Typically in the summer months, blockbuster films with massive explosions, car chase scenes, and snappy one-liners get all the attention…and the money. Even though indie films exploring the depths of humanity or the creepy unknown tend to be overlooked by the masses during the sunny months, if you’re looking for an elevated experience beyond exploding buildings and Dwayne Johnson (he’s everywhere), then you’re in the right place. Here’s your Mandatory guide to summer indie underdog films.
Cover Photo: Longshot Features
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Summer Indie Movies 2019
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'The Dead Don't Die'
This Jim Jarmusch zombie film has an all-star cast and is as funny as it is aware of its own ridiculousness. It's the perfect combo for an indie zombie horror flick.
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'The Last Black Man In San Francisco'
This is an incredibly filmed nostalgic journey of San Francisco through the eyes of a family with deep history in the Bay Area. This film tackles gentrification and defining what home really means. Directed by Joe Talbot, the cast includes Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, and Danny Glover.
Photo: Longshot Features
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'Yesterday'
Imagine a world where the Beatles never existed, their music was never written or heard by anyone. But, somehow you're the only person on the planet who knows their songs. So what do you do? Become a rock star? Yup, absolutely. The plot of this film is definitely enticing, but the soundtrack must be amazing...'cause the Beatles.
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'Midsommar'
This film centers around a pagan cult disguised as an outdoor festival, a relationship gone to hell in a hand-basket, and creepy white people dancing around a flower crucifix. Don't drink the Kool-Aid.
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'Sword Of Trust'
A Birmingham couple inherits a rusty, old, confederate sword left behind by a dead grandfather only to quickly find out the market of racist civil war collectors is larger than anticipated. A shady organization that claims that the South won the war makes an offer for the sword, but the negotiations are just beginning in this bizarre cornucopia of southern charm.
Photo: IFC Films
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'The Art Of Self Defense'
Jesse Eisenberg can do two things incredibly well: act nervous and invent Facebook, which makes him perfect as a nerdy, karate-obsessed loser who is about to lose his shit completely. As he dives further into karate, the film becomes a character study and coming-of-age story with twists and turns you won't see coming.
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'Where'd You Go, Bernadette'
Richard Linklater directs a solid cast including Cate Blanchett, Judy Greer, Kristen Wiig, Lawrence Fishburne, and Billy Crudup in this human interest piece circling around a brilliant family and a mother in the midst of a midlife crisis.
Photo: Annapurna Pictures
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'Blinded By The Light'
It's been a very music-driven year of films. Elton John, Queen, and the Beatles have all been tackled already, so the next logical choice is Bruce Springsteen. This 1987-era coming-of-age story is set in Britain and follows a young Pakistani teen and his struggle with who he really is and how he fits in. Enter stage-left "The Boss." Who better to help you through a life struggle and introspective "Who am I?" moment than New Jersey's blue-collar poet?
Photo: Bend It Films
