50 Indie Movies You Need to See Before You Die

Independent film's best works prove that talented directors don't need to move to NY or LA. Here are the top 50 Indie movies you need to watch right now.

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
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Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

There’s so much life outside of the Big Five major film Studios. I mean, new directors would probably land a role at Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and/ or Columbia Pictures… but it’s definitely possible to create and distribute amazing work without their help. 

June 21 is the official start of summer, a technical bit of information Hollywood’s studio execs have never given a damn about. For them and their expensive beach-season tentpole movies, summer officially begins once May calendars are introduced—meaning, since Iron Man 3, moviegoers have been steadily bombarded with gargantuan flicks the likes of Man of Steel and Fast & Furious 6, and, with World War Z opening, that’s not about to stop anytime soon.

What’s a cinema buff to do? As always, seek out the nearest independent theater and/or art-house venue and drop cash on the latest indie films worthy of such concerted efforts. Without that kind of open-mindedness, DIY moviemaking would cease to exist, robbing cinephiles of flicks that could potentially rival the hallowed likes of Reservoir Dogs, The Terminator, and Night of the Living Dead. All of which, yes, were initially inconspicuous, independently made passion projects.

Need some palate cleansers to help you fall back from seeing Man of Steel for the third time? Please consult our list of the 50 indie movies you need to see before you die, because, you know, a terrible, tragic accident could happen while you’re en route to watch Channing Tatum save the world next week in White House Down. Use this to avoid any afterlife regrets.

Annie Hall (1977)

A still of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in 'Annie Hall'

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

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Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

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Before Sunrise (1995)

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Being John Malkovich (1999)

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The Blair Witch Project (1999)

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Blood Simple (1984)

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Blue Velvet (1986)

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Bottle Rocket (1996)

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Clerks (1994)

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The Crying Game (1992)

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Dazed and Confused (1993)

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Donnie Darko (2001)

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Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

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Easy Rider (1969)

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Eighth Grade (2018)

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Eraserhead (1977)

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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The Evil Dead (1981)

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Friday the 13th (1980)

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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

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Gummo (1997)

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Happiness (1998)

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In the Company of Men (1997)

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Kids (1995)

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Killer of Sheep (1977)

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The Last House on the Left (1972)

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Lost in Translation (2003)

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Mean Streets (1973)

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Memento (2000)

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Metropolitan (1990)

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My Own Private Idaho (1991)

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Night of the Living Dead (1968)

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Pi (1998)

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Primer (2004)

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Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Requiem for a Dream (2000)

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Safe (1995)

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Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

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Shadows (1959)

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She's Gotta Have It (1986)

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Shivers (1975)

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Short Cuts (1993)

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Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

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Swingers (1996)

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The Terminator (1984)

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

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This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

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THX 1138 (1971)

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Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

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The Usual Suspects (1995)

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