With our commitment to reviewing and viewing indie films, we devote most of the year to exploring all kinds of independent gems. Though we’ve seen a ton of wonderful films from many talented directors and storytellers in 2013, we narrowed our list down to five independent films that really stuck with us and kept us re-living them in our minds. It was a tough decision since we’re sent so many films and have a tough time deciding, but in the end we decided these were five choice indies you should seek out immediately.
Bounty Killer
Directed by: Henry Saine
Written by: Colin Ebeling
2013 was a year where audiences seemed to finally embrace action and genre pictures led by women, from “Frozen” to “The Hunger Games.” What didn’t get much attention, but deserved infinitely more was “Bounty Killer.” Starring the gorgeous Christian Pitre as Mary Death, director Henry Saine paints a world where bounty hunters are the strongest profession in the world, and corporate execs are number one criminals. Set in a distant future where CEO’s and corporate goons have run off with America’s money, many of the world’s criminals, thugs, and gangs have been transformed in to bounty killers, many of whom compete for assignments to track down and bring in their bounties. Mary Death is the most famous of the profession, and she must help her former bounty killer mentor clear his name, while fighting off bands of apocalyptic nomads and fellow bounty killers. Action packed, gory, and so fucking fun, this was one of the most entertaining indies I had the pleasure of watching all year. I would like a sequel, please. Stream It Online or Buy It On Blu-Ray!
Rewind This!
Directed by: Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson creates a wonderful and entertaining ode to the golden age of VHS and VCR’s, and doesn’t just wax nostalgic about the format, but also warns viewers about the end of physical media and how studios and corporations are slowly seizing control from the consumer. Johnson interviews a slew of indie filmmakers and cult icons from Frank Hennenlotter to Atom Egoyan, and doesn’t miss a beat. He chronicles the creation of the VHS, the cost of old VCR’s, the boom of the mom and pop video stores, the Beta and VHS wars, the misguided ninja craze that overtook many low budget action pictures, right down to the classic video art that inspired and misled many a renter to bring home horrible films. Through it all there’s a melancholy tone that portrays VHS collectors as keepers of lost treasures, and the inevitability of many films being lost over time. “Rewind This!” is mainly for folks that remember the VHS craze, but it should be viewed by any self respecting movie buff. Buy It Here or you can Stream It Online!
Directed by: Various
Written by: Various
From what I’ve read, the makers of “WNUF Halloween Special” would drop unmarked VHS copies of the film on streets, and leave random copies lying around at festivals. After watching the review for this on Red Letter Media’s show, I was compelled to purchase a copy and surely enough the mysterious movie more than lives up to the hype it built online. Though a found footage film, the entire premise is that we’re watching a local television news broadcast on Halloween of 1987. We’re taken through a tour of news segments, fluff about trick or treating, and a slew of fake eighties commercials that looks shockingly genuine. This all leads in to a news reporter touring a local neighborhood house that’s said to be haunted after a young man murdered his parents blaming it on satanic possession. What ensues is a darkly funny and very spooky look at what happens when people never leave well enough alone. A wonderful Halloween novelty, this promises to become a seasonal classic. “WNUF Halloween Special” can be bought here!
Shame
Directed by: Jennifer Irons
Written by: Jennifer Irons
We’re still living in a world where it’s almost universally accepted that men are incapable of being abused by women in their relationships, because they’re men. Director Jennifer Irons paints a bleak and heartbreaking portrait of Lance who is stuck in an abusive relationship with his girlfriend. When he appears home with scratch marks on his neck, his mother has decided she’s had enough and presses charges. Director Irons plays with our views of sexual dynamics by opening the film on a scuffle between Lance and his girlfriend, allowing the audience to perceive the fight as being initiated by the boyfriend. We then discover he’s actually been attacked by his girlfriend repeatedly, while Irons explores the position Lance is put in. While he is a man who considers it shameful to report being abused by his girlfriend, in the end he’s just a victim of abuse who is in serious threat of being hurt very badly by the woman he loves. In the end, be you man or woman, domestic abuse is domestic abuse. You can rent “Shame” here!
Best Friends Forever
Directed by: Brea Grant
Written by: Brea Grant, Vera Miao
The Slamdance film festival contender premiered online this year and is probably one of the most pleasing and charming dramedies of the year. Built around a tight budget, “Best Friends Forever” is essentially about two friends facing the death of their relationship as life threatens to tear them apart. Little do they know their final trip is interrupted by a nuclear apocalypse that’s obliterated nearly every major city in the world. Do our problems still matter when civilization has ended? Can we overcome our issues to work together and build a new world? Can we find strength in one another when all hope is lost? Brea Grant and Vera Miao produced, wrote, directed, while starring as the film’s flawed but empathetic best friends, both of whom find their paths in life splitting in two directions. “Best Friends Forever” is a pleasing and consistently touching indie dramedy that deserves a wider audience. Be Sure to Stream It Online!