Oscars 2015: 10 Movies That Should Be Nominated For Best Picture

3. The Double

The Double is by far and away the most underrated movie of 2014. Directed by British comedic actor Richard Ayoade and based on the Dostoevsky novel, The Double stars Jessie Eisenberg as both Simon and Simon's evil doppelganger, James. Simon is an utterly inconsequential human being working at a large government bureaucracy. When James, a man who happens to look exactly like Simon in physical appearance, but is his complete opposite in personality, shows up in Simon's life, Simon's very existence becomes threatened unless he stands up for himself and takes ownership over his own life. The movie is a brilliantly fast paced comedy that exemplifies how "modernising" an older novel into a feature film should be done. The film's script is utter genius, keeping the heart of Dostoevsky's novel while also working in a hilarious dystopian angle that cleverly satirizes modern culture and society. The Double also has an interesting style that feels like a mash-up of the Coen Brothers, Terry Gilliam, and David Lynch, all the while maintaining its own very unique aura. For such a small film, the craft of The Double is also stunningly impressive. It's utterly dank production design creates one of the most memorable world's of cinema this year, the bizarre soundtrack sets the film's tone as well as Tarantino's soundtrack do, and Jessie Eisenberg's performance is Oscar caliber work that ranks up there with the best of his career. It's a shame the pitiful release the film got, but time will redeem The Double as the undeniable classic it is.