The Films of 2014.
Box Office Mojo lists 691 films in theatrical release for 2014. For some reason, and with great hubris, the movie critics of The New York Times claim to have reviewed over 950 films this year — a little over two and a half a day–and over 250 movies more than were actually released.
We have not seen as many, though we expect to bring the eventual final number close to eighty or ninety. At this time we have only seen seventy six films, some in theatrical release, some on that smaller screen in the family room. It does include six of the ten top grossing films of the year (missing out: The Hobbit, Transformers Age of Extinction, X-Men Days of Future Past, and Big Hero 6), but also includes some art fair, with a box office rank in the 400’s out of the 691, taking in a little under $40K (the lowest box office for the year was $398 – three hundred and ninety eight with zero cents).
Despite having a little more movies in theatrical release (691 to 687), box office in 2014 ($10.20B / avg.: $14.8K) was lower than 2013 ($10.95B / avg: $15.9K) by 7.3%, that result from a combination of average lower ticket price (less 3D releases) and less ticket sales (5.96 % less). The latter perhaps a reflection of the fact that, generally, 2013 had better movies overall than 2014.
The Rankings
As in previous years (2011, 2012, 2013), we divide the categories into five, listed by number of films in that category: Drama, Comedy, Action, Animated and Horror. This year the total list includes one documentary, Life Itself, an outstanding work, and ranked in our scale at number nine. As in the past, films with an asterisk (*) are included in our Library of Scripts, (some may be still available directly in our 2014 screenplay page) and if there is comment on A Film Look, a link to such comment is indicated.
Click here for NOMINATIONS AND AWARDS PILE UP FOR 2014
Drama – Top Five out of Thirty Films
| Genre Rank | Rank | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Wild * | 10 | A+ | $ 35,119,405 | 83 |
| 2 | 3 | Whiplash* | 10 | A | $ 7,600,000 | 138 |
| 3 | 4 | Nightcrawler* – comment | 10 | A | $ 32,317,069 | 87 |
| 4 | 5 | Boyhood * comment | 10 | A | $ 24,906,392 | 102 |
| 5 | 6 | The Imitation Game * | 10 | A | $ 62,781,636 | 51 |
Comedy – Top Five out of Eighteen Films
| Genre Rank | Rank | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | 2 | Birdman * – comment | 10 | A | $ 31,721,998 | 88 |
| 2 | 8 | Top Five – comment | 9 | A- | $ 25,283,263 | 100 |
| 3 | 10 | Big Eyes * | 7 | B+ | $ 14,109,855 | 121 |
| 4 | 20 | Grand Budapest Hotel * | 7 | B+ | $ 59,076,019 | 55 |
| 5 | 22 | St. Vincent * | 7 | B+ | $ 42,911,965 | 73 |
Action – Top Five out of Eighteen Films
| Genre Rank | Rank | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | 12 | Interstellar * | 8 | B+ | $186,465,500 | 16 |
| 2 | 13 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | 8 | B+ | $208,545,589 | 11 |
| 3 | 16 | Guardians of the Galaxy | 8 | B+ | $333,176,600 | 2 |
| 4 | 18 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | 8 | B+ | $334,577,672 | 1 |
| 5 | 26 | Edge of Tomorrow * | 8 | B+ | $100,206,256 | 29 |
Animated
| Genre Rank | Rank | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | 17 | The LEGO Movie | 8 | B+ | $257,760,692 | 4 |
| 2 | 27 | Rio 2 | 8 | B+ | $131,538,435 | 22 |
| 3 | 44 | Train Your Dragon 2 * | 7 | B | $177,002,924 | 17 |
| 4 | 45 | Mr. Peabody & Sherman | 7 | B | $111,506,430 | 27 |
Horror
| Genre Rank | Rank | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | 28 | The Babadook | 7 | B+ | $ 608,103 | 216 |
| 2 | 50 | Under the Skin * | 6 | B | $ 2,614,251 | 170 |
| 3 | 72 | Vampire Academy | 2 | C- | $ 7,791,979 | 136 |
The Full List
| Rank | Genre | Title | Score | Grade | Box Office | BO Rank |
| 1 | Drama | Wild * |
10 | A+ | $ 35,808,191 | 83 |
| 2 | Comedy | Birdman * – comment |
10 | A | $ 33,517,926 | 88 |
| 3 | Drama | Whiplash * | 10 | A | $ 8,650,000 | 138 |
| 4 | Drama | Nightcrawler * – comment |
10 | A | $ 32,370,104 | 87 |
| 5 | Drama | Boyhood * – comment |
10 | A | $ 25,048,817 | 102 |
| 6 | Drama | The Imitation Game * |
10 | A | $ 68,853,208 | 51 |
| 7 | Drama | Foxcatcher * |
10 | A | $ 11,451,000 | 126 |
| 8 | Comedy | Top Five – comment |
9 | A- | $ 25,283,263 | 100 |
| 9 | Documentary | Life Itself | 9 | A- | $ 810,454 | 222 |
| 10 | Comedy | Big Eyes * |
8 | B+ | $ 14,109,855 | 121 |
| 11 | Drama | Gone Girl * |
8 | B+ | $167,628,577 | 18 |
| 12 | Action | Interstellar * |
8 | B+ | $186,465,500 | 16 |
| 13 | Action | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | 8 | B+ | $208,545,589 | 11 |
| 14 | Drama | The Theory of Everything * |
8 | B+ | $ 29,600,445 | 94 |
| 15 | Drama | Unbroken * |
8 | B+ | $113,094,425 | 26 |
| 16 | Action | Guardians of the Galaxy | 8 | B+ | $333,176,600 | 2 |
| 17 | Animated | The LEGO Movie | 8 | B+ | $257,760,692 | 4 |
| 18 | Action | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | 8 | B+ | $335,218,921 | 1 |
| 19 | Drama | Begin Again | 8 | B+ | $ 16,170,632 | 114 |
| 20 | Comedy | The Grand Budapest Hotel * |
8 | B+ | $ 59,076,019 | 55 |
| 21 | Drama | Selma | 8 | B+ | $ 40,907,928 | 78 |
| 22 | Comedy | St. Vincent * |
8 | B+ | $ 42,911,965 | 73 |
| 23 | Drama | Chef * |
8 | B+ | $ 31,424,003 | 89 |
| 24 | Drama | Get On Up * |
8 | B+ | $ 30,703,100 | 90 |
| 25 | Drama | Locke * |
8 | B+ | $ 1,375,769 | 196 |
| 26 | Action | Edge of Tomorrow * |
8 | B+ | $100,206,256 | 33 |
| 27 | Animated | Rio 2 | 8 | B+ | $131,538,435 | 22 |
| 28 | Horror | The Babadook | 8 | B+ | $ 608,103 | 216 |
| 29 | Drama | Ida | 8 | B+ | $ 3,702,612 | 137 |
| 30 | Drama | Cake * |
8 | B+ | $ 1,703,631 | (2015) |
| 31 | Action | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 8 | B+ | $259,766,572 | 3 |
| 32 | Drama | Into the Woods * |
8 | B+ | $122,446,032 | 25 |
| 33 | Drama | The Drop | 8 | B+ | $ 10,724,389 | 128 |
| 34 | Drama | The Immigrant | 8 | B+ | $ 2,025,328 | 185 |
| 35 | Comedy | Obvious Child | 8 | B+ | $ 3,123,963 | 162 |
| 36 | Comedy | Bad Words | 8 | B+ | $ 7,779,614 | 137 |
| 37 | Drama | The Fault in our Stars * |
7 | B | $124,872,350 | 24 |
| 38 | Drama | Child of God – comment |
7 | B | $ 39,324 | 451 |
| 39 | Action | Divergent | 7 | B | $150,947,895 | 19 |
| 40 | Drama | Belle * |
7 | B | $ 10,726,630 | 127 |
| 41 | Action | Maleficent * |
7 | B | $241,410,378 | 7 |
| 42 | Comedy | The Interview | 7 | B | $ 6,105,175 | 141 |
| 43 | Action | Lucy | 7 | B | $126,663,600 | 23 |
| 44 | Animated | Train Your Dragon 2 * |
7 | B | $177,002,924 | 17 |
| 45 | Animated | Mr. Peabody & Sherman | 7 | B | $111,506,430 | 27 |
| 46 | Drama | A Most Wanted Man | 7 | B | $ 17,237,855 | 113 |
| 47 | Action | Fury (2014) | 6 | B- | $ 84,705,660 | 37 |
| 48 | Action | Non-Stop * |
6 | B- | $ 92,168,600 | 34 |
| 49 | Action | Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit | 6 | B- | $ 50,577,412 | 64 |
| 50 | Horror | Under the Skin * |
6 | B- | $ 2,614,251 | 170 |
| 51 | Comedy | The One I Love | 6 | B- | $ 513,447 | 248 |
| 52 | Action | 3 Days to Kill | 6 | B- | $ 30,697,999 | 91 |
| 53 | Action | Godzilla |
6 | B- | $200,676,069 | 13 |
| 54 | Action | Amazing Spider-Man 2 | 6 | B- | $202,853,933 | 12 |
| 55 | Comedy | Neighbors | 6 | B- | $150,157,400 | 20 |
| 56 | Drama | Enemy | 6 | B- | $ 1,008,726 | 213 |
| 57 | Comedy | The Trip to Italy | 6 | B- | $ 2,873,758 | 163 |
| 58 | Action | American Sniper * comment |
6 | B- | $253,320,791 | 10 |
| 59 | Comedy | 22 Jump Street | 6 | B- | $191,719,337 | 14 |
| 60 | Drama | Transcendence | 6 | B- | $23,022,309 | 105 |
| 61 | Action | Snowpiercer * |
6 | B- | $ 4,563,650 | 146 |
| 62 | Drama | Only Lovers Left Alive | 6 | B- | $ 1,879,534 | 186 |
| 63 | Drama | The Skeleton Twins | 6 | B- | $ 5,284,309 | 144 |
| 64 | Drama | Winter’s Tale | 6 | B- | $ 12,600,231 | 122 |
| 65 | Drama | God’s Pocket | 4 | C | $ 166,457 | 331 |
| 66 | Comedy | And So It Goes | 4 | C | $15,160,801 | 117 |
| 67 | Comedy | A Million Ways to Die in the West * |
4 | C | $ 43,139,300 | 75 |
| 68 | Comedy | About Last Night |
4 | C | $ 48,637,684 | 67 |
| 69 | Action | Noah | 4 | C | $101,200,044 | 32 |
| 70 | Comedy | Hateship Loveship | 3 | C- | $ 51,610 | 426 |
| 71 | Comedy | Anchorman 2 (R- Extended Cut) | 3 | C- | $ 2,184,339 | 181 |
| 72 | Horror | Vampire Academy | 3 | C- | $ 7,791,979 | 136 |
| 73 | Comedy | The Other Woman |
3 | C- | $ 83,911,193 | 41 |
| 74 | Comedy | Sex Tape | 5 | C+ | $ 38,543,473 | 81 |
| 75 | Drama | Walk of Shame | 2 | D | $ 59,209 | 405 |
| 76 | Comedy | Blended | 2 | D | $ 46,294,610 | 71 |