Best-Reviewed Movies 2014 – Limited Release

 

#1

Selma (2014)
99%

#1
Adjusted Score: 114107%
Critics Consensus: Fueled by a gripping performance from David Oyelowo, Selma draws inspiration and dramatic power from the life and death of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- but doesn't ignore how far we remain from the ideals his work embodied.
Synopsis: Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it... [More]
Directed By: Ava DuVernay

#2

Life Itself (2014)
98%

#2
Adjusted Score: 107464%
Critics Consensus: Rich in detail and warmly affectionate, Life Itself offers a joyful yet poignant tribute to a critical cinematic legacy.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Steve James chronicles the life of film critic Roger Ebert, especially his career highlights, his battle with alcohol, and... [More]
Directed By: Steve James

#3

Gloria (2013)
100%

#3
Adjusted Score: 105466%
Critics Consensus: Marvelously directed by Sebastian Lelio and beautifully led by a powerful performance from Paulina Garcia, Gloria takes an honest, sweetly poignant look at a type of character that's all too often neglected in Hollywood.
Synopsis: An aging divorcee (Paulina García) embarks on an intense affair with a man (Sergio Hernández) she picked up at a... [More]
Directed By: Sebastián Lelio

#4

Whiplash (2014)
94%

#4
Adjusted Score: 108748%
Critics Consensus: Intense, inspiring, and well-acted, Whiplash is a brilliant sophomore effort from director Damien Chazelle and a riveting vehicle for stars J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller.
Synopsis: Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, in pursuit of rising to the top of his elite... [More]
Directed By: Damien Chazelle

#5

The Babadook (2014)
98%

#5
Adjusted Score: 109670%
Critics Consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.
Synopsis: A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home... [More]
Directed By: Jennifer Kent

#6

Starred Up (2013)
99%

#6
Adjusted Score: 103865%
Critics Consensus: Smart, hard-hitting, and queasily realistic, Starred Up is an instant classic of U.K. prison cinema.
Synopsis: An explosive teenager runs into his equally violent father after being switched to an adult prison from a facility for... [More]
Directed By: David Mackenzie

#7

Snowpiercer (2013)
94%

#7
Adjusted Score: 106283%
Critics Consensus: Snowpiercer offers an audaciously ambitious action spectacular for filmgoers numb to effects-driven blockbusters.
Synopsis: A post-apocalyptic ice age forces humanity's last survivors aboard a globe-spanning supertrain. One man (Chris Evans) will risk everything to... [More]
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 103065%
Critics Consensus: Part thoughtful tribute, part bittersweet reminder of a missed opportunity, Jodorowsky's Dune offers a fascinating look at a lost sci-fi legend.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky discusses how he would have adapted Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune" for the big screen.... [More]
Directed By: Frank Pavich

#9

Mr. Turner (2014)
97%

#9
Adjusted Score: 106003%
Critics Consensus: Led by a masterful performance from Timothy Spall and brilliantly directed by Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner is a superior Hollywood biopic.
Synopsis: Eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall) lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a... [More]
Directed By: Mike Leigh

#10

Leviathan (2014)
97%

#10
Adjusted Score: 103643%
Critics Consensus: Leviathan lives up to its title, offering trenchant, well-crafted social satire on a suitably grand scale.
Synopsis: A Russian fisherman (Alexey Serebryakov) fights back when a corrupt mayor tries to seize possession of his ancestral home.... [More]
Directed By: Andrey Zvyagintsev