A number of my favorite living directors released films in 2014 (a symptom of a broader shift in contemporary cinema which Richard Brody summarizes nicely for The New Yorker). So it's no surprise that I saw a total of forty-one new releases this year––a personal record. On this, the final day of the year, I've taken the time to reflect.

The Best

Birdman, dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu
Inherent Vice, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Listen Up Philip, dir. Alex Ross Perry
The Grand Budapest Hotel, dir. Wes Anderson
Nymphomania (Vol. 1 & 2), dir. Lars von Trier
Boyhood, dir. Richard Linklater
The One I Love, dir. Charlie McDowell
Citizenfour, dir. Laura Poitras
Ida, dir. Pawel Pawlikowski
Gone Girl, dir. David Fincher

Honorable Mentions

The Unknown Known, dir. Errol Morris
Mood Indigo, dir. Michel Gondry
Mistaken for Strangers, dir. Tom Berninger
The Trip to Italy, dir. Michael Winterbottom
The Interview, dir. Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen

The Worst

Tammy, dir. Ben Falcone
The Other Woman, dir. Nick Cassavetes
Walk of Shame, dir. Steven Brill
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, dir. Declan Lowney
Get on Up, dir. Tate Taylor
Rich Hill, dir. Andrew Droz Palermo & Tracy Droz Tragos
Joe, dir. David Gordon Green
Only Lovers Left Alive, dir. Jim Jarmusch
A Most Wanted Man, dir. Anton Corbijn
Chef, dir. Jon Favreau

The Middle Ground

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, dir. Adam McKay
Finding Vivian Maier, dir. John Maloof & Charlie Siskel
The Galapagos Affair: Satan Comes to Eden, dir. Daniel Geller & Dayna Goldfine
Neighbors, dir. Nicholas Stoller
Obvious Child, dir. Gillian Robespierre
Nightcrawler, dir. Dan Gilroy
Horrible Bosses 2, dir. Sean Anders
The Immigrant, dir. James Gray
22 Jump Street, dir. Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
They Came Together, dir. David Wain
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, dir. Francis Lawrence
Altman, dir. Ron Mann
Men, Women & Children, dir. Jason Reitman
Foxcatcher, dir. Bennett Miller
Happy Christmas, dir. Joe Swanberg
Night Moves, dir. Kelly Reichardt