“The Imitation Game” won only a single Academy Award (best adapted screenplay for Graham Moore) in February, but the movie’s nomination tally is a better representation of its quality. The tightly paced suspense film, which depicts key moments in the life of British computer pioneer Alan Turing, received eight nominations, including nods for best picture, best director, best actor and best supporting actress. 

As we march into the new year and prepare ourselves for upcoming awards shows, it’s appropriate to reflect on the best movies of 2014. As usual, the year produced sure bets from well-known auteurs and a strong crop of art-house darlings, but we also had terrific pictures emerge from the much-derided cinematic mainstream. In fact, a number of blockbusters cracked my top 10 list.

End-of-the-world movies have long been a popular genre, but Hollywood seems particularly taken by them in 2013. “After Earth,” “Pacific Rim,” “World War Z” and “Elysium” all operate on the premise that human control of Earth is a privilege, and that we may someday become outcasts on our own planet. Writer-director Joseph Kosinski (“Tron: Legacy”) offers his own post-apocalyptic vision with “Oblivion,” a science-fiction adventure set about 60 years in the future. 

When an actor spends years playing an iconic role, it can be difficult for him to achieve success with another part, but Daniel Radcliffe is intent on proving there’s life after Harry Potter. In his first major post-Potter role, Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, an early 20^th-century solicitor hired to liquidate a creepy estate in the English countryside.