Independent or indie movies are those that are made outside the traditional studio system. As vague of a definition as that is, there are plenty of other qualities that can help define an indie, such as an experimental arthouse style, a low budget and small crew, and no need to stick to the kinds of mainstream genres that major studios tend to favor.
Withindies' rise in popularity during the ’90s,the style and industry had firmly established themselves in the mainstream at the turn of the century. As a result, the decade of the 2000s saw the release of many outstanding independent films all over the world, from foreign dramas likeCity of Godto modern American cult classics likeDonnie Darko.
10’Lost in Translation' (2003)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Over and over again,Sofia Coppolahas proved her skill and inimitable creative voice behind the camera.Lost in Translationwasonly her second film, but it confirmed that she was a director to look out for in the future. In this deeply moving romantic dramedy, a faded movie star and a solitary young woman form an unlikely bond after they cross paths in Tokyo.
The movie transcends its genre, telling a story that’sromantic but not really about romance. Instead,Lost in Translationgoes much deeper into the very concept of romantic connection, exploring how the loneliness and isolation inherent to the human condition are the basis for all connections. With a pair of incredible performances byScarlett JohanssonandBill Murray, it’s probably Coppola’s best work to date.
Lost in Translation
Watch on Peacock
9’Donnie Darko' (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Asmovies about alternate universeskeep rising in popularity nowadays, it’s worth looking back at a film that did the multiverse before it was cool:Donnie Darko, about a troubled teenager who’s plagued by visions of a man in a giant rabbit suit who manipulates him into committing crimes.
Dark, mysterious, and using its fantasy elements in lots of creative ways,Donnie Darkohas established itself as a classic of dark teen cinema with a cult following larger than most.Despite its relatively limited budget, it manages to be more visually impressive and overall immersivethan most other Hollywood studio films of the time, which has no doubt helped it age as well as it has.
Donnie Darko
8’Juno' (2007)
Directed by Jason Reitman
Despite a star-studded cast featuring the likes ofElliot Page,Michael Cera, andJennifer Garner,Junois an independent movie through and through — And undoubtedly one of the most charming of recent years, at that. With a brilliant script penned byDiablo Cody, it tells the story of an offbeat young woman who makes a selfless decision after she learns of her unplanned pregnancy.
Funny, sweet, and incredibly smart,Junois a perfect coming-of-age that redefined the genre for a new generation.It cemented Diablo Cody as an exceptional screenwriter, Page and Cera as a timeless comedic duo, and the indie comedy as a kind of film so fresh and creative that audiences wanted to see more of it.
Watch on Hulu
7’Little Miss Sunshine' (2006)
Directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
Funny and quirky as it may be,Little Miss Sunshineis also one ofthe most poignant and emotionally affecting comediesof the 2000s. A road trip dramedy like no other, it follows a family taking a cross-country trip aboard their VW bus, determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant.
The movie’s cast, featuring stars likeSteve Carrelland an Oscar-winningAlan Arkin, are at the top of their game (both comedically and dramatically) inLittle Miss Sunshine, which benefits from their work as much as it does from the clever script andValerie FarisandJonathan Dayton’s lively direction.But more than anything else, the heart of the film lies in its deeply endearing characters.
Little Miss Sunshine
6’Y tu mamá también' (2001)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Before hemade it really big in Hollywood,Alfonso Cuarónwas one of the most exciting new voices in the Mexican film industry. Sexy, funny, and oh so surprisingly heartbreaking,Y tu mamá también(which translates to “and your mother, too”) is one of the director’s most acclaimed films, following two teenage boys and an older woman’s road trip through Mexico as they learn a thing or two about life, each other, and themselves.
As well as a celebration of the beauty of life,the film is a mournful exploration of a broken, wounded Mexico. Even then, its themes and story are universally enjoyable for audiences of all nationalities thanks to exquisite performances byGael García Bernal,Diego Luna, andMaribel Verdú, as well as Cuarón’s gorgeous directing and an ending that’s bound to stay with viewers for years after the credits roll.
Watch on AMC+
5’City of God' (2002)
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Grim, gritty, and absolutely gut-wrenching,City of Godis a crime drama about two kids from the slums of Rio, whose paths diverge as one becomes a struggling photographer and the other becomes the region’s most ruthless kingpin. This isthe movie that put Brazilian cinema on the map, and it isn’t hard to see why.
This is about as impactful as movies get, thanks to a virtually flawless script and exquisitely merciless direction from famous Brazilian filmmakerFernando Meirelles.Those that can stomach such a raw, visceral, and disturbing look at a slice of life in Rio’s slums, will find themselves rewarded by all the vibrant life and color that an optimistic Meirelles is nevertheless able to find and celebrate in the material.
City of God
Rent on Amazon
4’Requiem for a Dream' (2000)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
It’s surprising thatRequiem for a Dreamwas onlyDarren Aronofsky’s second-ever feature film. It feels like the work of an expert filmmaker in full control of his craft, gut-wrenchingly portraying the drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people who become increasingly shattered as their addictions start running deeper and deeper.
It’s one ofthe best psychological dramas of recent years, unashamedly diving far into the twisted psyches of each of its characters.With some of the best editing ever put to film and one of the most heartbreaking performances in 2000s cinema, courtesy of the legendaryEllen Burstyn, it’s its director’s magnum opus even decades after it came out.
Requiem for a Dream
Watch on Tubo
3’Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
Directed by Michel Gondry
Built upon the foundations of one of master screenwriter’sCharlie Kaufman’s greatest scripts,Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindis a heart-achingly realistic sci-fi romantic drama about a couple who, after their relationship turns sour, undergo a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Eternal Sunshineis everything that indie cinema was invented for.Putting a creative and often surrealistic twist on the tropes of the genre, it brings into question everything that the romantic drama had ever come to represent, offering a thoughtful meditation on the nature of love and relationships in the process.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2’Amores Perros' (2000)
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Right in the midst of Mexican cinema’s rebirth after a period of decadence,Alejandro G. IñárritumadeAmores Perros,aPulp Fiction-influenced multi-story narrativeabout an amateur dog fighter, a supermodel, and a derelict assassin who all find their lives forever transformed by a devastating crash in the heart of Mexico City.
Like Cuarón did a year later withY tu mamá también, Iñárritu makes Mexico another character — perhaps the most prominent one — inAmores Perros, but in a much darker, grittier, and more violent way.Through the symbolism of dogs, the film is a raw exploration of themes of loyalty, relationships, and love. Perfectly directed and intelligently written, it’s one of the best indie Mexican movies of the 21st century.
Amores Perros
Watch on Tubi
1’Memento' (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Now that he’s an Oscar-winning director and one of the leading voices in the realm of contemporary Hollywood blockbusters, it may be easy to forget thatChristopher Nolanwas once an up-and-coming English director in Hollywood’s indie scene. Many would say thatMemento, his second-ever feature, is still his best film. Told in reverse chronological order, it’s about a man with short-term memory loss trying to track down his wife’s killer.
Nolan has experimented with a wide variety of inventive framing devices throughout his career,butMemento’s still remains the most provocative and effective. It’s a riveting crime thriller about the lengths that people will go to to give their lives some semblance of meaning, with an outstanding performance byGuy Pearceand a bold risk-taking attitude that only the independent film industry would have ever allowed it to take.
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