Oscars 2014: 18 Sublime Moments That Define Best Picture Nominees

14. What Was That!? - Captain Phillips

A great deal of Captain Phillips involves the captive captain trying to understand the moral dilemmas his captors have been faced with. Eventually, Phillips comes to a realization that the Somalian pirates have come too far to let him go, and that he must plan an escape. He begins pleading with his captors that he has to go pee, to which the Somalian pirates oblige. What they didn't plan on however was Phillips essentially pulling the oldest trick in the book, and using this as an opportunity to escape. Forget draining the lizard, Phillips swan dives off the lifeboat straight into the water. He unfortunately is forced to retreat back to the lifeboat, where he is tied-up and blindfolded, but the scene continues along with members of the US Navy SEALs prepping a rescue that involves them spreading out, and aligning themselves so that each has a bead on a target. The idea is that they will kill the Somalian pirates synchronously. In expertly tactile fashion they are successful, as a blindfolded and drenched in blood Captain Phillips wonders what the hell is going on. Scintillating stuff.