The Best Movies Of 2014 (LIST)

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2014 was a good year for movies, a worthy follow-up to the phenomenal 2013.

Hollywood managed to touch on a range of emotions for movie-goers everywhere. The Fault In Our Stars had audiences in tears, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 had people ready to stand up to authority, and Selma had folks contemplating the importance of civil rights through a modern lens.

And in the aftermath of the killings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and many others, Selma takes the spot as GlobalGrind’s Best Movie of 2014. Check out the rest of our list below.

1. Selma

Every now and then a movie comes along and perfectly captures the mood of a nation – the exact same can be said for Selma. The movie follows Martin Luther King’s March on Selma, Alabama and comes right when thousands of people are taking to the streets to protest police brutality, serving as a reminder of just how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. The first major motion picture about the life of Dr. King is beautifully done by director Ava DuVernay, while David Oyelowo masters his role as MLK, making Selma the best movie of the year.

2. Gone Girl

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike perfectly recreated Gillian Flynn’s novel for the big screen. The movie is filled with twists and turns and leaves you on the edge of your seat. Even if you read the book and know what’s going to happen, the suspense is deliciously thick throughout the film.

3. Interstellar

This movie is visually stunning; the special effects mixed with the scientific facts and great acting from Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon, and Matthew McConaughey makes it a staple on every top movie list of 2014. Whether you got it or not, it’s clear Christopher Nolan did the damn thing.

4. Whiplash

Miles Teller and JK Simmons’ chemistry on-screen makes this movie one of the best of the year. Miles plays a drummer named Andrew who gets accepted into the best jazz ensemble in the nation, but soon finds out that his teacher Terence Fletcher is ruthless and will stop at nothing to bring out the best in his pupil.

5. Top Five

This is Chris Rock’s best movie ever. Top Five is like a Woody Allen film for hip-hop heads. Chris perfectly uses cameos from all of your favorite actors like Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Jerry Seinfeld, and more. Plus giving huge roles to Rosario Dawson and Gabrielle Union, you can’t go wrong. This movie is funny, romantic, and will bring out your inner hip-hop head.

6. Nightcrawler

It’s a great thing to watch someone reach their full potential and that’s exactly what happens when Lou Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) goes from hustle man into the dangerous world of capturing the wildest events on camera – things like murder, deaths, car crashes, and more. Watching this sociopath at work is one of the most entertaining things on the big screen this year.

7. The Grand Budapest Hotel

This movie was so beautifully shot, it had to make our list. The colors leave you in awe, while the dark nature of the content keeps you locked on the screen. At the Grand Budapest Hotel, the concierge sleeps with old women for their money, teaches a young boy how to rise to the top of the hotel business, and steals a priceless painting.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy

The best superhero movie of the year – hands down. Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, and Zoe Saldana head a great cast as a bunch of rebels, who go from trying to kill each other to the Guardians of the Galaxy saving the universe. The visual effects are off the chain and the soundtrack is even better.

9. Edge of Tomorrow

Tom Cruise returns with a great film about a man forced to Live. Die. Repeat. everyday, while aliens attack the earth. It’s action-packed, funny, and there’s even a little bit of a love story.

10. Beyond the Lights

Gina Prince-Bythewood did a beautiful job making this love story her follow-up film to the classic Love & Basketball. This movie captures love and the music industry in a way that’s never been done before. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker have impressive and captivating chemistry.

11. Neighbors

Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Jerrod Carmichael, and Zac Efron do the damn thing in this silly movie. What it lacks in tact, it makes up for in pure laugh-out-loud humor.

12. Chef

Who doesn’t love movies about fatherhood and food? Add in a pinch of Sofia Vergara, a large serving of Jon Favreau, a dash of Scarlett Johansson, and this movie is about as tasty as it gets. Director and star Favreau was able to tie Twitter beef, real beef, and Cuban food trucks all into one film. You can’t beat that.

13. X-Men Days of Future Past

The prequels meet the original cast. In a year of way too many superhero movies, the mutants prove the genre is not yet dead – when done the right way.

14. 22 Jump Street

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum come back together, this time to go to college to bust up a drug ring. It’s nothing but super funny moments, and one of the smartest and cheekiest sequels we’ve ever seen.

Honorable Mention: Time Is Illmatic