Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2014 + The Rest

1) Whiplash

Why it's worth watching: Who would have thought a movie about jazz drumming could have the most intense ending of 2014? My hands were gripping hard to the armrest on the chair. I still remember my body tensing up and sweating profusely during the climax. From the fantastic soundtrack to the impressive performances of Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash will leave you wanting more once the screen goes black.

2) Boyhood

Why it's worth watching: Shot over the span of twelve years, Boyhood follows the life of Mason from 1st grade all the way to the end of 12th grade. It's a landmark achievement in film making and every growing boy (and mother) will find something they truly identify with here.

3) Nightcrawler

Why it's worth watching: Coming into this movie, I wasn't expecting much but after it ended, I was blown away. Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who finds a new career in recording grisly crime scenes and selling it to the local news stations for money. What impressed me about Nightcrawler was its night time cinematography and oh my goodness, that car chase. That car chase! Rarely do you ever see an exhilarating car chase where the camera is stable. You see everything here. Finally, this might be Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance to date. Creepy and sociapathic and yet charismatic to watch. Gyllenhaal has been on a roll in these past few years. The box office failure of Prince of Persia might have been the best thing that's ever happen to his career.

4) Gone Girl

Why it's worth watching: You think you know the movie. You think you have it all figured out. The first hour of Gone Girl is fairly procedural when it comes to the typical mystery/thriller movies. It's about midway in when the first big twist unfolds and Gone Girl shows its true colors as a great film. Saying any more would ruin the fun.

5) X-Men: Days of Future Past

Why it's worth watching: First and foremost, The sequence where Quicksilver does his thing is one of THE best scenes of 2014. That said, I really enjoyed Days of Future Past. I really did. What sets this apart from movies like The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are the performances of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Both actors always deliver and the chemistry between them is a treat to watch. There's also Hugh Jackman, who plays the charismatic lead and following him through the 1970's in this movie was a great adventure. That's what I really liked about Days of Future Past. From start to finish, it was a fun movie.

6) Edge of Tomorrow

Why it's worth watching: The other dynamic duo I enjoyed watching onscreen was Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow. Tom Cruise is known to play tough and badass characters in his long career but here, he actually plays a coward named Cage. He gets recruited to infantry, thrown into the middle of a battlefield, and dies very early in the movie. Suddenly Cage wakes up and finds himself in a familiar place. Later on, we meet Emily Blunt's character, Rita and through the course of the film, she trains him to become a better soldier. Unfortunately, Cage dies a lot and every time he does, the day resets. This means he has to start all over again. Fantastic chemistry between Blunt and Cruise. Rita is one of the best female heroines in recent memory. I wish I could say more but you have to watch this movie. More people do. Extremely underrated.

7) Birdman

Why it's worth watching: Presented as one long take for the entire movie, Birdman is about Riggan Thomson (played by Michael Keaton), a struggling actor who had former success as a cinema superhero, who attempts to revitalize his career by performing an ambitious Broadway play. Filled with gorgeous cinematography done by Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, Children of Men) and knockout performances by Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone and even Zach Galifianakis, Birdman is a must watch.

8) Enemy

Why it's worth watching: I'll say it right now, I think Enemy has the scariest movie ending of all time. What makes it work is the fact that you DO NOT see it coming. Nobody, I mean NOBODY could have predicted that! However, after witnessing it, you begin to wonder about its significance and that's where the magic of Enemy continues. It's a fantastic film that's very thought-provoking. The movie has you engaged from start to finish, especially once Jake Gyllenhaal's character finds out that he has a doppelganger.

9) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Why it's worth watching: I never cared for the Planet of the Apes franchise. Even when Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released, I had no interest. The Blu-Ray was on sale during Black Friday and I decided to buy it. After watching Rise, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. Caesar, a completely CGI character onscreen with live actors, had so much humanity in him. It was amazing. When Dawn of the Planet of the Apes came out, I wasn't hyped as I should have been and after seeing that movie, I'm now ready for more. More Caesar!

10) The Raid 2

Why it's worth watching: Bigger and badder than the first movie, The Raid 2 pushes the limit of action cinema combat. If I'm not mistaken, there are at least 15 different action sequences in the 150 minute run time. I remember watching the movie with a hyped up crowd, two weeks before its North American release, and the experience was unforgettable. Every final blow resulted in an enthuastic "Ooh!" or "Aah!" from the crowd. To top it off, director Gareth Evans and lead actor Iko Uwais came onstage for an entertaining Q&A. The climactic showdown between Rama and the Assassin, also known as "The Kitchen Fight", is definitely one of the best onscreen fights of all time.

...and the rest:

11. Foxcatcher
12. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
13. Interstellar
14. Fury
15. Predestination
16. The Equalizer
17. Guardians of the Galaxy
18. Locke
19. John Wick
20. 22 Jump Street
21. The Lego Movie
22. Blue Ruin
23. The Drop
24. The Babadook
25. Neighbors
26. The Guest
27. My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn
28. The Fault In Our Stars
29. A Walk Among The Tombstones
30. As Above So Below
31. The Rover
32. Snowpiercer
33. Godzilla
34. The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin
35. The Purge: Anarchy
36 The Sacrament
37. Robocop
38. Need For Speed
39. Deliver Us From Evil
40. The Expendables 3
41. Sabotage
42. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit