring joke engine that clocks in at around 10 JPM (jokes per minute), 12 if you count visual jokes. As someone that’s trying to break into the world of comedy, I can certainly appreciate it as a feat that’s meant to be appreciated as a work of art. A work of LEGO art. That’s a thing, right?
More than just a movie I want to watch with my kid someday, this is a children’s movie with a solid, timely message. Although there are several adult and borderline political themes, several of the messages extend directly into the household. The breakneck style of the comedy makes all of the sweetness palatable, and it’s so evenly balanced that the tenderness feel entirely earned and cathartic. I’ve shown The Lego Movie to more people than any other movie this year and I bought the Blu-Ray (yes, I sprung for the Blu-Ray) because I knew it would be a big part of my life for a long time.
Also, as a Warner Bros. feature, it gave us a few humorous glimpses at the Justice League roster in action. If anything, it did a good job in preparing kids for the look Batman will sport in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (“I only work in black, and sometimes very dark grey”). Whether or not Justice League will feature the dynamic they gave to Superman and Green Lantern remains to be seen.
With a title like The Lego Movie there are many that would probably judge it upfront and not give it the chance that it deserves. Those that do would be depriving themselves of one of the most creative, meaningful, and -ugh, I can’t believe I’m about to join the ranks of everyone that has said this so far – AWESOME features of the year.
Marco Cerritos – ‘Boyhood’
Most movies serve their purpose as innocuous entertainment but only a truly special feature can transport you to places and emotions you didn’t expect. Such is the case with Boyhood, a cinematic time machine that shows us the pain and beauty of growing up. Director Richard Linklater started this passion project by filming his group of actors once a year for twelve straight sessions and the result is a relatable mix of joy, confusion and heartbreak.
All of the anxiety and insecurity of growing up is captured on screen and young Ellar Coltrane’s real-time progression from boy to adolescent is a wonder to witness. No other movie this year came close to challenging me intellectually and emotionally as Boyhood.
Karen Rought – ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’
Sequels are always tricky to pull off. They can’t just be a repeat of the first installation, but at the same time they need to carry a similar feel, so as to make us fall in love with our favorite characters all over again.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 doesn’t feel like it’s rehashing the events of the first film. Instead, it continues to explore the story of the characters, as well as introducing us to some new ones. This time the enemy isn’t truly a dragon, but the man that wields it. The stakes are even higher, and there are consequences for everyone.
The characters are grownup now, and their animation reflects that, making How to Train Your Dragon 2 feel different while still maintaining the values that made the first movie so great: love, friendship, loyalty, and finding a common ground when it seems as though two beings couldn’t be more different.
Kristina Lintz – ‘What If’
As much as we love the high-concept, sci-fi, multi-million dollar movies, sometimes it’s nice to watch a charming and delightful rom-com. What If fits the bill perfectly. It’s not a ‘chick flick,’ Katherine Heigl is neither bickering with Gerard Butler, nor trying on 27 dresses as James Marsden falls in love with her.
It stars Zoe Kazan, who has made a name for herself in the indie genre, and Daniel Radcliffe. The film looks into the world of Chantry – an animator with a skyrocketing career – and Wallace – a med school dropout who’s bumbling along until the two meet at a party hosted by her cousin/his best friend Allan, played by the hysterical Adam Driver. She has a boyfriend, he’s falling in love with her, the movie is a fresh take on a tried trope, and all the while viewers are wondering ‘what if…?’
Kristen Kranz – ‘Interstellar’
Interstellar is a monster of a movie. The scope and trajectory of the story is almost as large as the endless expanse it’s characters are trying to navigate. Not only did Nolan tell a compelling story about interstellar space travel, but he grounded an unbelievable tale with a concept humankind will always try to understand more fully: love.
Armed with a fantastic cast and one hell of a production team, Nolan put together a film that manages to span a large portion of space and more than a hundred years without losing touch with its’ emotional center. Matthew McConaughey’s performance guides the viewer seamlessly from one world to the next, keeping a timeline intact that would otherwise feel incredibly disjointed. While McConaughey’s Cooper is traipsing through other worlds, his daughter, played most skillfully by Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain, is becoming more and more bitter toward the father who abandoned her, all while working alongside the man that sent him away.
Simply put: This is a film that everyone should see. It’s intentions are pure as it goes above and beyond to show that no amount of distance or time is too far when it comes to the love of a parent for his family. Even a black hole is no match for the raw power of one man’s journey home, even if saving that home is the only reason he ever left.
Editor’s note: If you have the chance to see it in 70mm IMAX, do not pass that up.
Jen Lamoureux – ‘The Fault in Our Stars’
Adapting Young Adult novels has been a trend for the last decade but the majority of those novels were fantasy or dystopian based. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green made young adult contemporary novels the new darlings of the big screen. The adaption by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber hit all the right notes from the novel, translating the story of Hazel and Gus to the big screen and spiking the sale of Kleenex everywhere.
Both Hazel and Gus were perfectly cast. Shailene Woodley demonstrated why she has been cast in all the adaptations. As Hazel she made us laugh and cry as she navigated life with terminal cancer. Ansel Elgort simultaneously made us swoon and sob hysterically. The story of Hazel and Gus is Love Story for this generation.
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