Rentals

American Indie

US independent films made away from the pressures and glitz of Hollywood have offered directors a greater creative freedom.

Put simply, some of the most imaginative films of all time would not exist were it not for the American independent sector. Little Fugitive (1953), about a boy who believes he has committed murder, had a great influence of François Truffaut and the French New Wave, while Pink Narcissus, a camp fantasy from 1971, is a landmark gay underground film. George A. Romero’s zombie classic, Night of the Living Dead (1968), is one of the most profitable films of all time and spawned terrific bigger budget sequels. More recently, independent cinema has introduced us to Gregg Araki (Totally F***ed Up), Ira Sachs (Keep the Lights On) and new talent Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild). All these films prove that you don’t need a huge budget and studio backing to create great works of cinema.

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RealityReality

Drama202283 minsDirector: Tina Satter

Tina Satter uses dialogue taken directly from an FBI transcript of the real-life interrogation of Reality Winner (Sydney Sweeney), in this nail-biting directorial debut.

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Thunder RoadThunder Road

Comedy201890 minsDirector: Jim Cummings

Following the death of his mother, an emotionally unstable cop sees his life slowly unravel in this extraordinary tragicomedy.

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The AssistantThe Assistant

Thriller201987 minsDirector: Kitty Green

Kitty Green's #MeToo drama is a sobering take on one day in the life of a film company assistant.

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Eve's BayouEve's Bayou

Drama1997115 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons

Samuel L. Jackson stars in this seething slice of Southern Gothic, about the travails of a Louisiana family bedevilled by infidelity, incest and witchcraft.

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Chained for LifeChained for Life

Drama201891 minsDirector: Aaron Schimberg

Aaron Schimberg’s dextrous, darkly comedic discourse on physical difference makes you think about cinematic representation without offering simple resolutions.

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Black BearBlack Bear

Comedy2020106 minsDirector: Lawrence Michael Levine

At a remote lake house, a filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in the pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention.

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The Peanut Butter FalconThe Peanut Butter Falcon

Comedy201997 minsDirector: Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson

Effortlessly charming buddy movie about a young man with Down's syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) in pursuit of his dreams, with Shia LaBeouf.

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PrematurePremature

Drama201990 minsDirector: Rashaad Ernesto Green

Budding writer Ayanna’s life is transformed over the course of one hot Harlem summer, when a handsome and mysterious stranger walks into her life.

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SpringSpring

Horror2015110 minsDirector: Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson

An American tourist in Italy falls for a stunning local woman with a dangerous secret, in this startling horror-romance.

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VivariumVivarium

Science Fiction201998 minsDirector: Lorcan Finnegan

Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg play a pair of first-time buyers who get more than they bargained for in this twisted fable about the horrors of suburban living.

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AvivaAviva

Romance2020116 minsDirector: Boaz Yakin

Incorporating expressive and exultant dance sequences, Aviva is a restless modern love story that explores the complexities of gender dynamics.

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JT LeRoyJT LeRoy

Drama2018109 minsDirector: Justin Kelly

Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern's towering tall story hoaxes the world.

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The Hummingbird ProjectThe Hummingbird Project

Thriller2018111 minsDirector: Kim Nguyen

Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård are sensational as scheming cousins on a lucrative but ethically dubious mission, in this fast, funny and topical technological caper.

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Giant Little OnesGiant Little Ones

Drama201893 minsDirector: Keith Behrman

The classic high-school coming-out story gets a smart revision in this sharply perceptive teen drama.

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Papi ChuloPapi Chulo

Comedy201899 minsDirector: John Butler

Delightfully unexpected buddy movie about a heartbroken TV weatherman's relationship with a migrant worker.

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Mid90sMid90s

Comedy201886 minsDirector: Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill's delightful directing debut follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old who spends his summer with a group of new friends he meets at a skate shop.

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Night Comes OnNight Comes On

Drama201887 minsDirector: Jordana Spiro

After being released from prison, a young African American woman goes in search of her father.

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GalvestonGalveston

Thriller201894 minsDirector: Mélanie Laurent

Ben Foster and Elle Fanning play fugitives on the run from a criminal gang, in this gritty crime thriller from the creator of True Detective.

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The Kindergarten TeacherThe Kindergarten Teacher

Drama201897 minsDirector: Sara Colangelo

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as a kindergarten teacher who finds herself in an ethical quagmire after discovering the poetic talents of a precocious student.

Currently unavailable

We the AnimalsWe the Animals

Drama201893 minsDirector: Jeremiah Zagar

Sensitive and increasingly different from his hyper-masculine brothers, a young boy faces the truth of his own desires.

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WildlifeWildlife

Drama2018105 minsDirector: Paul Dano

Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal play a couple on the rocks in Paul Dano’s directorial debut, an elegant 1950s-set melodrama.

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DestroyerDestroyer

Thriller2018121 minsDirector: Karyn Kusama

Nicole Kidman is astonishing – and almost unrecognisable – as a jaded police detective haunted by her past in Karyn Kusama’s brooding thriller.

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LizzieLizzie

Crime2018105 minsDirector: Craig Macneill

Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart captivate in this bodice-ripping retelling of the strange and fascinating case of Lizzie Borden.

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ColumbusColumbus

Drama2016104 minsDirector: kogonada

A young librarian with a thing for Modernist architecture expands her horizons when a Korean lawyer (John Cho) comes to town, in this impeccable debut from acclaimed video artist kogonada.

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PatersonPaterson

Comedy2016118 minsDirector: Jim Jarmusch

Adam Driver excels in this effortlessly charming tale of a bus driver poet in New Jersey, filmed with typically groovy elan by Jim Jarmusch.

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Monsters and MenMonsters and Men

Drama201896 minsDirector: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Unravelling the aftermath of a police killing of a black man - and how it affects the lives of three separate individuals. With John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).

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19851985

Drama201886 minsDirector: Yen Tan

Stunningly shot drama following a closeted advertising executive who tries to reconnect with his family during the first wave of the AIDS crisis.

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BlindspottingBlindspotting

Comedy201895 minsDirector: Carlos López Estrada

While on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend, in this electrifying Sundance hit.

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A Ghost StoryA Ghost Story

Drama201792 minsDirector: David Lowery

David Lowery's haunting exploration of love and loss, with Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck is a high-point of recent independent American cinema.

Currently unavailable

MoonlightMoonlight

Drama2016111 minsDirector: Barry Jenkins

Winner of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture (eventually!), Barry Jenkins’ intoxicating drama follows the furtive life of a gay black boy through 80s Miami.

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The Big SickThe Big Sick

Comedy2017120 minsDirector: Michael Showalter

The hilarious, breakout indie comedy about a Pakistan-born comedian and his culture-clash relationship with an American grad student.

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White Bird in a BlizzardWhite Bird in a Blizzard

Drama201491 minsDirector: Gregg Araki

Shailene Woodley and Eva Green star in Gregg Araki’s lyrical and impressionistic adaptation of Laura Kasischke’s novel.

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Night of the Living DeadNight of the Living Dead

Horror196896 minsDirector: George A. Romero

Landmark film from 'zombie godfather' Romero, whose makeshift heroes fight for their lives against a new and terrifying enemy.

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The TransfigurationThe Transfiguration

Horror201697 minsDirector: Michael O’Shea

Milo isn't your usual introverted, strange teenager; he also believes he's a vampire. Michael O'Shea's dark drama presents a transgressive twist on the teen vampire tale.

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The RiderThe Rider

Drama2017103 minsDirector: Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao's luminous and enthralling study of a young South Dakotan cowboy’s struggle following a rodeo injury.

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Touched with FireTouched with Fire

Drama2015106 minsDirector: Paul Dalio

Two young poets with bipolar begin a highly passionate, volatile relationship that threatens both their futures.

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Skate KitchenSkate Kitchen

Drama2018105 minsDirector: Crystal Moselle

A timid Long Island skater-girl befriends an all-girl, New York City-based skateboarding crew.

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Love Is StrangeLove Is Strange

Drama201495 minsDirector: Ira Sachs

Ira Sachs’s refined Manhattan-set drama sees Alfred Molina’s Ben and John Lithgow’s George in the latter days of a tender, loving 39-year relationship.

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Green RoomGreen Room

Thriller201595 minsDirector: Jeremy Saulnier

A punk band becomes besieged in the backstage hideaway of a hideous neo-Nazi club, in this gloriously tense shocker from the director of Blue Ruin.

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Southside with YouSouthside with You

Biopic201684 minsDirector: Richard Tanne

This smart, sophisticated, Sundance-nominated romance follows the first date of a couple who would go on to change the world – Barack and Michelle Obama.

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Still AliceStill Alice

Drama2014102 minsDirector: Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland

Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her extraordinary performance as a linguistics professor diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

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The FitsThe Fits

Drama201572 minsDirector: Anna Rose Holmer

Toni, an eleven year-old tomboy, finds a new purpose when an epidemic of seizures strikes her dance class, in this riveting and psychological character portrait from filmmaker Anna Rose Holmer.

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RoomRoom

Thriller2016118 minsDirector: Lenny Abrahamson

Brie Larson’s Oscar-winning performance is the beating heart of Lenny Abrahamson’s extraordinarily moving drama.

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I Am Not a Serial KillerI Am Not a Serial Killer

Thriller2016103 minsDirector: Billy O'Brien

A teenage sociopath comes face to face with an evil force in this chilling and darkly humorous adaptation of Dan Wells’ acclaimed cult novel.

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The Seventh FireThe Seventh Fire

Documentary201576 minsDirector: Jack Riccobono Pettibone

Terrence Malick presents this haunting and visually arresting documentary about the cycle of violent drug culture on a remote Native American reservation.

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Hard CandyHard Candy

2005100 minsDirector: David Slade

Elliot Page became an indie sensation as the teenage vigilante trying to trap a predatory older man, in David Slade's smart psychological thriller.

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Where to Invade NextWhere to Invade Next

Documentary2015116 minsDirector: Michael Moore

Michael Moore is on a mission from the Pentagon: to invade friendly countries and steal their best ideas on behalf of the United States.

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Reservoir DogsReservoir Dogs

Film noir199199 minsDirector: Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino explodes onto the screen with his debut feature following a jewellery heist gone horribly, violently wrong.

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We're All Going to the World's FairWe're All Going to the World's Fair

Horror202186 minsDirector: Jane Schoenbrun

This remarkable debut from Jane Schoenbrun is destined to be a cult classic.

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NancyNancy

Drama201886 minsDirector: Christina Choe

Andrea Riseborough is extraordinary in this disquieting drama about a woman convinced that she was kidnapped as a child and might have found her real parents.

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MenasheMenashe

Drama201783 minsDirector: Joshua Z Weinstein

This story of a widower's struggle to reclaim his child is both a funny, moving drama and an insight into the world of New York's Yiddish-speaking Hasidic community.

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The Childhood of a LeaderThe Childhood of a Leader

Drama2015116 minsDirector: Brady Corbet

Brady Corbet’s brilliantly ominous study of evolving evil follows a small boy as he grows into a fascist despot.

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My Friend DahmerMy Friend Dahmer

Biopic2017107 minsDirector: Marc Meyers

Marc Meyers' adaptation of Derf Backderf’s revered graphic novel is an unnerving teen horror-drama about the makings of a murderer.

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Little MenLittle Men

Drama201685 minsDirector: Ira Sachs

Ira Sachs’ poignant drama about how money affects relationships follows an artistic family’s attempts to attune to a new Brooklyn neighbourhood.

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The Diary of a Teenage GirlThe Diary of a Teenage Girl

Drama2015102 minsDirector: Marielle Heller

The US indie hit tells the bold, bawdy and hilarious story of a teenager's sexual awakening after she sleeps with her mother’s boyfriend.

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Swiss Army ManSwiss Army Man

Comedy201698 minsDirector: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan

Paul Dano and a flatulent corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) excel in this bizarre, yet surprisingly moving surreal comedy.

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The Glass CastleThe Glass Castle

Biopic2017127 minsDirector: Destin Daniel Cretton

Woody Harrelson, Brie Larson and Naomi Watts play members of an anarchic family that refuses society's norms, in this moving and offbeat drama from the director of Short Term 12.

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Louder Than BombsLouder Than Bombs

Drama2015109 minsDirector: Joachim Trier

Jesse Eisenberg, Isabelle Huppert and Gabriel Byrne star in Joachim Trier’s astute and deftly realised family drama.

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Nasty BabyNasty Baby

Drama2015101 minsDirector: Sebastián Silva

Kristen Wiig plays a woman trying to start a family with a gay couple, in this biting black comedy set among a diverse Brooklyn community.

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Ping Pong SummerPing Pong Summer

Comedy201491 minsDirector: Michael Tully

In Maryland, 1985, teenager Rad is forced to face down the bullies in a table tennis tournament, with only his best friend and the expertise of his mysterious Mr Miyagi-esque neighbour for guidance.

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99 Homes99 Homes

Drama2014112 minsDirector: Ramin Bahrani

With precision and pertinence, Ramin Bahrani’s drama reveals the human cost of the 21st-century economic crisis.

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James WhiteJames White

Drama201687 minsDirector: Josh Mond

Reality bites for a hedonistic young New Yorker who suddenly has to grow up quickly, in a brilliantly acted drama from the team behind Martha Marcy May Marlene.

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The Boy DownstairsThe Boy Downstairs

Comedy201791 minsDirector: Sophie Brooks

The captivating Zosia Mamet (Girls) takes centre-stage in this smart and sassy Manhattan-set relationship drama which channels the spirit of Nora Ephron.

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Beasts of the Southern WildBeasts of the Southern Wild

Drama201293 minsDirector: Benh Zeitlin

Set in a Deep South delta, Zeitlin’s feature debut takes a child’s eye view of poverty, adult apathy and ecological crisis. Hallucinatory fare

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Keep the Lights onKeep the Lights on

Drama2012102 minsDirector: Ira Sachs

A filmmaker escapes the pain of a break-up through casual sex and meets a closeted lawyer in this deeply personal work from Ira Sachs.

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PiPi

Science Fiction199784 minsDirector: Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s magisterial monochrome mystery concerns a mathematician whose discovery of a powerful number leads to the dark side.

Rent for £2.50

Trees LoungeTrees Lounge

Comedy199691 minsDirector: Steve Buscemi

Venerable character actor Steve Buscemi steps behind the camera in this profound character study on a lonely, alcoholic, and unemployed mechanic.

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G.B.F.G.B.F.

Comedy201393 minsDirector: Darren Stein

Three high-school girls wage war to win the latest must-have social accessory - a Gay Best Friend.