Subgenre Sampler

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Language Lessons (2021): Dir. Natalie Morales
Feat. Mark Duplass, Natalie Morales; A Spanish teacher and her American student develop an unexpected friendship over a series of conference calls in this quirky, Co–Vid inspired…
Dinner in America (2020): Dir. Adam Rehmeier
Feat. Kyle Gallner, Emily Skeggs, Brittany Sheets…; Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs lend plenty of charisma to this stroppy–sweet black comedy as an on–the–lam punk rocker and an…
Freshman Year (S#!%house) (2020): Dir. Cooper Raiff
Feat. Cooper Raiff, Amy Landecker, Dylan Gelula; An intimate microbudget indie depicting the experience of an awkward, lonely college freshman who unexpectedly makes a connection with a girl at a…
I Used to Go Here (2020): Dir. Kris Rey
Feat. Gillian Jacobs, Jemaine Clement, Josh Wiggins…; Clever indie dramady exploring millennial ennui from writer–director Kris Rey, with the always likeable Gillian Jacobs playing a struggling…
Kajillionaire (2020): Dir. Miranda July
Feat. Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez…; Irreverent comedy from writer–director Miranda July (ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW) following a struggling family who survive on petty crime,…
Man in the Hat, The (2020): Dir. Stephen Warbeck, John-Paul Davidson
Feat. Ciaran Hinds, Stephen Dillane, Maïwenn …; Road–trip comedy–musical about a man who sets off from Marseilles in a small Fiat 500, with five angry men in a Citroën Dyane…
Alien Addiction (2019): Dir. Shae Sterling
Feat. Jimi Jackson, JoJo Waaka, Thomas Sainsbury; Goofball Kiwi comedy starring internet comedy sensations Tom Sainsbury and Jimi Jackson, the latter of whom plays a man from small town Waikato who…
Booksmart (2019): Dir. Olivia Wilde
Feat. Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein; Sensational directorial debut for actor Olivia Wilde, who transforms the High School coming–of–age comedy into a riotous celebration of…
Climb, The (2019): Dir. Michael Angelo Covino
Feat. Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Gayle Rankin…; Expanding on their short film of the same name, friends Michael Angelo Corvino and Kyle Marvin write and star in this caustically funny portrait of…
Safe Spaces (After Class) (2019): Dir. Daniel Schechter
Feat. Justin Long, Fran Drescher, Kate Berlant; A biting comedy following a NYC professor who has an awkward run–in with a student, and attempts to defend his controversial behavior while…
Keep the Change (2018): Dir. Rachel Israel
Feat. Brandon Polansky, Samantha Elisofon; A tender, funny and unique New York romantic–comedy that melts the heart with two engaging performances from the thirty–something leads…
Mega Time Squad (2018): Dir. Tim van Dammen
Feat. Anton Tennet, Jonathan Brugh, Milo Cawthorne…; Ingenious low–budget sci–fi comedy set in the tiny North Island town of Thames, New Zealand in which a small–town criminal finds an…
Thunder Road (2018): Dir. Jim Cummings
Feat. Jim Cummings, Kendal Farr; Jim Cummings wrote, directed and stars in this feature debut as a Texan police officer who suffers a nervous breakdown after his mother dies, risking…
20th Century Women (2017): Dir. Mike Mills
Feat. Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig…; Recalling her turn in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, Annette Bening shines once again as a bohemian Californian mom, who here enlists Greta Gerwig and Elle…
Brigsby Bear (2017): Dir. Dave McCary
Feat. Kyle Mooney, Greg Kinnear, Mark Hamill…; A wonderfully outré yet comedy starring Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney as a young man whose only connection to the world are his eccentric…
Ingrid Goes West (2017): Dir. Matt Spicer
Feat. Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr…; Black–hearted and immensely entertaining social media satire, with comedy actress Aubrey Plaza perfectly cast as a slightly unhinged…
Lovers, The (2017): Dir. Azazel Jacobs
Feat. Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen…; Authentic sombre comedy with Debra Winger and Tracy Letts well matched as a long–married, dispassionate couple whose romantic spark suddenly…
Adult Life Skills (2016): Dir. Rachel Tunnard
Feat. Jodie Whittaker, Ozzy Myers, Brett Goldstein…; Smart indie Brit–com with Jodie Whittaker as a women approaching 30 but caught a state of arrested adolescence, living reclusively in her mum's…
Carrie Pilby (2016): Dir. Susan Johnson
Feat. Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne…; Bel Powley (DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL) gives another excellent performance as a highly intelligent but isolated 19–year–old woman who is…
Chronesthesia (2016): Dir. Hayden J. Weal
Feat. Hayden J. Weal, Michelle Ny, Cohen Holloway…; Indie rom–com with a curious time–shifting twist in which a socially isolated young man's burgeoning romance with a science student is…
Hollars, The (2016): Dir. John Krasinski
Feat. Margo Martindale, Sharlto Copley, Richard Jenkins…; Actor John Kasinski makes a commendable directing debut with this bittersweet indie as a New York artist who returns to his middle–American…
Lazy Eye (2016): Dir. Tim Kirkman
Feat. Lucas Near-Verbruggh, Aaron Costa Ganis, Michaela Watkins; A graphic designer in his 40's reconnects with a lost love over a weekend away in the Californian desert in this gay–themed romantic drama.…
Ordinary World (2016): Dir. Lee Kirk
Feat. Billie Joe Armstrong, Selma Blair, Judy Greer…; Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tries out his acting chops as a domesticated ex–rocker who throws an extravagant 40th birthday party…
Spaghettiman (Spaghetti Man) (2016): Dir. Mark Potts
Feat. Benjamin Crutcher, Winston Carter; An absurdist, no–budget superhero spoof centred around a cynical super–slacker whose microwave mishap inadvertently turns him into a man…
This Giant Papier-Mache Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy (This Giant Paper Mache Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy) (2016): Dir. Christian Nicolson
Feat. Christian Nicolson, Daniel Pujol; Three nerds are inexplicably plunged into a B–grade sci–fi movie where they must comandeer a rickety old spaceship and find a way to…
7 Chinese Brothers (2015): Dir. Bob Byington
Feat. Jason Schwartzman, Stephen Root, Olympia Dukakis…; Quirky comedy in which Jason Schwartzman essays another misanthropic slacker who lands a job at a garage where he becomes smitten with his new boss.
Frisky (2015): Dir. Claudia Pickering
Feat. Claudia Pickering, Monica Ammerman, Brandon Wardle; Directed by and starring the multi–talented Claudia Pickering, this fresh micro–budget indie follows two female college grads who leave…
No Way Jose (2015): Dir. Adam Goldberg
Feat. Adam Goldberg, Gillian Jacobs, Emily Osment…; Romantic comedy centered around an erstwhile indie–rocker relegated to playing children's birthday parties, on the verge of turning 40 and at a…
People Places Things (2015): Dir. James C. Strouse
Feat. Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Jessica Williams; Bittersweet indie comedy distinguished by a romantic lead performance by Jemaine Clement as a newly single graphic novelist balancing parenting his…
Tangerine (2015): Dir. Sean Baker
Feat. Katana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, James Ransone; Energetic and frequently hilarious buddy comedy follows two transgender sex workers as they navigate the unforgiving streets of Los Angeles on…
Comet (2014): Dir. Sam Esmail
Feat. Justin Long, Emmy Rossum, Kayla Servi…; Visually distinctive romantic drama set in a parallel universe that bounces back and forth over the course of an unlikely but perfectly paired…
Faults (2014): Dir. Riley Stearns
Feat. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Leland Orser; Commendable, darkly comic indie–drama set in the intiguing world of cult de–programming with excellent performances from Lealand Orser…
Frank (2014): Dir. Lenny Abrahamson
Feat. Domhnall Gleeson, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Gyllenhaal…; A lovable, off–beat indie rock satire in which Michael Fassbender plays the leader of a group of experimental musicians who lives permanently…
Laggies (2014): Dir. Lynn Shelton
Feat. Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell…; Indie comedy with Knightley as a woman in the throes of a quarter–life crisis brought on by her boyfriend's sudden proposal.
Obvious Child (2014): Dir. Gillian Robespierre
Feat. Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann…; A New York indie comedy of the "awkward girl" variety that focuses on how a comedienne's unplanned pregnancy forces her to confront the realities of…
One I Love, The (2014): Dir. Charlie McDowell
Feat. Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson; Beguiling indie comedy about a couple struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart; after escaping for a weekend in pursuit of their…
Skeleton Twins, The (2014): Dir. Craig Johnson
Feat. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson…; Piercing black comedy about two estranged twins, having both coincidentally cheated death on the same day, struggling to mend their relationship.
Adult World (2013): Dir. Scott Coffey
Feat. Emma Roberts, John Cusack, Evan Peters…; A struggling college graduate with aspirations of becoming a poet slums it at a small town sex shop in this dry indie comedy.
Cheap Thrills (2013): Dir. E.L. Katz
Feat. Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton…; A devilishly effective black comedy about a pair of old friends who enter into an increasingly bloody game of one–upmanship with a wealthy…
Computer Chess (2013): Dir. Andrew Bujalski
Feat. Kriss Schludermann, Tom Fletcher, Wiley Wiggins; Mumblecore maestro Andrew Bujalski directs this left–of–field mockumentary, shot on low–fi video, about a surreal chess tournament…
Prince Avalanche (2013): Dir. David Gordon Green
Feat. Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch; Two highway road workers pass the time in the Texas wilderness in this laconic return–to–form for indie darling David Gordon Green.
Brass Teapot, The (2012): Dir. Ramaa Mosley
Feat. Juno Temple, Michael Angarano, Alexis Bledel; This light–hearted black comedy tackles the economic doldrums with a quirky allegory, in which a down–on–their–luck couple…
Damsels in Distress (2012): Dir. Whit Stillman
Feat. Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody; A welcome, long–overdue return to the youthful comedy of manners Whit Stillman made his name with in the 90s. Greta Gerwig plays an earnest…
Frances Ha (2012): Dir. Noah Baumbach
Feat. Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver…; The whimsical exploits of a struggling dancer at the tail end of her adolescence are semi–improvised in this Manhattan indie rom–com,…
Free Samples (2012): Dir. Jay Gammill
Feat. Jess Weixler, Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter…; A small–scale but deceptively smart and engaging "retail comedy" that spends a day in the life with a sarcastic LA law–school dropout who…
Hello I Must Be Going (2012): Dir. Todd Louiso
Feat. Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, John Rubinstein…; Melanie Lynskey is excellent as a wounded young divorcee forced to move back in with her parents, in this serio–comic character…
Lola Versus (2012): Dir. Daryl Wein
Feat. Greta Gerwig, Zoe Lister Jones, Hamish Linklater…; Indie darling Greta Gerwig sizes up the 20–something dating scene after being unceremoniously dumped in this frivolous, if emotionally…
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012): Dir. Colin Trevorrow
Feat. Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson…; Winningly oddball 'true' tale set in Seattle that follows a writer and two colleagues on a flakey assignment to interview a man who placed a…
Sleepwalk with Me (2012): Dir. Mike Birbiglia, Seth Barrish
Feat. Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn…; A struggling stand–up grapples with life, relationships, and a chronic sleepwalking disorder in this fine indie comedy.
Beginners (2011): Dir. Mike Mills
Feat. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent…; Semi–autobiographical tale from the dir. of THUMBSUCKER reconciles two relationships in the life of a 38–year–old graphic artist…
Future, The (2011): Dir. Miranda July
Feat. Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky…; Another arthouse treasure from the writer/director/actor behind ME AND YOU EVERYONE WE KNOW concerns an atypical 30–something LA couple who…
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011): Dir. Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Feat. Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon…; The Duplass brothers follow–up the formidable CYRUS with another deep–centred comedy about the crises of two stagnant adult siblings; one…
Terri (2011): Dir. Azazel Jacobs
Feat. John C. Reilly, Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton; An overweight teenage outcast finds unlikely counsel and friendship in the intimidating vice principal of his high school in this…
Win Win (2011): Dir. Tom McCarthy
Feat. Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan…; Recession comedy starring midlife–crisis poster boy Paul Giamatti, who here entangles his professional life as a struggling lawyer with his…
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010): Dir. James Nguyen
Feat. Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore; Shoe–string trash homage to Hitchcock's THE BIRDS that follows a romantic couple whose small town that is attacked by birds.…
Cyrus (2010): Dir. Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Feat. John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei…; This placid yet sophisticated comedy of male rivalry sees a middle–aged divorcee (Reilly) stumble upon the woman of his dreams (Tomei), only to…
Daydream Nation (2010): Dir. Michael Goldbach
Feat. Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Andie MacDowell…; A daydreaming 17–year–old (Dennings) seduces a high school teacher for kicks, only to attract the attention of a lovesick stoner…
Get Low (2010): Dir. Aaron Schneider
Feat. Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek…; Folksy comic tale with mysterious hermit Duvall throwing the inhabitants of a small town into turmoil when he decides to host his own funeral party.
Greenberg (2010): Dir. Noah Baumbach
Feat. Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans…; An off–key, serio–comic role for Ben Stiller, here playing a challenged 40–something whose stint crashing at his brother’s L.A.…
Happy Thank You More Please (2010): Dir. Josh Radnor
Feat. Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Zoe Kazan…; Genial indie comedy with a self involved writer and his friends struggling to adjust to adulthood. Directorial debut of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER star…
Kids Are All Right, The (2010): Dir. Lisa Cholodenko
Feat. Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo…; Feathers fly in this smart and insightful comedy–drama anchored by three terrific lead performances whose character's unique relationships are…
Made In Romania (2010): Dir. Guy J. Louthan
Feat. Jason Flemyng, Jennifer Tilly, Elizabeth Hurley…; Affable mock–umentary concerns a film producer's dream adaptation of an obscure Victorian novel that goes hopelessly awry in backwoods Romania.…
Meet Monica Velour (2010): Dir. Keith Bearden
Feat. Kim Cattrall, Dustin Ingram, Brian Dennehy…; Kim Cattrall shines in this indie drama about a nerdy, movie–loving teen who lusts after a softcore actress and embarks on a road trip to see…
Norman (2010): Dir. Jonathan Segal
Feat. Dan Byrd, Emily VanCamp, Richard Jenkins…; A melancholy high school 'indie' about a teenage loner who claims his father's terminal cancer as his own in order to make tracks with a pretty…
Sensation (2010): Dir. Tom Hall
Feat. Domhnall Gleeson, Luanne Gordon, Patrick Ryan; An intelligently written and thoroughly endearing sex comedy involving an introverted farmer's son and a Kiwi prostitute who form an unlikely…
Tiny Furniture (2010): Dir. Lena Dunham
Feat. Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Alex Karpovsky…; A prototype for Lena Dunham's hugely successful HBO series GIRLS, this smart–funny indie finds the talented actress/director mining the…
Adam (2009): Dir. Max Mayer
Feat. Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher…; Moon–faced Rose Byrne warms to her Asperger's–afflicted neighbour (Dancy) in this unlikely, heartfelt romance. Distracting subplots…
Adventureland (2009): Dir. Greg Mottola
Feat. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds…; Low–key indie comedy set in 1987 where a virginal high–school grad gets a summer job at a local amusement park and finds unlikely…
Breaking Upwards (2009): Dir. Daryl Wein
Feat. Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones, Julie White…; Skittish romantic comedy in which a couple attempt to end their moribund relationship gradually, beginning with three days off each week. Drawing…
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009): Dir. John Krasinski
Feat. Julianne Nicholson, Ben Shenkman, Timothy Hutton…; A graduate student copes with a recent breakup by conducting interviews with various men. Ill–conceived and messy adaptation of David Foster…
City Island (2009): Dir. Raymond De Felitta
Feat. Andy Garcia, Julianne Margulies, Steven Strait…; Winning ensemble stars Andy Garcia as a would–be actor–cum–corrections officer who brings a young ex–con home from work, much…
Cold Souls (2009): Dir. Sophie Barthes
Feat. Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Lauren Ambrose…; A existentialist tragi–comedy in which Paul Giamatti plays himself, a New York actor in crisis, who literally has his soul extracted, only to…
Humpday (2009): Dir. Lynn Shelton
Feat. Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmor…; Though easily mistaken for another Judd Apatow dude comedy, this hilarious indie bromance about two macho BFs engaged in a dare to go ‘beyond…
Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, The (2009): Dir. David Russo
Feat. Marshall Allman, Vince Vieluf, Natasha Lyonne; Pleasingly off–kilter indie comedy bares witness to the spiritual crisis of an office clerk who joins a posse of bohemian night janitors who…
Marc Pease Experience, The (2009): Dir. Todd Louiso
Feat. Jason Schwartzman, Ben Stiller, Anna Kendrick…; Remorseless comedy of the deluded with Schwartzman as a sad–sack limo driver desperate to relive his glory days as a high school music star.…
My Suicide (2009): Dir. David Lee Miller
Feat. Gabriel Sunday, David Carradine, Mariel Hemingway…; A disaffected teenager announces that he intends to document his impending suicide on camera in this heavy handed, if potent youth indie. Built on…
Paper Heart (2009): Dir. Nicholas Jasenovec
Feat. Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi, Martin Starr…; Cutesy indie combination of documentary and narrative as Charlyne Yi travels America interviewing couples about their relationships. Meanwhile,…
Sherman's Way (2009): Dir. Craig M. Saavedra
Feat. James LeGros, Enrico Colantoni, Michael Shulman; Whimsical road–trip comedy sees an uptight Yale law student (Shulman) hitching a memorable ride with a washed up ski pro (LeGros).…
Splinterheads (2009): Dir. Brant Sersen
Feat. Thomas Middleditch, Rachael Taylor, Christopher McDonald…; Funky comedy in which a hapless slacker has his world turned upside down when a carnival brings a sexy con artist to town
TiMER (2009): Dir. Jac Schaeffer
Feat. Emma Caulfield, Michelle Borth, John Patrick Amedori…; A fresh, engaging independent rom–com that posits the invention of a literal biological clock which, when implanted, counts down to the moment…
Wah Do Dem (What They Do) (2009): Dir. Sam Fleischner, Ben Chace
Feat. Sean Bones, Carl Bradshaw, Norah Jones; A young indie musician suffers solo through a disaster–prone Caribbean holiday in this shaggy road movie with a sweetly comic sensibility.…
World's Greatest Dad (2009): Dir. Bobcat Goldthwait
Feat. Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Geoff Pierson…; Savage black comedy gifts Robin Williams his best role in years as a struggling writer and poetry teacher whose life is burdened by his insufferable…
Baghead (2008): Dir. Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Feat. Steve Zissis, Greta Gerwig, Ross Partridge…; The Duplass Brothers deliver on the promise of their debut, THE PUFFY CHAIR, with another no–frills charmer that effortlessly marries assured…
Brothers Bloom, The (2008): Dir. Rian Johnson
Feat. Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo…; Fanciful tale of two grifting brothers (Brody, Ruffalo) who, in attempting to ensnare an eccentric heiress (Weisz), fall for both her feminine charms…
Gigantic (2008): Dir. Matt Aselton
Feat. Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, Edward Asner…; Whimsical, self–conscious indie comedy about a mattress salesman (Paul Dano) whose plan to adopt a baby from China is interrupted when a women…
Good Dick (2008): Dir. Marianna Palka
Feat. Marianna Palka, Jason Ritter, Martin Starr…; A romantic–comedy fraught with emotional damage, this unique American indie follows the strange yet touching relationship between a troubled,…
How To Be (2008): Dir. Oliver Irving
Feat. Robert Pattinson, Rebecca Pidgeon, Powell Jones; Another delayed release for eager Robert Pattinson fans sees the heartthrob play a listless musician living in London who enlists the help of a…
Last Word, The (2008): Dir. Geoffrey Haley
Feat. Wes Bentley, Winona Ryder, Ray Romano; Quirky black comedy centered on a man who makes a living writing suicide notes for the depressed, and has his life is turned upside down when he…
Momma's Man (2008): Dir. Azazel Jacobs
Feat. Matt Boren, Ken Jacobs, Richard Edson…; A grown man in a state of arrested adolescence stays with his parents whilst on a business trip, and then concocts a series of excuses as to why he…
Nick And Nora's Infinite Playlist (2008): Dir. Peter Sollett
Feat. Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo; "Geeky Dreamboat" Michael Cera is typecast again in this pleasing but trifle indie flick centred around two high school seniors who bond over music…
Second-Hand Wedding (Secondhand Wedding) (2008): Dir. Paul Murphy
Feat. Holly Shanahan, Geraldine Brophy, Patrick Wilson…; Sweet–natured Kiwi suburban rom–com that was a surprise hit at the local box office, with large audiences responding to a highly…
Wackness, The (2008): Dir. Jonathan Levine
Feat. Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby…; Smitten with nostalgia for a bygone early–90's New York, this coming–of–age drama follows a listless, pot–dealing teenager as…
Weirdsville (2008): Dir. Allan Moyle
Feat. Taryn Manning, Wes Bentley, Scott Speedman; Delightfully referential black comedy spins a feverishly–paced, zigzagging yarn about a bizarre night in the life of two junkies who mistakenly…
Body/Antibody (2007): Dir. Kerry Douglas Dye, Jordan Hoffman
Feat. Robert Gomes, Leslie Kendall Dye, Frank Deal; An obsessive/compulsive germaphobe's life is turned upside down when he falls for the beautiful seductress who lives next door his apartment. This…
Broken English (2007): Dir. Zoe Cassavetes
Feat. Parker Posey, Drea De Matteo, Melvil Poupaud…; The usually zany Parker Posey searches for love in this supple, melancholic romantic comedy, here playing a Manhattan thirty–something as yet…
Charlie Bartlett (2007): Dir. Jon Poll
Feat. Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jnr., Hope Davis…; Indie comedy focused around wealthy Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) the newcomer at Western Summit High who becomes the self–appointed psychiatrist…
Expired (2007): Dir. Cecilia Miniucchi
Feat. Samantha Morton, Jason Patric, Teri Garr…; Idiosyncrasy without the gimmicky weirdness, this hilariously outre indie rom–com stars Samantha Morton as a sheltered, sweet–hearted…
Go-Getter, The (2007): Dir. Martin Hynes
Feat. Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel, Jena Malone; Coming–of–age road trip drama situated around an inquisitive teen (THUMBSUCKER's Pucci) who throws caution to the wind after a painful…
Grow Your Own (The Allotment) (2007): Dir. Richard Laxton
Feat. Eddie Marsan; Delightful, benevolent comedy sees an eccentric group of British gardeners have their carefree days of tending community plots interrupted by a…
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss (2007): Dir. Alex Holdridge
Feat. Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian McGuire; Restoring our faith in the unreliable indie rom–com genre, this terrific example takes place on New Years Eve in Los Angeles, where two…
Juno (2007): Dir. Jason Reitman
Feat. Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner…; Upstart indie comedy that broke wide into the mainstream, this packages up Gen–Y angst and 'riot–grrl' attitude into a commercially…
Just Buried (2007): Dir. Chaz Thorne
Feat. Rose Byrne, Jay Baruchel, Graham Greene; Unrepentant dark comedy focused on a young man inheriting a struggling funeral home who tries to drum up some business by killing off the town…
Lars and the Real Girl (2007): Dir. Craig Gillespie
Feat. Ryan Gosling, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer…; Ryan Gosling plays an awkward loner who enters into a courtship with a life–size, anatomically–correct sex doll in this…
Living Wake, The (2007): Dir. Sol Tryon
Feat. Mike O'Connell, Jesse Eisenberg, Jim Gaffigan; Literate and defiantly non–conformist, this snob comedy about an eccentric failure in the arts and his rickshaw…
Rats and Cats (2007): Dir. Tony Rogers
Feat. Jason Gann; Warped black comedy from the makers of strange comedy series WILFRED, tracking down a talentless retired movie star, 'Darren McWarren', who retreats…
Rocket Science (2007): Dir. Jeffrey Blitz
Feat. Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Denis O'Hare…; Pointy–headed comedy from the dir. of the documentary SPELLBOUND that switches the subject to high–school debating, and the travails of…
Waitress (2007): Dir. Adrienne Shelly
Feat. Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Adrienne Shelly…; Keri Russell plays a small–town diner waitress and pie expert, stuck with (and knocked up by) the wrong man – her scary redneck husband…
Year of the Dog (2007): Dir. Mike White
Feat. Laura Dern, Peter Sarsgaard, Regina King…; This sensitive comedy–drama about a woman whose life falls to pieces when her pet beagle dies, is the directorial debut of Mike White, writer…
Clerks 2 (2006): Dir. Kevin Smith
Feat. Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson…; Troublesome sequel to Kevin Smith's vulgar low–budget classic again injects bawdy humour and repressed angst into the lives of two listless,…
Delirious (2006): Dir. Tom DiCillo
Feat. Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Alison Lohman…; Character–driven satire focused on a paparazzo and wannabe actor trying to make it big in the industry, only to discover the price of fame in…
Footy Legends (2006): Dir. Khoa Do
Feat. Anh Do; Sydney 'burbs–set feel–good sporting flick about an unemployed Asian rugga fanatic with an ambition to win a local competition with the…
I'm Reed Fish (2006): Dir. Zackary Adler
Feat. Jay Baruchel, Alexis Bledel, Katey Sagal; Sweetly subversive coming–of–age indie comedy focused on Reed Fish (Baruchel), a philosophical young radio presenter whose idealistic…
Ira & Abby (2006): Dir. Robert Cary
Feat. Chris Messina, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jason Alexander…; Jittery romantic comedy concerns the ramifications of a hasty marriage between a neurotic therapy patient and a flighty saleswoman. New York…
Last Stop For Paul (2006): Dir. Neil Mandt
Feat. Neil Mandt, Marc Carter; Global road–movie–on–a–shoestring follows two friends as they travel to more than 20 countries to scatter their friend's…
LOL (2006): Dir. Joe Swanberg
Feat. Joe Swanberg, Kevin Bewersdorf, C. Mason Wells…; Humble "mumblecore" rom–com about relationships and technology, written, directed, produced and starring Joe Swanberg, the artist who is…
Night of the White Pants, The (2006): Dir. Amy Talkington
Feat. Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl, Selma Blair; Intriguing comedy–drama in which middle–aged businessman Tom Wilkinson is thrown out of his house (and marriage) with only the clothes…
Sasquatch Dumpling Gang, The (2006): Dir. Tim Skousen
Feat. Justin Long, Carl Weathers, Joey Kern…; A bogus bigfoot turd discovery excites geeks, wonks, cops and redneck bullies in this deadpan teen dork comedy with a top 80s soundtrack and some…
Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006): Dir. Bobcat Goldthwait
Feat. Melinda Page Hamilton, Bryce Johnson, Geoff Pierson; A disturbing dalliance with her pet pooch comes back to bite a newly engaged woman in this disarmingly frank indie rom–com that is certain to…
Young, Single and Angry (2006): Dir. Richard Waterhouse
Feat. Sarah Blevins, Jamie Anderson, Heather Stewart…; Low budget chick–flick following a group of LA women turned bitter and disillusioned from years of unsuccessful dating, until they discover…
Actress, The (2005): Dir. Zak Hilditch
Feat. Matt Hardie, Catlin Higgins, Steve Mccall…; An observational black comedy centering on a Perth household of three sex–starved 20–somethings who invite a seductive actress to be…
Broken Flowers (2005): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Bill Murray, Julie Delpy, Frances Conroy…; A beguiling middle–age lament starring Bill Murray, unfurled in typical low gear by the world's 'coolest' director, Jim Jarmusch. Playing an…
Conversations with Other Women (2005): Dir. Hans Canosa
Feat. Aaron Eckhart, Helena Bonham Carter; An innovative, bittersweet romantic two–hander that uses split screen for its entire running time to explore the contrasting…
Icemaker (Diamond Zero) (2005): Dir. Annelie Wilder, David Gaz
Feat. Bronson Pinchot, Leo Rossi, Tippi Hedren…; Dark comedy centred around the idea of turning the deceased into diamonds involves an enterprising doctor latching onto this invention with the idea…
Junebug (2005): Dir. Phil Morrison
Feat. Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, Amy Adams…; An enchanting indie gem about an art–dealer whose pursuit of an 'outsider artist' in backwoods North Carolina prompts various life crises,…
Mutual Appreciation (2005): Dir. Andrew Bujalski
Feat. Justin Rice, Andrew Bujalski, Kate Dollenmayer…; An authentically amusing, perfectly observed capsule of post–graduate blues from the idiosyncratic dir. of FUNNY HA HA, praised almost…
Puffy Chair, The (2005): Dir. Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Feat. Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton, Rhett Wilkins; A failed musician hits the road with his girlfriend to collect the "puffy chair" they've bought on E–Bay in this indie gem that keenly…
Puppy (2005): Dir. Kieran Galvin
Feat. Bernard Curry, Nadia Townsend; A self–funded meditation on obsession and love, set in Victoria's pretty Yarra Valley, in which a free spirit is rescued by a delusional…
Thumbsucker (2005): Dir. Mike Mills
Feat. Lou Taylor Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Keanu Reeves…; An accomplished, resolutely unconventional drama in which a 17 year–old boy (Pucci) is encouraged, cajoled and medicated into breaking the…
Coffee and Cigarettes (2004): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop…; A compendium of whimsical b&w shorts from lapsidaisical indie auteur Jim Jarmusch, set around various celebrity encounters over nicotine and…
Garden State (2004): Dir. Zach Braff
Feat. Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm…; Sitcom actor Zach Braff compliments his career in "Scrubs" as the ambitious writer, director and star of this personal, melancholy comedy that became…
Garth Method, The (2004): Dir. Gregory Pakis
Feat. Gregory Pakis; Unhinged comedy based on the true story of an out–of–work actor who kidnapped members of the public and forced them to act in his…
Napoleon Dynamite (2004): Dir. Jared Hess
Feat. Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell…; Destined for cult status, this plays like a high school comedy made by its alienated students, with its quirky in–jokes and non–sequiturs…
She Hate Me (2004): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin…; Another well–packed 'joint' from Spike Lee, has a corporate whistle–blower (Mackie) fired from his job and recruited to impregnate…
April's Shower (2003): Dir. Trish Doolan
Feat. Maria Cina, Trish Doolan, Randall Batinkoff; A closeted lesbian attempts to reconcile her relationship with her to–be–married best friend during a bridal shower in this madcap comedy…
Big Empty, The (2003): Dir. Steve Anderson
Feat. Jon Favreau, Kelsey Grammer, Joey Lauren Adams…; Jon Favreau is an unemployed LA actor who lands a real–life role in a mysterious rendezvous in an eccentric desert town. A deliberately…
Delicate Art of Parking, The (2003): Dir. Trent Carlson; Canadian mockumentary about the joys of life as a devoted parking warden embarking on an investigation into the mad world of parking when his mate is…
Easy (2003): Dir. Jane Weinstock
Feat. Marguerite Moreau, Brian F O'Byrne, Naveen Andrews…; A nicely–judged indie riff on some of the perennial dilemmas of modern romance, as experienced by two sisters on the quest to find their…
Grand Theft Parsons (2003): Dir. David Caffrey
Feat. Johnny Knoxville, Christina Applegate, Robert Forster…; A blackly comic account of the wordly departure of country–folk–rock pioneer Gram Parsons, who after perishing of a drug overdose, had…
Haggard (2003): Dir. Bam Margera
Feat. Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Brandon DiCamillo…; Spinoff feature from the creators of JACKASS mostly dispenses with the stuntwork and prankery, substituting plot and comic routines. Dunn is…
Masked and Anonymous (2003): Dir. Larry Charles
Feat. Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, Bob Dylan…; In a near–apocalyptic future America, a popular singer (Bob Dylan) sets out on a nationwide tour to revive his career before heading into a…
Pieces of April (2003): Dir. Peter Hedges
Feat. Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Derek Luke…; The uncomfortably comic family reunion done in the DAYTRIPPERS mold, with a tattooed Katie Holmes as the spacey black sheep of the clan, who invites…
Rage in Placid Lake, The (2003): Dir. Tony McNamara
Feat. Ben Lee, Rose Byrne, Miranda Richardson…; Tale of an eccentric bullied teenager, this mordant comedy executes its satire of abnormality without mercy. The titular Lake (Ben Lee)…
Real Women Have Curves (2003): Dir. Patricia Cardoso
Feat. America Ferrera; A natural antidote to Hollywood silicone, this tells the charming coming–of–age story of an ‘ordinary’ Mexican–American…
Secret Lives of Dentists, The (2003): Dir. Alan Rudolph
Feat. Campbell Scott, Denis Leary, Hope Davis…; Typically quirky adult fare from dir. Alan Rudolph about two dentists who find cavities in their marriage, this takes imaginative yet distracting…
Tiptoes (Tiny Tiptoes) (2003): Dir. Matthew Bright
Feat. Matthew McConaughey, Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale…; Safely quirky indie has Kate Beckinsale and Matthew McConaughey's relationship heading for the rough waters when she discovers his family almost…
Cherish (2002): Dir. Finn Taylor
Feat. Robin Tunney, Tim Blake Nelson, Jason Priestley…; A self–consciously offbeat ‘indie’ about a retro–pop obsessed misfit (Robin Tunney in a winning, flaky performance) who finds…
Dummy (2002): Dir. Greg Pritikin
Feat. Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas…; Unusual, mostly effective comedy has unemployed clerk Brody take up his ventriloquism hobby fulltime. With yiddish sidenotes, simmering romance and…
Full Frontal (2002): Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Feat. Julia Roberts, Catherine Keener, David Duchovny…; Director Stephen Soderbergh calls on the favours of famous friends for a makeshift, semi–improvised poke at the film industry that only a…
Funny Ha Ha (2002): Dir. Andrew Bujalski
Feat. Kate Dollenmayer; Less 'funny ha ha' than funny peculiar drama about a young woman's desultry efforts to move on in life after completing her university degree. Its…
Good Girl, The (2002): Dir. Miguel Arteta
Feat. Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly…; Quirky, downbeat comedy about people stuck with dead end lives in small–town America adds a string to the bow of acting challenges for starlet…
Igby Goes Down (2002): Dir. Burr Steers
Feat. Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum…; More than meets the eye in this indie New York satire about an over–educated ‘slacker’ experiencing growing pains amid upper…
Laurel Canyon (2002): Dir. Lisa Cholodenko
Feat. Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale…; Dropping in on the LA music scene, the writer–director of HIGH ART returns to her pet theme of conservatism yielding to a bohemianism, but…
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002): Dir. Joel Zwick
Feat. Nia Vardalos, John Corbett; Surprise hit comedy written by its lead performer, Nia Vardalos, marries her own experience growing up a “plain Jane” in a Greek immigrant family…
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002): Dir. Shane Meadows
Feat. Robert Carlyle, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomlinson…; The bittersweet dramatics of dir. Meadows (ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS) get a fresh telling in this Nottingham drama, with the added spin of some ironic…
Pipe Dream (2002): Dir. John C Walsh
Feat. Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker, Rebecca Gayheart; Snubbed as a serious romantic partner because he is a plumber, Martin Donovan decides to masquerade as a film director in order to attract women and…
Pumpkin (2002): Dir. Adam Larson Broder, Tony R Abrams
Feat. Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn; Politically–confused blackly comic satire that follows the progress of Christina Ricci's 'inappropriate' romantic fixation with a disabled…
Punch-Drunk Love (2002): Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Feat. Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman…; Popular mainstream comic Adam Sandler takes a left turn for the director of MAGNOLIA and BOOGIE NIGHTS in this doggedly off–beat yet beguiling…
Raising Victor Vargas (2002): Dir. Peter Sollett
Feat. Victor Rasuk, Judy Marte; A sensitive, appealing urban coming of age story set in a Hispanic New York subculture that rewardingly favours low–key incident over…
Secretary (2002): Dir. Steven Shainberg
Feat. James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies…; A spanking good black comedy detailing the bizarre relationship between a peculiar, ill–tempered lawyer and the meek secretary he…
Tadpole (2002): Dir. Gary Winick
Feat. Aaron Stanford, Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth…; Slight but bright “indie” comedy about a precocious, Voltaire–reading 15–year–old with misplaced romantic designs on his…
Anniversary Party, The (2001): Dir. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Feat. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline…; A wedding anniversary celebration sets the scene for a riveting expose of Hollywood private lives who play host to a large ensemble playing…
Bamboozled (2001): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith…; Dir. Spike Lee bamboozles with a jaw–dropping satire on the commercialisation of black culture, with Damon Wayans as a writer who is ordered by…
Comic Book Villains (2001): Dir. James Dale Robinson
Feat. Natasha Lyonne; A comic thriller set in the 'pocket world' of comic–book fans and store owners. Gathers some good black comedy and in–jokes on its fairly…
Fast Food Fast Women (2001): Dir. Amos Ollek
Feat. Anna Thomson; Set within a New York diner and the coming–and–going of customers and staff, this gentle indie–drama serves up some charming comedy…
Festival in Cannes (2001): Dir. Henry Jaglom
Feat. Anouk Aimee, Greta Scacchi, Maximilian Schell…; Not a documentary, but just as ‘real’ in the hands of veteran independent director Henry Jaglom, who fashions a delightfully candid…
Guinevere (2001): Dir. Audrey Wells
Feat. Sarah Polley, Stephen Rea; Sarah Polley (GO) headlines in this Sundance–winning indie, as a directionless Harvard graduate who falls under the spell of…
Interstate 60 (2001): Dir. Bob Gale
Feat. James Marsden, Gary Oldman, Kurt Russell…; An appealingly quirky teen road movie from the writer of the BACK TO THE FUTURE series, in which Marsden sets out on the mythical American highway,…
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001): Dir. Kevin Smith
Feat. Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Will Ferrell…; The profane, less–than–dynamic duo that appeared in all of dir. Kevin Smith’s previous films get their own feature – a road…
Nobody's Baby (2001): Dir. David Seltzer
Feat. Skeet Ulrich, Gary Oldman, Radha Mitchell…; Indie comedy starring Skeet Ulrich and Gary Oldman as crime partners who rescue a baby from an auto wreck and wind up conflicted over what to do with…
This is Not a Love Story (2001): Dir. Keith Hill
Feat. Stephen Lovatt, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy; Exploring the dynamics of a love–triangle between a soap–opera actor and two women, this local 'DV drama' from debuting dir. Hill catches…
Tortilla Soup (2001): Dir. Maria Ripoll
Feat. Hector Elizondo, Raquel Welch, Jacqueline Obradors; Tangy comedy in which Mexican–American widower Elizondo has kept his family – three adult daughters – together and at home through…
Diamond Men (2000): Dir. Dan Cohen
Feat. Robert Forster, Donnie Wahlberg; An impressive drama–thriller in which a veteran diamond salesman (Forster), being forced into retirement, gets to train his brash young…
Panic (2000): Dir. Henry Bromell
Feat. William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, Tracey Ullman…; There is more than meets the eye in this curiously pitched black comedy concerning a well–dressed contract killer (Macy) who seeks refuge from…
Trixie (2000): Dir. Alan Rudolph
Feat. Emily Watson, Nick Nolte, Dermot Mulroney…; Uneven attempt at a film–noir spoof by cult dir. Rudolph (who did it better in LOVE AT LARGE) with Emily Watson as a low–wattage…
Viva Las Nowhere (Dead Simple) (2000): Dir. Jason Bloom
Feat. Daniel Stern, Patricia Richardson, Lacey Kohl…; Checking into a deserted motel in the “geographical centre of the USA” run by luckless, aspiring country–songwriter Daniel Stern, this darn…
WayDownTown (Way Down Town) (2000): Dir. Gary Burns
Feat. Don McKellar, Fabrizio Filippo; An imaginative low–budget comedy, has office workers in Calgary, Canada running a wager to see who can avoid going into the outside world the…
20 Dates (1999): Dir. Myles Berkowitz; Queasily, both a documentary and 'mockumentary'; the director set out to make a movie and find himself a girlfriend at the same time, organising 20…
Bedrooms and Hallways (1999): Dir. Rose Troche
Feat. Kevin McKidd, Hugo Weaving, Jennifer Ehle…; Utterly delightful relationship comedy about men, and gay men in particular, but appealing to human beings of any of the three sexual orientations…
Daddy and Them (1999): Dir. Billy Bob Thornton
Feat. Billy Bob Thornton, Laura Dern, Kelly Preston…; Low–key, quirky and casually paced, dir. Thornton's tribute to his roots unfolds as an Arkansas clan draw together to support their imprisoned…
Dogma (1999): Dir. Kevin Smith
Feat. Kevin Smith, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck…; Eccentric meditation on Roman Catholicism in a modern–day context from writer/director Kevin Smith (CHASING AMY), that's just as bizarre as it…
Elephant Juice (1999): Dir. Sam Miller
Feat. Emmanuelle Beart, Sean Gallagher, Daniel Lapaine; The makers of the cult late–night TV–series ‘This Life’, extract a similar blend of drama, ennui and pathos from the lives of…
Go (1999): Dir. Doug Liman
Feat. Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Jay Mohr…; The director of SWINGERS switches focus to the reckless chic of LA's twentysomething rave scene, brandishing a slew of racy taboos, an impossibly…
Human Traffic (1999): Dir. Justin Kerrigan
Feat. John Simm, Lorraine Pilkington, Shaun Parkes…; A son–of–TRAINSPOTTING London dance–club odyssey, whose drug–fuelled vitality, street–patter and ultra–hedonism…
It's the Rage (1999): Dir. James D. Stern
Feat. Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, Gary Sinise…; This caustic, precocious black comedy/satire of America's obsession with guns is a roundelay of violent and volatile confrontations that eventually…
Jerry and Tom (1999): Dir. Saul Rubinek
Feat. Joe Mantegna, Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy…; Adding mileage to the crime–caper genre, Joe Mantegna plays a hitman who puts used–car salesman Sam Rockwell (LAWN DOGS) through a droll…
L.A. Without a Map (1999): Dir. Mika Kaurismaki
Feat. David Tennant, Vincent Gallo, Julie Delpy…; A young Scottish undertaker (Tennant) follows an aspiring American actress back to La–la land, where he competes with the shallow excesses and…
Playing by Heart (1999): Dir. Willard Carroll
Feat. Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Gillian Anderson…; Ambitious multi–character film along the lines of SHORT CUTS, likewise set in the varying social strata of Los Angeles, but infused with…
SLC Punk! (1999): Dir. James Merendino
Feat. Matthew Lillard, Michael Goorjian, Annabeth Gish; Based on a comic strip, this cartoonish comedy follows the ‘rebellious’ antics of Stevo and friends, the only punks in arch–conservative…
Chicago Cab (Hellcab) (1998): Dir. Mary Cybulski, John Tintori
Feat. John Cusack, Gillian Anderson, Julianne Moore…; Bleak black comedy based around a day in the life of a Chicago cab–driver (Dillon) in the lead up to Christmas, who becomes confessor to his…
Dead Man's Curve (1998): Dir. Dan Rosen
Feat. Matthew Lillard, Keri Russell, Dana Delaney; Taking malicious advantage of a school–policy loophole, two desperate students conspire to dress up the murder of their room–mate as a…
I'll Make You Happy (1998): Dir. Athina Tsoulis
Feat. Jodie Rimmer, Michael Hurst; A comical hotchpotch set among Auckland's K–Road denizens, featuring Jodie Rimmer as a peppy prositute who plots to rip–off pimp Michael…
Intervention, The (Suicide, the Comedy) (1998): Dir. Glen Freyer
Feat. Jamie Harris, Alison Eastwood; Black comedy in which a struggling screenwriter researches a film script about suicide but worries his friends and family that he has real tendencies…
Last Days of Disco (1998): Dir. Whit Stillman
Feat. Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale; Not so much a nostalgia trip as a literate comedy of manners a la 1980s Manhattan, dissecting the sashays on the social dancefloor among a troupe of…
Next Stop, Wonderland (1998): Dir. Brad Anderson
Feat. Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman; Hope Davis (DAYTRIPPERS) utterly captivates as a jilted blonde indisposed to the dating scene, who finds little sign of Mr. Right in the long queue…
Other Sister, The (1998): Dir. Garry Marshall
Feat. Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Tom Skerritt; Free–spirited, yet 'simple' Juliette Lewis runs riot much to the consternation of her uptight parents, Diane Keaton and Tom…
Three on a Match (1998): Dir. Fred Robbins
Feat. Teressa Tunney, Jane Clark; Dynamic romantic comedy about a group of gay friends who meet up each year to discuss each other's complicated love lives and personal crises. This…
Chasing Amy (1997): Dir. Kevin Smith
Feat. Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee…; Can a lesbian learn to love someone from the opposite sex? – is but one of the sticky questions proffered in this bittersweet arthouse hit.…
Clockwatchers (1997): Dir. Jill Sprecher
Feat. Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow…; Four office temps band together in an oppressive (and outdated?) corporate environment – too bad they're caricatures: Toni Collette is…
In the Company of Men (1997): Dir. Neil LaBute
Feat. Aaron Eckhart, Stacy Edwards; The year's most–discussed filmic skirmish in the war of the sexes is also one of its more outrageous black comedies. Two corporate exec's on…
Life Less Ordinary, A (1997): Dir. Danny Boyle
Feat. Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter; Round three for the creators of SHALLOW GRAVE and TRAINSPOTTING this time takes Ewan McGregor Stateside for a screwball comic–fantasy embroided…
Shooting Fish (1997): Dir. Stefan Schwartz
Feat. Dan Futterman, Stuart Townsend, Kate Beckinsale; Smarmy, contrived romantic comedy with anarchic pretensions and loads o' pop music for the kids, desperately shoots for mainstream success ala 'Four…
Two Girls and a Guy (1997): Dir. James Toback
Feat. Robert Downey Jnr., Heather Graham, Natasha Gregson Wagner; Robert Downey Jr's first post–prison–term film was this one–location drama about two women discovering they share the same snaky…
Bottle Rocket (1996): Dir. Wes Anderson
Feat. Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ned Dowd…; Merciless slacker/heist movie about three no–hopers who struggle at being even small–time hoods. Quirky, charismatic and blessed with a…
Box of Moonlight (1996): Dir. Tom DiCillo
Feat. John Turturro, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney; The ungainly John Turturro contorts through another whacked–out odyssey of crisis, mid–life in this instance, as an anally retentive…
Denise Calls Up (1996): Dir. Hal Selwen
Feat. Alannah Ubach, Tim Daly; Twee New York low–budget indie in which six people, most of whom have never met, conduct the gamut of human relations using only the telephone.…
Dogs (Dogs: The Rise and Fall of an All-Girl Bookie Joint) (1996): Dir. Eve Annenburg
Feat. Pam Columbus, Pam Gray, Melody Beal…; Four Brooklyn women opt for a life of running an illegal bookie joint, over the dead–end, unemployed lifestyle of the local area. In her debut,…
Girl 6 (1996): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Theresa Randle, Madonna, Naomi Campbell…; Spike Lee's risque fable of the phone sex and role–playing favours glamour over substance, so treat it like a black SHOWGIRLS with phones.…
Gridlock'd (1996): Dir. Vondie Curtis Hall
Feat. Tim Roth, Tupac Shakur, Vondie Curtis Hall…; Keyboardist Tim Roth and bassist Tupac Shakur jam out a squalid riff of muso–junkie blues. With girlfriend in a coma, the bureaucratic road to…
Living in Oblivion (1996): Dir. Tom DiCillo
Feat. Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney; Another low–budget gem from the director of JOHNNY SUEDE, this time a deliriously cheeky backhander aimed at various icons of the indie film…
Love Jones (1996): Dir. Theodore Witcher
Feat. Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington…; Far removed from the over–familiar ghettos, this all–black ensemble instead frequent the smoky cool bars of Chicago, where they drink…
Palookaville (1996): Dir. Alan Taylor
Feat. William Forsythe, Vincent Gallo, Adam Trese; A finely crafted comic 'indie' about three amiable New Jersey–ites who hope that petty crime will deliver unto them the American Dream. The…
Shooting Lily (1996): Dir. Arthur Borman
Feat. Matt Winston, Amy Smallman; A neurotic LA videographer attempts to rewind his life after his wife leaves him – with the hint that its on the tapes, his obsessive…
Size of Watermelons, The (1996): Dir. Kari Skogland
Feat. Paul Rudd, Ione Skye; Bored college geek Paul Rudd rivals his peers' lofty ambitions to be rock stars by deciding on a whim to become a film–maker. Essentially a…
Small Time (1996): Dir. Shane Meadows
Feat. Shane Meadows; Shane Meadows stars with his mates in his rough 'n' ready featurette, shot for five grand on digital video. He makes a fast and able riff through…
Swingers (1996): Dir. Doug Liman
Feat. Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham; A neurotic monogamist and his philandering friend search for love, or the next best thing. Shooting from the heart as well as the pelvis, this funky…
Walking and Talking (1996): Dir. Nicole Holofcener
Feat. Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Liev Schreiber; A sort of femme flipside to 'Swingers', two women – one single, one about to be married – work out their romantic hangups in original and…
Brothers Mcmullen, The (1995): Dir. Edward Burns
Feat. Edward Burns; Filmed on weekends over two years at his family home, Ed Burns' DIY romantic comedy went on to win the Grand Prize at the 1995 Sundance Festival.…
Daytrippers, The (1995): Dir. Greg Mottola
Feat. Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Parker Posey…; A woman involves her family in her suspicions of her husband's affair, who in a bizarre act of solidarity, all pile into the station wagon and trek…
Four Rooms (1995): Dir. Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez
Feat. Tim Roth, Antonio Banderas, Bruce Willis…; Tim Roth's bellboy connects four wild comedies from four hot shot directors from the American indie scene, led by QT himself. A…
Kicking and Screaming (1995): Dir. Noah Baumbach
Feat. Josh Hamilton, Eric Stoltz, Elliott Gould…; Several college grads flounder in love and with prospects of the future. Dialogue–intensive comedy borrows its philosophical vantage and acting…
Last Supper, The (1995): Dir. Stacy Title
Feat. Ron Eldard, Cameron Diaz, Ron Perlman; Sure to inspire as much lively debate as amusement, this cheeky black comedy posits five young liberals who become compelled to do the world a favour…
Smoke (1995): Dir. Wayne Wang
Feat. Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Stockard Channing…; The casual intersection of five lives in a modest corner of Brooklyn, NY, yields unexpected blessings. Writer Paul Auster's astute observations and…
Swimming with Sharks (Buddy Factor, The) (1995): Dir. George Huang
Feat. Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes…; Based on the director's own experiences as an underling, this acid–tongued black comedy will appeal to the repressed vigilante in us all. Kevin…
I Like It Like That (1994): Dir. Darnell Martin
Feat. Griffin Dunne, Rita Moreno; Dynamic, funny Bronx comedy in which a young mother takes on a job at a record company while juggling the demands of her children, headstrong husband…
Kill the Moonlight (1994): Dir. Steve Hanft
Feat. Thomas Hendrix; Idiosyncratic 'slacker' feature from prolific music video dir. Hanft, observes the efforts of a deadbeat California cleaner (Hendrix) to make it as a…
Naked in New York (1994): Dir. Dan Algrant
Feat. Eric Stoltz, Mary-Louise Parker, Ralph Macchio…; Insecure playwright Eric Stoltz copes with the varying successes of his own career, girlfriend Mary–Louise Parker and college pal Ralph…
Pret-a-Porter (1994): Dir. Robert Altman
Feat. Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, Sophia Loren…; Director Altman's take on the Paris fashion industry hasn't the edgy sarcasm or the incisiveness of his THE PLAYER and SHORT CUTS, but is…
Somebody to Love (1994): Dir. Alexandre Rockwell
Feat. Harvey Keitel, Rosie Perez, Quentin Tarantino; Harvey Keitel and Rosie Perez match–up as a screwball couple frequenting scuzzy clubs in a murky continuum of unrequited dreams. Dir. Rockwell…
Spanking the Monkey (1994): Dir. David O. Russell
Feat. Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Newett, Benjamin Hendrickson…; The awkwardness of youth is brilliantly captured in this provocative tragi–comedy, another maverick success story from the US indie scene. A…
Calendar (1993): Dir. Atom Egoyan
Feat. Atom Egoyan, Arsinee Khanjian; Dir. Atom Egoyan and his real–life wife Arsinee Khanjian play a romantic–professional couple whose photographic calendar assignment in…
Clerks (1993): Dir. Kevin Smith
Feat. Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes…; Made for $27,000 in the convenience store where the director (then) worked, this follows a rude and bizarre day in the lives of two lowly grocery…
Dazed and Confused (1993): Dir. Richard Linklater
Feat. Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Matthew McConaughey…; Set on campus in 1976, this is a marvellous youth–movie/nostalgia–trip which treats the hopelessly insignificant as a source of constant…
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me (1993): Dir. Joel Hershman
Feat. Adrienne Shelly, Sean Young, Diane Ladd; A strained attempt at achieving that 'John Waters' feeling, where everyone shouts at one another in a trashy/camp kinda way in trailer–park…
My Life's in Turnaround (1993): Dir. Eric Shaeffer, Donal Lardner Ward
Feat. Eric Shaeffer, Donal Lardner Ward, John Sayles…; Two NY deadbeats, playing themselves, decide to make a movie out of thin air, pitching non–ideas to baffled producers, greasing up minor stars…
Twenty Bucks (1993): Dir. Keva Rosenfeld
Feat. Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd, Brendan Fraser…; The path of a twenty dollar note connects a number of comic vignettes, most of which hit the mark. Polished up from a recently discovered 1935…
In the Soup (1992): Dir. Alexandre Rockwell
Feat. Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals…; Steve Buscemi lends his bug–eyed innocence as a wannabee film–maker who becomes involved with a charismatic hood who promises to raise…
Simple Men (1992): Dir. Hal Hartley
Feat. Robert Burke, Bill Sage, Martin Donovan…; Hartley's third feature re–visits his deadpan, sexy and intellectual world in which two brothers set off to find their estranged father.
Jungle Fever (1991): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Annabella Sciorra, Wesley Snipes; Slick account of an inter–racial affair and its affect on family and friends. Annabella Sciorra and Wesley Snipes star with Spike himself, who…
Night On Earth (1991): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Winona Ryder, Beatrice Dalle, Roberto Benigni; An exotic excursion through five cities in five taxis; Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki. The clever blend of pathos, humour and…
Surviving Desire (Hal Hartley Shorts) (1991): Dir. Hal Hartley
Feat. Martin Donovan; The hour–long 'Surviving Desire' is an earlier Hartley work that focuses on Hartley's world of the 'college–educated slacker' whose…
Do the Right Thing (1989): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Danny Aiello, Spike Lee, Ossie Davis…; Spike Lee's tour–de–force of racial friction and personal politics, forged his status as the most important black director in history.…
Heathers (1989): Dir. Michael Lehmann
Feat. Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty; 'Heathers' are an elite group of glamourous, stuck–up brat–girls who gradually meet their maker courtesy of a rebel Heather (Winona…
Metropolitan (1989): Dir. Whit Stillman
Feat. Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman; Sundance–winning arthouse hit focuses on the disappearing Manhattan debutante scene. An unknown ensemble play upper–class adolescents who…
Mystery Train (1989): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Joe Strummer, Screamin' Jay Hawkins; Three consecutive stories that take place at the same time and place; one night in a seedy Memphis hotel. Quirky and thought–provoking with…
Down by Law (1988): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni, John Lurie; Three disparate misfits become friends after sharing an escape from a crummy Southern jail. Art and humour rarely mix better than in this eccentric…
School Daze (1988): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn…; Spike Lee's black high–school musical is perhaps over–ambitious, but the disorder is compensated in sheer exuberance and…
Bad Taste (1987): Dir. Peter Jackson
Feat. Peter Jackson; New Zealand's entry into the splatter comedy genre, shot on consecutive Sundays over a four year period, is among the best ever made. Outrageously…
Someone to Love (1987): Dir. Henry Jaglom
Feat. Orson Welles; Typically loose and naturalistic drama from independent stalwart Henry Jaglom, who pretty much plays himself – a jaded divorcee filmmaker in search…
Parting Glances (1986): Dir. Bill Sherwood
Feat. Steve Buscemi, Richard Ganoung; A gay classic and pioneering film of the independent movement, this is widely enjoyed as a truthful picture of gay life and relationships and also as…
She's Gotta Have It (1986): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Spike Lee; Spike Lee's stylish debut accounts the love–lives of Nola Darling, a black siren with three boyfriends all demanding her fidelity. A remarkably…
Always (Always...But Not Forever) (1985): Dir. Henry Jaglom
Feat. Henry Jaglom, Patrice Townsend, Joanna Frank…; One–man–movie–machine Henry Jaglom transforms his own divorce into one of his typically witty naturalistic comedies. The couple…
Dim Sum (A Little Bit of Heart) (1984): Dir. Wayne Wang
Feat. Laureen Chew, Kim Chew, Victor Wong; Endearing, warm–hearted tale of Chinese–Americans living in San Fransisco. Distinctly Chinese but the themes and the humour are universal.
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980): Dir. John Sayles
Feat. Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, Adam LeFevre…; In his feature debut, writer–director John Sayles demonstrates a wisdom way beyond his years with this ‘do–it–yourself’…
Minnie and Moskowitz (1971): Dir. John Cassavetes
Feat. Seymour Cassel, Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes…; John Cassavetes' most accessible film is an unlikely romance between a museum curator and a parking attendant set over four days and nights.…
Pink Flamingos (1971): Dir. John Waters
Feat. Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey…; John Waters' creative pinnacle (or nadir!) remains the ultimate statement in bad taste – a pure, unadulterated exercise in shock value!…
Hi Mom! (1970): Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Robert De Niro, Charles Durning, Allen Garfield…; One of dir. De Palma's underrated early satires is loosely a sequel to 'Greetings', with Robert De Niro returning from the Vietnam War to try and…
Wedding Party, The (1969): Dir. Cynthia Monroe, Brian De Palma, Wilford Leach
Feat. Jill Clayburgh, Robert De Niro; Brian De Palma collaborated with others to make this while still at college in 1963. Improvised film details the sparring between a couple before…

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