10 Great Overlooked Films from 2014

Have you noticed there are more movies than ever coming out each week? There were over 600 major releases that opened last year, and with the ease of digital distribution and streaming network that number is only going to increase. So there's simply no way anybody can catch them all. It's simply not possible.

The "Overlooked" list is always a tough balancing act for me. Last year I left off a criminally underseen indie like Short Term 12 because it ended up at the top of my "Best" chart, and that problem has reared its ugly head again. Why should I put great movies like Frank or God Help the Girl here when I have them so high elsewhere? And as is the case every single year, there are more than enough films deserving of your attention that sadly got lost in the tidal wave of big-budget sequels and franchises. So here are just 10 of them you may have missed that are definitely worth your time.

The One I Love (review here)
Director: Charlie McDowell
Cast: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson


Film Clip: 'The One I Love' by WSJ Live

The Skeleton Twins (review here)
Director: Craig Johnson
Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell


Kristen Wiig is Mad at Bill Hader in THE SKELETON TWINS Clip ('Wow') by The Seven Sees

Enemy (review here)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Sarah Gadon, Melanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini


Enemy - Clip 2 by Flixgr

Joe (review here)
Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan


Joe Movie CLIP - Trouble (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan Drama HD by Trailer 2014

Cold in July (review here)
Director: Jim Mickle
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson, Vinessa Shaw


Cold In July - Clip: Beat Down by Dread Central

Fort Bliss (review here)
Claudia Myers
Cast: Michelle Monaghan, Ron Livingston

Keep On Keepin' On
Director: Alan Hicks
Cast: Clark Terry, Justin Kauflin


Film Clip: 'Keep on Keepin' On' by WSJ Live

Force Majeure
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Cast: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli


Film Clip: 'Force Majeure' by WSJ Live

The Babadook (review here)
Director: Jennifer Kent
Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman

THE BABADOOK Movie CLIP - The Book (2014) - Horror Movie HD by Horror Movie Trailers

The Book of Life (review here)
Director: Jorge Gutierrez
Cast: Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Ron Perlman, Ice Cube, Kate del Castillo


The Book Of Life - Clip - Land Of The Remembered by MyMovies_International

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Interview: Michelle Monaghan Talks 'Fort Bliss', Balancing Parenthood and Duty, and More

We're so accustomed to seeing Michelle Monaghan in supporting roles, usually in romantic comedies, that we forget just how talented she really is. Leading dramatic roles haven't come often but when they have Monaghan has knocked them out of the park. In 2006 she earned a great deal of praise for her performance in Trucker, and she's earning equally strong reviews for Fort Bliss. Directed by Claudia Myers, the film stars Monaghan as a decorated Army medic who returns home after a 15-month tour only to have trouble acclimating to civilian life. Her 5-year-old son barely recognizes her, her ex-husband has a new woman, and another deployment looms on the horizon.

Authenticity abounds both in front of and behind the camera. Myers spent years directing short films for the U.S. military, while Monaghan worked closely with soldiers and parents to get a sense for how they've dealt with the pull of parenthood and duty. The film also deals with the subject of sexual assault against female servicewomen, a problem that has been revealed to be all too common of late. Along with my colleague Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with Monaghan about Fort Bliss, what she learned while researching the film, and working with Myers on her debut feature.

Fort Bliss is in theaters now. You can check out my review here.

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Trailer for 'Fort Bliss' Starring Michelle Monaghan

It's a shame that much of Michelle Monaghan's career has seen her in forgettable roles in big films, because she's capable of so much more. One of her strongest turns came in the little-seen indie drama, Trucker, and HBO recently put her talent to good use in True Detective. Unfortnately, she just signed up to basically be a paperweight with legs in Adam Sandler's video game comedy, Pixels. But at least there's one film coming up that has a little bit of substance to it.

Monaghan headlines Fort Bliss, a military drama written and directed by Claudia Myers, with the trailer now making its way online. She stars as a single mother and decorated soldier returned home from Afghanistan after a lenghty tour, only to discover that she doesn't share much of a bond with her son who barely knows her. With another deployment looming, she must find a way to reconnect with her child, while balancing her duties as a mother and a soldier. Ron Livingston, Freddy Rodriguez, Dash Mihok, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Manolo Cardona co-star.

There's no release date yet but this looks like something that will be hitting festivals and art house theaters at some point.

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