Top Indie Gems: Best Diverse Films of 2014 from Guardians to Boyhood

Guardians of the Galaxy

2014 • 121 min • Budget $170M • Box office $772M

Action, Science Fiction, Adventure

Twenty-six years after he was abducted from Earth, Peter Quill, now far from home, becomes the main target after finding an orb that Ronan the Accuser wants.

7.9

8.0

13+

Stream on

Blue Ruin

2014 • 91 min • Budget $420K • Box office $993K

Crime, Thriller

A laid-back beachgoer's peaceful existence is shattered by devastating news, prompting him to return to his hometown for revenge. Unfortunately, he's a terrible assassin. He unexpectedly finds himself fighting to defend his family, whom he's long estranged from.

6.8

7.1

17+

Stream on

+11

Obvious Child

2014 • 85 min • Budget $1M • Box office $3M

Comedy, Romance

A young comic book artist, recently laid off and still acting childish, is forced to confront adult responsibilities when a casual relationship with a graduate student leads to an unexpected pregnancy.

6.5

6.7

17+

Stream on

Calvary

2014 • 101 min • Box office $3M

Drama

A kind priest is threatened while speaking in confidence, and then finds himself facing growing darkness. He must fight against these encroaching evil forces.

7.1

7.4

17+

Stream on

A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness

2013 • 99 min

The film follows a man through three distinct periods: as part of a fifteen-person community on an Estonian island, isolated in the Finnish wilderness, and as the vocalist for a black metal band in Norway. Across these experiences, he develops…

6.2

Stream on

The Raid 2

2014 • 150 min • Budget $4M • Box office $6M

Action, Crime, Thriller

Following a harrowing escape from a building overrun by dangerous criminals, SWAT officer Rama goes undercover. He joins a powerful Indonesian crime syndicate to safeguard his family and expose corruption within his own unit.

7.6

7.9

17+

Stream on

Why Don't You Play in Hell?

2013 • 130 min

Drama, Action, Comedy

In Japan, a group of unconventional filmmakers devise a complex strategy with three goals: revive an actress's flagging career, resolve a violent conflict between yakuza gangs, and create a successful film.

7.4

7.1

Stream on

Snowpiercer

2013 • 127 min • Budget $39M • Box office $86M

Action, Science Fiction, Drama

After a disastrous attempt to combat global warming decimates Earth's population, humanity survives aboard Snowpiercer, a train perpetually circling the globe. Within its walls, a rigid class system has emerged.

6.9

7.1

17+

Stream on

Gone Girl

2014 • 149 min • Budget $61M • Box office $370M

Mystery, Thriller, Drama

When his wife vanishes and the media swarms to the story, a man finds himself under suspicion. The intense public scrutiny suggests he may be involved in her disappearance.

7.9

8.1

17+

Stream on

The Lego Movie

2014 • 100 min • Budget $60M • Box office $470M

Animation, Family, Adventure

A regular Lego mini-figure is mistaken for the legendary MasterBuilder and unexpectedly joins a mission to defeat a wicked Lego tyrant who threatens to take over the entire universe.

7.4

7.7

Stream on

The Grand Budapest Hotel

2014 • 100 min • Budget $30M • Box office $174M

Comedy, Drama

The Grand Budapest Hotel follows a renowned concierge at a prestigious European hotel during the interwar period and his developing friendship with a young employee who becomes his close protégé. Their story centers on the theft and recovery of a…

8.0

8.1

17+

Stream on

Butter on the Latch

2013 • 72 min

Sarah and Isolde bond over their shared passion for Balkan music and dance. However, their trip reveals underlying tensions when Sarah develops feelings for a fellow camper, Steph. This seemingly harmless attraction unexpectedly disrupts the close relationship between the two…

4.9

5.2

Nightcrawler

2014 • 118 min • Budget $8M • Box office $47M

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Seeking a job, Lou Bloom enters the world of crime journalism in Los Angeles, gradually becoming involved in the stories he covers. He and Nina, a seasoned TV news professional, work together.

7.7

7.8

17+

Stream on

+14

Listen Up Philip

2014 • 109 min • Box office $214K

Comedy, Drama

Philip is consumed by anger as he waits for his second novel to be published. He feels increasingly alienated in his city, bothered by the crowds and noise, and his relationship with his girlfriend Ashley is weakening. He's also reluctant…

5.8

6.3

Stream on

+12

Under the Skin

2014 • 108 min • Budget $13M • Box office $7M

Thriller, Science Fiction, Drama

In Glasgow, a captivating stranger targets vulnerable men, drawing them into her orbit with irresistible charm.

6.1

6.3

17+

Stream on

+11

Only Lovers Left Alive

2013 • 123 min • Budget $7M • Box office $8M

Drama, Romance, Fantasy

A disheartened musician reconnects with the woman he loves. Their relationship, which has spanned centuries, faces turmoil with the unexpected arrival of her volatile younger sister.

7.2

17+

Stream on

National Gallery

2014 • 174 min

Documentary

This film offers a look at the daily workings of the National Gallery in London, exploring the work of its staff and the experiences of those who visit. It examines the roles of curators and conservators, as well as the…

7.3

Stream on

The Dance of Reality

2013 • 130 min • Budget $3M • Box office $558K

Drama, Fantasy

Alejandro Jodorowsky’s biographical project centers on his desperate search for purpose after rejecting a false sense of self. Born in 1929 in Tocopilla, a Chilean coastal town bordering the desert, he experienced a challenging and isolated childhood as his family…

7.1

7.4

Stream on

Goodbye to Language

2014 • 70 min

Drama

A married woman and a single man fall in love, experiencing both affection and conflict. A dog wanders between their worlds as the seasons change. They reunite, and the dog becomes a symbol of their divided affections. The woman's husband…

6.0

5.8

Stream on

Boyhood

2014 • 166 min • Budget $4M • Box office $48M

Drama

This film chronicles the experiences of a divorced couple as they navigate parenthood while raising their young son. The story follows the boy over twelve years, from first grade at age six through his teenage years, exploring his evolving relationship…

7.5

7.9

17+

Stream on

+17

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I

2013 • 118 min • Budget $2M • Box office $13M

Drama

Seligman discovers an injured woman unconscious in an alley and takes her home. She introduces herself as Joe and reveals she is a nymphomaniac. Joe recounts her life and sexual encounters with numerous men since adolescence, while Seligman describes his…

6.8

6.9

Stream on

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

2014 • 120 min • Budget $18M • Box office $103M

Drama, Comedy

A once-famous actor, now past his prime and known for playing a beloved superhero, tries to revive his career with a Broadway show. As the play's opening night nears, his efforts to appear more selfless, regain his standing in the…

7.4

7.7

17+

Stream on

The Overnighters

2014 • 102 min

Drama, Documentary

In the North Dakota oil fields, struggling men pursue their ambitions while battling inner turmoil. A local pastor's attempt to assist them triggers unforeseen and significant outcomes.

7.0

7.4

13+

Stream on

The Strange Little Cat

2013 • 72 min

On an autumn Saturday, Karin and Simon visit their parents and sister Clara. The day unfolds with a family dinner and the arrival of more relatives. As conversations, daily routines, and cooking fill the apartment, the cat and dog move…

6.6

6.5

Stream on

Enemy

2014 • 91 min • Box office $3M

Thriller, Mystery

A quiet college professor stumbles upon someone who looks exactly like him and becomes increasingly drawn into the stranger's personal life.

6.9

6.8

17+

Stream on

+12

Stranger by the Lake

2013 • 100 min • Budget $1M • Box office $1M

Drama, Thriller

During a summer spent searching for connection at a busy lakeside spot in the French countryside, Frank encounters Michel. Michel is attractive and enigmatic, and Frank quickly becomes deeply in love with him.

6.3

6.9

Stream on

Borgman

2013 • 113 min

Thriller, Drama

A mysterious wanderer infiltrates the privileged world of a wealthy family, subtly unraveling their lives and plunging them into a disturbing psychological turmoil.

6.5

6.7

Stream on

+11

Whiplash

2014 • 107 min • Budget $3M • Box office $50M

Drama, Music

A gifted young drummer pushes himself relentlessly under the strict guidance of a demanding instructor. His pursuit of flawless performance leads him down a dangerous path, blurring the line between artistry and self-destruction.

8.4

8.5

17+

Stream on

+10

Nymphomaniac: Vol. II

2013 • 124 min • Budget $2M • Box office $4M

Drama, Mystery

Joe's life, shaped by sexual experiences, explores the darker parts of her adulthood and the events that brought her to Seligman's care.

6.7

6.6

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12 O'Clock Boys

2013 • 76 min • Box office $44

Documentary

Pug, a sharp-witted 13-year-old growing up on a tough Westside neighborhood, wants nothing more than to become part of The Twelve O'Clock Boys, Baltimore’s infamous urban dirt-bike gang. These riders, from across the city, take to the streets and challenge…

6.0

6.5

17+

Stream on

We Are the Best!

2013 • 102 min • Box office $180K

Drama, Music

In 1980s Stockholm, three young women defy expectations by forming a punk band. Undeterred by a prevailing belief that the punk movement has faded, they embark on their musical journey with no instruments.

7.0

7.1

Stream on

+12