The world of cinema did not disappoint this year. From porn addiction and zombies, to the tale of a musician down on his luck, Hollywood generated movies that gave audiences an amazing experience from start to finish. The Untitled Magazine has put together a list of the top 13 movies from this past year and, if you haven’t yet seen all of them, you absolutely should before the ball drops!
The Coen brothers have created a masterpiece with ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’. The tale of a struggling musician set in 1960s New York City gives us a look at the early beginnings of folk music. Amazing performances from Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and John Goodman are accompanied by an equally amazing soundtrack. This film has garnered 3 Golden Globe nominations and was named as one of the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute.
The movie, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, is about a man with HIV-AIDS. We watched as the two stars transformed their physical appearances to fully absorb themselves into their characters and the outcome did not disappoint. The film showcases the two star’s most important performances to date and has been nominated for awards from both the SAG Awards and Golden Globes.
Nominated for ‘best picture’ at the Golden Globes proves that this highly-anticipated film is indeed all that it’s been talked-up to be. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill portray two Wall Street bankers that refuse to cooperate in a large securities fraud case that includes mob infiltration into Wall Street and the corporate banking world. The film is an adaptation of the book by the same name that is based on true events.
The intensity of ‘Prisoners’ had audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Hugh Jackman stars alongside Terrance Howard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Paul Dano in a story about two young girls that go missing. Jackman and Howard play the fathers of the missing girls – Jackman being the parent who takes the law into his own hands when Gyllenhaal lets the prime suspect free. We don’t want to give too much away, so make sure you add ‘Prisoners’ to your list of must-see movies!
The star-studded cast of ‘American Hustle’ work in perfect harmony to tell the story of con man Irving Rosenfeld, who is forced to work for a wild FBI agent that pushes him into a world of Jersey power-brokers and mafia. The movie is loosely based on true events and is rumored to be a running contender for an Oscar nomination.
Harmony Korine’s ‘Spring Breakers’ is easily one of the year’s most outrageous films. Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson become the stars of the drug-filled, pistol-whipping film alongside James Franco. As crazy as the film is, there’s something about it that had us going back to RedBox to watch it again and again. Many film critics and fans alike have been campaigning for an Oscar nomination for James Franco’s performance.
Based on the book of the same title, the film chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa. A riveting, true story of a man who never gave up – no matter what the circumstance. Be sure to check out our review of the film here.
Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Jay Baruchel, and Danny McBride all star in the comedy film of the year. Playing themselves, while poking fun at their off-screen personas throughout the film, proved to work in their favor. In the film, the Rapture has come, and all the worthy souls have ascended to heaven. But back at James Franco’s house party, none of the young, rich, and famous attendees have even noticed. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg collectively wrote one of the funniest films of the past few years.
Based on an incredible true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom, the film follows a freed slave from upstate New York as he’s abducted and sold into slavery. Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Fassbender star in one of the most intense films ever made. The film is up for nominations from the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and is slated to gain nominations from the Oscars as well.
After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger’s modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again. Starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin, the film addresses real-world concerns such as wealth, class, and gender. Written and directed by Woody Allen, the film has been nominated at the Golden Globes as well as at the SAG awards.
‘Kill Your Darlings’ is based on a true story of friendship, love and murder. The film recounts the pivotal year that changed author Allen Ginsberg’s life forever and provided the spark for him to start his creative revolution. The film also chronicles the friendship that Ginsberg formed with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac that would cast conformity to the wind, and serve as the foundation of the Beat movement.
‘World War Z’ came to theaters just as the zombie phenomenon was sweeping the country this year. It is the first movie of it’s genre to use the term “zombie” and is chock-full of action. Brad Pitt does not disappoint as a United Nations employee who travels the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity.
Written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, ‘Don Jon’ takes audiences on a journey of self-destruction, self-acceptance and overall self-pleasure. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in the movie alongside Scarlett Johansen, Tony Danza and Julienne Moore. The romantic comedy was a brilliantly told story of fighting against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy.
– Jessica Natale for The Untitled Magazine
