After an impressive first season, that not only drew from its 1996 film origin but added elaborate depth and sustained an intriguing and comedic noir, FX’s Fargo is finally giving us an in-depth glimpse at season two.

A few things we already knew: Season two is set in 1979 in Luverne, MN and Sioux Falls, SD (a town near and dear to this website) and revolves around a case mentioned a few times in the first season. Following their established knack for an elaborate and well-rounded ensemble, the faces featured in season two’s trailer show just what a punch this next season is likely to pack. Patrick Wilson and Ted Danson are the lead law enforcement characters, trying to solve a murder that appears to include connections with what amounts to the perfect Hollywood Midwestern barbeque guest list: Jean Smart, Kieran Culkin, Nick Offerman, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Bokeem Woodbine, Jeffrey Donovan, Cristin Milioti and we didn’t even get a glimpse of Bruce Campbell yet!

The ’70s references are abundant, starting off with a Watergate joke and tying in with Dunst’s character showing an interest in ’70s cult-like New Age training program, Lifespring. Dunst always did look pretty great with feathered hair.

The trailer is plenty promising with what looks like all the same dark humor and as much if not more of the twisty murder mystery we came to crave from season one. The only downside? Because FX took their time renewing the show after season one, we have to wait until October before we get to watch. But with all that snow, it might just make for a more fitting viewing experience.

The evolution of television to its current stage of cinematic excellence feels very similar to the evolution of life itself. In competition with all of the entertainment industry for resources and audiences, television has evolved and natural selection has helped to weed out the weaklings (goodbye Selfie, Desperate Housewives, 666 Park Avenue, Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, and many more). But in the past five years we’ve really begun to see an evolutionary mutation, wherein television figured out that it didn’t need to be in competition with film, but could be every bit as beautiful, intelligent, and character-driven. With the advent of DVRs and online binge-watching, TV viewing feels like film watching, with extended sessions and an almost hungry psychological need to get through whole seasons as quickly as possible. Now the question around the water cooler isn’t “Did you catch last night’s episode?” it’s “Did you finish this season of __?”

As film lovers AND TV lovers, we’ve been enjoying this shift. Television now embraces the indie model as web series get cable pick-ups, and websites that used to be solely for our DVD needs (Netflix) or online shopping sprees (Amazon) are now full-blown production companies, using their freedom as Hollywood outsiders to test waters and limits, and be innovative and fresh.

After much deliberating, debating, and voting we at Way Too Indie have compiled what we consider to be the best 50 shows to come out of the decade so far. Check back each day this week as we count down to the top ten.

Best 50 TV Shows Of The Decade So Far
(#50 – #41)

The Ricky Gervais Show

The Office & Extras creator Ricky Gervais had been recording a series of “pointless conversations” for radio with his friend and frequent writing partner Stephen Merchant since the late 90s; however, in 2010 HBO & Channel 4 co-produced a series of lively, animated half-hours to accompany the conversations, bringing them to life in hilarious ways. Ranging from discussions on semantics, bizarre theories about the afterlife, or the semi-frequent Monkey News updates, Ricky and his crew turn their focus to the tangents, exploring comedic digressions for even bigger laughs.

Despite featuring two widely known comedic voices in Gervais and Merchant, it’s actually radio producer Karl Pilkington who deservedly earns the show’s most gut-busting moments. Appearing too earnest to merely be an act, Karl’s thought process is wholly, hilariously unique. Pilkington will often read a news article headline, or recall a small detail about something, only to extrapolate a slew of illogical explanations that inevitably leave both Gervais and Merchant stunned. “You know the Flintstones is only partially based on fact,” Merchant has to inform Karl after an aside about cavemen. The Ricky Gervais Show is the perfectly disposable show; about nothing in a way Seinfeld could have only wished, yet endlessly entertaining.  [Zach]

Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule

Back in 2007, it was surprising to see someone like John C. Reilly show up as a guest star in Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, which at the time was a tiny show in an experimental live-action block on The Cartoon Network. But the moment Reilly showed up as Dr. Steve Brule, a simple, childlike “doctor” on Channel 5 News, it was obvious that Reilly and the show had something truly special on their hands. Brule became one of the show’s most popular characters, and after Awesome Show ended, creators Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim announced a spinoff series with Brule as the central character. Fans of Awesome Show were excited, but could Dr. Brule hold a show entirely on his own?

It didn’t take long for Check It Out!, with Dr. Steve Brule to answer that question with a resounding yes. Made to look like a Channel 5 show aired at an ungodly hour, Check It Out! is Brule’s attempt at an educational program, but in typical Tim & Eric fashion, things take a very dark and strange turn. What starts out as a pitch-perfect emulation of low-rent public access shows becomes a disturbing, unfiltered glimpse into Brule’s mind, and an excuse for Tim & Eric to continue expanding the bizarre universe they created in Awesome Show. The fact that something so unsettling can be so funny falls entirely on Reilly’s shoulders, who miraculously makes Brule seem human and likable. It is, no joke, Reilly’s best work to date. [C.J.]

The Returned

It’s not every day you hear about TV shows adapting their stories from movies, but that’s just another reason Fabrice Gobret’s The Returned works so well. As perfect an example as any from the decade so far of the tectonic plates that are continuously shifting between television and cinema, this supernatural French drama-thriller hybrid could only truly work in this format. Stylistically, it’s David Fincher’s French doppelgänger camping out in Twin Peaks. All the action happens in a tiny provincial town, its mountainous location proving prime real estate for series DP Patrick Blossier to weave spectacularly photogenic exterior shots. And if you’re sick of the whole zombie shtick, not to worry: The Returned brings the concept down to earth by having the dead return in perfectly natural form. This allows Gobret and co-director Frédéric Mermoud ample opportunity to dig deep into the psychological consequences of one absurdly simple idea: how would you cope if a departed loved one showed up one day, alive and well?

With room to breathe in an 8-episode format, The Returned allows you to spend quality time with these peculiar characters, and build familiarity with places like The Lake Pub, the Helping Hand, and that gigantic dam. The scintillating atmosphere is amplified even further by having post rock legends Mogwai score the entire series. If it slightly wobbles with some narratives, The Returned makes up for it in spades with its hypnotic mood. A second season is in the works, and there’s a US remake on the way as well, so there’s no time like the present to catch up! [Nik]

Peaky Blinders

Steven Knight blimped on most radars after he successfully directed Tom Hardy in the one-man-one-car show Locke, (he also wrote the brilliant Dirty Pretty Things), but like so many other filmmakers before him, Knight got his start on television. For someone so well versed with the format, it’s little wonder that his Peaky Blinders works like gangbusters. Pooling together a fantastic ensemble cast, lead by the effortlessly charismatic Cillian Murphy and a reignited Sam Neill in a deliciously contemptuous role, Blinders is crime, history, and that eternally universal theme of family all rolled into one insanely entertaining show.

Set in the early 20th century Birmingham, the show is a semi-factual account of an infamous Irish gang led by the Shelby family, calling themselves the Peaky Blinders, who ruled the streets with their intimidating reputation: razor blades in caps, always looking for a reason to brawl, and Tommy’s (Murphy) wicked strategic intelligence. Adding mood to style, songs by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are used to highest effect, and the twists and turns in the story don’t hinge on the end results, but are more compelling in the way they get there. With Hardy joining the cast in the second season as the unpredictable and hilariously temperamental Alfie, I toast to Peaky Blinders in hopes that it won’t be ending anytime soon. [Nik]

Suits

In the pilot episode of Suits, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J Adams) walked into our lives, proceeded to kick some serious ass, and have continued to do so in nearly every episode to grace our TV screens since. Now, that may not be the most sophisticated language, but Suits is not the most sophisticated and complex TV show. It is, however, one of the most badass shows out there, and in case you weren’t aware: it’s about lawyers. Working at a law firm (mostly), the two manage to pull themselves out of one legal scrape after another, all while slowly reaffirming the importance each has in the other’s life. How one goes about making corporate law seem vaguely as cool as the writers of Suits do will always evade me. There’s even an episode in which they verbally acknowledge (and thus mock) the existence of Franklin and Bash—a slightly later-to-the-game TV show about two savvy lawyers. The show has undoubtedly gone through highs and lows in its four seasons to date, with lows often being the episodes that take themselves too seriously. Given that the season four finale was particularly strong, however, it’s safe to say that the dynamic duo have some fight left in them yet. [Pavi]

Hannibal

Anyone who’s a fan of Bryan Fuller—a person who has a knack for creating incredible shows nobody watches—knows he has a bit of an obsession with death. For years he’s mastered the balance between sweet and grim material with dark comedies like Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me, but Hannibal has Fuller fully embracing his dark side. The show is a loose adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novels, the same series of books that brought us Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter. It’s a perfect example of how to properly make an adaptation, using the source material as more of a springboard to create something distinct within Harris’ morbid universe.

And what a piece of work this show is. It is, by far, the darkest show on network television, with some episodes rivaling the nastiest things seen on HBO. The cinematography, sound design and score are top notch, with jaw-dropping visuals and a truly unnerving soundtrack. But what shines the most on Hannibal is its cast, with Mads Mikkelsen somehow giving Anthony Hopkins a run for his money as the best version of Lecter to date. Hannibal is, for all intents and purposes, the scariest show on television right now, and the closest thing to a spiritual successor of The X-Files we have. In a just world, Hannibal would be just as much of a ratings juggernaut as Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, yet it continues to fight for survival. So why don’t you finally hop on this bandwagon and see what everyone’s been gushing about already? [C.J.]

Fargo

As an absolute obsessive of the Coen brothers’ 1996 dark comedy, Fargo, I was beyond skeptical when FX announced a series that would basically be a recreation of the film. Luckily, I was wrong. It’s not a recreation of the film—even if the mood, atmosphere, setting, and general plot lines all fall into Fargo’s vein. And my skepticism that a dark comedy could be sustained for so long quickly dissipated by the fourth episode when the humor continued to surprise and impress me. It’s still a tale of a man (Martin Freeman, with no trace of his British side) who, rather accidentally, hires a hit man to kill his biggest enemy and then proceeds to spontaneously commit his own act of murder. His fumblings, and the cops who are trying to sort these murders out, are all sheathed in stereotypical small-town Minnesota accents and mentalities.

Showrunner Noah Hawley manages the rather Herculean feat of getting viewers to see the show as its own new entity while playing on their love of the original film. Some elements are straight out of the film, including the film’s final loose string in the form of a large of amount of money buried beneath an ice scraper by the side of the highway. Other similarities are more general, such as an ambitious and talented female cop in the lead (Allison Tollman). And the new elements are genius, including casting Billy Bob Thornton as the extra evil and extra interesting villain, Lorne Malvo. Every episode begins with the words “This is a true story,” but it isn’t its far-off real-life inspirations that make Fargo exceptional, it’s that it captures the randomness of truth being stranger than fiction, and television being the gift-wrapped box that truth can be put into. It’s exactly the magic of the small screen. [Ananda]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Most comedy shows I have ultimately fallen in love with have needed multiple chances given to them in order to fall into step with their rhythm and style. Daniel J. Goor and Michael Schur’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine was no exception; at first it seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Parks and Recreation and The Office, showcasing the comedy of a diverse cast of oddball characters that seem too two-dimensional to make work for an extended period of time. Like The Office and Parks and Rec, however, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has accomplished the same consistency of comic genius and every episode is pretty much guaranteed to inspire at least a few belly laughs. The first thing to catch on is the brilliant theme song written by Dan Marocco and reminiscent of a Shaft and The Mod Squad sort of mash-up giving you a clue as to where they are leading you with their outlandish scenarios set in a very real police station. It’s caught on with a wide audience as well winning two Golden Globes in 2014 for Best Television Series – Musical and Comedy and Best Actor for Andy Samberg, as well as a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination. Joining Samberg in fluid comic coordination is the outstanding performances of Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti, Andre Braugher, and Melissa Fumero. It’s been renewed to continue for a third season much to its regular viewers delight. [Scarlet]

New Girl

I was among the haters who thought Zooey Deschanel starring in a show would make for a self-absorbed and entirely too quirk-filled viewing experience. I appreciate her pep, but my God who wants it on a weekly basis? But the buzz around the show was strong enough to convince me I needed to give it a shot, and it’s been among my weekly must-watches every since. If you only have room in your life for one or two comedy sitcoms—I know I ain’t got time for more—then this show is worth one of those slots. What makes it so watchable is that creator Elizabeth Meriwether (part of the so-called Fempire, a group of feminist writers including Diablo Cody) figured out how to perfectly play off of Deschanel’s charm by giving her male roommates who each have a distinct character and humor that culminate in comedy gold each and every episode. If the show was just about Deschanel’s Jess, I’d have stopped watching long ago. Instead, each of the show’s characters are fully-formed and incredibly well performed. It’s rare to find such chemistry among an ensemble.

For those in the 20-something world, the story lines ring with truth—even if the actions of the characters are ridiculous—and the self-ascribed family these characters form reflect a growing trend in society as young people marry later. The jokes never pander and rarely go too far. Heavy doses of awkward ensue, but the resolutions are warm and fuzzy enough to keep the addiction alive. Jake Johnson continuously steals the show as Nick, Jess’s roommate and on-again/off-again love interest, his grumpy old-man figure alway surprising with his one-liners. Max Greenfield as Schmidt was initially a hated character, giving off too much douche-bag quality, and has grown into a fan-favorite, his anal-retentiveness and romantic heart always at odds. A show that guarantees laughs and also feels relatable (young people, watch the episode in this current season on online dating and try not to LOL) in a way that Friends or How I Met Your Mother never quite hit on, is one I consider innovative and attention-worthy. [Ananda]

Parenthood

Well, the last half a decade has seen the beginning and end of one of the most emotionally riveting series on television. Parenthood, going for exactly five years, was developed by Jason Katims, who won a Primetime Emmy as a writer for Friday Night Lights in 2011 and was a producer for Roswell and Boston Public. Based on the 1989 movie of the same name by Ron Howard and starring Steve Martin, the series stars drama veterans such as Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), and Craig T. Nelson (Coach, The Family Stone), as well as comedy pro Dax Shepard (Baby Mama, When In Rome) and Mae Whitman (Arrested Development) ensuring a varied spectrum of emotional highs and lows.

Parenthood follows the ups and downs in a particular cross section of life for the Braverman family. Beginning with a renewed sense of unity as we find them coming back together again after experiencing some friction and estrangement, we follow the path to healing and growth that at so many times seems so very real to life. Nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy, it never won either prestigious award. Though Monica Potter and Erika Christensen both took home awards for their performances throughout the six seasons. One of their most qualifying portrayals is of Max Braverman and his family’s dealings with his diagnosis of Asberger syndrome. Its honest and bare look at what makes a family and the fight that it sometimes takes to keep one together has been, to its fans, the most endearing part of this memorable show. [Scarlet]

Check out the rest of our Best TV Shows Of The Decade lists!

View Other Picks in this Feature:
Best 50 TV Shows Of The Decade So Far (#40 – #31)
Best 50 TV Shows Of The Decade So Far (#30 – #21)
Best 50 TV Shows Of The Decade So Far (#20 – #11)
Best 50 TV Shows Of The Decade So Far (#10 – #1)

Today’s the day! Our first big awards show of the season. If you aren’t able to watch or are keeping score, we’ll be live updating the winners as they are announced starting at 8 EST/5 PST. Refresh your browser to see winners throughout the evening.

Complete List of 2015 Golden Globe Winners

(Winners highlighted in bold font)

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Boyhood
Selma
The Imitation Game
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
St. Vincent
Into the Woods
Pride

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
David Oyelowo, Selma

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jennifer Aniston, Cake
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes
Bill Murray, St. Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Helen Mirren, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Edward Norton, Birdman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year

Best Director – Motion Picture
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Ava DuVernay, Selma
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Boyhood
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Lana Del Ray – “Big Eyes” for Big Eyes
John Legend, Common – “Glory” for Selma
Patty Smith, Lenny Kaye – “Mercy Is” for Noah
Sia – “Opportunity” for Annie
Lorde – “Yellow Flicker Beat” for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
Trent Reznor, Gone Girl
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar

Best Animated Film
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida
Leviathan
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
Tangerines

Television Categories

Best Television Series – Drama
“Downton Abbey”
“The Good Wife”
“House of Cards”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Affair”

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
“Girls”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Transparent”
“Silicon Valley”
“Jane the Virgin”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Olive Kitteridge”
“True Detective”
“Fargo”
“The Missing”
The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
James Spader, “The Blacklist”
Dominic West, “The Affair”
Clive Owen, “The Knick”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Louis C.K., “Louie”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange Is the New Black”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Martin Freeman, “Fargo”
Billy Bob Thornton, “Fargo”
Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”
Woody Harrelson, “True Detective”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Normal Heart”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honourable Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
Frances O’Connor, “The Missing”
Allison Tolman, “Fargo”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge”
Colin Hanks, “Fargo”
Matt Bomer, “The Normal Heart”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story”
Michelle Monaghan, “True Detective”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”

Over the past 28 years the Independent Spirit Awards have recognized and awarded independent films that often get overshadowed during the popularity contest that surrounds most award shows. Many of the previous Spirit Award winners are now household names (Darren Aronofksy, Coen brothers, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, David O. Russell), and furthered their careers from the recognition they received. As we wait to see what films will join the already impressive list of former winners, our staff at Way Too Indie shares their favorite 10 Best Film Spirit Award Winners of All Time.

Fargo

When the Coen brothers gifted their sixth feature film, Fargo, to us in 1996, Roger Ebert called it “one of the best films I’ve ever seen.” It was, and still is, a virtually universal sentiment among movie lovers across the world, and the film stands as a shining star in the Coen’s ever-expanding oeuvre. The Coens represent independent film with Fargo as well as any film from the ’90s, setting their outlandishly funny tale in one of the most offbeat, curiously charming corners of the country, a stroke of genius. Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson is a treasure of American cinema, and the “Minnesota nice” accent worn by the cast is now inextricably linked to the film. Aside from the film winning the Independent Spirit award for best picture, the Coens won a BAFTA and Cannes award for direction, an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and McDormand won an Oscar for Best Actress. [Bernard]

Black Swan

After reinventing himself with The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky merged his new Dardennes-influenced style with psychological horror in Black Swan. As a ballerina slowly going insane as she fights for a lead in Swan Lake, Natalie Portman gave her best performance to date. The film was a smash hit too, earning over $300 million worldwide on a $13 million budget. Aronofsky’s visceral and elegant direction resonated with audiences, and understandably with Indie Spirit as well. With the $100+ million budgeted Noah coming out this year, Aronofsky has become yet another quintessential indie success story. [CJ]

Memento

Famously known for its backwards storytelling, Memento follows the story of Leonard, a man whose short term memory loss means he can’t remember anything since his wife’s brutal death, and his need to avenge her. As with any such thriller that involves the thorough confusion of the audience, plot holes could be found if we looked hard enough. But to do so would defeat the point – the film exists not to tell a story but rather to evoke an experience. Nolan’s film became a well known success not just because he could successfully tell his story in an untraditional manner, but also because this confusion was far more than just an interesting narrative device. The fact that we don’t know what happened 5 minutes prior to the scene we’re watching is incredibly effective in making us empathize with Leonard, who did know, but has forgotten. Paired with an astounding performance from Guy Pearce, it’s no surprise this film is ironically so memorable. [Pavi]

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine has always been one of those films you either love or hate. I’ve met plenty of people that have said that it’s outrageous awkwardness is a bit of a turn off, but others like my self have found that the inner quality and beauty of Little Miss Sunshine can have a profound effect. It’s a wonderful story focusing on the struggle a middle class family endures whilst traveling across states to get to a child beauty pageant. The family deals with a lot of problems that arise along the way and learn to make room for each others imperfections. [Amy]

Short Cuts

Robert Altman is a pretty huge deal when it comes to the Independent Spirit Awards. For most of his directorial career he was deemed as noncommercial by Hollywood, meaning he was limited in terms of budget and distribution compared to other prominent filmmakers at the time. The notorious director now has an entire award category dedicated to him at the Independent Spirit Awards, and a lot credit for this comes from his 1993 independent hit Short Cuts. Stacked with a bunch of stars (Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins, Andie MacDowell, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Lemmon), Short Cuts followed numerous strangers living in L.A. whose lives would eventually intersect with one another in various points. Altman’s masterpiece influenced other films with similar interweaving narratives like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. Having recently revisited the film, I can confirm Short Cuts still holds up 20 years later. [Dustin]

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was also up for quite a few gold men at last year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, but winning Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards is a more fitting accolade for this black sheep film about, well, black sheep. The heart of indie filmmaking, while it might  have a lot to do with budget, is all about covering uncommercial topics, and a romantic dramedy involving two certifiably mentally unbalanced adults falls squarely into that category. This film stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a bipolar and recently released psych hospital patient forced to move back in with his parents while he works toward winning back his estranged wife. When he meets a depressed and aggressive widow, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, she promises to help him get his wife back if he agrees to dance as her partner in a competition. Together they develop their own kind of therapy in dealing through their issues, as well as find in each other a sense of sanity that works for them. David O. Russell’s adapted screenplay is hilarious but never makes light of mental illness, and though the cast is decidedly A-list, each of them gives a performance transcendent of genre or label. [Ananda]

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino’s second film cemented itself into pop culture history when it came out in 1994, and for good reason. Its dialogue, time jumping structure and circular storyline (among many other things) combined to make a wholly unique and wildly entertaining film. Audiences loved the film, and Tarantino’s distinct style made him become one of the most influential filmmakers working today. The Academy Awards handed their Best Picture statue over to the schmaltzy Forrest Gump, but time has shown that the Spirit Awards made the right choice. [CJ]

Juno

Charming, genius, quick-witted, touching, unique: all of these and many more similar adjectives are frequently used to describe Jason Reitman’s tale of a young girl and her journey through pregnancy. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t sing Juno’s praises, and this is with good reason. A beautiful script from Diablo Cody with excellent comedic pacing, a performance from the immensely talented Ellen Page that will genuinely make you fall in love, and a fantastic supporting cast, from Michael Cera to J.K. Simmons – this film has a whole lot going for it. More than anything, though, what really makes it stand out is that in the same instant that it makes you cry with laughter, it will make you cry with emotion. For every smart, snappy joke is an even smarter, thoughtful take on life. Juno, the 16 year old girl who is wise beyond her years, is a paradox; it seems only right that the film is too. [Pavi]

Lost in Translation

In 2004 Sofia Coppola took home spirit awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay in addition to the Best Feature award for her intimate mood piece Lost in Translation. Having already piqued the interest of the film world with her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides four years previously, Lost in Translation proved that she wasn’t just another Coppola, but an artist in her own right. She wrote the script based on her own experiences traveling to Tokyo in her 20’s and had Bill Murray in mind while writing to play Bob Harris, the aging movie star in the midst of a mid-life and mid-career crisis. This perfect tale of Bob and Charlotte, the young American wife left contemplating life as her husband photographs celebrities–played by a young but exemplary Scarlett Johansson–focuses less on love and more on companionship in the midst of life’s periods of question in quite literally a place of complete cultural confusion . Despite being oddly juxtaposed against the anti-indie-film-of-all-films, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which also came out in 2003, it speaks to the excellent filmmaking and performances that Lost in Translation held it’s own that year and continues to be a perfect example of the ingenuity the Spirit Awards strive to reward.  [Ananda]

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky couldn’t have found a better suited star for his gritty character portrait of a deteriorating man who sacrifices his body and mind for his craft than Mickey Rourke. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a has-been professional wrestler who is a veritable amalgamation of many wrestling superstars from the ’80s (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Terry Funk, and more). Watching Randy’s life fall apart bit by tragic bit is painful, and utterly engrossing; a scene in which Randy holds his hysterically heartbroken daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) in his arms on the floor of her living room is earth-shattering. The film had stiff competition in the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards, running against Kelly Reichhart’s sublime Wendy and Lucy and Lance Hammer’s powerful, contemplative Ballast, which speaks to the idiosyncratic brilliance of Aronofsky and Rourke’s collaboration. [Bernard]

There’s a famous urban legend concerning a man who accidently trapped himself inside a freezer. Understanding his death to be inevitable, he vowed to document his own death, writing down the experience of freezing to death for the sake of science. Found dead the next morning, an examination of his body concluded it was hypothermia, however, an inspection of the freezer found that it had been broken for some time. The temperature had never dipped below 50 degrees.

Whether it’s true or not, it’s generally agreed the mind is a powerful thing. Now August is upon us and with it that clothes-sticking heat, so we here at Way Too Indie prescribe a little mind control to combat the sun. We present our top ten films guaranteed to chill you right down. And let’s face it – with movie ticket prices being what they are and the electric bill on the rise from constant A/C and fan use – this really is the ideal alternative.

Way Too Indie’s Best Films to Cool You Off

#10 – Frozen River

Frozen River opens with Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo, whose career was launched because of her incredible performance here) finding out her husband took off unannounced, leaving her with no money or way to support her kids. Ray soon learns about a scheme involving immigrants being smuggled across the icy St. Lawrence River that pays more than enough to cover Ray’s bills, and she reluctantly accepts an offer to help drive immigrants into America. Most of the film’s nail-biting tension comes not only from Leo’s Oscar-worthy performance (she lost, but made it up soon after with her role in The Fighter), but the film’s wintery setting. The cold, barren landscape of Frozen River‘s border-town only heightens the characters’ desperation. When driving across thin ice and avoiding the authorities are the only things separating you from trying to survive in the middle of winter, it’s easy to see why Leo’s Ray would take the risk. [CJ Prince]

#9 – Home Alone

Easily the most ridiculous film of the bunch, but nonetheless an entertaining winter film. Penned by the notorious John Hughes (who also wrote The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Vacation), Home Alone was an instant hit in the early nineties as it broke box office numbers for a comedy and ended up receiving two Oscar nominations (thanks to John Williams’ score). The film was so successful that it spawned several follow-ups, though it is best to pretend the third and fourth films in the series never happened. Macaulay Culkin was just ten when he starred as the sassy but lovable Kevin McCallister, the youngest of four siblings, whose family accidently leaves him at home while traveling on a Christmas vacation to France. Kevin utilizes the winter conditions in his favor to hilariously ward off two goofy criminals who intend to rob the house. Home Alone is a staple in my household to watch during winter/Christmas for its sidesplitting humor that appeals to everyone regardless of age. [Dustin Jansick]

#8 – The Last Winter

This science fiction/horror/thriller hybrid went pretty much unnoticed when it was released 7 years ago but honestly, The Last Winter was one of the more refreshing genre pictures to come out that year. Set in the cold and unforgiving frost of the Northern Artic Circle, this film involves members of an American oil company who must figure out what a mysterious entity is before it threatens to destroy humanity. Yes, it’s one of those films and yes, it gets a little preachy near the end. But those who seek this underrated gem out will find a film that has loads of great atmosphere and some pretty good spooks as well. Did I also mention that it stars Ron Perlman? [Blake Ginithan]

#7 – Werckmeister Harmonies

Bela Tarr is one of the few filmmakers whose work could be described as pure cinema. Taking place in a small Hungarian village during an especially cold winter, Werckmeister Harmonies opens with a 9 minute shot of a bar’s drunken patrons acting out a story told by their friend. Tarr’s precise camerawork, combined with Mihaly Vig’s gorgeously melancholic score, turn what starts out as a silly scene into something profoundly beautiful. These kinds of scenes happen throughout Werckmeister Harmonies, as the arrival of a circus into town triggers a panic that feels downright apocalyptic. The harsh winter climate in the village isn’t unusual for Tarr, as he’s known for being quite bleak, but Werckmeister Harmonies may be his most accessible film. Don’t let the drab setting or long shots (39 in 150 minutes, to be exact) turn you off from seeing this movie either, as you’d be missing out on an experience unlike any other film you’ll ever see. [CJ Prince]

#6 – A Simple Plan

Sam Raimi (pre Spiderman) was known as the guy who did the Evil Dead series until he made A Simple Plan, his personal masterpiece. Bill Paxton is a simple man in a small town who stumbles upon a crashed plane one day while out hunting. He finds a bag full of cash and takes it home to his pregnant wife (Bridget Fonda). Then all the trouble starts. It is no long before he has federal agents and even mobsters coming looking for the cash. Things get nasty in a hurry and he soon has to deal with his brother who is mentally handicapped but morally aligned, his wife who slowly becomes a vicious puppeteer pulling the strings behind Paxton’s view, and friends who think they deserve some of the action. Featuring some of the tensest scenes you’re likely to see, top notch acting and directing; a simple plan would be to not skip this film. [Blake Ginithan]

#5 – The Thing

There’s a smorgasbord of sci-fi horror awesomeness to feast on in John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror classic, from shape-shifting aliens, to a group of batshit-crazy scientists, to some of the most gruesome, yak-worthy animatronic work ever, to Kurt Russell’s flamethrower (oh yeah) and his glorious beard (oooh yeahhh.) But seriously, the (ahem) thing that makes The Thing a heavyweight modern horror classic rather than just another light 80’s gore factory is its quiet, crushing sense of isolation. The setting—a remote Antarctic base surrounded by infinite ice and snow—is vital to the story and injects every moment with raw intensity and fear. There’s nowhere for the poor souls to run. It’s just them, a vicious shape-shifting alien, some explosive equipment, and the vast, icy abyss. [Bernard Boo]

#4 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

If you fancy something a little different than your average heart wrenching Kate Winslet plotline, then catch her in this because it’s a great gem. In addition to Winslet, Jim Carey’s typical typecasting also throws caution to the wind and allows us to catch a glimpse of his well hidden diversity. While not necessarily all about the cold, wintery weather, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is still set in a very chilly climate where most of the more memorable segments of this couple’s relationship take place on an iced lake. You find yourself feeling very cooled down when watching this amazing masterpiece by Michael Gondry. [Amy Priest]

#3 – Let the Right One In

A tender, clever vampire tale with a big ol’ beating heart, Let the Right One In is the prettiest vampire movie you’ll see. The ballad of bully magnet Oskar and his blood-sucker friend/protector, Eli, is one of the best films of last decade and my personal favorite vampire movie. The setting—a snow-dumped Stockholm suburb—is elegant, richly textured and eerily tranquil. Director Tomas Alfredson’s beautifully composed shots exude a sense of stillness and serenity that reverberates throughout the film and makes the intermittent splashes of crimson all the more vivid. The film’s color palette is almost exclusively black and white, but expert utilization of contrast and texture makes every vision of snow and ice interesting and unique. Alfredson’s modern masterpiece is the definition of atmospheric and never fails to give me chills. [Bernard Boo]

#2 – The Shining

Forget heat-induced delirium. The Shining shows us that the bitter winter cold combined with a secluded and possessed mountain hotel can be far worse on one’s mental state. Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic, based (loosely) on the Stephen King novel, is a slow build in madness set amid the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson in absolute perfection) brings his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, to the Overlook hotel to take on the roll of caretaker, write his novel, and patch up his family unit. The Overlook has a history and an intuition for the weakness of men, however, and Jack slowly gets taken over by the influence of the hotel. One of few horror films that can truly also be called a cinematic masterpiece, The Shining offers imagery that is both frightening and beautiful.  A terrifying chase through a snow-filled labyrinth in the film’s final scene is chilling in more ways than one and is guaranteed to leave goose bumps, one way or another. [Ananda Dillon]

#1 – Fargo

Fargo is one of my all-time favourite films, and one that will surely “cool you off”. As the title suggests the film takes place within the snowy city of Fargo, North Dakota and “Yah, you betcha” it’s cold. And I’m not just referencing the weather as the narrative is also just as chilling. The comically-disturbed directorial duo, The Coen Brothers, serve up a story that was based upon real events of an automobile salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap and ransom his wife for $1 million dollars in an attempt to get out of debt. The plan goes haywire and the situation becomes bone-chilling.

I assume (and hope) that many of you have already witnessed the greatness of this film, however, for those who have not seen it or are just looking for a way to cool off from the mad heat waves of the summer of 2013, Fargo is the film for you.
[Amy Priest]