The 100 Best Indie Movies of All-Time

The 100 Best Indie Movies of All-Time

April 8, 2025

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agoodmovietowatch is a platform that recommends little-known but acclaimed movies – films you haven’t yet seen that you are likely to enjoy. Naturally, many indie movies fall in this category.

“Indie” used to refer to the way the film was made, a comment about its low-budget or lack of association with big studios. But recently, it has morphed into its own genre. Calling a movie “indie” is like saying it is a comedy, it means that it has very specific characteristics.

The genre has been overexploited, but many new releases still stand out every year. So, looking back at the evolution of the genre, here are the best indie movies of all-time as ranked by our staff.

51. Ordinary People (2016)

best

8.2

Genres

Drama

Director

Eduardo Roy Jr.

Actors

Alora Mae Sasam, Bon Andrew Lentejas, Erlinda Villalobos, Gold Aceron

Moods

Character-driven, Dark, Depressing

Ordinary People tells the harrowing story of Jane and Aries, two teenage parents struggling to survive the streets of Manila. At the mercy of limited welfare, the two resort to criminal activity to get by. When a woman offers to help them financially (on loan), Jane eventually relents—but is shocked to discover that her baby’s been kidnapped. Trying everything from going to the police to contacting the perpetrator’s mother, the reality becomes unavoidable: no one truly cares for the poor even if they’re children. Interspersed with CCTV footage of the crimes the characters commit or witness, this powerful, heartbreaking portrait of poverty still offers glimmers of hope as they fight the odds to continue their search together. 

52. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

best

8.2

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Charles de Lauzirika, Marc Webb

Actors

Chloë Grace Moretz, Clark Gregg, Geoffrey Arend, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Moods

A-list actors, Depressing, Dramatic

An unusual romantic comedy about a woman who doesn’t believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in director Marc Webb’s wry, nonlinear romantic comedy about a man who falls head over heels for a woman who doesn’t believe in love. Tom is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Upon encountering his boss’ beautiful new secretary, Summer, Tom discovers that the pair have plenty in common despite the fact that she’s seemingly out of his league. Tom believes deeply in the concept of soul mates, and he’s finally found his. Unfortunately for Tom, Summer sees true love as the stuff of fairy tales, and isn’t looking for romance. Undaunted and undeterred by his breezy lover’s casual stance on relationships, Tom summons all of his might and courage to pursue Summer and convince her that their love is real. 500 Days of Summer is however a different kind of romantic comedy, one that doesn’t stop at falling in love. It’s almost an un-romantic romantic comedy, focusing with both honesty and heart on the manifestations and real-life mechanisms of incompatible love.

53. All or Nothing (2002)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Mike Leigh

Actors

Alan Williams, Alex Kelly, Alison Garland, Badi Uzzaman

Moods

Character-driven, Depressing, Slice-of-Life

Grounded by Lesley Manville and Timothy Spall’s powerhouse performances, this gut-wrenching family drama from Mike Leigh is an acting juggernaut. Penny and Phil are a working-class couple whose marriage is rapidly deteriorating and pushed to the brink when their son, played by a young James Corden, is hospitalized. 

While Manville and Spall are centered as the leads, Leigh draws a staggering amount of depth from Corden as well as a young Sally Hawkins who plays a neighbor. Despite being one of Leigh’s grimmest films, there is still a profound sweetness lingering at the edges as the story teeters between despondency and hope.

54. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Jason Reitman

Actors

Aaron Eckhart, Aaron Lustig, Adam Brody, Aloma Wright

Moods

Funny, Grown-up Comedy, Smart

As black a comedy as they come. Nick Naylor (superbly portrayed by Aaron Eckhart) is the chief spokesperson for tobacco and shows the world why smoking is as key to protect as any other liberal value. This movie is funny, smart, thoughtful and raises some good questions about the ego, the morale and what we leave behind, from unexpected sides.

55. Mustang (2015)

best

8.1

Genres

Drama

Director

Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Female director

Actors

Ayberk Pekcan, Bahar Kerimoğlu, Bahar Kerimoğlu, Burak Yiğit

Moods

Depressing, Emotional, Thought-provoking

Five orphaned sisters are put under house arrest by their uncle and grandmother after they are seen horsing around with local boys from school. While their actions were purely innocent, their behavior is viewed as scandalous and shameful by the conservative elders in their small Turkish village. After this incident, their grandmother turns her attention towards marrying off her granddaughters. Each of the five sisters rebel in their own way, but it is the youngest and rowdiest sister, Lale, who is the central protagonist of the film. She watches helplessly as each of her older sisters is married off with an increasing sense of dread and desperation. While this may sound hopelessly depressing, the movie is equal parts beautiful and tragic and floats across the screen in a dreamlike manner. Not all of the sisters escape their oppressive surroundings or their assigned fate, but the message is clear: it’s crucial to try.

56. Days of Being Wild (1990)

best

8.1

Genres

Crime, Drama, Romance

Director

Kar-Wai Wong, Wong Kar-wai

Actors

Alicia Alonzo, Andy Lau, Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Anita Mui

Moods

Dramatic, Emotional, Lovely

Forlorn longing envelops Days of Being Wild, where the act of dreaming is as valuable as its actual fulfillment. “You’ll see me tonight in your dreams,” Yuddy tells Su Li-zhen on their first meeting, and indeed, this line of dialogue sets the film’s main contradiction: would you rather trap yourself in the trance-like beauty of dreams or face the unpleasant possibilities of reality? Wong Kar-wai’s characters each have their own answers, with varying subplots intersecting through the consequences of their decisions. In the end, happiness comes in unexpected ways, granted only to those brave enough to wake up and dream again.

57. Fresh (1994)

best

8.1

Genres

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Director

Boaz Yakin

Actors

Afi Bijou, Ali A. Wahhab, Anthony Ruiz, Anthony Thomas

Moods

Character-driven, Gripping, Raw

Filmed with a perfect blend of realism and embellished style, Fresh is a coming-of-age story set in the poverty of the New York City projects, wherein the protagonist “grows up” only by learning to become dangerous and losing his sense of self. There’s no satisfaction in watching 12-year-old Michael (or “Fresh,” as he’s called) use his supposed innocence as a tool to manipulate his way to a safer position. The system continues to reign supreme and Fresh only buries himself into a deeper hole. Boaz Yakin’s direction is direct and expressive, the city stirring to vibrant life in every scene, and the tremendous performances from Giancarlo Esposito and a then-teenage Sean Nelson drive home the tragedy with full force.

58. Run Lola Run (1998)

best

8.1

Genres

Action, Drama, Mystery

Director

Tom Tykwer

Actors

Armin Rohde, Beate Finckh, Franka Potente, Hans Paetsch

Moods

Action-packed, Mind-blowing, Suspenseful

An offbeat film with a more than decent amount of suspense. To that it adds really good music and unexpected animation, to make for a very audacious, interesting and mostly fun film. It uses all this to show how life can change in a twist and how it can be influenced by weird connections of otherwise unrelated events.

59. Adaptation (2002)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Crime, Drama

Director

Spike Jonze

Actors

Bob Stephenson, Bob Yerkes, Brian Cox, Cara Seymour

Moods

A-list actors, Funny, Original

A film written by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman as he struggles to adapt a book about poaching a rare plant into a successful movie. Through Kaufman’s clever writing and Spike Jones’ unique style of directing, the film unfolds using “mise en abîme” as the viewer sees the lessons the writer in film comes across to improve his script more or less subtly influence the events he encounters as the narrative advances. Nicolas Cage’s performance is also particularly good as a highly intelligent and self-obsessed screen writer with low self-esteem.

60. The Visitor (2007)

best

8.1

Genres

Crime, Drama, Music

Director

Eran Kolirin, Tom McCarthy

Actors

Amir Arison, Ashley Springer, Bill McHenry, Danai Gurira

Moods

Heart-warming, Sunday, Thought-provoking

This is a low-scale, intimate, almost minimalist movie that speaks volumes about the misconceptions that westerners have regarding the Middle-East. And the performance of Richard Jenkins is absolutely exceptional (earned him a nomination for the Oscars). He plays a professor who comes back to his New York apartment only to find two immigrants living in it. What a great role and what a great film.The Visitor is from the director of The Station Agent and very recently Spotlight, Tom McCarthy.

Comments

K
KJ

Cast members need to be listed by character prominence, not alphabetically by first name (?)

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