30 Best Indie Movies of the 2020s (So Far) You Absolutely Have to See

Independent cinema has been on a roll this decade. Filmmakers have used small budgets and big imagination to tell personal stories with bold style, and the results feel exciting and fresh. These are the films that linger after the credits, the ones you recommend to friends because they feel alive and specific.

This guide rounds up the standouts that moved audiences and sparked conversations. You will find intimate dramas, playful comedies, and daring visions from around the world. Queue a few now and keep the rest handy for when you want something that surprises you.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

A laundromat owner faces family turmoil that spirals into cosmic possibility. The movie turns wild ideas into something warm and relatable, with laughs landing right next to quiet heartbreak.
Amid the chaos you get a sincere look at regret and renewal. The action pops, the jokes snap, and the tender core keeps it grounded.

‘Past Lives’ (2023)

Two childhood friends reconnect as adults and confront what might have been. The storytelling is gentle and precise, letting small looks and pauses carry real weight.
Every scene feels honest about longing and choice. It is the rare romance that trusts silence and makes it sing.

‘Nomadland’ (2020)

A woman takes to the open road and finds a community of wanderers. The film blends fiction with lived experience to create something raw and compassionate.
The landscapes are beautiful, but the faces are what stay with you. It is a soulful portrait of work, loss, and quiet resilience.

‘Aftersun’ (2022)

A summer trip between a father and daughter unfolds through memory. The direction invites you to notice small gestures that say more than dialogue.
By the end it feels like you have opened a family album and found a missing page. It is tender and piercing all at once.

‘The Worst Person in the World’ (2021)

A young woman stumbles through love and self discovery with humor and vulnerability. The film shifts tones with ease, moving from playful to profound without losing its spark.
It captures the mess of modern life with unusual clarity. You root for the lead even when she trips herself up.

‘Drive My Car’ (2021)

An actor stages a play while working through grief. The long conversations build a quiet rhythm that becomes hypnotic.
It is about the stories we tell and the ones we hide. By the close you feel a lightness that comes from facing the truth.

‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)

A writer stands trial after a sudden death in the family, and nothing is simple. The courtroom becomes a stage where every word and pause matters.
The film toys with certainty and leaves room for doubt. It is sharp, gripping, and full of lingering questions.

‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023)

A family tends a tidy home while horror sits just beyond the garden wall. The movie uses restraint to devastating effect, letting sound and routine tell the story.
The result is chilling and unforgettable. It asks how comfort can exist beside cruelty and refuses easy answers.

‘The Holdovers’ (2023)

A strict teacher, a grieving cook, and a stranded student share a winter break that changes them. The film wraps prickly humor around a soft heart.
It is cozy without being sentimental. You feel the warmth of found family in every scene.

‘All of Us Strangers’ (2023)

A lonely writer falls for a neighbor while revisiting the past in uncanny ways. The film glows with emotion and invites you to float along with it.
It treats love and loss with equal care. By the final moments it feels like a gentle exhale.

‘Minari’ (2020)

An immigrant family builds a new life in rural America. The story unfolds with patience and affection for every character.
It captures small victories and quiet setbacks with grace. The family bonds feel fragile and unbreakable at the same time.

‘Promising Young Woman’ (2020)

A woman crafts a secret plan to right old wrongs. The candy colored look hides a pointed, furious heart.
It is funny until it is not, and that turn lands hard. The lead performance powers a story that sticks with you.

‘The Green Knight’ (2021)

An Arthurian quest becomes a meditation on courage and identity. The imagery is bold and dreamlike, inviting you to lean in and look closer.
It rewards patience with rich atmosphere and haunting moments. The final stretch is daring and completely satisfying.

‘Red Rocket’ (2021)

A fast talking hustler returns to his hometown and tries to scheme his way back up. The camera finds humor and pain in every bad decision.
It is messy, human, and full of nervous energy. You cannot look away from its chaotic charm.

‘C’mon C’mon’ (2021)

An uncle and his nephew take a cross country trip and learn how to listen to each other. The black and white photography gives the story a gentle glow.
Conversations feel spontaneous and true. It is a quiet movie that sneaks up on you.

‘Pig’ (2021)

A reclusive chef searches for his stolen truffle pig and finds something deeper. What sounds like a thriller becomes a moving study of grief.
The film believes in kindness over revenge. It is soulful, surprising, and beautifully restrained.

‘Shiva Baby’ (2020)

A young woman attends a shiva that turns into a social minefield. The comedy is sharp and the tension is delicious.
It is a perfect one location pressure cooker. Every awkward beat lands with wicked precision.

‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ (2020)

Two teens travel to seek help and navigate a maze of rules and judgment. The filmmaking is plainspoken and brave.
Its power comes from empathy and observation. The title scene is as honest as cinema gets.

‘Another Round’ (2020)

Four teachers test a theory that a small buzz can improve their lives. The idea starts as comedy and edges toward something bittersweet.
It celebrates connection without ignoring consequence. The finale feels like a release of pure feeling.

‘Triangle of Sadness’ (2022)

A model and an influencer board a luxury cruise that goes off the rails. The satire is gleeful and merciless.
It keeps finding new ways to flip the power dynamic. You laugh until it all curdles.

‘Rye Lane’ (2023)

Two strangers share a day in South London and spark a connection. The style is colorful and playful without losing sincerity.
It is breezy and smart with stellar chemistry. You finish it with a grin.

‘Petite Maman’ (2021)

A girl meets a new friend in the woods who feels strangely familiar. The story is simple and quietly magical.
It looks at childhood with clear eyes and a full heart. Short and perfect, it leaves a glow.

‘The Quiet Girl’ (2022)

A shy child is sent to relatives in the countryside and finds unexpected care. The film speaks softly and carries deep emotion.
Every gesture feels meaningful. By the end you are changed in a small but real way.

‘Blue Jean’ (2022)

A teacher guards her private life while the world around her grows hostile. The lead performance anchors a tense and compassionate story.
It shows how courage builds in tiny steps. The final scene lands with earned power.

‘EO’ (2022)

A wandering donkey passes from one keeper to the next and sees humanity at its best and worst. The perspective is daring and full of empathy.
Images arrive like flashes from a dream. It is strange, sincere, and quietly overwhelming.

‘Happening’ (2021)

A bright student faces an impossible choice and refuses to give up on herself. The camera stays close and never lets the pressure slip.
It is tough and necessary cinema. You feel every decision in your bones.

‘After Yang’ (2021)

A family grieves an android companion and searches for what remains. The sci fi setting is calm and meditative.
The movie invites you to think about memory and love. It is delicate, humane, and beautifully designed.

‘American Fiction’ (2023)

A frustrated writer pens a wild book to prove a point and gets more success than he bargained for. The satire is sharp but never cruel.
It is packed with great lines and real feeling. You laugh, then you wince, then you cheer.

‘May December’ (2023)

An actor studies a couple with a notorious past and stirs up old wounds. The performances are layered and hypnotic.
It looks at performance in life and on screen with a cool eye. Every scene hums with tension.

‘A Thousand and One’ (2023)

A mother fights to keep her son close while the city shifts around them. The storytelling is intimate and unflinching.
It is a portrait of love and survival that feels lived in. The final note stays with you.

Share your picks in the comments and tell us which indies from this decade you think everyone should watch next.