Subgenre Sampler
Rental > Comedy > Independent: 257 Films to Rent
- 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…