Everyone loves an underdog; whether that’s Rocky against Apollo Creed, David against Goliath or SuBo against the world, we can’t help but get behind the little guys when the odds are stacked against them. So it’s not at all surprising that in times of austerity, economic crises and global instability, directors around the world are choosing to focus on the outsider. The intriguing thing this year, however, is directors’ willingness to explore both the light and the dark sides that these testing times inspire.

On the more heart-warming end of the spectrum we have films like Two Days, One Night, the Dardenne brothers’ portrayal of a woman suffering from depression who has to convince her fellow employees to give up their bonuses in order for her to  keep her job. Playing out like the most gripping of thrillers, this Belgian masterpiece not only proves that the Dardennes are still innovative and important filmmakers, but is also a heart-breaking depiction of community in the face of adversity.

Celebration of the human spirit is also the key note in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, last year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, telling the incredible true story of Solomon Northrup, a free man forced into slavery. Despite being released almost a year ago in January, its raw power has stayed with many of its viewers. It’s unique influence is caught perfectly by Paul MacInnes in the Guardian; “Stark, visceral and unrelenting, 12 Years a Slave is not just a great film but a necessary one.”

Of course not all filmmakers were quite so willing to shine a positive light on the human spirit, opting instead to delve deep into the dark souls of their characters. David Fincher’s Gone Girl and debut director Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler both explored the disastrous effects of modern times – one the recession on a modern New York marriage, the other a man’s ascent through the world TV News – and showcased two of the most compelling and complicated lead characters in recent years in the forms of Amy Elliot-Dunne and Lou Bloom. I’m cautious of giving away any of the plot of Gone Girl as the film is best seen with no prior knowledge, but suffice to say it contains the most shocking use of a wine bottle in recent memory.

Many chose to examine outsiders with a slightly less troubled trajectory, celebrating the wonderful weirdoes of our world. Under The Skin, Johnathan Glazer’s eerie, dialogue-light tale of an alien let loose in the streets of Glasgow was not only unique in style but also in production, using hidden cameras to film clueless Glaswegians speaking to one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson. She also contributed to Spike Jonze’s Her. In his quirky but heartfelt way, Jonze brought the rom-com into the 21st century with this film exploring a man’s relationship with his Siri-like computer system. It’s a celebration of love, in whatever weird or unconventional way one may find it, and proves that there’s still room for originality in an all too overworn genre.

The big surprise of the year for many, myself included, was The Lego Movie. Made by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who, having seen their back catalogue including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, I can only assume must be on LSD 24/7. The Lego Movie, thankfully not the story of some Danish bricks, was in fact a hilarious tale about the importance of being an individual in a conformist society. The North-Koreans may think The Interview is dangerous, but show this in North-Korea and there would be riots in the street. When it comes to The Lego Movie, everything is indeed awesome.

The underdog wasn’t just a big factor in the characters and themes of 2014’s cinema releases, but also in their production, as the vast majority of films this year that stood out came not from the big studios, but from independent production or from overseas.

In fact, looking back, 2014 wasn’t a great year for the blockbuster. Admittedly Guardians of the Galaxy was an unexpected gem, smart and genuinely funny, and Chris Nolan’s Interstellar, while lacking the narrative rigour of his earlier films like Memento and Inception, was still a visual treat and a fantastic cinematic experience. However, glance at the top grossing films of the year and there’s not much to shout about. Maleficent was very underwhelming, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Amazing Spider Man 2 were once again standard Marvel fare, and while I haven’t mustered the courage to see Transformers: Age of Extinction, it hardly received glowing reviews from critics.

2014 was also a fairly weak year for mainstream comedy. From lazy sequels (Horrible Bosses 2, Dumb and Dumber Too, The Inbetweeners 2) to the plain unfunny (Tammy, Sex Tape), Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel seems to be only film flying the comedic flag this year. Hopefully the very talented Amy Schumer’s new comedy Trainwreck will readdress the balance in 2015.

The best films of the year meanwhile, far from the $200 million budgets and Hollywood backing which blockbuster directors are so used to nowadays, were often independently financed or of foreign extraction. Along with Two Days, One Night, Poland’s Ida, a black and white film about a nun discovering her complicated family history, and Russia’s Leviathan, an epic, modern tale of state corruption, make up the best foreign language films of the year.

Nevertheless, for me 2014 will always be ‘the year that I saw Boyhood’. Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age drama, filmed over 12 years with the same actors, is a miracle of a film, and easily the best of the year. The film is not only about boyhood, but also motherhood, fatherhood, family and 'our' generation, and while I admit my film tastes are not always mainstream, this is a film that I would recommend to anyone with a beating human heart. However, after meeting Gone Girl’s protagonist, I’m no longer convinced that’s everyone.