Independent movies, or those not released by a major studio and/or made on a low budget, are still made today. While these kinds of movies are much harder to find than blockbuster movies like those featuring superheroes, there are plenty of them out there for movie fans to enjoy.
Members of Amazon Prime have access to several great indies on the platform. Whether you're in the mood for a drama or comedy, a fictional film or a documentary, these are some great choices for viewers who are looking for a good time at home with a movie.
Band of Robbers (2015)
The 2015 indie film Band of Robbers was directed by the Nee brothers, who have recently gained notice for directing The Lost City (2022). The film sees Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as adults in modern-day America as the two search for a lost treasure.
With Kyle Gallner and co-director Adam Nee as Finn and Sawyer, respectively, Band of Robbers also features Criminal Minds' Matthew Gray Gubler, Spider-Man: Homecoming's Hannibal Buress, and Supergirl's Melissa Benoist in supporting roles. A crime-comedy adventure film, this one undeservedly flew under the radar when it was first released.
The Two Faces of January (2014)
Oscar Isaac has been getting a lot of attention recently for his starring role in Moon Knight, and rightfully so, but one of Isaac's best movie roles can be found in this 2014 adaptation of the novel by Patricia Highsmith, whose novel The Price of Salt was adapted into Carol (2015).
The Two Faces of January follows a married couple, played by Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst, as they meet a stranger in Athens, played by Isaac. The three then become entangled and forced to work together thanks to a murder one of them commits. It's a thriller that's also a highlight of each actor's career.
Fair Haven (2016)
The 2018 film Boy Erased was a searing indictment of conversion therapy programs in the United States, which claim to be able to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. As it happens, however, another great film about the harmful effects of this practice was released two years before: Fair Haven.
The film follows James, a young man who returns to his family's farm after a long time spent at a conversion therapy center, after convincing the center and his parents that it worked. The film impactfully details the harmful effects this has on James, and sees a great performance from star Michael Grant.
The Bachelors (2017)
Another film focusing on love, The Bachelors follows father and son Bill and Wes Palet (played by J.K. Simmons and Josh Wiggins, respectively) as Bill moves himself and his teenage son across the country in the wake of his wife's death. Both of their lives are transformed by the people they meet.
After his role in Whiplash, which won him an Oscar, J.K. Simmons has continued to show his dramatic chops, and his performance in this film deserves to be seen as one of Simmons' most memorable roles,
Frank (2014)
One of Michael Fassbender's stranger cinematic endeavors was 2014's Frank, which sees Fassbender play the leader of a musical band who never removes his papier-mâché mask throughout the film. The black comedy is actually told from the perspective of Domhnall Gleason's character, Jon, who joins Frank's band.
The eccentricity of the title character is reflected in the film's plot as a whole, and it may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate weirder cinematic efforts, especially those like Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster (2015), it's a gem.
Hawking (2013)
Stephen Hawking was one of the greatest scientific minds of his generation, but on top of this, was also an incredibly gifted science communicator, managing to spark the imaginations of countless people by explaining the wonders of space and physics.
Several biopics –like The Theory of Everything – and documentaries have been produced about the man, and Prime users have access to one of them: 2013's Hawking. The film follows Hawking's biography, relating his experiences with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but also as one of the world's foremost scientific minds.
Trumbo (2015)
There are several films about the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s, but what makes Trumbo stand out is Bryan Cranston's incredible Oscar-nominated performance as blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. The film follows Trumbo after his Communist sympathies earn the ire of Hollywood figures including John Wayne, and his ghostwriting of screenplays to stay involved in the industry.
After his several years starring in the era-defining TV show Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston had nothing left to prove as an actor. Although Walter White will almost certainly remain his best role, he turns in a compelling performance as Trumbo that demands to be seen.
Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey (2017)
Fred Beckey was a pioneering rock climber in every sense of the word, performing many first ascents of mountains. Dirtbag, so named for the phenomenon of "dirtbag climbers", those who devote their whole lives to the sport, follows Beckey's life as the defining dirtbag climber.
Although a retrospective rather than a documentation of a single climb, Dirtbag is very reminiscent of Free Solo (2018), and fans of that documentary will definitely love this one. Regardless, however, it's a fascinating tale of the life of an extraordinary individual.
Pride (2014)
Another LGBTQ+ film, Pride is a British film that dramatizes (with some comedy in the mix) lesbian and gay activists who work together to raise money in support of a miners strike, the same one that forms the backdrop for the musical Billy Elliot. The time is 1984, and the conservative Margaret Thatcher (opposed to both gay rights and trade unions) is in power.
Nominated for a Golden Globe and three BAFTAs, Pride features a starring turn for Harry Potter's Imelda Staunton, Pirates of the Caribbean's Bill Nighy, and 1917's George McKay, among a large and impressive supporting cast.
Blackfish (2013)
Blackfish is an incredibly poignant documentary about a captive orca, Tilikum, that examines how keeping orca whales captive has a negative impact not only on them, but on human beings as well, as the film was inspired by the death of Dawn Brancheau, Tilikum's trainer.
One of the best animal documentaries of all time, Blackfish is a chilling reminder of how humanity's attempts to tame nature can have terrible, and even deadly, consequences on both ourselves and the natural world.