We are only halfway through the year and there are already some great independent films released. Many gained buzz at January’s Sundance Film Festival and have continued to gain momentum throughout the many international film festivals that have taken place. If you’re looking for a good indie film to see, here are the 5 best indie movies of 2018.
1. Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Morgan Neville’s documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is both nostalgic and thought provoking film about the iconic PBS kids’ show “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”. Mr. Rogers was the product of Presbyterian minister Fred Rogers that aired from 1968 until 2001. Fred Rogers passed away 15 years ago. The documentary contains interviews of those closest to the man: his wife Joanne, his children, good friend Yo-Yo Mah, and cast members Joe “Handyman” Negro, David “Mr. McFeely” Newell and François “Officer Clemmons” Clemmons. Fans of the show, young and old, remember the calm, mild mannered, cardigan and sneaker wearing man who invited everyone into his neighborhood. He used puppets, songs and gentle messages to reassure children they were all welcome. Some rumors persisted that Rogers was a serial killer or that his chest was filled with tattoos, but these of course were false. The poignancy of this documentary is that it makes the viewer realize just what an important message Mr. Rogers had at the time and that it’s a message worth listening to today.
2. Hereditary
“Hereditary” premiered at January’s Sundance Film Festival and was released in United States theaters this week. The directorial debut of Ari Aster is an unsettling supernatural horror film. The movie stars Toni Collette as Annie whose mother has recently died. Annie and her mom didn’t have a good relationship and mysterious and terrible things begin to happen to her family. Her daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is decapitated in a freak accident. Her son Peter (Alex Wolff) begins to hallucinate. Her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) struggles to keep the family sane. Annie witnesses strange things and unravels the secrets of her family history. Several members were insane. The plot develops into a terrifying realization of Annie’s family’s disturbing history.
3. Lizzie
The story of the murder case and acquittal of Lizzie Borden has been told many times before. The true crime story has been portrayed in film, television, books, opera, plays and even in a musical. It’s a story that lives on forever partly because of the horror of the crime and partly because of the acquittal of the alleged murderess in 1892 in Falls River, Massachusetts. Everyone knows the story. Lizzie Borden was accused and tried for the horrific ax murders of her father, Andrew, and her stepmother, Abby. “Lizzie” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters in September. Chloe Sevigny stars as Lizzie and Kristen Stewart stars as the family’s Irish immigrant maid, Bridget. This take on the story starts with the arrival of Bridget to the household six months before the murders. It portrays Andrew as a sadistic patriarch who isolates his 30 year old daughters from the social from society and controls all aspects of the household with the help of his second wife. This version of the story shows Andrew raping Bridget and alludes to molestation of his two daughters. Rumors persisted that Lizzie was a lesbian living in the strict codes of the Victorian era. This version has Lizzie and Bridget embroiled in an affair which may have been discovered by Andrew leading to Lizzie’s revenge, the brutal murder of Andrew and Abby.
4. Eighth Grade
“Eighth Grade” is the directorial debut of Bo Burnham. The former YouTube star and a comedian created this important look at a girl’s life during the last week of eighth grade before she enters high school. The film provides an honest look at Kayla’s (Elsie Fisher) insecurities as she maneuvers the land mines of being thirteen years old. “Eighth Grade” isn’t a typical coming of age movie that shows human angst. It’s a story that uses comedy to explore the life of an eighth grader in a world where social media is king and getting validation from your peers is as difficult as always but different when trying to get it through YouTube and Instagram. The movie, told from a millennial director’s point of view through a teenage girl also demonstrates what kids this age nowadays have to deal with. Aside from social media, there are also school shooter drills instead of Russian Nuclear War drills which hits a lot closer to home. Critics are impressed by Elsie Fisher’s natural take on the life of a soon to be high schooler and the common difficulties faced by everyone at that age.
5. Ophelia
“Ophelia” re-imagines William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Hamlet” with a more realistic, more feminist Ophelia. This independent film was directed by Claire McCarthy and written by Semi Chellas based on the book by Lisa Klein. Rather than the naive young love of Hamlet going crazy and dieing because of her love for the young prince, this movie shows a more sensible Ophelia played by Daisey Ridly. When we first see her, she’s a smart tomboy whom Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude (Naomi Watts), chooses as a lady in waiting. When she grow older, Ophelia captures the attention of Prince Hamlet. She’s not just a beautiful object that he can’t have. She’s much more than that. In fact, as the men in “Ophelia” seem to be the crazed, war driven characters destroying the world of Elsinore Castle while Ophelia is the most sane. The movie offers a nice counter-take on the classic tragedy where the young woman is strong.
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