In One Year Later, we look back at the most hyped and heavily discussed movie of this month one year ago, consider its reception at that time, and examine how it holds up today, free of expectations.

Featured One Year Later

One Year Later: The Fault In Our Stars

by Genevieve Koski

2014’s adaptation of John Green’s bestselling tearjerker connected with audiences in a big way. How does it play one year later?

Disney’s revisionist take on Sleeping Beauty looks different a year after its release, not because the hype has died down, but because it now feels more like part of a marketing wave than a stand-alone movie.

One Year Later: Maleficent
by Tasha Robinson
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies pile up, Winter Soldier starts to represent a watershed, a sign that it’s possible to respect the series’ needs but still produce a flavorful movie.

One Year Later: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
by Keith Phipps
Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic arrived surrounded by a storm of controversy. How does it look now that the skies have cleared?

One Year Later: Noah
by Scott Tobias
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s animated homage to creativity was 2014’s first big success story. But how does it hold up once the element of surprise is removed?

One Year Later: The Lego Movie
by Genevieve Koski
A Kevin Hart/Ice Cube buddy comedy livened up the sleepy January season last year, grossing more than $150 million. How does it look as we enter a year filled with Kevin Hart movies?

One Year Later: Ride Along
by Nathan Rabin
How does Martin Scorsese’s controversial story of high finance and low morals look now that the shouting has stopped?

One Year Later: The Wolf Of Wall Street
by Scott Tobias
The late-in-the-year blockbuster surprise confirmed the Disney machine was back and running at full power. One year later, what can we learn from its unexpected mega-success?

One Year Later: Frozen
by Keith Phipps
Re-examining Gravity 12 months after its meteoric launch, it’s easy to see the flaws—and what an impressive and immense commercial it is for the theatrical cinematic experience.

One Year Later: Gravity
by Matt Singer
Denis Villeneuve’s thriller emerged as an early awards contender thanks to a festival appearance, but the real world had other plans.

One Year Later: Prisoners
by Matt Singer
Great expectations greeted Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 follow-up, Elysium, yet a tepid response followed. How does the allegorical science-fiction action film look from a year’s distance?

One Year Later: Elysium
by Matt Singer
Reuniting the team responsible for the Pirates Of The Caribbean series, The Lone Ranger cast Johnny Depp as an eccentric outsider in an Old West filled with greedy villains and supernatural weirdness. Audiences didn’t go for it, but they missed a strange, ambitious film.

One Year Later: The Lone Ranger
by Matt Singer
Zack Snyder’s highly destructive take on Superman debuted to a mixed reception. A year on, it remains one of the most divisive blockbusters of the past several years.

One Year Later: Man Of Steel
by Matt Singer
A new column looking at the previous year’s biggest films from a distance commences with a return visit to Star Trek Into Darkness, a Star Trek series entry with a positive reputation that started nosediving almost immediately after its release.

One Year Later: Star Trek Into Darkness
by Matt Singer

The Dissolve

Featured One Year Later

One Year Later: The Fault In Our Stars

One Year Later: Maleficent

One Year Later: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

One Year Later: Noah

One Year Later: The Lego Movie

One Year Later: Ride Along

One Year Later: The Wolf Of Wall Street

One Year Later: Frozen

One Year Later: Gravity

One Year Later: Prisoners

One Year Later: Elysium

One Year Later: The Lone Ranger

One Year Later: Man Of Steel

One Year Later: Star Trek Into Darkness