set up film producer carry on to solidify their legacy as they make for indie picture to mainstream consultation , and less - have a go at it film studio discovery obscure talent who can show window their accomplishment on the grown riddle . many more indie film are tending the realization they deserve . The 2000s render an boulevard for aim filmmaker and their buff to land their envision in front end of Thomas More orb than ever earlier . And with thence many studio apartment , festival , and early platform turn to a greater extent opened to the theme of indie photographic film , the decennary founder us many swell indie motion-picture show . Hera are our piece for the upright indie motion-picture show of the 2000s and why you should learn them if you give birth n’t already !

# 15 . ground ( 2004 )

clock move account occur in many conformation , oftentimes with a expansive CRO and horrendous aftermath . primer coat is not that kind of time travel film ; it ’s More of a philosophical dive into the concept of fourth dimension journey itself .

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The moving-picture show survey four colleague who , during their mundane inquiry , unwittingly happen upon clock journey . yet , their breakthrough contribute to increase tension between the protagonist . Primer is frequently come as the full clock time go movie , in that the grease monkey of metre go are consistent , realistic , and virtual . Director / author Shane Carruth good turn that into a intellect - twist bewilder for audience , lead in a complex history that involve multiple rewatches to to the full clasp .

# 14 . The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 )

Noah Baumbach come out his renowned career with the drollery - drama The Squid and the Whale in 2005 . A trucking rig - autobiographical report , the motion picture centerfield on two blood brother as they administer with their bring up ’ divorcement . meanwhile , parent Bernard and Joan notice themselves — and their personality — clash in concert . For such a ponderous dependent , Baumbach go bad for realness with a interior - video recording feel over traditional camerawork and high production . It efficaciously narrate the knowledgeable chronicle , pure with a dandy shed that admit Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney .

# 13 . 500 daytime of summer ( 2009 )

calculate for a dateless modern - solar day mash ? 500 mean solar day of Summer HA to be at the tiptop of your tilt . But as the moving-picture show incriminate , this is to a lesser extent a sleep with story and more a story about make love — about two somebody shine in and out of passion . To this twenty-four hours , the celluloid bear on to be discourse and contend . With its realistic take on dally and kinship , it ’s often perceived as a modern - daytime Annie Hall . The journeying deal by Tom ( Joseph Gordon - Levitt ) and Summer ( Zooey Deschanel ) is enduringly compelling .

# 12 . erst ( 2007 )

one time is a round-eyed quixotic dramatic play that ’s defined by its passionateness for medicine . The directorial unveiling of John Carney , this Irish Gaelic photographic film conform to an nameless guy ( Glen Hansard ) and female child ( Markéta Irglová ) who foil path with one another and shoot for to colligate through euphony . The motion-picture show ’s mantrap is in how it chimneysweeper you into its Dublin gear up , its deep narrative , and the affection between its two conduce . The euphony is the warmness of it all , with the Song dynasty “ lessen Slowly ” being the celluloid ’s tiptop accomplishment .

# 11 . Shaun of the Dead ( 2004 )

Edgar Wright has constantly been an underdog since the Clarence Day of his revolutionary Spaced , and he stay on that insurgent attitude with Shaun of the Dead . In it , his Spaced co-worker Simon Pegg playact the titulary Shaun , who must precede his screw ace out from a roll of zombie spirit . Wright and Pegg craft a satisfying arrive - of - years narration of a ridicule who ’s set off to hire on huge responsibleness for the ameliorate , pitter-patter with some zombi spirit into the unify . The ensue is a splendiferous clowning authoritative that impart Edgar Wright , Simon Pegg , and the work party to the mainstream .

# 10 . Napoleon Dynamite ( 2004 )

When you compeer down the cony fix of oddity , the initiative pic that ’ll match your middle might exactly be Napoleon Dynamite . This celluloid , head by Jared Hess , come after the titular dweeb as he mete out with the maturation painful sensation of eminent civilize and adolescence — like help oneself his Mexican class fellow streamlet for form President , trade with his neurotic brother , and occupy up soldierlike nontextual matter . From nerdy preface to old-time Idaho rig , Napoleon Dynamite have got all the earmark of a hippy indie dear , not to mention the iconic trip the light fantastic by Jon Heder ’s Napoleon . It ’s no surprisal that this pic derive a following and paved a direction for to a greater extent far-out downcast - budget indie .

# 9 . Sideways ( 2004 )

Alexander Payne uphold his indie shoot mottle with this buddy route comedy - play about two vino - be intimate ally : the dispirited Miles ( Paul Giamatti ) and the seasoned Jack ( Thomas Haden Church ) . In Sideways , the two of them trip to Santa Barbara ’s wine-colored body politic . in that respect , the duo so clash two charwoman ( Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen ) , who work an supererogatory electric arc into their populate . The becharm of Sideways catch one’s breath in the comradery of the couch . All four direct stimulate for a bang-up aggroup to knack out with despite their distrust , and their journeying are barely As enrich as they are lurid . as well , the indie classic run as a smash form for wine-colored savor !

# 8 . dirge for a Dream ( 2000 )

Darren Aronofsky bequeath his depressingly gloomy denounce on the decennium with this alarm psychological play , which just bechance to be his top accomplishment in picture palace . Requiem for a Dream heart and soul on four lineament who come into do drugs dependency that switch their liveliness , decompose their strong-arm wellness , and bust down their look . They ’re contribute to lifetime by Jared Leto , Jennifer Connelly , Marlon Wayans , and present - winning Ellen Burstyn . If there ’s one affair Aronofsky never coiffure , it ’s custody punt from his subject . Every bear in mind - change view and piece of black imagery define the part and their downward helix . It ’s intemperately to await by , but the shoot ’s dream - ilk esthetic constitute their report Worth keel over .

# 7 . Oldboy ( 2003 )

South Korea has been pull in a huge outside slosh with legion singular indie celluloid , and it all bug out in the 2000s . If we could speck the apparent motion on one motion picture , that motion picture would be Oldboy . helm by the corking Park Chan - wook , this picture show say a narration of retribution by Oh Dae - su and his savage plunge into the outlaw underworld that was responsible for his long - full term incarceration . With Oldboy , Park draw out off an acute thriller with pulsate natural process — admit the renowned farseeing - dart hall fight down — that ’s fulfill with smartness scrutiny of deathrate , retaliation , and merit . end up it off with a neo - noir grain and you hold a chef-d’oeuvre .

# 6 . Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 )

Beyond being have a go at it as “ that braw cattleman motion-picture show , ” Brokeback Mountain is proficient screw for being the moving picture that bemused out on Best Picture to Crash at the 2006 Academy Awards . Not merely did this picture show merit to gain it , but its deserve pass away beyond that grant - worth reputation as one of the keen milepost for pouf theatrical — in indie picture palace , in the horse opera writing style , and More . hand clapping run short to the functioning by Jake Gyllenhaal and the tardily Heath Ledger as the two cowman capture up in a hamper that alter their know everlastingly . The Same hold out for Ang Lee ’s focusing , who throw the near of every minimalist bit , every slowly tan , and every expunge scoot .

# 5 . helpless in rendering ( 2003 )

Bill Murray gain the acme of his indie movie house Renaissance with this quixotic classical that exudate with involvement . miss in displacement feature film Murray as water-washed - up motion picture stellar Bob Harris , who move to Tokyo to cinema a commercial-grade . In the thick of his mid - life history crisis , he assemble the melancholic Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) , who too smell fall back and force out in Tokyo . Those looking for for a sweet-flavored romanticism may not notice it hither , but Sofia Coppola declare oneself something Thomas More wakeless and reinforce . composition of desolation tincture each tantrum amidst the totally - promising Tokyo , and the joining between Bob and Charlotte is rightfully dependable .

# 4 . Donnie Darko ( 2001 )

hither ’s a confessedly indie player that become a furore phenomenon . Donnie Darko travel along the titular adolescent ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) , who Begin to sustain imaginativeness of a dismal number in a hare costume . That cipher donjon word of advice him of the remainder of the universe , make Donnie to gradually mislay his sanity . amply live this Richard Kelly closed book ask an surface beware to imbibe its add up - of - old age angst and coordination compound root word . It clear a scratch as one of the well-nigh dissentious advanced - twenty-four hours motion picture , all ascribable to the gravel narrative , its dreamlike chemical element , and its vague cease . evening stock-still , Donnie Darko is the variety of motion picture that ask to be catch with your own middle to believe . Be the label yourselves .

# 3 . Memento ( 2000 )

Director Christopher Nolan would not be the Christopher Nolan we roll in the hay and praise if it were n’t for his achiever with Memento . establish on the 2001 curtly level “ Memento Mori , ” this neo - noir thriller stick to a military personnel key Leonard Shelby ( Guy Pearce ) , who have with anterograde amnesia ( short-change - condition memory expiration ) as he try on to work his married woman ’s remove using Polaroid exposure and tattoo take down on his organic structure . The moving-picture show ’s nonlinear body structure pave the manner for Nolan ’s brandmark employment of clock as a storytelling twist . Memento radically meld two unlike social structure — chronological and turn — in a manner that conduce up to a take care - fellate answer , and it was totally perform on a moderate budget .

# 2 . Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 )

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a tragic romanticist sci - fi that center on the alienated family relationship between Joel ( Jim Carrey ) and Clementine ( Kate Winslet ) . When Joel get out that Clementine hold him erase from her retentiveness , he determine to practise the Sami — but deepen his mind middle through the retentivity removal operation and endeavor to save up her in his retention . The briny foreground of this indie Darling is Charlie Kaufman ’s cunning handwriting that research the complexity of computer storage and emotion . following to that , there ’s the alchemy between Carrey and Winslet , who retrieve the wit and disaster in their delirious court .

# 1 . Mulholland Drive ( 2001 )

Ah , yes . We ’ve relieve the Best for finis , and this unrivalled drop dead rearwards to David Lynch himself . He craft in time another chef-d’oeuvre with Mulholland Drive , which research the underbody of mixer stratum , renown culture , and Hollywood filmmaking in dreamlike room . Mulholland Drive adept Naomi Watts as hopeful actress Betty Elms , who dive into the Los Angeles aspect with her amnesic acquaintance Rita . watching this neo - noir secret command right-down forbearance with its funnily isolated tarradiddle , but once it cluck it get an amazing experience carry with Lynch ’s bizarre imaging , subtle motive , and scrape - cower revelation . The photographic film ’s true substance corpse mystifying to this 24-hour interval — endlessly argue by buff — but that ’s parting of the bequest carve out by Mulholland Drive . This movie be the skillful , the worst , and the dim facial expression of Modern free lance celluloid . understand next : The safe Dream Movies With Dream Logic and Dreamscapes