It’s hard to pin down a definition of the term ‘independent film’. While some people identify these types of films from an economical perspective, others recognise them based on their approach to aesthetics and film style.
So what qualifies a film as independent? Well… through the economical lens, these films are usually produced with low budgets of $1 Million or less and filmed on location with smaller crews and no ‘star’ actors. It’s themes are often centred around current affairs/issues in society but genres can vary from horror to teen comedy and other genres that tend to peak and decline in popularity, without the steady following of say for example- ‘superhero films’.
From an aesthetic perspective, films that challenge conventions and the genre tropes of mainstream cinema tend to be considered independent.
Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to select my top ten independent films from the last ten years and explain what I enjoyed about the film and why I would consider it to be independent. So let’s begin…
10) Booksmart (2019)
The feature directorial debut of Olivia Wilde, Booksmart (2019) is a coming-of-age comedy about two best friends, who are overachievers in school and realise on the night before their graduation that they have sacrificed the adventures of their teenage years to study hard. With only one night left to experience what they missed out on, they are determined to tick everything off the list!
I enjoyed this film immensely, the relationship between the two main characters is hilarious and beautifully shot with a 2.39 : 1 aspect ratio, and close attention to artistic details such as colour. I was impressed by the creative incorporation of stop motion animation where the girls turn into dolls, to portray their drug trip.
Why is it independent?
Despite being produced on a $6 Million budget, the screenplay for the film was first purchased by Annapurna Pictures, an independent American production company who approached Gloria Sanchez Productions, a production company dedicated to focus on female voices in comedy. The film was funded by its executive producers: Jessica Elbaum, Chelsea Bernard, Will Ferrell, David Distenfeld and Adam McKay.
Booksmart (2019) was filmed on location and features no ‘star’ actors. Also films that are of the teen comedy genre are usually deemed independent productions.
9) A Ghost Story (2017)
This is a visually stunning and moving film, with very little dialogue which breaks the narrative conventions viewers are expecting to see.
Why is it independent?
A Ghost Story (2017) was produced on a $1 Million budget and is a poetic depiction of an existential crisis. The genre supernatural drama is unconventional and abandons the usual horror tropes of horror films. It uses a 1.33:1 aspect ratio to give the audience the feeling of claustrophobia. The film had very little marketing budget and gained recognition through winning many awards in films festivals.
8)BlacKkKlansman (2018)
BlacKkKlansman (2018) is a biographical crime film directed by African-American filmmaker Spike Lee, who is already well-regarded as an independent filmmaker, perhaps most notably for the film She’s Gotta Have It (1986) which was shot on a a $175,000 budget.
The film tells the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department, who infiltrated the Klu Klux Klan by going undercover as a member of the KKK. This isn’t the first time Spike Lee has fought racism in his movies. One particular tool he employs to tackle bigotry is satire, which is used throughout this film. Lee brilliantly strikes the balance between making the audience laugh and equally shocking us to the core with the horrors of racism.
Why is it independent?
The $15 Million budget of BlacKkKlansman, doesn’t exactly shout “Independent film” in the economical sense but still is only a drop in the ocean compared to Black Panther’s $200 Million budget. The film started its life as a book by Ron Stallworth himself and made its way to MonkeyPaw Productions, a non-mainstream production company set up by Get Out director Jordan Peele, which teamed up with Blumhouse Productions to make the movie. The film is seemingly shot (in the most part) on location and is independent in terms of the film’s aesthetic style, emphasising nifty film buff pleasures and being character (not star) driven.
7) Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman (2020) is a feminist thriller about a woman who gets revenge on men who take sexual advantage of women to pay tribute to her best friend Nina, who committed suicide after being raped. What’s perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this film is how it deals with these issues so bravely and also through satire on gender politics… there are lots of funny and serious moments in this movie that are blending together in a way that results in Cassandra Thomas’s character being backed by the audience in her acts of revenge.
Why is it independent?
Promising Young Woman (2020) doesn’t follow the typical genre conventions or narrative structure of a mainstream Hollywood movie. It was made on a $5-10 Million budget, funded by non-mainstream independent production company “LuckyChap” entertainment, which was founded by Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr to make films that are female focussed.
The most part of the film was shot on location and there is very close attention to the aesthetics with poetic use of colour, costume and set design. It’s unusual for mainstream films to confront these issues in society with as such vigour as an independent film like this one.
6) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a dark comedy about an actor, who is known for playing a superhero character, struggling to be accepted as a serious stage actor in a production of a broadway play. The film is hugely entertaining and very different from Hollywood’s usual output. In 2015 it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Why is it independent?
The film was shot on location in an unconventional way to make it look as though it was filmed in one continuous take, which symbolises its themes of theatre and entrapment. Augmented tropes of the superhero movie genre are used as a metaphor to express Michael Keaton’s character’s inner thoughts and feelings. The long takes and character driven story definitely make the film feel aesthetically independent.
5) Last Night in Soho (2021)
Directed by Edgar Wright, famous for the ‘Cornetto trilogy’ Last Night in Soho (2021) is a psychological horror about a fashion student with a gift of clairvoyance, who moves in as a lodger in a landlady’s home in Soho. Each night when she goes to sleep she is transported back to the 1960s, where she seems to witness the murder of a singer named Sandie and is haunted in the present by the people she meets in the past. I really enjoyed this film, its colourful, nostalgic and I consider it a breath of fresh air in the horror genre!
Why is it independent?
This film was a kind of independent passion project for Edgar Wright, with an idea he was toying with at same time as making the World’s End. The $43 million budget Wright acquired to make the film was funded by multiple non-hollywood production companies including Film4 and Focus Features. Wright’s aesthetic style is very individual and uses a different approach to conventional filmmaking. Plus… and it’s a big plus- I have never seen a horror film with this kind story before it completely subverged what I thought the genre was.
4) Get Out (2017)
Get Out (2017), won director Jordan Peele critical acclaim and an Oscar for Best Director. The film is a horror about a young black man, who goes to visit his white girlfriend’s parents and uncovers they are hypnotising black people to transplant their brains into their bodies. This is a revolutionary film in the horror genre and tackled the issues of white privilege and violent racism faced by African-Americans. This is a complex social political horror, that examines these themes in a visionary way.
Why is it independent?
The film was made by Peele’s own company MonkeyPaw Productions, in collaboration with Blumhouse Productions. It was produced fairly cheaply with a $4.5 million budget and is all together a creative masterpiece and work of art that changes the face of the horror genre and explores the real life horrors of racism in America. The poetic aesthetics of the film really help to execute the metaphors it stands for.
3) Belfast (2022)
Belfast (2022) is director Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film about a young boy in a working-class family, who face the struggles of the protestant violence against catholic communities in 1960s Northern Ireland. It has already claimed Best British Film and Best Film at the BAFTAs and I can completely see why. Branagh’s take on his childhood feels sentimental moving and the characters are so loveable- a real pleasure to watch.
Why is it independent?
Belfast (2022) was made on a $25 million budget but with funding support from British Film Council, and though a collaboration between Focus Features and Branagh’s own production company. The film was shot with a black and white lens and showcases Branagh’s close eye to artistic detail. Camera movement is especially used inventively as is the static camera, in long continuous takes with the camera in a fixed position. Furthermore the cast, which includes some ‘star’ actors such as Judi Dench consists of mostly people Branagh knows personally from his acting career. Overall the story feels very raw in its form and is completely character/situation driven.
2) The Shape of Water (2017)
The Shape of Water (2017) is a science fiction romance fantasy film directed by Guillemero del Toro, which won the academy awards for Best Picture and Best Directing. It tells the story of a lonely deaf cleaner, who forms a bond with a misunderstood extra terrestrial water creature. The film is visually breathtaking and immerses you into a mysterious, water-based fairytale version of our world with rich green colour schemes and a sense of loneliness depicted that the audience can relate to and connect with. To me it is a beautiful story about being an outcast and seeing the good in everything against all odds. This film is given its finesse through del Toro’s excellent world building and visual storytelling. Trust me- I was sceptical about seeing this film because of it’s wacky sounding storyline but it’s a must see, I promise.
Why is it independent?
This film is a hybrid of multiple genres that are rarely ever seen in mainstream cinema. The narrative is almost completely driven by its stunning visual storytelling and not the usual over expositional dialogue Hollywood spew out in their movies. The Shape of Water (2017) was produced under del Toro’s own production company ‘Double Dare You’ in collaboration with Searchlight Pictures, with funding from TSG Entertainment- a film financing company. Everything about this movie has del Toro’s creative stamp on it and separates it conventional films.
1) Moonlight (2016)
Winner of the academy award for Best Picture, Moonlight (2016) which was directed by Barry Jenkins, is a coming-of-age drama which tells the story of a young African American boy in Miami, as he seeks advice from a kind drug dealer and discovers his sexuality. The film tracks character, Chiron at three stages of his life as a: child, teenager and young adult. The film is magnificently shot with excellent use of colour, Jenkins seems to have crafted each and every moment like a painter to a canvas. As a viewer, you become fully invested in the character’s lives and their relationships. This is a tender, not-to-be missed tale of black homosexual romance (about time too), told in a tasteful way. Also… I love a bitter-sweet ending, much truer to life.
Why is it independent?
The film was produced and released by A24 , an American independent production company based in New York. It was made on a $1.5 Million budget and shot on location in Miami. A coming of age film is typical of independent films but never explored in such depth from the perspective of a young, gay black man. The narrative structure is unconventional, divided into three chapters of Chiron’s life: I. Little, II. Chiron and III. Black. The film was a triumph making $65.3 million worldwide box office profit.
WILL HEXTALL 
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