Awesome Indie

Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney star in this uplifting story about a man who uproots his family to follow his dreams of running a theater. While he and one son share a love for the stage, his wife is the one holding things together. With indie vibes, a top-notch cast, and the writer behind I, Tonya, Everything’s Going to Be Great looks like a real charmer.

“Four long years to say, you’re not coming back to me either way.” Michael Kiwanuka serves up laid-back but powerful tracks in his fourth album, Small Changes. The dramatic shift from his grandiose style may be disappointing to some fans. But if you’re into sad bastard music, this one’s filled with future classics, including our pick, Four Long Years.

While they’ve continued to tour, it’s been 14 years since indie rock band Cake released an album. The group performed a new track from their upcoming album for Texas Public Radio’s Live From the Freight Elevator. The song Billionaire in Space is a harsh criticism of the uber-wealthy burning cash in orbit while ignoring real problems here on Earth.

Writer-director Aaron Schimberg’s imaginative dark comedy stars Sebastian Stan as a man who has lived successfully for years with his facial deformities. When a freak accident leads him to a miraculous reconstructive procedure, his looks change dramatically, but he becomes obsessed with an actor portraying his former outward appearance.

Overwhelmed by open world games? Fed up with first person shooters? Sick of soulslikes? Placid Plastic Duck Simulator is here for you. More of a semi-randomly generated video than a game, this relaxing indie hit sees different kinds of rubber ducks gradually converging at a seaside swimming pool. That’s it. Available for PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S.

Balatro is your next gaming addiction – but not because it’s a poker game. It merely uses the card game’s hands as a starting point, and then it quickly goes off the rails. Like fellow indie hit Vampire Survivors, this fast-paced roguelike keeps you hooked with lots of shiny rewards that will help you rack up scores on the edge of math.

This indie comedy follows a group of henchmen (henchpeople?) who find themselves unemployed after their villainous boss dies. Tired of scraping along the bottom, they decide to stand up and become villains. The cast and crew include members of the JK! Studios team, along with comedy legend Colin Mochrie. Help fund its distribution on Kickstarter.

This charming animated short by 16-year-old CG artist John Torres looks at a day in the life of a robotic farmer as it patiently waits to harvest vegetables to put into a pot of homemade soup. John says his film “highlights the virtues of perseverance, mindfulness, and the joy that can be found in the simplest of tasks.” Created with Blender.

Actor and comedian Pauly Shore bears more than a passing resemblance to Richard Simmons. In this short film by Jake Lewis, Shore takes on the role with aplomb, celebrating Simmons’ boundless positivity, love for life, and ability to inspire others. It also serves as a teaser for Shore’s upcoming, unauthorized biopic about the fitness guru. (Thanks, Rob!)

Do you like offbeat indie games? Check out Torfi’s A Firm Handshake. This wacky casual game challenges players to reach out to NPCs and get them to shake hands. As you do your handshake business deals, you march around looking to build an empire of corporate drones. And then things get really weird. SMii7Y provides an in-depth demo of the game.

Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) applies his offbeat style to this movie about a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) who brings a young woman back to life. But Bella (Emma Stone) is anything but the well-mannered lady of the times and runs off on a wild adventure with a slick and rakish lawyer (Mark Ruffalo). We’re getting a Tim Burton vibe here.

Writer/director Taika Waititi takes a break from big-budget superhero movies with a return to indie form. Next Goal Wins is a lighthearted underdog comedy about a coach (Michael Fassbender) who reluctantly relocates to American Samoa to help fix the world’s worst international soccer team.

Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn star in this offbeat indie film about the host of a failing children’s science show who has dreamed his whole life about becoming an astronaut. After a series of strange encounters, a pile of space junk lands in his yard, and it could finally be his chance. In theaters 2.24.23.

Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle star in this indie comedy about a modern family whose distracted and noise-filled existence is disrupted by an industrial accident. Based on the book by Don DeLillo, written for the screen and directed by Noah Baumbach. Coming to Netflix and theaters 12.30.22.

Actor Owen Kline’s directorial feature debut is a coming-of-age indie comedy that follows the story of a young man who wants to pursue a career as a comic book artist. While pursuing his dream, he encounters some truly colorful characters.

Most of us think of Hawaii as an idyllic vacation paradise and a place of majestic natural beauty. But filmmaker Christopher Kahunahana’s Waikiki changes that, presenting a dark portrait of a woman tormented by an abusive ex, and the odyssey that unfolds after she hits a homeless man with her van.