The Best of 2014

Here at Bangerang Movies, we have a tradition of compiling an annual best-of list to celebrate the most outstanding films released in the previous year.  This year is no different.  To be honest, 2014 left quite a lot to be desired.  Living up to the juggernaut movie year that was 2013 was a task that was nearly impossible to accomplish.  There were quite a few really good movies released in the past year, just not a lot of great ones.  That being said, the 5 movies listed below are all highly recommended and should be immediately added to your Netflix queue or Redbox wish list.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy

A welcome departure from Marvel's usual superhero trappings, "Guardians of the Galaxy" proved to be a funny and imaginative space opera that just so happened to be based on a comic book.  This was one of the biggest (and best) surprises of the year.

4. The Imitation Game

The most fascinating historical film of the year had to be Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game," the little-known story of Alan Turing and his team of mathematicians who broke the Nazi code during World War II.  This is a fitting tribute to the heroic and ultimately tragic work of the father of the modern computer.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director Bryan Singer returns to the "X-Men" franchise to right some of the wrongs of the previous installments and to tell a riveting story that connects the future of the series to its past.  Drawing terrific performances from his cast and great story-telling from Simon Kinberg, Singer delivers quite possibly the best X-Men film yet.

2. Interstellar

Christopher Nolan is arguably the most consistently great director working in Hollywood today, and "Interstellar" is certainly a reflection of that.  While not quite a complete home run, this space epic is a visually stunning, intellectually challenging and emotional roller coaster of a film and one of the very best of the year.

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Our pick for the best film of the year is the surprisingly great sequel to the surprisingly great reboot of the classic "Planet of the Apes" franchise.  Director Matt Reeves takes the helm this time and amplifies everything that made this film's predecessor great: ground-breaking special effects, relevant social commentary and a fascinating character study.  This was the most truly great film of 2014.