Top 10 rented films on BFI Player in 2014

This year saw a host of great new film releases, many of which were available on BFI Player from the day they opened in cinemas. Our top 10 most-rented films include a restored British silent feature from 1927, alongside films that won the best foreign language Oscar, the Palme d’Or, and the best film award at the London Film Festival.

Here’s a countdown of the 10 most popular rented films now available. But which film came out on top?

Check back on Monday 22 December to find out the most watched films on BFI Player that you can see for free.

10. Two Days, One Night

Two Days, One Night (Deux Jours, Une Nuit, 2014)

Marion Cotillard’s collaboration with Cannes Festival favourites Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne is a stunning, tense drama about a woman’s race against time to save her job.

Watch Two Days, One Night on BFI Player

9. Stranger by the Lake

Stranger by the Lake (2013)

A young man witnesses a violent crime at a gay cruising ground and becomes obsessed with the killer in Alain Guiraudie’s acclaimed erotic thriller.

Watch Stranger by the Lake on BFI Player

8. The Great Beauty

The Great Beauty (2013)

Paolo Sorrentino’s dazzling portrayal of an ageing writer who becomes bored of his life of decadence won the best foreign language film Oscar this year.

Watch The Great Beauty on BFI Player

7. Ida

Ida (2013)

The best film winner at the 2013 BFI London Film Festival is an exquisitely shot, moving drama about a Polish nun exploring her family’s past, from UK-based director Pawel Pawlikowski.

Watch Ida on BFI Player

6. The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands

The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands (1927)

This dramatic reconstruction of two decisive naval battles from the First World War is one of the finest films of the British silent era.

Watch The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands on BFI Player

5. Under the Skin

An alien Scarlett Johansson prowls the streets of Glasgow in Jonathan Glazer’s astonishing, mind-bending mixture of existential sci-fi and inner-city realism, voted best film of 2014 in many end-of-year polls.

Watch Under the Skin on BFI Player

4. The Lunchbox

The Lunchbox (2013)

Mismatched lunchboxes lead to an unlikely romance in this exquisite Indian drama, brimful of tantalising food and elegantly delivered wisdom.

Watch The Lunchbox on BFI Player

3. The Stuart Hall Project

Composed of film, music and photographs from the archives, The Stuart Hall Project is a fascinating portrait of the life and times of the late founder of cultural studies and the New Left Experience.