Diverse Independent Gems: Hidden 2018 Treasures to Discover

Wonder Wheel

2017 • 101 min • Budget $25M • Box office $15M

Drama, Romance

In 1950s Coney Island, the lives of four people become connected: Ginny, a waitress with a troubled past as a performer; Humpty, her hardworking carousel operator husband; Mickey, a charming lifeguard aspiring to be a playwright; and Carolina, Humpty's daughter…

6.4

6.2

13+

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Their Finest

2017 • 117 min • Budget $11M • Box office $3M

Romance, War, Drama

Amidst the bombing of London during World War II, a female screenwriter strives to create a film that highlights England's strength and lifts the spirits of its people. She attempts to bring the true story of two sisters' daring sea…

6.6

6.8

17+

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Certain Women

2016 • 107 min • Budget $2M • Box office $1M

Drama

In the American Northwest, three independent women navigate life's challenges. A lawyer struggles to manage a difficult client. A wife and mother's ambitious home-building project exposes problems in her marriage. And a solitary ranch hand develops a complex relationship with…

6.0

6.4

17+

Stream on

+15

Journeyman

2018 • 92 min

Drama

During a boxing match, a fighter sustains a severe head injury, forcing him to confront the aftermath.

6.6

7.0

Dark River

2017 • 90 min

Thriller, Drama, Mystery

Following her father's death, a young woman returns to her childhood home in a Yorkshire village after being away for 15 years. She intends to take possession of the family farm, which she believes is rightfully hers.

5.6

5.9

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+12

Almost Heaven

2017 • 75 min

Seventeen-year-old Ying Ling is studying to become a mortician at a major funeral home in China, far from her family. The daily work of this unique profession brings both funny and heartwarming experiences.

7.6

7.3

The Ritual

2017 • 94 min • Budget $1M • Box office $1M

Horror, Mystery

College friends gather for a forest getaway, only to find themselves hunted by a sinister force within the woods.

6.3

6.4

17+

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Williams

2017 • 109 min

Documentary

This sports documentary chronicles the history of the Williams Formula 1 team, established by the renowned Sir Frank Williams.

7.4

7.6

Daphne

2017 • 87 min

Comedy, Drama

Daphne navigates the complexities of modern life, juggling a busy restaurant job with a vibrant social scene. She's known for her wit and energy, always the center of attention. But beneath the surface, she's not truly content. After saving a…

5.6

6.0

17+

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Breathe

2017 • 118 min • Box office $5M

Drama, Romance

This is the true story of Robin, a charismatic and gifted man whose life is profoundly changed by polio, which leaves him paralyzed.

7.4

7.2

13+

Stream on

Double Date

2017 • 90 min

Comedy, Horror

Jim, a man anxious around women, embarks on a last-minute mission to feel like a man the night before his thirtieth birthday. He and his confident friend Alex believe they've found the perfect opportunity when they encounter the alluring Kitty…

5.5

5.9

The Love Witch

2016 • 121 min • Box office $228K

Horror, Comedy, Romance

In today's world, a woman practices witchcraft, using spells to make men fall in love with her. But her actions have dangerous repercussions.

6.5

6.3

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+20

The Party

2017 • 71 min • Box office $3M

Comedy, Drama

A group of people gather at a private home for a party, only to have their assumptions shattered by a series of unexpected revelations. The ensuing crisis forces them to confront their deeply held beliefs and re-evaluate their core values.

6.3

6.6

17+

Stream on

+11

The Beguiled

2017 • 93 min • Budget $10M • Box office $27M

Drama

Set during the Civil War, a group of young women at a Southern boarding school shelter a wounded Union soldier. Their efforts to care for him ignite intense feelings, sparking complicated relationships and challenging societal norms.

5.9

6.3

17+

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My Cousin Rachel

2017 • 106 min • Box office $9M

Drama, Romance

A young Englishman seeks revenge on his captivating cousin, whom he suspects of killing his guardian. However, his desire for vengeance is complicated as he becomes increasingly drawn to her alluring personality.

5.7

6.0

13+

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Raw

2016 • 98 min • Budget $3M • Box office $4M

Horror, Drama

Justine comes from a family of veterinarians and vegetarians. At sixteen, she's a bright student about to begin her first year at vet school, following in her older sister's footsteps. But she quickly finds herself facing intense hazing. Justine is…

7.0

6.9

17+

Stream on

The Work

2017 • 90 min

Documentary

The Work takes place entirely within Folsom Prison and follows three men through four days of intense group therapy with inmates. It offers a deeply personal and moving look at genuine human change – a transformation that goes beyond traditional…

7.6

7.8

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Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story

2017 • 80 min

This film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the history of a major record label and a detailed account of the two-night anniversary concert held last May at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The concert was a tribute to the late rapper The…

6.2

5.4

14+

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

2017 • 103 min

Comedy, Music, Romance

In 1970s London, a teenage outsider named Enn falls in love with Zan, a rebellious alien girl who arrives on Earth for a party. They explore the challenges of different worlds and experience the difficulties of their first love together.

6.0

5.7

17+

Stream on

Wind River

2017 • 107 min • Budget $11M • Box office $44M

Crime, Mystery, Drama

An FBI agent partners with the reservation's experienced game tracker to investigate a murder that takes place on the Native American land.

7.4

7.7

17+

Stream on

Just Charlie

2017 • 97 min

Drama

Football prodigy Charlie is on the verge of a professional career, with a major club eager to recruit her. Her future appears secure. However, the teenager views this path as deeply unsettling. Having been raised as a boy, Charlie struggles…

7.0

6.9

Stream on

Chubby Funny

2017 • 89 min

Oscar believes he’s unique, but he’s mistaken. He blames others for his misfortunes. His move to London is supposed to be a year-long push into the entertainment industry, but he’s soon distracted by familiar struggles: relationships, romances, and the search…

6.2

6.1

Aquarius

2016 • 147 min • Budget $762K • Box office $285K

Drama

Clara, a lively former music critic and widow with long hair, is the last resident of a historic building slated for demolition by ambitious developers planning luxury high-rises. Clara fiercely resists the developers' attempts to force her from her home.

7.5

7.4

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Half Way

2015 • 93 min

This film explores the hidden homelessness crisis in the UK through the intimate experiences of a single family.

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7.2

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The Man with the Iron Heart

2017 • 120 min • Budget $32M • Box office $4M

War, Action, History

In 1942, with Nazi Germany at its strongest, Czech resistance fighters in London prepare a daring mission called Anthropoid. The plan: to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, the brutal head of the Gestapo and the driving force behind the Nazis' plan for…

6.6

6.4

17+

Stream on

Us and Them

2017 • 83 min

Danny, a working-class man, plans to spark a revolution by using a dangerous game of chance to challenge those in power.

5.5

5.2

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Suburbicon

2017 • 105 min • Budget $25M • Box office $12M

Thriller, Crime, Drama

Suburbicon, 1950s. Beneath the idyllic surface of this quiet town, the complexities of human nature are brought to light through the lives of its seemingly normal residents. After a home invasion goes wrong, a seemingly perfect family descends into a…

5.9

5.8

17+

Stream on

78/52

2017 • 91 min

78/52 tells the story of Alfred Hitchcock and his enduring fascination with his most famous work: the shower scene from Psycho. The scene, with its intricate 78 camera setups and 52 cuts, remains a landmark in cinematic history.

7.2

7.3

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+11

Leaning Into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy

2018 • 97 min

Thomas Riedelsheimer's acclaimed Rivers and Tides captured artist Andy Goldsworthy as he crafted his breathtaking, temporary sculptures using natural materials. Fifteen years later, Goldsworthy continues his thoughtful study of the natural world. Leaning Into the Wind is a visual and…

7.6

7.0

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Bad Day for the Cut

2017 • 99 min

Thriller, Drama, Crime

A middle-aged Irish farmer, still living with his mother, embarks on a quest for vengeance after she is killed.

6.5

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Uncle Howard

2017 • 96 min

In 1989, filmmaker Howard Brookner died of AIDS at age 35, leaving behind two documentaries and a narrative film in progress, *Bloodhounds of Broadway*. Twenty-five years later, his nephew Aaron searches for the missing negative of *Burroughs: The Movie*, Howard’s…

6.5

7.0

17+

Final Portrait

2017 • 87 min • Box office $1M

History, Drama

Paris, 1964. Renowned Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti asks his friend, American writer James Lord, to pose for a portrait, promising it will only take two or three hours, at most an afternoon.

6.0

6.3

17+

Stream on

Maudie

2016 • 115 min • Box office $6M

Drama, Romance

Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis develops a romantic relationship with a fishmonger while living with him as his housekeeper.

7.7

7.6

13+

Stream on

Pin Cushion

2018 • 82 min

Drama

Mother and daughter Lyn and Iona move to a new town, eager for a fresh start. Iona quickly bonds with her new friends, Keely, Stacey, and Chelsea. Lyn, accustomed to being Iona's closest companion, feels excluded and seeks connection with…

6.4

6.5

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The Lost City of Z

2017 • 141 min • Budget $30M • Box office $8M

Adventure, Drama, History

This true story follows British explorer Col. Percy Fawcett in the 1920s. He found clues suggesting a lost, sophisticated civilization in the Amazon rainforest. Fawcett vanished while attempting to locate this civilization.

6.4

6.6

13+

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Spider-Man: Homecoming

2017 • 133 min • Budget $175M • Box office $880M

Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

After the conflict in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker struggles to juggle his everyday life as a high school student in Queens with his responsibilities as Spider-Man. This is complicated by the arrival of a new villain, the Vulture.

7.3

7.4

13+

Stream on

Human Flow

2017 • 140 min

Documentary

Over 65 million people worldwide have been displaced by famine, climate change, and war – the largest displacement since World War II. Filmmaker Ai Weiwei explores the immense scale of this refugee crisis and its deeply personal effect on individuals.…

6.9

7.2

13+

Stream on

The Space Between Us

2017 • 121 min • Budget $30M • Box office $14M

Romance, Adventure, Science Fiction

Raised in a scientific facility on Mars, a young man journeys to Earth to locate his father.

7.1

6.4

13+

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Goodbye Christopher Robin

2017 • 107 min • Box office $7M

Family, History, Drama

This is the story of A.A. Milne, and how his son Christopher Robin inspired the beloved Winnie the Pooh tales. It explores the creative process behind those stories, revealing the personal connection at their heart.

7.0

7.1

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