This year, more than 600 movies received a theatrical release (I probably saw at least 120 titles, and I can definitely recommend more than half of those). So, even if you went to see a new movie every day, you still likely missed some gems. With many quality features slotted for the end of the year, with the hopes of drawing some awards love, it becomes even harder to catch up with perennial critics’ choices and looming cult favorites.
2014 was packed to the brim with exceptional films, even toward the beginning of the year. In fact, five of the films on this list of ten were in theaters before May. However, many avid moviegoers who do not live near major cultural centers or just did not have all of the time to catch championed art-house films and documentaries missed out on some good ones.
From a Japanese filmmaker’s swan song to a supremely entertaining showbiz doc co-directed by one of comedy’s biggest stars, 2014 had no shortage of terrific films flying under-the-radar. The year also introduced us to many new voices for independent American cinema. So, any moviegoers with a dearth of low budget, art-house or non-fiction picks on their best-of lists this year may want to broaden their spectrum.
On that note, here is a look at 10 of the year’s best and most over-looked films.