I’m back dear reader with some movie buff stuff. I’ve been a fan of movies for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been a “the book was better” type of person but movies have a special place in my heart too. When I was in high school I discovered IFC (the independent film channel) on my parents’ cable line up and my life was changed forever. I dove deep into the content and saw so many classic indie movies that were probably too mature for my 16-year-old psyche.
I remember distinctly tuning in one night to watch John Water’s Female Trouble. The premise of this Criterion Collection movie is chaotic at best, “A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.”
It’s weird, grotesque, and genuinely very funny. It was the first film I saw with Water’s muse Divine, and I was hooked by her brash style. Later in high school, I starred in the musical Hairspray and of course, had to look up the source material. The musical adaptation was a cleaned-up version of the movie which also starred Divine as Edna Turnblad. I do not acknowledge the 2007 version for obvious reasons. It lacked the same chaotic grit that the original 1988 version had. Divine did not make family-friendly content and that’s how it should have stayed.
Similarly, indie movies can portray human truths in a way that is niche and made for a specific audience. Blockbusters however are meant for mass appeal. You aren’t supposed to leave a big-budget movie with questions unless they’re planning a sequel.
To me, indies are high art. Big budgets are usually not. They’re made to tell stories, yes, but the overall outcome is to get butts in seats to keep the capitalist side of Hollywood churning. For example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe fits this category. They have created an entire world of comic book characters with winding story arcs and interesting plotlines (at times). Still, their main goal is to get you to watch the next installment of their movies while hopefully entertaining you as a byproduct.
That difference between artistic freedom and commercial appeal is what keeps me coming back to indie movies and the production companies that make them. In that battle between the book and the movie, indies can hold their own. While they aren’t always book adaptations, it feels like you’re getting the same quality story that you might find in a book. The storylines are sharp and real and that’s something I will always want out of the movies I watch.
Some of my favorite production companies consistently producing quality indie movies are A24 and Focus Features. Many of my favorite movies from the last decade have come from these two. Now, as is my forte in this medium, a list! If you’re looking to grow your indie repertoire, start here:
A24
Aftersun - Rated R, coming of age, very emotional, Paul Mescal playing another complicated character. Do not watch unless you have time to sob!
Love Lies Bleeding - Rated R, horror, romance, lesbian crime, and bodybuilding. Do not watch if you can’t handle gore.
The Iron Claw - Rated R, I didn’t know a thing about the Von Erichs’ story before going in, v sad, beautiful story of brotherhood. Do not watch if you can’t handle depictions of suicide.
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Rated R, award-winning actors, immigrant story, surreal, hilarious, beautiful. I cried and laughed more times than I can count. You better watch it!
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On - Rated PG, silly, cute, based on the YouTube shorts, lovely, and family-friendly.
Moonlight - Rated R, famously award-winning, regrettably overshadowed by the 2017 Oscars scandal, beautifully shot Black coming of age story. Bring your tissues!
Zola - Rated R, one of my personal favorites because it’s a literal Twitter thread come to life on the big screen, trapping, strippers, and Florida man-level crimes.
Focus Features
The Holdovers - Rated R, award-winning actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, nostalgia, period piece, great humor, absolutely loved it.
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind - Rated R, iconic futuristic romantic comedy, anything that Michel Gondry touches is a little bit weird but very endearing.
Promising Young Woman - Rated R, nothing is as it seems at first glance in this movie, thriller, feminist badass Carey Mulligan kills it in this.
Wet Hot American Summer - Rated R, a ridiculous parody comedy classic, features a kickass cast of comedians, very cringy, and very funny.
Milk - Rated R, based on the life of Harvey Milk, the first gay man elected to public office in California. Stacked cast and important queer cinema!
Away We Go - Rated R, cutie romantic comedy featuring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, road trip story, and hits right in the feels.
So that’s my list, there are lots more movies that both of these production companies have made, but these are my favorites. And please note, I’m not bashing blockbuster movies, I still have love for the big budgets. All I’m saying is give indies a chance! you might be pleasantly surprised.
Xoxo 🎬