{"id":1474,"date":"2014-12-18T09:37:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-18T09:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/?p=6128"},"modified":"2023-08-04T13:42:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T20:42:40","slug":"best-documentaries-2014-scanning-critics-lists","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/best-documentaries-2014-scanning-critics-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Documentaries of 2014: Scanning the Critics’ Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"

The critics have spoken. And they’re saying… a lot of different things, but when it comes to picking the best documentary films of the year there is plenty of common ground. We’ve surveyed a wide variety of critics and publications to gather the documentaries they thought were the best of 2014 [highlighting Independent Lens<\/em> films in brackets].\u00a0We’ll add to this list, too, as more critics release their favorites into January.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First, since we all love meta-summaries, here’s IndieWire<\/a>‘s handy-dandy summary of the best reviewed documentaries of 2014<\/a>, using their “Criticwire” system:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Life Itself<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Tim’s Vermeer<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Citizenfour<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. The Missing Picture<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. The Overnighters<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Manakanama<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. 20,000 Days on Earth<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Rich Hill<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>[Independent Lens,<\/em><\/em> January 5]<\/li>\n
  9. The Kill Team<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>[Independent Lens,<\/em> January 19]<\/li>\n
  10. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  11. WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  12. National Gallery<\/em><\/a> (dir Frederick Wiseman)<\/li>\n
  13. Actress<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Last Days in Vietnam<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  15. maidentrip<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
  16. Code Black<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Indiewire’s poll of critics<\/a> on their favorite documentaries yielded slightly different results and order but mentioned many of the same films.<\/p>\n

    And Indiewire should be credited as well for this list of “The Best Women-Directed Documentaries of 2014 (That We Managed to See)<\/a>,” which included the Independent Lens<\/em> film The New Black<\/a><\/em>, by Yoruba Richen.<\/p>\n

    \"From

    From Manakamana<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n


    \nFandor<\/strong><\/a>‘s Susan Gerhard polled critics all over for their picks for the     Top Ten Documentaries of 2014 <\/a>and this was the result:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Manakamana\u00a0<\/em>(Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez)<\/li>\n
    2. Citizenfour<\/em> (Laura Poitras<\/a>)<\/li>\n
    3. National Gallery<\/em><\/li>\n
    4. Actress<\/em> (Robert Greene)<\/li>\n
    5. What Now? Remind Me<\/em> (Joaquim Pinto)<\/li>\n
    6. Life Itself\u00a0<\/em>(Steve James<\/a>)<\/li>\n
    7. A Spell to Ward off the Darkness\u00a0<\/em>(Ben Rivers and Ben Russell)<\/li>\n
    8. The Overnighters<\/em> (Jesse Moss)<\/li>\n
    9. The Missing Picture<\/em> (Rithy Panh)<\/li>\n
    10. Happy Valley<\/em> (Amir Bar-Lev)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The Village Voice<\/em><\/a>‘s poll of 85 critics came out thusly:<\/p>\n

      1. Citizenfour<\/em>
      \n2. Life Itself<\/em>
      \n3. Manakamana<\/em>
      \n4. Jodorowsky’s Dune<\/em>
      \n5. National Gallery<\/em>
      \n6. The Overnighters<\/em>
      \n7. The Missing Picture<\/em>
      \n8. Actress<\/em>
      \n9. 20,000 Days on Earth<\/em>
      \n10. Last Days in Vietnam<\/em>
      \n11. Mistaken for Strangers<\/em>
      \n12. The Last of the Unjust<\/em>
      \n13. What Now? Remind Me<\/em>
      \n14. Harmontown<\/em>
      \n15. I Am Big Bird<\/em>
      \n16. Kids for Cash<\/em>
      \n17. Maidan<\/em>
      \n18. Maidentrip<\/em>
      \n19 Northern Light<\/em>
      \n20. Tales of the Grim Sleeper<\/em>
      \n21. The Dog<\/em>
      \n22. The Naked Room<\/em>
      \n23. Tim’s Vermeer<\/em>
      \n24. Watermark<\/em>
      \n25. Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger<\/em><\/p>\n

      Individual Critics<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Anthony Kaufman, a critic who’s written for the New York Times<\/em>, the Wall Street Journal<\/em>, Slate, Utne Reader<\/em>, and the Village Voice,\u00a0<\/em>shares his own favorite documentaries of the year on IndieWire<\/a>: (in no particular order)<\/p>\n