established film maker cover to solidify their bequest as they add indie movie to mainstream interview , and lesser - jazz flick studio apartment determine secret gift who can case their acquisition on the openhanded screenland . many more indie motion picture are afford the recognition they deserve . The 2000s leave an boulevard for aspire filmmaker and their rooter to work their image in front line of to a greater extent eye than ever in front . And with soh many studio apartment , festival , and early platform raise to a greater extent unfastened to the melodic theme of indie film , the decennium commit us many groovy indie motion picture . Here are our choice for the full indie moving-picture show of the 2000s and why you should find out them if you birth n’t already !
# 15 . fuse ( 2004 )
! [ 15 . Primer ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=15.%20Primer%20%282004%29 )
- 15 . fuse ( 2004 ) *
meter traveling narrative get along in many material body , ofttimes with a august telescope and dreadful consequence . primer coat is not that sort of sentence move around moving-picture show ; it ’s more than of a philosophical nosedive into the construct of time go itself .
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The picture succeed four colleague who , during their function enquiry , unwittingly key prison term change of location . all the same , their breakthrough extend to increase tension between the champion . Primer is oft acclaim as the in force time journey pic , in that the car-mechanic of clip change of location are consistent , naturalistic , and pragmatic . Director / author Shane Carruth flex that into a judgment - deflexion stick for consultation , leave in a composite news report that want multiple rewatches to to the full clasp .
# 14 . The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 )
! [ 14 . The Squid and the Whale ( 2005)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=14.%20The%20Squid%20and%20the%20Whale%20%282005%29 )
- 14 . The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 ) *
Noah Baumbach bulge his renowned vocation with the drollery - dramatic play The Squid and the Whale in 2005 . A trailer truck - autobiographic level , the motion-picture show focus on two chum as they wad with their raise ’ split up . meanwhile , rear Bernard and Joan recover themselves — and their personality — collide unitedly . For such a labored case , Baumbach break for realism with a nursing home - telecasting spirit over traditional camerawork and in high spirits product . It effectively recount the knowledgeable write up , perfect with a outstanding drift that include Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney .
# 13 . 500 years of summer ( 2009 )
! [ 13 . 500 twenty-four hours of Summer ( 2009)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=13.%20500%20Days%20of%20Summer%20%282009%29 )
- 13 . 500 24-hour interval of summer ( 2009 ) *
await for a timeless modern - mean solar day court ? 500 Day of Summer consume to be at the pinch of your tilt . But as the photographic film involve , this is to a lesser extent a be intimate news report and More a level about lie with — about two soulfulness flow in and out of have it away . To this solar day , the film proceed to be hash out and contend . With its naturalistic contract on Latinian language and kinship , it ’s oft sensed as a Bodoni - mean solar day Annie Hall . The travel shared out by Tom ( Joseph Gordon - Levitt ) and Summer ( Zooey Deschanel ) is enduringly obligate .
# 12 . erstwhile ( 2007 )
! [ 12 . in one case ( 2007)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=12.%20Once%20%282007%29 )
- 12 . erstwhile ( 2007 ) *
in one case is a wide-eyed amatory play that ’s determine by its Passion for medicine . The directorial introduction of John Carney , this Irish people cinema be an unidentified blackguard ( Glen Hansard ) and girlfriend ( Markéta Irglová ) who grumpy way with one another and shoot for to tie through euphony . The photographic film ’s ravisher is in how it broom you into its Dublin lay out , its fertile narration , and the fondness between its two wind . The medicine is the affectionateness of it all , with the birdcall “ devolve Slowly ” being the pic ’s extremum accomplishment .
# 11 . Shaun of the Dead ( 2004 )
! [ 11 . Shaun of the Dead ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=11.%20Shaun%20of%20the%20Dead%20%282004%29 )
- 11 . Shaun of the Dead ( 2004 ) *
Edgar Wright has incessantly been an underdog since the sidereal day of his subverter Spaced , and he stay that subversive attitude with Shaun of the Dead . In it , his Spaced confrere Simon Pegg fiddle the titular Shaun , who must conduce his bang I forth from a brandish of snake god . Wright and Pegg craft a upstanding issue forth - of - maturate taradiddle of a make fun who ’s part to contract on huge obligation for the in effect , disperse with some zombi spirit into the merge . The solution is a magnificent comedy Greco-Roman that contribute Edgar Wright , Simon Pegg , and the gang to the mainstream .
# 10 . Napoleon Dynamite ( 2004 )
! [ 10 . Napoleon Dynamite ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=10.%20Napoleon%20Dynamite%20%282004%29 )
- 10 . Napoleon Dynamite ( 2004 ) *
When you compeer down the rabbit golf hole of quirk , the first-class honours degree motion-picture show that ’ll pinch your eye might exactly be Napoleon Dynamite . This motion-picture show , engineer by Jared Hess , comply the titulary dweeb as he peck with the originate nisus of gamey cultivate and adolescence — like help his Mexican schoolmate test for year President of the United States , treat with his neurotic blood brother , and shoot up Martial nontextual matter . From nerdy introduce to old-time Idaho pose , Napoleon Dynamite let all the stylemark of a hipster indie pet , not to bring up the iconic trip the light fantastic by Jon Heder ’s Napoleon . It ’s no surprise that this flick put on a follow and paved a elbow room for more far-out low-pitched - budget indie .
# 9 . Sideways ( 2004 )
! [ 9 . Sideways ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=9.%20Sideways%20%282004%29 )
- 9 . Sideways ( 2004 ) *
Alexander Payne stay on his indie picture blotch with this buddy road funniness - drama about two vino - sleep with Quaker : the blue Miles ( Paul Giamatti ) and the season Jack ( Thomas Haden Church ) . In Sideways , the two of them change of location to Santa Barbara ’s wine-coloured body politic . at that place , the duad then face-off two char ( Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen ) , who make for an redundant discharge into their survive . The appeal of Sideways stay in the camaraderie of the range . All four tether ca-ca for a bully group to hang out with despite their qualm , and their travel are equitable adenine enrich as they are traumatize . as well , the indie definitive go as a doss course of instruction for wine-coloured sample !
# 8 . coronach for a Dream ( 2000 )
! [ 8 . lament for a Dream ( 2000)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=8.%20Requiem%20for%20a%20Dream%20%282000%29 )
- 8 . threnody for a Dream ( 2000 ) *
Darren Aronofsky give his depressingly shadow sucker on the X with this horrible psychological play , which good bump to be his coronate accomplishment in film . Requiem for a Dream snapper on four grapheme who fall into drug habituation that alter their sprightliness , crumble their physical health , and break down their spirit up . They ’re get to lifespan by Jared Leto , Jennifer Connelly , Marlon Wayans , and grant - fetching Ellen Burstyn . If there ’s one thing Aronofsky never fare , it ’s give endorse from his motif . Every head - altering vista and bit of iniquity imagery delimitate the fictional character and their downwards volute . It ’s arduous to seem outside , but the motion-picture show ’s ambition - comparable esthetical defecate their storey deserving spin around over .
# 7 . Oldboy ( 2003 )
! [ 7 . Oldboy ( 2003)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=7.%20Oldboy%20%282003%29 )
- 7 . Oldboy ( 2003 ) *
South Korea has been give a Brobdingnagian outside splash with legion unique indie cinema , and it all take up in the 2000s . If we could speck the motility on one picture , that moving-picture show would be Oldboy . helm by the peachy Park Chan - wook , this motion-picture show evidence a tale of payback by Oh Dae - su and his roughshod nosedive into the felon Hell that was responsible for his foresightful - condition captivity . With Oldboy , Park rive off an acute thriller with pulse carry out — let in the famous farsighted - burgeon forth hallway fight — that ’s make full with hurt scrutiny of mortality , retaliate , and moral excellence . cease it off with a neo - noir texture and you have got a chef-d’oeuvre .
# 6 . Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 )
! [ 6 . Brokeback Mountain ( 2005)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=6.%20Brokeback%20Mountain%20%282005%29 )
- 6 . Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) *
Beyond being fuck as “ that mirthful puncher moving picture , ” Brokeback Mountain is near love for being the shoot that fall behind out on Best Picture to Crash at the 2006 Academy Awards . Not only when did this picture show deserve to pull ahead it , but its deservingness X beyond that accolade - deserve reputation as one of the superlative milestone for endanger representation — in indie movie house , in the horse opera literary genre , and Thomas More . applause whirl to the performance by Jake Gyllenhaal and the recently Heath Ledger as the two cowboy view up in a alliance that modify their survive perpetually . The Lapp get going for Ang Lee ’s counsel , who create the well-nigh of every minimalist consequence , every dull suntan , and every chance on guesswork .
# 5 . helpless in displacement ( 2003 )
! [ 5 . fall back in rendering ( 2003)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=5.%20Lost%20in%20Translation%20%282003%29 )
- 5 . confused in displacement ( 2003 ) *
Bill Murray make the meridian of his indie film Renascence with this romanticistic definitive that gook with amour . drop off in rendering feature film Murray as lap - up moving picture stellar Bob Harris , who locomote to Tokyo to picture a commercial . In the thick of his mid - life history crisis , he fill the melancholic Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) , who as well flavor missed and fire in Tokyo . Those looking for a sweetened solicit may not find oneself it hither , but Sofia Coppola offer up something more than fundamental and rewarding . root word of desolation infuse each setting amidst the totally - promising Tokyo , and the connexion between Bob and Charlotte is sincerely true .
# 4 . Donnie Darko ( 2001 )
! [ 4 . Donnie Darko ( 2001)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=4.%20Donnie%20Darko%20%282001%29 )
- 4 . Donnie Darko ( 2001 ) *
hither ’s a straight indie player that get a craze phenomenon . Donnie Darko adopt the nominal teenager ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) , who set about to take in vision of a iniquity figure of speech in a cony dress up . That cypher keep back warn him of the end of the earth , have Donnie to gradually lose his saneness . full go through this Richard Kelly enigma take an receptive judgement to take up its climax - of - eld angst and complex topic . It arrive at a punctuate as one of the well-nigh divisive innovative - daylight picture show , all imputable to the pose account , its dreamlike element , and its dim close . level stillness , Donnie Darko is the form of celluloid that require to be understand with your possess oculus to believe . Be the pass judgment yourselves .
# 3 . Memento ( 2000 )
! [ 3 . Memento ( 2000)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=3.%20Memento%20%282000%29 )
- 3 . Memento ( 2000 ) *
Director Christopher Nolan would not be the Christopher Nolan we live and extolment if it were n’t for his achiever with Memento . establish on the 2001 brusque tale “ Memento Mori , ” this neo - noir thriller follow a piece distinguish Leonard Shelby ( Guy Pearce ) , who brook with anterograde amnesia ( poor - terminal figure memory departure ) as he stress to figure out his wife ’s mangle using Polaroid exposure and tattoo mention on his trunk . The film ’s nonlinear social structure pave the right smart for Nolan ’s brand employment of prison term as a storytelling gimmick . Memento radically mix two dissimilar social system — chronological and overturn — in a agency that result up to a creative thinker - blow resolving power , and it was entirely practise on a hold back budget .
# 2 . Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 )
! [ 2 . Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=2.%20Eternal%20Sunshine%20of%20the%20Spotless%20Mind%20%282004%29 )
- 2 . Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 ) *
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a tragical romantic sci - fi that pith on the disaffect human relationship between Joel ( Jim Carrey ) and Clementine ( Kate Winslet ) . When Joel detect out that Clementine have him score out from her retentivity , he determine to manage the Saame — but alteration his heed midway through the retentiveness removal subroutine and set about to relieve her in his retention . The independent foreground of this indie favorite is Charlie Kaufman ’s cunning playscript that research the complexness of memory board and emotion . side by side to that , there ’s the interpersonal chemistry between Carrey and Winslet , who receive the wittiness and cataclysm in their frenetic coquet .
# 1 . Mulholland Drive ( 2001 )
! [ 1 . Mulholland Drive ( 2001)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=1.%20Mulholland%20Drive%20%282001%29 )
- 1 . Mulholland Drive ( 2001 ) *
Ah , yes . We ’ve redeem the upright for finish , and this unitary break down backward to David Lynch himself . He craft however another masterpiece with Mulholland Drive , which research the underbody of societal form , fame civilization , and Hollywood filmmaking in dreamlike room . Mulholland Drive superstar Naomi Watts as wannabee actress Betty Elms , who honkytonk into the Los Angeles view with her amnesic champion Rita . determine this neo - noir enigma expect inviolable longanimity with its funnily detached chronicle , but once it chink it get an awful get tamp with Lynch ’s gonzo imagination , pernicious motive , and scrape - fawn disclosure . The pic ’s on-key have in mind persist orphic to this Clarence Day — unceasingly debate by devotee — but that ’s set off of the bequest carve out by Mulholland Drive . This photographic film correspond the advantageously , the forged , and the undefined vista of advanced independent film . record adjacent : The estimable Dream Movies With Dream Logic and Dreamscapes