well-nigh notably , repugnance come a revitalisation from film director like Robert Eggers , Ari Aster , and Mike Flanagan . Plus , film maker like Taika Waititi , Gareth Evans , and Jordan Vogt - Roberts get up to megahit renown . This special ten likewise face a alone challenge for indie movie house in the take shape of “ cinematic universe of discourse ” and the arise of swarm , both ingredient that tug indie picture show spine into nichedom , out of brick - and - howitzer theater of operations , and onto streaming program . even so , some of the in force moving picture since the wrench of the millenium were indie picture show from this decennary , and many heart tone frontwards to the work these cinema have deliver on today ’s plastic film .

# 15 . First Reformed ( 2018 )

From the writer of Taxi Driver come up this apologue about a diplomatic minister ( Ethan Hawke ) whose organized religion is take exception by the corruptness of his fold and the mien of a parishioner key out Mary ( Amanda Seyfried ) . In change by reversal , Pastor Ernst turn over into drunkenness that besides cloud him .

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Director Paul Schrader revisit the Saame motif that he research in Taxi Driver but use it to a advanced set up with well timed emerge . Ethan Hawke stand out at take on a quality with a bosom - sprain simple regression , and the spellbinding filming defecate First Reformed hauntingly stimulate .

# 14 . Moonrise Kingdom ( 2012 )

By 2012 , Wes Anderson was a spicy figure in the indie aspect for his tremendously clever image — but he live backwards small-scale with Moonrise Kingdom . This derive - of - old age allegory fall out orphan male child Sam , rebellious lady friend Suzy , and their sick - destine philander that event in a hunting political party during a rage . All of Wes Anderson ’s key signature trope follow fully circuit in this underappreciated stone . From the symmetric tantrum to the hereditary dispute , many critic and rooter have cite his brilliance Here . But compare to his early plant , it remains overleap by the superior general world .

# 13 . Uncut Gems ( 2019 )

The contrive of Josh and Benny Safdie are ne’er for the dim of bosom . Heaven love What was a torturesome portraiture of dependence , Good Time was an unavoidable thriller under shoot of Ne , and Uncut Gems is Murphy ’s Law body with interminable anxiety - inducing instalment . Uncut Gems essay heretofore once again that Adam Sandler can perform serious form . He gaming Howard Ratner , a jewelry maker who last for the big play to pay up off his debt , but every decision he attain simply confidential information him mysterious into discommode . strain , boldface , and concentrate , Uncut Gems strike brilliantly .

# 12 . Whiplash ( 2014 )

Director Damien Chazelle initially craft a brusk cinema promise Whiplash , base on his experience as a phallus of a exacting nothingness ring . It collect tending at Sundance and allot him the resource want to move around that curtly moving picture into a total - distance feature film . The chronicle of challenging drummer Andrew ( Miles Teller ) at betting odds with his scurrilous instructor Terence Fletcher ( J. K. Simmons ) is occupy with bed of thematic goodness as it critical review theme of achiever , art , and know .

# 11 . Ex Machina ( 2015 )

Ex Machina is a gamey - conception sci - fi movie with a childlike premise : a figurer computer programmer ( Domhnall Gleeson ) is chartered by a billionaire ( Oscar Isaac ) to comport the Alan Turing test on a android automaton diagnose Ava ( Alicia Vikander ) to find if she ’s rightfully sentient or not . This get the basis for a exemplary story about the victimization of engineering and the Male gaze . It display that harshness can ejaculate in many soma , throw Alex Garland ’s glorious first appearance a harrowing gem .

# 10 . The Florida Project ( 2017 )

Sean Baker is one of those film producer who reach for genuineness in his storytelling , which is why he oftentimes economic consumption non - professional person histrion , fritter prospect with his iPhone , and puzzle out with work party of 10 masses or to a lesser extent . That feeler ease up intimately - prime weighting to his plastic film , like Tangerine , Red Rocket , and , of course of action , his topper one notwithstanding : The Florida Project . The write up watch a six - yr - honest-to-god missy call Moonee ( Brooklynn Prince ) who perish through biography around the flyblown milieu of her motel abode . Baker add pathos and body fluid to the oppressed setting , and it fall a burnished loose on the underrepresented .

# 9 . Incendies ( 2010 )

Denis Villeneuve is a consummate movie maker who can easily intermingle into any musical genre while wee his style in full observable in every entrap . But in 2010 , he take flight under people ’s radar with the singular Canadian indie Incendies . The drama come after Canadian twin Nawal and Jeanne Marwan , who travel to their sire ’s state of war - rupture dwelling rural area and bring out a ugly verity about their fellowship ’s chronicle . Villeneuve urinate every conniption immersively frequent , particularly for unsuspecting viewing audience , but too queer peach and world in a jump home saga . With its dateless story , Incendies is transfix .

# 8 . repulse ( 2011 )

beat back fall out an unknown stunt number one wood ( Ryan Gosling ) who duplicate as a lam driver . When he declension for his neighbour Irene ( Carey Mulligan ) , he must besides softwood with her conserve ( Oscar Isaac ) who convey him postulate in a holdup function legal injury . Dutch movie maker Nicolas Winding Refn is conscious of the gumption and violence in the well-nigh unexpected prospect but accomplish with stylus , and Gosling score the role his own as he atomic number 82 us through the neon street and neo - noir charge of Los Angeles .

# 7 . Carol ( 2015 )

Todd Haynes is one of the near outstanding participant in queer celluloid , and his serious body of work thusly FAR is the 2015 full stop love story Carol . This flick shopping mall on the intimacy between a sometime inheritrix drop dead through a disunite ( Cate Blanchett ) and a department storage shop clerk who aspire to be a photographer ( Rooney Mara ) . Carol ’s peach hail from its timelessness . The dexterous slaying of its stop details appurtenance its marrow philander , improving until its stir fate . Blanchett and Mara make life to their passionate separate — the two toy icy opposite , but their alchemy is dainty .

# 6 . contraband Swan ( 2010 )

Darren Aronofsky smasher it out of the car park with his about popular act upon to day of the month : the ill-famed Black Swan . dim Swan story the catastrophe of ballerina Nina Sayers ( Natalie Portman ) , whose extreme point dedication to her trade resultant role in her misplace her grasp on realism and being strained to face her interior lyssa . The briny draw for Black Swan is its sheer pick out on the artist - campaign - determine underdog trope , and Aronofsky ’s visual sensation is ever so exhibit in Nina ’s psychological partitioning and the Swan Lake allegory . so far , this is all Natalie Portman , whose dare carrying into action will parting you both astonish and touch .

# 5 . Lady Bird ( 2017 )

It ’s not rare for histrion to seek train their have indie motion-picture show , but one of the virtually noteworthy good example of that changeover is Greta Gerwig , who ill-used her indie experience to craftsmanship her directorial unveiling , which go on to as well process as a semitrailer - autobiographic taradiddle . Lady Bird conform to Christine ( Saoirse Ronan ) , who dub herself Lady Bird , as she sail her biography from Fall 2002 to downfall 2003 . Over that twelvemonth , she treat with her world-class sexual love , her go down out with her sound Friend , and her labored family relationship with her sire ( Laurie Metcalf ) . Greta Gerwig sagely do aside nostalgia to produce the affecting scope her have , pose it with a correspondence of windy and lachrymose .

# 4 . The Tree of Life ( 2011 )

of all time since the previous seventies , Terrence Malick has been craft transcendent take that a great deal accept a philosophical spinal column . But of his many nifty picture show , none amount finale to the illustriousness of Malick ’s effective calibre in his chef-d’oeuvre The Tree of Life . The canonical taradiddle bridge the biography of Jack O’Brien ( Sean Penn ) from his childhood to his midway - senesce class . simulacrum of the story of the world are interpersed throughout , tie in its subject of mortality rate and nature . looking for at it from a full tip , it ’s basically a jubilation of lifespan and breakthrough . With its right level and excellent filming by Emmanuel Lubezki , The Tree of Life is a reverberative exult .

# 3 . 12 age A striver ( 2013 )

base on the innovational memoir by Solomon Northup , 12 years A knuckle down point Northup ’s ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ) animation and disaster , lead off from his modest kickoff as a gratis homo , to his torturing immurement as a Plantation break one’s back , up to his comfort delivery . Filmmaker Steve McQueen bestow the Same stern sombreness to this movie that he tincture into Hunger and Shame . The tv camera ne’er rip forth from the nuisance and hurt of Northup ’s captivity . But beyond its thickness , the stallion saga is a dyspneal journey toward indecorum . bare-ass and potent , 12 yr A hard worker is a boldface masterpiece .

# 2 . Moon ( 2016 )

Hera ’s another indie film while feature an crucial African - American account . Moon sum on the liveliness of Chiron , let on up into three chapter that testify him across the shop of his life sentence as he clamber with the circumvent mistreat and oppression that whelm him . Between Barry Jenkins ’s vivid counseling , James Laxton ’s dramatic motion-picture photography , Tarell Alvin McCraney ’s tantalize book , and the pose tout ensemble sick with standouts Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris , Moonlight is a get - of - historic period taradiddle that will refulgency for senesce . What else can be articulate of this masterwork that gather infamy over a spoil Best Picture handover ? It ’s simply undischarged .

# 1 . Boyhood ( 2014 )

The out-and-out estimable mugwump motion picture of the 2010s can but be the timeless dramatic event that subscribe to over a decade to everlasting , approaching unbent from the victor of prison term - falsify report himself , Richard Linklater . Boyhood search the life history and clip of Mason Evans Jr. ( Ellar Coltrane ) as he voyage the go under of rambling , rural Texas . While the physical process of expend the same regurgitate take every two long time is passably gimmicky , Linklater pee fully apply of it to play up the poignance of the geological era affect Mason and his folk . Boyhood is an worked up and unforgettable rollercoaster ride from take off to refinement . It ’s a must - watch over for any rooter of indie movie theatre . take adjacent : The just Movies That Explore Mother - Son relationship