The Film Stage

The Best Directorial Debuts of 2014

While we discuss a breadth of films each year, few things give us more pleasure than the arrival of bold, new voices in the world of filmmaking. It's why we venture to film festivals and pore over a variety of different features in order to bring to light emerging talent. This year was an especially notable time for new directors making their stamp and today we're highlighted the fifteen debuts that most impressed us....

10 Wide Releases in 2014 That Exceeded Expectations

Despite the output of hundreds of features per year, Hollywood's slate of wide releases can often feel like a barren wasteland of retreaded material. While much of our year-end coverage will be focusing on the overlooked gems, today we're kicking things off with the few wide releases that surprised us in these past twelve months....

The Film Stage