Ten films to look out for in 2014

Whether good or bad, my top picks in films for 2014 are ones to look out for in one way or another:

The Wolf of Wall Street: Let’s face it, Leonardo DiCaprio is great in pretty much everything he is in (just block his over use of “old sport” in The Great Gatsby from your mind). This film in which he plays wild stockbroker, Jordan Belfort looks to be no different. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film also features Margot Robbie and Jonah Hill. To put it simply, this is a film with DiCaprio doing what he does best. Plus, the trailer is absolutely superb! Billed by Empire magazine as “unmissable”, why would you not want to see this?

Release date: 17th January

Inside Llewyn Davis: Set in the 1960s, this film tells the story of… you guessed it, songwriter Llweyn Davis who is played by Oscar Isaac. Isaac works alongside his Drive co-star, Carey Mulligan in this film which no doubt, will be a match made in heaven. Justin Timberlake also makes an unusual appearance in this one to watch. If you want emotional, music based drama then this if the one for you.

Release date: 24th January

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: While the title of this film gives away the villain before we’ve seen anything, I’m hoping that the film itself is far less blasé about throwing the whole plotline out there within the first half an hour. That said, everyone loves a good superhero movie, especially one which features Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson as well as 70s acting legend, Robert Redford.

Release date: 28th March

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The first film in this rebooted Spider-Man series did receive a certain amount of criticism from comic book fans everywhere. No one can deny the amazing on and off screen partnership between Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man/ Peter Parker) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) though. This year’s follow up sees Spider-Man take on his latest villain, Electro who is played by Jamie Foxx. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? See The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to give the rebooted series another chance. If that fails, at least we have Garfield and Stone to fall back on.

Release date: 18th April

Godzilla: Reboots of classics are always risky; they can go one of two ways: badly, very badly or so well that we almost forget it even had a predecessor. If the main cast in this remake of the 1954 films is anything to go by, this could just be a hit. It stars man of the moment, Bryan Cranston who captured all kinds of audiences in TV series Breaking Bad. Let’s hope he manages to pull off a performance of the same level in Godzilla. Either way, this will definitely be an interesting one to watch.

Release date: 16th May

X-Men: Days of Future Past: The seventh X-Men based film sees the main cast of X-Men: First Class (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult) return for this epic follow-up. This time we see Wolverine make more than just a cameo appearance though, with the character facing his past and future self. The latest film from Bryan Singer should smash it as long as they avoid making a third movie based solely on Wolverine.

Release date: 22nd May

Gone Girl: Adapted from a popular novel by author Gillian Flynn, this thriller tells the story of missing woman Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) and the media speculation that surrounds her husband (Ben Affleck) when it happens. Affleck has really grown up and developed his acting style in recent years, amounting to some great movie appearances and that spectacular directing role in Argo. The film is directed by David Fincher who isn’t afraid to take on a book adaptation. If this film lives up to the hype of the book then it could be up there with the great thrillers of our time.

Release date: 3rd October

Exodus: While this may sound like the kind of film you were forced to watch in Religious Education classes at school, it is far from this. Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and of course, Sigourney Weaver star in this Biblical adaptation by director Ridley Scott which is taken from the story of Moses and Ramses. This time though, it seems there will be no cheerful songs and animated characters unlike in the 1998 film ‘The Prince of Egypt’. Scott is opting for a style which will offer both natural and supernatural explanations for the plagues which Moses brings to Egypt. Ridley Scott is renowned for his imaginative, cinematic films and Bale for his outstanding performances across varying roles. If both perform in the way we know they can, this will be epic.

Release date: 12th December

The Hobbit: There and Back Again: The third and final installment of the Hobbit trilogy, adapted from the book by J.R.R. Tolkien comes to cinemas at the end of 2014. The Hobbit: There and Back Again sees the dwarves, elves and men join forces to battle against the orcs, goblins and wargs. If the previous two films (An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug) and of course, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is anything to go by, then this is going to be a conclusion of epic proportions.

Release date: 19th December

Jersey Boys: Directed by Clint Eastwood, this film tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Already an astounding stage show, the film will hopefully match up to these standards, and with Clint Eastwood at the helm, there seems a strong chance of this happening.

Release date: Has not been set for the UK yet.