The American Film Institute rarely ventures too far off the beaten path when selecting its best films of the year. But, there was one noticeable difference in 2014: The Institute couldn't decide on just 10 movies, so it extended the list to include 11.
As expected, best picture favorites including Birdman, The Imitation Game, Foxcatcher, and Whiplash all made the cut, and all are currently playing at a theater near you. Catch them while you can.
And, while films like Unbroken, Into the Woods, and American Sniper have yet to receive any awards attention, they should do big box office when they hit theaters later this month.
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One film that has been cleaning up early is Richard Linklater's groundbreaking coming of age tale Boyhood, which — after winning the top prize from New York and L.A. critics — looks to be the early frontrunner for the top award come Oscar night.
Among the glaring omissions were David Fincher's Gone Girl and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, two of the most critically acclaimed films of the year.
The list was determined by a jury made up of academics, power players, and industry vets, and is meant to include films that are "culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements."
Click through to see the entire list, plus a list of the AFI's favorite TV shows.
Films
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Nightcrawler
Selma
Unbroken
Whiplash
Television
The Americans
Fargo
Game of Thrones
How to Get Away with Murder
Jane the Virgin
The Knick
Mad Men
Orange Is the New Black
Silicon Valley
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