‘Tis the season to be streaming. And if you’re going to be streaming, consider streaming some independent films.
With the holidays approaching, streamers are predictably focusing their energy on stocking their libraries with Christmas and family films. As a result, there’s less great non-seasonal indies coming to Netflix, Hulu, Max, and the other major platforms this month than usual. That’s not to say there aren’t a few classics from yesteryear coming our way; Netflix is complimenting its new original “May December” with “Black Swan,” another film that sees Natalie Portman at her scariest. Paramount+ offers up two late ’90s and early ’00s gems with Sofia Coppola’s debut “The Virgin Suicides” and scrappy football charmer “Bend It Like Beckham.” On Prime Video, you can enjoy one of the 2010s best comedies, Andrew Bujalski’s “Support the Girls.” And on Max, you can check out “The Souvenir,” Joanna Hog’s critically acclaimed and semi-autobiographical portrait of a toxic relationship. Altogether, if you want a break from reindeers and Santa this holiday season, you have some options.
The real goods can be found on more specialty services, particularly the Criterion Collection, which offers an embarrassment of riches in terms of old, great indie films this December. This month you can throw a party with Parker Posey and her beloved ’90s comedy film “Party Girl.” Or, you can prep for Jeffrey Wright in “American Fiction” by checking out an early lead role from the great actor in “Basquiat.” And you’ll find a 2000s classic in Lynne Ramsey’s strange and unnerving road trip odyssey film, “Morvern Callar.” Heading over to Metrograph, another option is Australian director James Vaughan’s “Friends and Strangers,” which went underseen during its 2021 release.
As with every month, IndieWire has rounded up the best independent films to hit streamers this December, ignoring new releases from this year. Films selected are compiled from Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Prime Video, Showtime, and Peacock, as well as specialty services like Metrograph, Criterion Channel, and Shudder. Read on for our list of 10 must see classic independent films on streaming this month. Entries are listed in no particular order.
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On Criterion Channel: “Party Girl” (dir. Daisy von Scherler Mayer, 1995)
Image Credit: (c)First Look Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection One of Criterion Channel’s most exciting series this December is a new collection of the titles from independent film queen Parker Posey, ranging from her mid-90s rise to fame to 2014’s “Ned Rifle.” Of all the films on the list, 1995’s “Party Girl” is maybe the one to best capture Posey’s effortless cool and deadpan comedic chops. From Daisy von Scherler Mayer, the film stars Posey as…well, a party girl, who is forced to take a library job to repay a loan after her godmother bails her out of jail. Once you’re done with the charming comedy, you can check out the other films in the collection, which include “The Daytrippers,” “SubUrbia,” “Clockwatchers,” “Henry Fool,” “The House of Yes,” “The Anniversary Party,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Personal Velocity,” “Fay Grim,” and “Broken English.”
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On Criterion Channel: “Basquiat” (dir. Julian Schnabel, 1996)
Image Credit: ph: Myles Aronowitz Although he only lived to 27, Jean-Michel Basquiat proved to be a highly influential figure in modern art, with his stylized, graffiti-inspired, and extremely political work helping to define the ’80s neo-expressionism movement. 1996’s “Basquiat” from Julian Schnabel is a similarly stylized film that recounts Basquiat’s life and career. The dreamy film features a great performance from a young Jeffrey Wright, in one of his first film roles as the artist, and an eclectic ensemble that includes David Bowie as Andy Warhol, Parker Posey, and Gary Oldman.
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On Criterion Channel: “Morvern Callar” (dir. Lynne Ramsey, 2002)
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Lynne Ramsey is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century, famous for her repeated exploration of themes like grief and death. Her 2002 sophomore feature “Morvern Callar” stars Samantha Morton as the titular young woman who embarks on a strange road trip from Scotland to Spain with her best friend after the suicide of her boyfriend. Notable for its eclectic soundtrack that includes Aphex Twin and Velvet Underground, the film is a darkly humorous enigma that recalls Ingmar Bergman’s “Wild Strawberries” as another otherworldy road trip movie about death.
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“The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me” (dir. Cedric Cheung-Lau, 2020)
Image Credit: IMDB A hidden gem, “The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me” first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 to positive reviews, but never received a theatrical release. The feature debut of director Cedric Cheung-Lau, the nearly silent movie was shot on the Annapurna mountain range of Nepal and focuses on two travelers who meet and cause each other to view their lives in a new light. Filmed with just a 19 person crew, the movie is a gorgeous sensory experience.
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On Max: “The Souvenir” (dir. Joanna Hogg, 2019)
Image Credit: Everett Collection / Everett Collection Director Joanna Hogg has repeatedly described “The Souvenir” as a semi-autobiographical account of her life experiences, and that piercing honesty is what makes it so affecting. Tilda Swinton’s daughter Honor Swinton Byrne stars as film student Julie, a somewhat restless and unformed young woman who enters into a relationship with the significantly older Anthony (Tom Burke). A bit naive, Julie fails to realize that Anthony is a drug addict, and their relationship soon turns toxic and overwhelming. The film is romantic but unsentimental, recognizing all the good in this formative, difficult relationship in Julie’s life, while never shying away from all of the bad.
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On Paramount+: “Bend It Like Beckham” (dir. Gurinder Chadha, 2002)
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection A favorite of early aughts adolescents, “Bend It Like Beckham” remains one of the most lovable teen movie of its era. Gurinder Chadha’s movie about friendship and football stars Parminder Nagra as a Jess, a young Indian Punjabi woman chasing her dreams of becoming a professional football star. Assisted by her new friend Jules (Keira Knightley, in one of her first major roles), Jess joins a semi-pro woman’s team against her family’s wishes, and soon finds herself committed to the glory of the game. Famous for its queer subtext, the movie is a total crowdpleaser, thanks to the lovely performances from the leads and light-hearted but sincere story.
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On Paramount+: “The Virgin Suicides” (dir. Sofia Coppola, 1999)
Image Credit: ©Paramount Classics/courtesy Everett Col / Everett Collection Sofia Coppola made a huge splash with her directorial debut “The Virgin Suicides” in 1999, gaining critical acclaim and establishing herself as a unique voice separate from the shadow of her father, Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, the dreamy psychological drama focuses on the lives of five sisters who share a sheltered existence thanks to their overbearing parents. A young Kirsten Dunst stars as one of the sisters. Her brilliant performance would establish Dunst as one of Coppola’s favorite and most frequent collaborators.
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On Amazon Prime Video: “Support the Girls” (dir. Andrew Bujalski, 2018)
Image Credit: ©Magnolia Pictures / Everett Collection A prominent figure in the 2000s indie scene, Andrew Bujalski made slightly more conventional films over the years, but his work still retains his rough-edged, naturalistic appeal. That’s on full display in “Support the Girls,” which has the plot of a sitcom episode but with a truthful, raw core. Focusing on one day in the lives of the staff at a Hooters-esque sports bar, the movie is funny, poignant, and gentle, with a truly fantastic Regina Hall performance at its center.
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On Netflix: “Black Swan” (dir. Darren Aronofsky, 2010)
Image Credit: ©Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection December sees Natalie Portman give her scariest performance ever as a calculating actress in Netflix Original “May December.” And Netflix is helpfully assisting in any potential double features by adding another psychological study starring the actor in 2010’s “Black Swan.” From Darren Aronofsky, the film stars Portman as a talented young dancer whose attempts to score the lead role in her ballet company’s production of “Swan Lake” pushes her into insanity. Portman is tremendous in the film, which remains one of Aronofsky’s best and most successful works.
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On Metrograph: “Friends and Strangers” (dir. James Vaughan, 2021)
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection The feature debut of director James Vaughan, “Friends and Strangers stars Emma Diaz and Malcolm Kennard as Alice and Jay, two rudderless people who continually try and fail to connect with one another, across a camping trip and a wedding video shoot. A screwball and cringe comedy, the feature will also screen in Metrograph’s New York theater on December 10, with Vaughan in attendance.
