In looking at the films I consider to be the best of 2014 so far compared to those I consider the worst and most disappointing I have to say, it isn’t looking like 2014 is really all that great of a year.
Then again, I’m quite fond of my “best of” list so far which includes a nice variety from a couple blockbusters (Edge of Tomorrow, X-Men: Days of Future Past) to a couple films I saw in Cannes last year (Only Lovers Left Alive, Venus in Fur), Wes Anderson‘s The Grand Budapest Hotel, two great A24 releases in Locke and The Rover and Richard Linklater‘s Boyhood, which is a bit of a cheat since it doesn’t come out until July.
Looking at that list of eight films, with two films I saw last year and one that hasn’t hit theaters yet, it leaves me with five films I saw in the first half of 2014 that I would say I’m considering for my top ten of 2014… That doesn’t seem like a lot, but how often is the first half of the movie year really that good? Plus, I didn’t go to Cannes this year, which means several films await me over the course of the coming six months, which I’ll also get into this week with a “most anticipated” list for July-December.
As far as the “worst” films of the year are concerned I felt it was probably best to break this up into “worst” and “most disappointing” and I’ll provide links to my reviews. I’ve also added an * next to the films I saw at Cannes and Toronto last year.
Worst of 2014 So Far…
- That Awkward Moment [my review]
- Begin Again* [my review]
- Devil’s Knot* [my review]
- Divergent [my review]
- Draft Day [my review]
- The Immigrant* [my review]
- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit [my review]
- Maleficent [my review]
- A Million Ways to Die in the West [my review]
- Need for Speed [my review]
- Pompeii [my review]
- Tammy [my review]
Most Disappointing of 2014 So Far…
Not many disappointments really, perhaps I’ve managed to temper my expectations a little better than normal, though while I got the feeling The Monuments Men wouldn’t be all that good, I still was a little letdown at just how dull it actually ended up being.
So is this a great year for movies so far or is it impossible to determine a year’s worth so early on and with the back-loaded awards season log jam yet to reveal itself? Weigh in with your worst of lists below and a few films you’re looking forward to seeing in the second half of the year as I’ll be offering my “most anticipated” list soon enough.
Oh, and if you’re interested in what I consider to be the best so far click here.
