45 Indie Gems: Diverse Stories Shaping 2022 Cinema

The Nowhere Inn

2021 • 92 min

Music, Comedy, Thriller

St. Vincent wants to make a documentary about her music, aiming to show the real person behind her stage image. However, things get complicated when she asks a close friend to direct. As the film progresses, the line between reality…

6.0

5.7

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The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

2021 • 83 min

Mystery, Thriller, Drama

This film is based on the true story of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder. He was killed during an encounter with police officers who were sent to check on him. The film depicts the…

7.3

7.1

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+10

Prayers for the Stolen

2021 • 110 min

Drama

In a remote countryside village, Ana and her friends Maria and Paula face the harsh realities of their lives. Their families toil in the poppy fields, harvesting opium, while the girls must cope with the growing threat of a local…

7.6

7.3

17+

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To Chiara

2021 • 121 min

Drama, Fantasy

The Guerrasio family and their friends celebrate the 18th birthday of Claudio and Carmela’s oldest daughter. The birthday girl and her 15-year-old sister Chiara playfully compete dancing. It's a joyful time for the close-knit family. But the next day, their…

6.8

6.7

17+

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Compartment No. 6

2021 • 106 min • Budget $2M

Drama

A young Finnish woman flees a mysterious romance in Moscow by taking a train to Murmansk, a port in the Arctic. Sharing the lengthy journey and a cramped sleeping car with an eccentric Russian miner, the passengers in Compartment No.…

6.9

7.2

17+

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Holler

2021 • 91 min

Drama

In a struggling part of Southern Ohio, a driven young woman sees college as her only way out. To afford it, Ruth Avery joins a risky scrap metal crew with her older brother. They work hard during the day and…

6.0

6.2

17+

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Pebbles

2021 • 74 min

A young boy accompanies his abusive, alcoholic father on a journey to locate his mother, who has fled from his violent treatment.

6.1

7.0

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Mass

2021 • 111 min • Box office $131K

Drama

Following a devastating event, two couples gather for a difficult and emotionally exposed discussion.

7.4

7.5

13+

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+10

C'mon C'mon

2021 • 109 min • Budget $8M • Box office $4M

Drama

Johnny and his young nephew develop a fragile but significant bond during a road trip across the country, seeking a different way of life outside of Los Angeles.

7.2

7.3

17+

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Catch the Fair One

2022 • 85 min • Box office $33K

Thriller, Mystery

A Native American boxer begins a challenging journey to find her sister who has gone missing.

6.3

—

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Zola

2021 • 86 min • Budget $5M • Box office $3M

Comedy, Crime

A waitress joins an exotic dancer, her frustrated boyfriend, and her enigmatic roommate on a road trip to Florida. They're all hoping to find success at a glamorous strip club.

6.2

6.4

17+

Stream on

+15

Cicada

2021 • 94 min

Ben, a young man who is bisexual, decides to publicly come out. He begins a passionate relationship with Sam, a man of color dealing with significant emotional pain. As their connection deepens throughout the summer, Ben is forced to confront…

5.8

6.7

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The Novice

2021 • 97 min • Box office $24K

Drama

A new college student joins the university rowing team and embarks on a relentless physical and mental challenge to earn a spot in the top varsity boat, pushing herself to the limit.

6.4

6.5

17+

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7 Days

2021 • 86 min

Ravi and Rita's arranged date, set up by their families, is already awkward. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic forces them to spend time together. Perhaps, despite their differences, they might actually connect.

6.0

6.5

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+13

Pleasure

2021 • 108 min • Budget $1M • Box office $393K

Drama

Linnéa, a 19-year-old from a small Swedish town, moves to Los Angeles determined to become a famous adult film star. However, achieving her ambition proves to be more difficult than she anticipated.

6.3

17+

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CODA

2021 • 112 min • Budget $10M • Box office $1M

Drama, Music, Romance

Ruby is a CODA – a child of deaf adults – and the only hearing person in her family. When their fishing business faces difficulties, Ruby struggles to balance her passion for music with her reluctance to leave her parents…

7.9

8.0

13+

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Jockey

2021 • 94 min

A veteran jockey sets his sights on a final championship victory, but his ambition is challenged by the arrival of a young rider who insists he is his son.

5.7

6.3

17+

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I Blame Society

2020 • 85 min

Feeling increasingly dismissed by her fellow filmmakers, a determined director resolves to reclaim her reputation. She chooses to finish her long-abandoned project, but her ambition takes a dark turn when she plans and executes a flawless murder.

5.5

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Red Rocket

2021 • 130 min • Budget $1M • Box office $2M

Drama, Comedy

Mikey Saber, a former adult film actor struggling in Los Angeles, returns to Texas to live with his wife and mother-in-law. As family tensions lessen, he develops feelings for Strawberry, a young woman who works at a local doughnut shop.

6.8

7.1

17+

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Sweet Thing

2020 • 91 min

Billie and Nico experience a life with their father that shifts between joy and anxiety. His drinking brings sadness and disrupts their seemingly perfect family. Their mother is often absent and unreliable. However, their friendship with Malik, a boy their…

6.6

7.0

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Together Together

2021 • 90 min • Box office $1M

Comedy, Drama, Romance

A solitary young woman named Anna is hired as a surrogate for Matt, a man in his 40s who is single. As they work together, Anna and Matt begin to question their ideas about relationships, intimacy, and what it truly…

6.4

17+

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Test Pattern

2021 • 83 min

A couple's bond is strained when the girlfriend experiences a sexual assault. The boyfriend drives her from one hospital to another, seeking a rape kit.

6.9

6.4

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In the Same Breath

2021 • 98 min

Documentary

This documentary follows the experiences of people as the novel coronavirus first emerged, examining how two countries responded to the initial spread of the disease. It chronicles the outbreak's early days in Wuhan and its subsequent impact across the United…

7.1

7.5

—

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This Is Not a War Story

2021 • 112 min

In New York City, a diverse group of veterans struggles to readjust to civilian life. They find an unconventional outlet for their experiences by collaborating on unique artistic projects.

6.0

5.4

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Petite Maman

2021 • 72 min • Budget $3M • Box office $1M

Drama, Fantasy, Family

Following her grandmother's passing, eight-year-old Nelly encounters an oddly familiar girl in the woods. Quickly bonding with this enigmatic new friend, Nelly begins a magical adventure that helps her process her grief.

7.1

7.3

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Parallel Mothers

2021 • 123 min • Budget $11M • Box office $23M

Drama

Two women, both unexpectedly pregnant and about to give birth, meet in a hospital room. Janis is in her late thirties, embracing her situation with joy and without regret. Ana is a teenager, overwhelmed by fear and regret.

6.8

7.1

17+

Stream on

The Humans

2021 • 106 min

Drama

For Thanksgiving, Erik Blake brings his family – spanning three generations – to his daughter's apartment in lower Manhattan. As night falls, unsettling events begin to occur, forcing the family to confront their most hidden fears.

6.1

17+

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Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

2021 • 117 min • Box office $3M

Music, Documentary, History

The summer of Woodstock also saw the Harlem Cultural Festival, where over 300,000 people gathered to celebrate African American music and culture, fostering Black pride and unity. Footage of this remarkable event remained hidden in storage for over 50 years,…

7.6

8.0

13+

Stream on

Try Harder!

2021 • 85 min

At Lowell High School, where intelligence is celebrated and Asian American identity is commonplace, the graduating seniors vie for the ultimate goal: acceptance into their preferred colleges. The school's orchestra is renowned globally, and the academic pressure to succeed is…

8.6

7.3

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Drive My Car

2021 • 179 min • Budget $1M • Box office $15M

Drama

Two years after the death of his wife, stage actor and director Yusuke Kafuku takes on a directing job for a play in Hiroshima. He's assigned a quiet young woman named Misaki to drive his car. During their journeys, buried…

7.4

7.5

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Pig

2021 • 92 min • Budget $3M • Box office $4M

Drama, Thriller

A solitary truffle hunter in the Oregon wilderness travels to Portland to track down the individual who has stolen his prized foraging pig.

6.6

6.9

17+

Stream on

Passing

2021 • 98 min

Drama

New York City, 1920s. A Black woman's life is disrupted when she reconnects with a childhood friend now living as white.

6.3

6.6

13+

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Cryptozoo

2021 • 95 min • Box office $30K

Animation, Fantasy

A team of specialized keepers attempts to capture a Baku, a mythical creature that consumes dreams. As they work to contain this hybrid beast, they begin to question whether these creatures should be revealed to the world or kept secret.

5.9

6.4

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Wild Indian

2021 • 90 min • Budget $20M

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Years after concealing his role in a classmate's murder, Michael has built a new life, leaving his past behind. But when a man who knows his secret seeks revenge, Michael desperately tries to shield his present – his wife and…

5.4

5.8

—

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Luzzu

2021 • 94 min

On the island of Malta, Jesmark, a fisherman facing hardship, breaks with his family's history and takes a dangerous risk by joining the black market fishing trade. His motivation: to support his girlfriend and their new baby.

6.8

6.9

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Faya Dayi

2021 • 120 min

This film follows a spiritual journey to the highlands of Harar, exploring the traditions surrounding khat, a leaf used for centuries by Sufi Muslims for religious meditation and now Ethiopia's major cash crop. Through personal stories, it offers a glimpse…

7.6

6.8

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Swan Song

2021 • 105 min • Box office $125K

Comedy, Drama

A retired hairdresser leaves his nursing home and journeys through his town to give a final hairstyle to a deceased woman for her funeral, and in doing so, rediscovers his passion for his craft.

6.9

7.0

17+

Stream on

+12

Shiva Baby

2021 • 78 min • Budget $250K • Box office $359K

Comedy, Drama

College student Danielle is caught in a difficult situation when she unexpectedly encounters her sugar daddy at a shiva. To make matters worse, her parents, ex-girlfriend, and family friends are also present. She must now try to conceal their connection.

7.1

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Flee

2021 • 89 min • Budget $3M • Box office $712K

Documentary, Animation

Mostly told through animation to protect his privacy, Amin reflects on his childhood as an Afghan refugee while confronting a secret he has guarded for two decades.

7.7

7.9

13+

Stream on

Queen of Glory

2022 • 78 min

Sarah, a brilliant Columbia University doctoral student, has her life upended when her mother dies unexpectedly, leaving her the owner of a small Christian bookstore in the Bronx. As she prepares for a culturally sensitive funeral for her mother, Sarah…

7.2

6.5

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The Lost Daughter

2021 • 122 min • Budget $5M • Box office $703K

Drama

During a relaxing seaside getaway, a woman's fascination with a young mother unravels, drawing her into a confrontation with buried memories.

6.5

6.7

17+

Stream on

Procession

2021 • 118 min

Six men, all survivors of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy, find a path to healing and strength by making short films based on their experiences.

6.6

7.1

17+

Stream on

Blue Bayou

2021 • 117 min • Box office $750K

Drama

A Korean-American man, who has built a life for his family in the Louisiana bayou through hard work, is threatened with deportation. He's forced to face painful memories as he learns he might lose the only home he's ever known.

7.5

7.1

17+

Stream on

Ascension

2021 • 97 min

Documentary

This documentary follows the drive to achieve the "Chinese Dream." Using captivating and occasionally funny visuals, it offers a modern look at China, where productivity and innovation are the top priorities.

6.9

7.0

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North by Current

2021 • 86 min

Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his rural Michigan hometown after his infant niece's death and the arrest of her killer, who is also his brother-in-law. Employing essay film techniques, vérité footage, staged scenes, and family home movies, Madsen explores a…

6.0

6.4

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