A decade of maverick filmmaking
Wikipedia states that to be considered an independent film, half the film’s budget must come from a source besides a major studio. But to hipsters everywhere, “indie” can either be annoying and pretentious or nihilistic and edgy. In any case, so-called indie film has come a long way in the last 10 years. This list details 10 of the most “indie” independent films to have been released based on three criteria:
Profit: How much money the movie made in the box office compared to its budget. Not the highest goal on the shelf for many independent filmmakers, so profit has the least amount weight.
Critical Acclaim: How well the film was received by critics. Important if the film has aspirations for infiltrating the mainstream circuit.
Indie Cred: Underappreciated. Influential. Courageous. Bold. There’s no single term to describe “indie cred,” so the opinion is really left up to one’s own opinion.
10. Paranormal Activity (2009): After grossing over $100 million dollars on a budget of just $15,000, Paranormal Activity holds the record as the most profitable independent film of all time. Though some argue the production design and acting were highly amateur, director Oren Peli managed to use the hyper-realism to his advantage by tricking audiences into thinking the film was “found” footage. The film was generally well-received by critics, but lost a chunk of indie cred when fans discovered the ending was changed by Steven Spielberg.
Profit: 10
Critical Acclaim: 6
Indie Cred: 4
9. Juno (2007): Another highly profitable independent film, Juno will forever remain in America’s minds as the stripper-penned high school dark comedy about the 16-year-old pregnant girl whose favorite alcoholic beverages are Boone’s Snow Peak Peach and Marker’s Mark. Using offbeat humor, pop culture references and a sweet message, the film swallowed up the box office and stole the hearts of viewers across the world. Unfortunately for indie film nerds, Juno was so successful that it helped transition the outsider lifestyle to the mainstream and caused rebellious hipsters everywhere to roll their eyes and refine their senses of irony.
Profit: 9
Critical Acclaim: 9
Indie Cred: 2
8. Palindromes (2004): Possibly the greatest cult filmmaker since John Waters (1988’s Hairspray), Todd Solondz wrote and directed this dramedy about a pregnant 13-year-old who takes a cross-country journey to find herself. The film’s highly controversial premise and execution (the lead character is played by eight different actors of dissimilar races, genders, and ages) generated low box office numbers and mixed reviews. But Palindromes’ masterful combination of nihilism and satire earned a small but extremely loyal following of fans. That Solondz funded the film with his entire life savings when no major studios would support him only adds to the evidence that he is the ultimate indie badass.
Profit: 3
Critical Acclaim: 4
Indie Cred: 10
7. The Descent (2005): In a time of cheesy, predictable and quietly misogynist slasher films following in the wake of the Scream franchise, the UK unleashed one of the most terrifying horror films in years. The Descent is about a group of ladies who take a spelunking vacation into the depths of a dark, creepy cave and get stuck at the very bottom with flesh-eating monsters. The film’s success led to an equally sensational US release, but with a different studio-influenced ending leaving fans to look up the original one on YouTube.
Profit: 8
Critical Acclaim: 8
Indie Cred: 6
6. Memento (2000): Before he became one of the most profitable studio directors of all time with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan debuted this thriller about a man with a rare form of amnesia in which his brain can no longer store memories. Memento gained attention at film festivals around the world and eventually crossed over into the mainstream with both critical and financial success. The groundbreaking story structure and plot reinvented the psychological thriller and jumpstarted Nolan’s mainstream career.
Profit: 7
Critical Acclaim: 9
Indie Cred: 6
5. Lost in Translation (2002): With its moody tone and a distortion-heavy soundtrack, Lost in Translation is the definitive tale of two singular generations intersecting through shared confusion and desperation. The film is the cinematic equivalent of meditation, and by the end viewers are filled with a sense of hope and anticipation. Unfortunately, many indie wing nuts embraced these themes in the far inferior Garden State, and Lost in Translation became commonly mistaken as a conventional Oscar-baiting film.
Profit: 8
Critical Acclaim: 9
Indie Cred: 7
4. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): As the film that helped redefine the word “indie,” Little Miss Sunshine possessed a brilliant ensemble cast, great direction and a screenplay that was so funny and uplifting that many of the film’s stereotypical indie themes suddenly became acceptable to the mainstream and eventually the Oscars. Its success was responsible for stabilizing the token “indie slot” in the Best Picture race, which paved the way for films like Juno and Slumdog Millionaire.
Profit: 8
Critical Acclaim: 8
Indie Cred: 8
3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001): Not since the Rocky Horror Picture Show has a movie musical with deliberate gender themes been so widely appreciated as Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig was a critical knockout thanks to strong performances, colorful cinematography, musical numbers and universal themes of finding one’s “other half.” Thanks to its friendly emotional poignancy and depth, Hedwig managed to avoid preaching to the choir while simultaneously staying truthful to itself. The film went on to win numerous festival awards and already has a large enough cult following to make Tim Curry shake in his stilettos.
Profit: 3
Critical Acclaim: 8
Indie Cred: 9
2. Requiem for a Dream (2001): Quite possibly the most critically overlooked film of the decade, Requiem for a Dream’s edgy cinematic style, crazed acting, and haunting soundtrack was only director Darren Aronofsky’s second film. The plot may sound like an Oscar-baiting cliché — four people succumb to their drug addictions — but the tone and atmosphere conveyed by Aronofsky is what blew naïve viewers away. Ask anybody who has witnessed the film, and he or she will probably look at you like they just awoke from a crazy trip they wish they hadn’t been a part of, but are glad they experienced in the end.
Profit: 4
Critical Acclaim: 9
Indie Cred: 9
1. Ghost World (2001): At the turn of the century, a quiet little film hit theaters in limited release but delivered a frighteningly dark message about where society currently stands and where it is headed in the future.
In Ghost World, we are introduced to Enid and Rebecca, the two odd, sarcastic friends everybody knew in high school, but completely forgot about afterward. They take audiences on a tour of their favorite places to hate — strip malls, mega-plexes, bohemian coffee shops and fake ’50s diners — without ever quite discovering a place to love.
When Rebecca begins to mature and find an apartment, Enid starts to resign to a life of codependency, self-loathing and fear of growing up in quickly declining Western civilization.
Much like the independent film industry as a whole, Enid is not a character a lot of people like or understand — and that is why the ending of the film is so tragic. Enid aggressively fights convention with originality, satire and unflinching honesty, but loses in the end.
It is this conclusion that makes Ghost World such a victorious indie film — it shines a light on the depressingly familiar process many independent filmmakers undergo today in hopes of impacting the mainstream even when they often face a long and bumpy road ahead.
Profit: 4
Critical Acclaim: 9
Indie Cred: 10
-Justin Beltz