As always, there be spoilers below!

I’ve tried to pick trailers that don’t give away too much of the plot by having scenes in random order or just relevant clips, but you never know so be careful!

Begin Again (2013)

I honestly thought this was going to be a sappy, love conquers all movie. It most certainly is not. It’s still a romantic-comedy though, just thankfully not one that evolves between the two main characters.

Birdman (2014)

Hollllyyyy crap. Go into this movie with negative a million expectations because it will shatter them all. This movie is nothing like I thought it would be, but is surprisingly layered and interesting. Everything about the movie is layered. The way the movie is shot, the soundtrack, the casting of the lead is so well done and all designed to make you think a little deeper.

This is not a movie that you put on in the background, this is a movie that demands your attention.

Dear White People (2014)

The hype has been real for this movie. I feel like all of 2014 was just one big hype machine about what this movie was going to do, all the assumptions it was going to break, and how many people were going to be educated about racism.

Well, it doesn’t do that. What this movie is, is a movie for Black People that isn’t Black People being funny for White People. It basically puts out all the micro-aggressions Black People deal with every day and then just creates a realistic narrative around it. I can’t imagine that there is a single Black Person who lives in a Western country who watches the movie and can’t find something or someone to relate in it. It doesn’t have any real teachable messages, it doesn’t say anything new, it isn’t revolutionary in it’s subject matter, but it is revolutionary in that it’s telling the story to begin with.

John Wick (2014)

His wife dies and to help him grieve she arranged for a dog to be delivered to him a few days after her funeral. Then the kid of his former employer steals his car and kills his dog. Understandably, John Wick is a little upset.

It’s directed by two of Keanu Reeves’ former stunt doubles and it shows. John Wick is an action film no more and no less. There’s no romantic subplot, in fact there is no subplot. There’s just realistic, beautifully choreographed fight scenes. There’s no deep thinking, no hidden meaning in this movie. They killed his dog, he kills them all.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

This movie! If James Bond was a bit more English, he would be a Kingsman. What I liked the most about this movie was it’s ability to merge both sides of living in London, grand estates and housing estates. It was funny, coherent and very English. It made me laugh and it made me want to own every single piece of clothing worn in the movie. Unfortunately, I’m not a millionaire, so I can’t. Also, I’m not a boy. 

So far so good! Got any movie recommendations? Or did you have a totally different impression of these movies than I did? Let me know!