Netflix is constantly changing what material is available to stream, making it hard to know what to watch at times. The service normally has a broad selection of independent movies for streaming—some amazing and thought provoking, and others, horrendously awful. Below are some indie flicks that are tried and true: all received “fresh” ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and positive reviews on IMDB. Grab some popcorn, dim the lights and log in to Netflix.
“Stuck In Love” (2012)
Director: Josh Boone
“Stuck In Love” follows the lives of a divorced father (Greg Kinnear, “Little Miss Sunshine”) and his two children (Lily Collins, “The Mortal Instruments,” Nat Wolff, “Palo Alto”) as they each struggle with love.
Bill Borgens, the father, is an acclaimed novelist who is still pining after his wife, in hopes that they will one day get back together. Meanwhile, his daughter Samantha (Collins), a college student who has lost all faith in love, meets Lou (Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) and reluctantly begins a friendship that leads her to question her belief about relationships. Samantha’s brother Rusty (Wolff) is a hopeless romantic, one who has always had his eye on a girl in his class (Liana Liberato, “Trust”) who is struggling with problems of her own. The conclusion of the movie is powerful: “Stuck In Love” teaches us that while love is one of the most important things to experience, we must also be our own heroes.
Fun Fact: Horror author Stephen King makes a cameo in the film.
“You’re Next” (2011)
Director: Adam Wingard
Slasher films seemed to get left behind in the 70s, but “You’re Next” brings back the familiar horror evoked by movies like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” The movie begins with the reunion of the Davison family and their respective significant others.What starts as a rocky reunion leads to something worse—a gruesome set of murders, “Strangers” style, that test the family’s most fundamental bonds. It is up to Erin (Sharni Vison, “Step-Up 3”), the girlfriend of Crispian Davison (A.J. Bowen, “The Signal”), to try and rescue the family from the fatal trap in which they are horrifyingly stuck.
Fun Fact: One of the masked killers in the movie is also the film’s producer.
“Heathers” (1988)
Director: Michael Lehman
Cult classics are classics for a reason, and “Heathers” will not disappoint. The movie depicts a group of popular friends in high school, almost all named Heather. The only exception, Veronica (Winona Ryder, “Girl Interrupted”) begins a dangerous romance with bad boy J.D. (Christian Slater, “The Legend of Billie Jean”).
J.D. starts as a seemingly unique, exciting individual, yet eventually leads Veronica down a path she never intended. J.D. begins murdering the other high school students, forcing Veronica to fake their suicide notes. Veronica must find a way to get out of the horrendous crimes her boyfriend is committing and save the other students.
Fun Fact: The first scene of the movie was actually the last scene filmed.
“Trainspotting” (1996)
Director: Danny Boyle
“Trainspotting” stars Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars” prequels) as heroin addict Mark Renton, a man who wishes to live a normal, stable life without drugs. However, Mark and his friends Spud (Ewen Bremner, “Black Hawk Down”), Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller, “Endgame”) and Franco (Robert Carlyle, “The Full Monty”) get into serious trouble. After a few days of clubbing and slumming in a local drug house, the group dabbles in a drug dealing affair that could get all of them killed. Will Mark ever leave heroin for a cookie-cutter life?
Fun Fact: It took only seven and a half weeks to film “Trainspotting.”
“Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching, “Blue is the Warmest Color” is a romantic coming-of-age film starring Adele Exarchopoulos (“Boxes”) as 15 year-old Adele, a girl who finds love with art student Emma (Lea Seydoux, “Midnight in Paris”). The two begin a passionate affair, which is a shocking new experience for young Adele. “Blue is the Warmest Color” shows us the evolutions of the two’s relationship, one that is full of love, heartbreak, and touching moments that leave tears in viewer’s eyes. “Blue is the Warmest Color” is a French independent film that should not be missed.
Fun Fact: Most of the film is improvised—the actresses only read the script once.
Sit back and choose whichever one fits the mood, and admire the artistry and hard work that went into these independent films.
