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Most Underrated Films of 2014

2014 was a truly incredible year for cinema and one of the best of all time. Thus, most of the big movies released that year got their proper due, but not all. This list is meant to put more attention to some undervalued and underseen films, movies that most critics and audiences brushed aside. Here are the most underrated films of 2014.

5. The Good Lie

A drama about an American woman who changes the lives of a group of Sudanese refugees for the better, The Good Lie definitely has its issues, but it mostly managed to transcend its familiar narrative and inspirational melodrama trappings and deliver something truly moving and emotionally rewarding as a result. The characters are very well developed, making you root for them in the process. It’s a wonderful film that was a positively uplifting take on what could have easily been a depressing story. It’s an underrated gem that deserves more attention.

4. Predestination

This indie SF feature about time travel has its plot holes as the story makes no sense when you really think about it, but it doesn’t matter as that storyline is so riveting, original and unforgettable. It piles twist after twist upon viewers, leaving you shocked and fascinated throughout. It’s a thematically provocative genre flick that benefits from an outstanding Sarah Snook central turn, excellent dialogue and a strong character study at its core. It’s one of the best and most underappreciated genre flicks of not just its year, but the entire decade.

3. Into the Woods

Into the Woods remains a highly underrated musical that critics accuse for its tonal shift in the second half, but for me the heart and soul of the movie lies in that dark, but moving section where the themes are best explored and the stakes are high. Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep are the acting highlights while Ann Kendrick is the singing standout. The songs are mostly fantastic and some are even quite deep in their lyrics. It’s a wonderful movie that got the short end of the stick from the critics, but is very good if given a chance.

2. Noah

Noah is an epic Biblical movie that was criticized way too much and it deserves more praise for so many things that it did right. While undeniably too ambitious for its own sake, the movie works both as a fantastical narrative within the context of the Bible and a deeply intimate drama that humanized and modernized this ancient story effectively. The acting performances are strong, the cinematography is gorgeous and the score is quite rousing, making for a rich audio-visual experience and one of the most epic movies of its decade.

1. Interstellar

And of course Interstellar has to be the winner of this contest. This is where finally Christopher Nolan made a film for me, a movie that I loved watching both times that I saw it, and critics and audiences went after it unfairly so. Yes, the sound mixing is bad. Yes, it may just be too emotional for its own sake. But I would rather have an emotional instead of cold story that usually plagues most of Nolan’s films. Interstellar is scientifically extremely accurate and it develops its themes and ideas wonderfully. It’s one of the most unique and entertaining hard SF movies that you can watch and clearly the director’s best and most underappreciated effort.

Honorable Mentions:

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – This Iranian horror film took the standard vampire formula and did something new with it. It’s a grounded take on this trope and genre, one that benefitted strongly from its interesting setting and gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. It’s a creepy flick and a work of art technically speaking.

When Marnie Was There – This is one of the best and most underrated Studio Ghibli movies, a film that features an intriguing mystery at its core and a phenomenal twist that actually worked and enriched the story at hand beautifully. It also has great characters and gorgeous animation. It deserves more love for sure.

Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants – Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants is one of the best animated films of 2014. It’s an underrated gem that literally brings back the classic traditions of silent cinema while imbuing it with modern technologies. It’s an intrepid adventure first and foremost and one of the most charming animated features of the decade.