10 Epic Genre Films From 2014

Last year boasted an eclectic mix of genre flicks. From cult leaders to black holes, and one old train on a very long track -- here's the list of my favorites from 2014.

1. Snowpiercer

Via kotaku.com

Ah, my number one of 2014. Snowpiercer had me within the first twenty minutes of the film. Based on the French graphic novel of the same name, the Snowpiercer is a train powered by a perpetual motion engine that houses the remaining survivors of a man-made ice-age. Class warfare ensues; calamity and insanity follow. Directed by Bong Joon-ho (The Host), and produced by Park Chan-wook (The Vengeance Trilogy), this film boasts some of the most fun, exciting and stylish fight scenes seen since, well, The Vengeance Trilogy. It stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris and Song Kang Ho. Available on Netflix instant.

2. The Sacrament

Via bloody-disgusting.com

Holy crap. Ti West (House of the Devil) truly outdid himself with this found-footage gem. Produced by Eli Roth and starring AJ Bowen and Joe Swanberg (You're Next), The Sacrament is not only genuinely scary, but modeled after Jim Jones and the 1978 Jonestown massacre in Guyana. Don't drink the Kool-Aid, but do watch this impressive film.

Also: the cult leader sort of reminds me of a sinister Mrs. Doubtfire.

Available on Netflix instant.

3. Blue Ruin

Via celluloidoptimist.com

Don't ever, ever kill anybody this dude loves. Look at him. Most of that blood is not his. Don't murder anybody, but especially don't murder anybody this guy knows.

Available on Netflix instant.

4. Interstellar

Via screenrant.com

The consensus on this film seems split down the middle among science-fiction fans. Me? I thought it was bloody beautiful. Directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Wooderson and that chick from The Princess Diaries, Interstellar doesn't fail to impress in terms of cinematography, score and style. Hans Zimmer composed the crap out of the score, making outer space feel like a holy, sacred experience I never wanted to escape. The science is fascinating, and the story is touching -- I even enjoyed the fairy tale ending. Ignore the haters and see this flick. It impresses almost as much at home as it does in theaters.

5. The Guest

Via frightfest.co.uk

Matthew of Downton Abbey didn't die in a car wreck. He moved to the United States, joined the military and became a total, complete psychopath.

Part Halloween and part Terminator with just a dash of Drive, The Guest is a phenomenal horror/thriller hybrid with stunning visuals and an even better soundtrack.

Available on Amazon instant.

6. The Babadook

Via moviepilot.com

What can I say about The Babadook? One part supernatural mind-f**k, and two parts psychological horror, this film has been at the top of many 2014 lists. Directed by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook tells the tale of an overwhelmed single mother with an unruly, sort of creepy kid, and the psychologically manifested ghoul who loves them.

Available on Amazon instant.

7. Only Lovers Left Alive

Photograph: Gordon A Timpin

Tom Hiddleston IS sex, and Tilda Swinton (appearing on this list for the second time), is gorgeous in this hypnotizing character study of two very old, very different, vampires in love. John Hurt also appears for the second time on this list, playing Shakespeare contemporary, Christopher Marlowe. Director Jim Jarmusch (Coffee and Cigarettes, Ghost Dog) combines elements of The Hunger and The Vampire Chronicles to great effect. This film isn't so much horror or supernatural thriller as it is an in depth look at complicated relationships. Also, just another reminder that Tom Hiddleston is sex. Even with that dead animal chilling on his head.

8. Oculus

John Estes / Via filmracket.com

Amy Pond sans Doctor vs. a sinister mirror. Need I say more?

Available on Amazon instant.

9. Godzilla

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture / Via en.wikipedia.org

Put the 1998 Godzilla out of your minds. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters), and starring the amazing Bryan Cranston (if only for a second), Ken Watanabe, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, this dark reimagining of the legendary Godzilla puts our beloved monster back on the map. I wish there was more of him in the film than was shown, but the film still works in terms of suspense and pure entertainment.

10. Witching and Bitching

Via twitchfilm.com

I wasn't really sure if I wanted to see this -- at first. But then I saw the still of Jesus Christ with a shotgun, and I knew I had to see it. Alejandro de la Iglesia directed this Spanish comedy-horror, and it works on several levels: it's funny, gross, weird and subversive. Cannibalistic witches, male angst, female frustration, and a giant Venus of Willendorf -- what more do you need? Spolier: Spongebob dies.

Available on Netflix instant.