10 Most Shockingly Brilliant Movie Moments In 2014

8. Neil Patrick Harris Played It Straight

No, it doesn't mean that at all. One of the most surprising parts of the needle-like impact of Gone Girl was the brilliance of Neil Patrick Harris' understated performance as Desi Collings. Without his usual comic licence, the former Doogie Howser showed why he is actually considered a great actor in some circles. His casting as the creepy ex with a dangerous agenda was as left-field as they come, especially in the context of what he'd spent the last 9 years doing in How I Met Your Mother. It shouldn't have worked: Desi was the ultimate antithesis of everything Barney Stinson represented and the performance would require the actor to effectively forget everything he'd done for the better part of his career. But the gamble paid off and his Desi was the perfect mix of vulnerable and threatening; creepy to an extreme but without ever being showy, and while it did feel like some of his role was cut to dilute the character (and reinforce Amy's malevolence) it was one of the best supporting roles of the year.