Sure, we focus on streaming films and television here, but the streaming world encompasses so much more. Music is the biggest media that has embraced streaming, but there’s another interesting art form that’s exploring its possibilities. For those of you who prefer their stories told on a stage in real-time, BroadwayHD is a fantastic source that offers access to see some of the best in drama from your computer screen. It’s a little more pricey than other streaming services ($14.99/month and $169.99/year packages are available), but they also have a VOD service that allows you to see a specific performance for a short time period. The service recently added British play Gypsy, starring Harry Potter alum Imelda Staunton with music by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. If the stage isn’t your thing, here are the usual film recommendations from us featuring new titles available to stream this week:

Netflix

House of Cards (Series, Season 4)

The most binge-able show on television, the fourth season of the original Netflix original, House of Cards, hits at an incredibly timely moment. As we build up to what should be a very entertaining presidential election season IRL, incumbent Frank Underwood is embroiled in what should be an equally entertaining race. With the third season ending with Claire telling her husband that she is leaving him, Frank’s personal life may be in even greater turmoil. It’s always difficult to know exactly where House of Cards will go, but it’s pretty easy to assume that Underwood will somehow, against all logic, have a successful campaign (sort of seems like a current political figure, right?). If you haven’t already, clear your weekend calendar to streamline the 13-hour political roller as it comes to Netflix this weekend. And if you are somehow lagging behind, you can stream the previous three seasons on Netflix, as well.

Other titles new to Netflix this week:
Adult Beginners (Ross Katz, 2014)
Amal (Richie Mehta, 2007)
Blade Runner: Theatrical Cut (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Corpse Bride (Tim Burton & Mike Johnson, 2005)
Exam (Stuart Hazeldine, 2009)
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
Heaven Knows What (Ben & Joshua Safdie, 2014)
The Panic in Needle Park (Jerry Schatzberg, 1971)
Saturday Night Fever (John Badham, 1977)
Taxi (Jafar Panahi, 2015)

Fandor

Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967)

This week’s “Criterion Picks” focuses on films with great architecture, highlighted by French comedian Jacques Tati’s epic masterpiece. Now, while I wouldn’t recommended seeing Playtime outside of a movie theater, if you haven’t seen this wonderful film you need to seek it out on Fandor. Playtime is a delight of space and physical comedy with Tati’s signature Hulot performance. The film wonderfully fits this theme as Tati built his own huge, modernist structures for the film, which led to a huge budget that threatened production. Its architecture lead to wonderful bits of satirical comedy of bureaucratic and modernist visions. Other films in the Architecture series include Antonioni’s L’eclisse, The Naked City, Antonio Gaudí, Tati’s less ambitious but highly enjoyable Mon oncle, and more. These “Criterion Picks” are available on Fandor until March 13.

Other titles new to Fandor this week:
The Heart of the World (Guy Maddin, 2000)
Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954)
Old Enough (Marisa Silver, 1984)
Ruined Heart (Khavn De La Cruz, 2015)
Things to Come (William Cameron Menzies, 1936)

MUBI

Cinema Paradiso (Guiseppe Tornatore, 1988)

A winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, Guiseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso is a wonderful love letter to filmmaking and film-going, alike. Set in a small Italian village, the film recounts the nostalgia of one man growing up with a fascination for a the local movie theater as he spends his days in the projectionist booth. It’s no secret that movie theaters, especially the old movie houses and independently run, have taken big hits in recent years. This will only continue as streaming films at home becomes more and more popular—so, hey, why don’t you stream Cinema Paradiso this weekend! All joking aside, the film really shines on the importance of cinema and the communal experience of going to the movies, essential things to remember in an increasingly digital age. You can watch Cinema Paradiso on MUBI until March 29.

Other titles new to MUBI this week:
Be With Me (Eric Khoo, 2005)
Dear Phone (Peter Greenaway, 1976)
Historic Centre (Pedro Costa, Manoel de Oliveira, Aki Kaurismäki & Victor Erice, 2012)
Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, 2005)
A Walk Through H (Peter Greenaway, 1978)

iTunes & Video On-Demand

Sunshine Superman (Marah Strauch, 2014)

One of the unheralded documentaries from last year, Sunshine Superman is a riveting profile of BASE jumping innovator Carl Boenish. With incredible footage of his death-defying stunts and an emotional character arc, it is one of the most complete sports documentaries ever made. Even without the archived skydiving and BASE jumping footage, the core relationship between Boenish and his wife Jean is touching and entertaining enough to sustain the film on its own. Debut filmmaker Marah Strauch brings the story together with a lot of narrative energy while patching together 16mm footage, VHS recordings and new talking head interviews. For more on Sunshine Superman check out our full review and interview with director Marah Strauch.

Other titles new to VOD this week:
Carol (Todd Haynes, 2015)
Heart of a Dog (Laurie Anderson, 2015)
Flowers (Jon Garaño & Jose Mari Goenaga, 2014)
Ratter (Branden Kramer, 2015)
Sisters (Jason Moore, 2015)

This year, instead of filling out that annual Oscar ballot for your office pool—which, lets face it, is always won by the person who never watches any of the movies—you should convince your co-workers to fill out an Independent Spirit Awards ballot. Your office will be the hippest on the block, and with my guide of winner predictions, you’ll finally be able to beat Henry from accounting. Plus, watching the Spirit Awards is infinitely more entertaining than the Academy Awards due to its layed back atmosphere and unstuffy attitude. In addition to my predictions below, I detail my reasoning for each category winner and also who to watch out for as a potential sleeper.

You can catch the Independent Spirit Awards live on IFC on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 2:00 PM PT and see how accurate these predictions hold up.

2016 Independent Spirit Award Predictions

(Predicted winners are highlighted in red bolded font)

Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine

Sean Baker – Tangerine
Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes – Carol
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson – Anomalisa
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell – It Follows

Charlie Kaufman – Anomalisa
Donald Margulies – The End of the Tour
Phyllis Nagy – Carol
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer – Spotlight
S. Craig Zahler – Bone Tomahawk

Christopher Abbott – James White
Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn – Mississippi Grind
Jason Segel – The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon – Mediterranea

Cate Blanchett – Carol
Brie Larson – Room
Rooney Mara – Carol
Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez- Tangerine

Kevin Corrigan – Results
Paul Dano – Love & Mercy
Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins – Bone Tomahawk
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

Robin Bartlett – H.
Marin Ireland – Glass Chin
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Anomalisa
Cynthia Nixon – James White
Mya Taylor – Tangerine

The Diary of a Teenage Girl
James White
Manos Sucia
Mediterranea
Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Jesse Andrews – Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea
Emma Donoghue – Room
Marielle Heller – The Diary of a Teenage Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh, Myna Josep – The Mend

Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation
Ed Lachman – Carol
Joshua James Richards – Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Michael Gioulakis – It Follows
Reed Morano – Meadowland

Embrace of the Serpent
Girlhood
Mustang
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Son of Saul

Best of Enemies
Heart of a Dog
The Look of Silence
Meru
The Russian Woodpecker
(T)ERROR

Beasts of No Nation
Heaven Knows What
It Follows
Room
Spotlight

Advantageous
Christmas, Again
Heaven Knows What
Krisha
Out of My Hand

Well that was fast. Seems like just yesterday we were recalling our favorite movie moments from 2014. It’s hard to believe but we’re already halfway into 2015! So it’s time for us to reflect back on all the releases since January. Sure, the year has given us a fair amount of flops, like Tomorrowland, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Hot Pursuit, The Cobbler, Aloha, and Entourage to name a few, but luckily in the deluge of releases we’ve come to expect these days, 2015 has delivered a few films worth flocking to theaters for.

There’s something for everyone on our list of the Best Films of 2015 So Far. Eclectic even for us, our diverse inventory includes some of last year’s Cannes Film Festival standouts, a must-see horror film, a Wes Anderson-esque western, several low-budget indies, and to round things out, a big studio action film who’s inclusion among our favorites is one of the more intriguing and pleasant surprises 2015 has thrown at us.

There’s plenty to look forward to later on in the year—we’re looking at you Knight of Cups—but in the meantime rest assured you already have some watching to keep you busy as Summer begins.

Way Too Indie’s Best Films of 2015 So Far

#20. Clouds of Sils Maria

There are few better words than “layered” to describe the labyrinth that is Oliver Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria, which made Kristen Stewart the first ever American to win Best Supporting Actress at France’s prestigious César awards. Normally this external detail might prove irrelevant to the work itself, but for a film that focuses so strongly on the generation gap and the notion of aging in the entertainment industry, the fact that Stewart’s subtle performance has overshadowed Juliette Binoche’s more sensational lead performance on the awards circuit is interesting in a self-referential sort of way. Indeed, the concept of parallels seems to go hand in hand with the predicament that Binoche’s character, Maria, finds herself in when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that once upon a time sparked her career. However, issues of identity and the psychology of the performer are explored when Maria’s original role of Sigrid is given up to a young Hollywood celebrity, and she is forced to play the girl’s opposite as the older and more fragile Helena. Clouds will likely be remembered for its terrific performances, but Assayas’ writing and direction are what allow it to take some strangely enigmatic turns, especially in the second and third acts. It’s these puzzling moments that raise thought-provoking but potentially unanswerable questions in the mind of the viewer, and transform the experience, as a whole, into a difficult one to shake. [Eli]

#19. Faults

This feature debut from Riley Stearns contains just the right combination of absurdity and hilarity to make it one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Much of the success of Faults comes from the brilliant lead performance of Leland Orser, who plays an eccentric cult deprogrammer on the decline of his career. In order to pay back his agent from his recent book tour failure, he takes on a job to deprogram a woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) currently under a cult spell. From there, the film evolves into a thrilling chamber piece with unpredictable outcomes. Stearns crafts a wildly hypnotic film from a bare bones setup, establishing himself as an upcoming director worth keeping an eye on. With Orser and Winstead at the top of their game, Faults stands out as one of the best indie debuts of the year. [Dustin]

#18. Seymour: An Introduction

The old saying “those who can’t do teach” doesn’t apply to Seymour Bernstien, a legendary concert pianist who, at the peak of his career, gave it all up to become a music instructor and composer. Ethan Hawke, one of Seymour’s most famous pupils, made Seymour: An Introduction as both a documentary tribute to his mentor and a megaphone through which the 85-year-old’s wisdom and philosophies can touch those around the world, beyond his cozy NYC apartment. It’s a strikingly cinematic documentary about a man who’s developed an ultimate understanding of the link between music and life itself. A sampling: “You can establish so deep an accord between your musical self and your personal self that eventually music and life will interact in a never-ending cycle of fulfillment,” Seymour says on-camera. The man’s a master on the keys, but has a way of making words sing, too. [Bernard]

#17. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, the arthouse response to The Fault in Our Stars, isn’t quite the genre-redefining coming-of-age film some made it out to be when it premiered and won at Sundance last January. But it’s still a charming and likable enough film that supplies a nice alternative to the constant assault of summer blockbusters like Jurassic World and Terminator Genisys. Thomas Mann, in the lead role of Greg (the ‘Me’ of the film’s title), turns in a good performance that shows some promise for a career that initially started with duds like Project X, but it’s Olivia Cooke who really shines as his classmate who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. And Jon Bernthal continues his streak of great supporting turns; someone give this guy a much deserved leading role already! [Ryan]

#16. Jauja

Transfixing. That’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think about Lisandro Alonso’s fiercely strange Jauja. Filmed in a vintage 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio, the film boxes in its characters in a squircle with seemingly magical capabilities and, by way of a cinematography that’s got a wondrous use for depth-of-field and a mise-en-scene that engages empty spaces like no other film this decade, it creates a magnetic bridge between audience and screen. To put it another way, watching Jauja is to cinephiles what going to church on Sundays is to devout theists; an altogether spiritual experience. It’s set during the time of conquistadors, and first half is easy enough to follow; Danish Captain Gunnar Dinesen (Viggo Mortensen) brings along his daughter Ingeborg (Viilbjørk Malling Agger) on a joint expedition with an allied Spanish infantry. There’s tell of a mysterious army general who has vanished into the desert, never to be seen again, and when Inge disappears one night, Dinesen must gaze into the abyss of this desert in order to find her. That’s when the second half of the film takes over; surreal, compelling, and intimate, the film takes on transportational qualities as we follow the more and more perplexed Denisen. The allure of Jauja is almost as hard to explain as Dinesen’s conversation with the woman in the cave, and it’s got “acquired taste” written all over it, but for fans of meticulous shot composition, and a vibe that’s neither wholly David Lynch or wholly Andrei Tarkovsky, but some transmutated hybrid of the two, it’s a film that dives into the beyond and comes up for air with a plethora of treasures. Alonso is an arthouse storyteller known for stretching out thin plots and narratives in lieu of a viscerally visual journey, and Jauja is his most unforgettable one yet. [Nik]

#15. Heaven Knows What

Based on lead actress Arielle Holmes’ unpublished autobiographical novel, “Mad Love in New York City,” the Safdie Brothers’ newest output reaches uniquely authentic heights, primarily through Holmes’ distinct performance as Harley: a fictionalized depiction of her homeless and heroin-addicted former self. This imitation of life may be the closest to pure documentary that the world of fiction filmmaking has been in some time. To see Holmes maneuver her way through a simulated version of her troubled past is already haunting, but juxtaposed with Sean Price Williams’ floating camera and Isao Tomita’s heavy electronic synthesizer score, the film’s hyper-realism frequently borders on dreamlike surrealism and hits some unforgettable notes. Much of the film consists of Harley’s endless attempts to satisfy her insatiable appetite for a fix, as well as her interactions with other drug addicted and alcoholic members of the New York City homeless population. The repetitive and consistently uncomfortable nature of the film may repel some viewers, but for those fascinated by cinema that replicates reality on a deeper level than the norm, Heaven Knows What may end up being one of the year’s biggest surprises. [Eli]

#14. Appropriate Behavior

I find it quite fitting that Desiree Akhavan’s film début (writing, directing and starring) was the first that I watched and reviewed in 2015, and here it now finds its place among the best we’ve seen so far. Not a bad way to start the year, I’d say. This hipster Iranian-American bisexual rom-com feels as fresh as HBO’s Girls did back in 2012, but with an added diversity that show has always been sorely lacking in. Her jokes have the audacity of Broad City but with the wit of Woody Allen. As the film’s star, Akhavan portrays Shirin, a woman dealing with a break-up from the woman she sincerely loved while hashing through her naïve cultural confusion and general millennial narcissism. The film is at its most hilarious when exposing the ridiculousness of the young urban elite and their kombucha drinking, co-op volunteering, entirely self-conscious faux heroism. But while poking fun at her own generation, Akhavan adds a sense of romanticism even while being a woman behaving badly. On a list sorely lacking in comedy, you can be sure Appropriate Behavior has earned its spot here by being tear-inducingly funny and unapologetically sincere. [Ananda]

#13. Li’l Quinquin

Bruno Dumont’s Li’l Quinquin is, by a wide margin, the funniest film of 2015 so far, and that’s saying something considering how downright grisly it can be. Starting off as a sort of French rural riff on the recent surge of murder mystery miniseries, Quinquin follows the residents of a small countryside village when someone starts chopping up townspeople and stuffing their body parts into cows. As the 200 minute film—originally a 4-part miniseries in France—gets closer to finding a possible suspect, it becomes apparent that Dumont has little interest in solving the case. What begins as a quirky whodunit gradually transforms itself into an exploration of humanity, mainly our capacity to do good and/or evil. But even that reading is a bit of a reductive take on Dumont’s complex, philosophical and frequently uproarious work. People unaware of Dumont’s films will find Li’l Quinquin to be a great starting point, and those already familiar with his output should be shocked to find that he’s been hiding such an incredible sense of humor for this long. [C.J.]

#12. Girlhood

Every 16-year-old girl ought to have the world at her feet. Not all do. Marieme (Karidja Touré), the central character in Girlhood (Bande de Filles), does not. When she realizes she must do something to untether herself from a dead-end home life that includes a disinterested mother and an abusive older brother, her hopes of a higher education as a means of escape are dashed. It’s the film’s most devastating scene. When she says to her offscreen guidance counselor, “I want to be like others. Normal,” she is met with, “It’s a bit too late for that.” At 16 years old, she’s told it’s too late to make a positive change in her life. She remains undaunted, and instead looks for something else. This sets in motion a series of decisions and events that, in the hands of writer/director Céline Sciamma, resonate like those in other great coming-of-age films, yet remain completely devoid of the melodrama so prevalent in those films. It’s a remarkably genuine approach that not only grounds the film in terrific realism, it keeps the viewer highly engaged because all expectations of cliché are shattered. This refreshing take on the struggles of a lower-class teen is enhanced greatly by the talent and beauty of first-timer Touré. She is undaunted by the hopelessness of her situation, yet she never comes across as the type who dots her eyes with hearts, instead conveying sweet innocence in a hardscrabble shell that is simultaneously sympathetic and inspirational. It’s a performance worthy of praise in a film worthy of this list. [Michael]

#11. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

In Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Ronit Elkabetz stars as Viviane Amsalem, a woman seeking a divorce from her husband, Elisha (Simon Abkarian). This is the basic concept, but nothing else about the film is basic. It’s set in Israel, where there is no such thing as a civil marriage; each marriage is performed as part of a religious ceremony, and must be dissolved that way, too. Based on religious tenets, a husband must give his full consent for a marriage to be dissolved, and if he doesn’t want the divorce, the divorce doesn’t happen. Suddenly, this woman who has been trapped in an unhappy marriage finds herself trapped again—a prisoner of a system that stacks the deck against the same women it all but ignores in the first place. This makes the rules as much the antagonist of the film as the husband, if not more so, and it’s the film’s stroke of genius. Co-written/co-directed by star Elkabetz and her brother Shlomi, the film is a courtroom drama like I’ve never seen before, morphing from a tale of a wife trapped in a bad marriage to a commentary on a culture that treats women as afterthoughts. Not only is Elkabetz’s co-direction sensational, her performance is unforgettable as well. As the woman who will not be denied no matter how many men get in her way (husband, judges, witnesses), Elkabetz shows the weariness and frustration borne of years of roadblocks (the film spans five years!), with a steely layer of resolve beneath. With terrific storytelling fundamentals, compelling emotional depth, and crackling dialogue, the Elkabetz siblings could be Israeli filmmaking’s answer to the Coen Brothers. [Michael]

#10. White God

White God, which premiered and emerged victorious in the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, is a harrowing, brutal melodrama about animal cruelty that equally serves as a metaphorical story of class/race issues that have always troubled society. While the film sometimes falls short of fully realizing its potential due to shifting tones and a couple other missteps, it’s original and far too interesting to pass over. The film also features some of the most wonderfully cinematic images and some of the best editing of any film to be released so far this year. So if you missed White God during its limited theatrical run in the U.S. this past March then keep your eye out for it when it’s released on blu-ray and DVD July 28th. [Ryan]

#9. Hard to Be a God

Conceived in the 1960s, shot in the 2000s, and finally finished in 2013, Aleksei German’s magnum opus Hard to Be a God could easily claim the title of filthiest movie ever made without anyone batting an eye. German’s sci-fi adaptation takes place in the future, but the setting is like entering a time machine into the past; a recently discovered planet that’s just like Earth, except the planet’s civilization is currently living out its pre-Renaissance phase. The camera, always moving and in deep focus, captures it all with a realism and sense of immersion that few films have achieved before, making Hard to Be a God a simultaneously grueling and exhilarating experience. Not many people will be up for German’s challenge here, but those willing to roll around in the mud will find themselves awestruck at the staggering, groundbreaking vision on display. Some films are hard to shake off, but Hard to Be a God is in a class of its own; this is a movie you have to scrub off. [C.J.]

#8. Slow West

Before a frame was even shot, Slow West was flooded with promise. The feature-length directorial debut of John Maclean (DJ of the disbanded The Beta Band) stars Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn in two of the central roles. Surely the film would be interesting, but what resulted was something more. Following Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across the American West as he searches for the love of his young life, Slow West could have simply been a solid western. Instead, Maclean and company aimed higher: an absurdist send up of the genre, a coming of age cautionary tale, and a moralist adventure all in a simmering 83 minutes. Slow West is a rollickingly fun western, in equal measures tense and hilarious, absurd and painful. But what’s more is the astounding promise it shows of first-timer Maclean. Whatever he’s got cooking up next (hopefully another vehicle for his buddy Fassy) we’ll be there. [Gary]

#7. The Duke of Burgundy

Peter Strickland’s sumptuous tale of a rocky lesbian relationship inside a surreal BDSM bubble came out at the very beginning of the year, and still beats the competition in terms of pure cinematic sensuality. The narrative follows butterfly expert Cynthia (Danish vet Sidse Babett Knudsen) and her younger lover, Evelyn (Italian debutante Chiara D’Anna), as they cope with ebbs and flows of a deep relationship that’s starting to lose steam, noticed mostly through the oft-hilarious cracks in their masochistic role-playing scenarios. The Duke of Burgundy has a perfect balance of fearless indulgence, and is incredible on multiple levels thanks to Strickland’s methods of cinematic persuasion; his use of a hauntingly romantic score by Cat’s Eye, visually stunning montages that are edited in staccato-like fashion and pledge allegiance to Stan Brakhage’s chaos of celluloid, and setting his story in what looks like an enchanted château from Renaissance Era folklore. The Duke of Burgundy is above all else a tight embrace of everything that sets cinema apart from all other arts. Add to that the re-definition of “toilet humor,” the evocative lead performances that beautifully compliment each other in the way they contrast, and the unadulterated imagination at work—from the costumes to the butterflies, and the all-female world with no sense of time or place,—and you have a film that breaks conventional cinematic barriers in order to express something infinitely universal; love. In all its kinky, silky, paranoid, powerful, glory. [Nik]

#6. Buzzard

Buzzard isn’t a complicated film, but I find it difficult to describe in any intelligent way. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be completely confounded and charmed by its off-kilter sensibilities. As you are more than likely to not have seen Buzzard, here’s a little on the plot: Marty is a temp office worker, video game and horror film aficionado, overall slacker in the suburbs of Detroit. As he makes increasingly outrageously dumb decisions, he becomes more and more paranoid that the authorities (or something even more sinister) are out to get him. The film is a punk splashed throwback with its roots calling back to Alex Cox. Buzzard recent ties are to the comedy of Quentin Dupieux and Tim & Eric, and it more than holds its own against these more established and polished figures. There really isn’t much more I can say about the film than it is delightfully weird, awkward, and very, very cool. Joel Potrykus’s sophomore feature will hopefully be his indie breakout, though I surely hope he never loses his edge. [Aaron]

#5. It Follows

It Follows carves fresh terrain for horror movies, turning the sound of approaching footsteps into a signal of terror. David Robert Mitchell’s stylistic second feature film is a creepy, fun experience wholly unique in its approach. When a new boyfriend passes a sexually transmitted demon onto Jay (Maika Monroe), she and her friends work together to dispose of the monster and rid Jay of her curse. With striking cinematography and nods to John Carpenter classics (notably its ominous, synth-heavy score), the unsettlingly tense terror created in this film is surely among the greatest scary movies in recent memory.

Rather than make the true source of his scares the It Follows monster itself, the director Mitchell utilizes long takes that often place the demon off in the background slowly encroaching on Jay and her friends. The longer that a shot lingers, the more your dread will build. It Follows is a masterwork in the manipulation of anxieties. Its terrifying encounters with an unforgettable villain and the haunting imagery in It Follows leaves a chilling impact that will make you wonder what’s behind you. [Zachary]

#4. Wild Tales

With Wild Tales, Damian Szifron reminds us that, deep down, we’re all a bunch of filthy animals. The characters in this blissfully chaotic anthology movie do things we wish we had the balls to do, breaking free of their societal restraints to indulge in the sweet nectar of violence, revenge, greed and infidelity. Each of the film’s six short stories are insanely entertaining in their own way, and though terrible, terrible things happen across the board, the biggest surprise is how much fun it is to watch these people’s lives fall apart. Maybe it’s cathartic, maybe there’s a bit of wish-fulfillment going on, or maybe it’s just good, old-fashioned, pulpy entertainment. Wherever the film’s true appeal lies, what’s abundantly clear is that Szifron is a badass storyteller with a unique vision. In the film’s final story, a man stands over his lover. He hurt her badly, and she’s hurt him right back. They’ve raged and cried and thrashed at each other, and now they’re drained, stripped of everything. He opens his arms and doesn’t say a word, but she hears him loud and clear. “This is us, baby. We’re filthy animals, but at least we’ve got each other.” We’ve all got a wild side, and Wild Tales reminds us to embrace it because it’s what makes us human. [Bernard]

#3. Mommy

Love as the bond between mother and son is the subject for Xavier Dolan’s latest and perhaps best release so far Mommy. Following a widowed single mother struggling to make ends meet, Diane (Anne Dorval) raises her violent, ADHD son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), with the help of Kyla (Suzanne Clement), a mysterious neighbor who has a curious verbal tick. Together, the three lost souls function as a patchwork family unit, accomplishing more together than they would be capable of apart. Although the movie concerns itself with characters managing in difficult circumstances, the energy with which Dolan allows the story to unfold gives the film surges of stylistic adrenaline.

Shot in a 1:1 frame with warm, yellow hues that somewhat resemble an Instagram video, Dolan’s camera moves frenetically, whipping from one side of a conversation to the other in order to accommodate Mommy’s tight aspect ratio. The square frame helps draw the viewer’s eye inward toward the middle of the picture, providing an intimate view of these characters as they have deeply personal experiences. Through adversity Mommy remains an exuberant celebration of minor daily achievements, emphasizing that attitude often dictates outcomes. This is a deeply empathetic movie with several heart-wrenching sequences. All of this comes accompanied by an assortment of iconic late ’90s needle drops (“Colorblind” by Counting Crows, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65, “Wonderwall” by Oasis) and the best use of a Lana Del Ray song in cinema yet. [Zachary]

#2. Ex Machina

It’s no surprise that début film director Alex Garland made his chops for years as a screenwriter—his script for Ex Machina is one of the best sci-fi scripts in years. There is always a particular balance that has to be struck with good, smart science fiction, wherein the intellectual scientific and philosophical concepts need to be accessible while not watered down for mass consumption. The film is primarily a film made up of conversations between two people at a time (either programmer whiz Caleb and towering genius Nathan, or Caleb and femmebot Ava), and the dialogue is sparkling, full of lofty ideas and technical jargon without much of a reference key. I’ll admit there were times that I felt a little left behind in the conversation, and I frankly should be when two very smart people are talking about very smart ideas. That doesn’t mean that I couldn’t follow what was going on or felt the film was intellectually impenetrable, because its simplified location and high-concept premise, along with its eventual genre trappings, kept it all accessible. This all helps Ex Machina to be a unique science fiction film while tackling familiar science fiction themes. The three primary leads all give very different but equally brilliant performances, but Alicia Vikander rightly has gotten the most attention for her breakout role as A.I. seductress Ava. Simply put, if the actress in the Ava role doesn’t deliver, the film doesn’t work. Because a majority of the film’s premise has Caleb literally testing Ava to see if she has the capacity to be human, the audience is focused in on every word she says and motion she makes. It’s not really a spoiler to say that Caleb is fooled in ways, and so was I. [Aaron]

#1. Mad Max: Fury Road

His name is Max. His world is fire and blood. And this movie is barely even about him. How did a not-so-indie summer blockbuster action flick make it to the coveted #1 spot on this list? By doing what indie films do best—bring innovation to the big screen. In this way Mad Max: Fury Road is the most indie-spirited film out this year. Director George Miller, who made the original Mad Max for less than half a million dollars, and who has maintained that indie spark, is a patient man, who waited until the time was ripe and technology could accommodate his vision. Never has such patience paid off quite so well. Literally—as this film is doing nicely at the box office—but also in providing one of the most provocative action films to come out of the genre. Forget that its visuals are beyond stunning and its pace remains breakneck with hardly a second to catch one’s breath, it has sparked some of the most lively conversation of the year around feminism, female film leads (like I said, this film isn’t really all that focused on Max, it’s Charlize Theron’s Furiosa who should have top billing), and the surprising social commentary a post-apocalyptic action film can stir up on such lofty subjects as injustice, slavery, objectification, and male-dominance. Those who don’t want to think can enjoy the visuals, fast cars, and flame-throwing, but those who find an added pensiveness to their action film to be an invigorating bonus, will find Fury Road to be a whole new kind of avant-garde. [Ananda]

Like their previous film Lenny Cooke, sibling directors Benny and Joshua Safdie focus on a true story in Heaven Knows What, only this time they shoot it as a feature narrative instead of a documentary. The story behind it is unbelievable. While researching another project, Joshua ran into a young woman named Arielle Holmes and soon discovered her heartbreaking story of being a former homeless heroin addict who nearly died from a suicide attempt. So the Safide’s convinced Holmes to write a book about her life and then decided to have her play herself in the film. The result is an honest portrait of the heroin subculture found within the streets of New York City.

Heaven Knows What opens with a haunting exchange between Harley (Arielle Holmes) and her abusive boyfriend Ilya (Caleb Landry Jones), who is screaming that if she really loved him, she’d have killed herself by now. Neither of them are in a right state of mind, both being gaunt heroin junkies living on the streets of New York City. Harley eventually takes Ilya up on his wishes and slits her wrist, nearly killing herself right in front of him. After miraculously surviving her suicide attempt, Harley ends up in a psych ward at the Bellevue hospital.

The film doesn’t spend much time showing her stay at the hospital, lasting only as long as the opening credits, but cinematographer Sean Price Williams (The Color Wheel, Somebody Up There Likes Me) makes the most of it. This visually stunning scene involves frequent camera movement and focusing to mimic the disorienting state of a heroin addict’s mind. On top of that, a dizzying synth score completely drowns out all other noises, making these moments feel more fragmented than cohesive. It’s a spectacular montage all aspiring filmmakers should watch.

Sadly, Harley ends up right where she left off after being released from the hospital. Even though Ilya isn’t around to manipulate her anymore, Harley continuously makes poor decisions. She trades a physically dangerous boyfriend for a slightly more stable yet equally addicted one named Mike (Buddy Duress). But because Mike is a drug dealer, Harley remains on her path of self-destruction.

The Safdie brothers paint a hopelessly depressing picture by focusing on her dangerous urge to receive the next rush of heroin. Furthermore, just when opportunities of escape begin to surface–such as Ilya finally finding a way off the street for a trip to Florida–they’re crushed as fast as they can develop.

Caleb Landry Jones is the most recognizable name in the cast and one of the few professional actors, but that doesn’t mean he puts on the best performance. Two of the best performers are non-actors off the street, Holmes and Duress. Both use their real life experiences to provide a level of authenticity that transcends basic acting. Not being able to distinguish real actors between non-actors is a testament to everyone involved.

Heaven Knows What tends to wander exactly like its characters do, without a predefined destination or sense of urgency. Showing that life is only worth living until the next high makes it all the more discomforting to watch. Their relentless determination for the next heroin fix–even resorting to such dismal means as stealing mail in hopes of finding a gift card to sell–is what keeps us transfixed to the screen. Like the wayward lives of its characters, it’s never knowing what’s going to happen next that makes for a fixating film.

Originally published on 9/7/14 as part of our TIFF coverage

Summer movies are typically thought of as billion-dollar budget shoot-em ups, exotic car chases, loud explosions, and the latest Michael Bay film (which usually has all of those). But summertime offers more than just mainstream blockbusters. There are plenty of independent films fresh off the festival circuit and ready for public consumption in the summer months.

We’ve compiled our most anticipated indie titles for you to watch this summer. So if you’re looking for a break from the next superhero sequel, try some of these.

Slow West

(May 15th)

The fact of the matter is, we’ll watch anything with Michael Fassbender. The actor has been unstoppable for the past several years, turning out one mesmerizing performance after another. Even more, Fassy is clearly a loyal guy, forging relationships with a handful of directors, which has in turn resulted in some incredible films (12 Years a Slave being the high water mark of his collaborations with Steve McQueen). Now he’s at it again with Slow West, this time with first-time feature director John Maclean (the pair teamed up for Maclean’s first two shorts, Man on a Motorcycle and the very fun Pitch Black Heist). Slow West, also written by Maclean, is an absurdist western that sees young Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) on a journey across the American west chasing after the woman he loves and accompanied by the enigmatic Silas (Fassy). To boot: the film co-stars the always terrific Ben Mendelsohn playing the depraved baddy like only he can. The film popped up first at Sundance earlier this year where it took home the World Cinema Jury Prize for drama—another good sign. All of this piled on top of the ridiculous first trailer and the fact that both of Maclean’s shorts are rich—and mostly successful—experiments in mood and great showcases for the actors involved. Consider Slow West an intriguing alternative to the bonkers (Mad Max: Fury Road) and the bubbly (Pitch Perfect 2) on May 15th. [Gary]

Heaven Knows What

(May 29th)

Even when you get the opportunity to cover more than one festival in a year, there’s always going to be a movie (or two, or three..) that will inevitably elude you. This was the case with me, last year, during TIFF, where our very own Dustin watched and praised Heaven Knows What and its sensation of “never knowing what’s going to happen next that makes for a fixating film.” The story is distressingly bleak, following the life of heroin junkie Harley (Arielle Holmes) as she wanders through the drug-addled streets of NYC, making one poor decision after next. In all honesty, though, it’s the remarkable tale from behind the scenes that’s peaked my interest in this indie, directed by brothers Bennie and Joshua Safdie. It’s a case of subject matter choosing its creator, since the Safdies happened on Holmes, a former heroin junkie who used to be homeless, completely by chance. The story of Heaven Knows What is very much a semi-autobiographical account of Holmes’ experience. This blurring of the lines between fiction and real-life makes for an especially revealing and fascinating viewing experience, and with the buzz ringing throughout all of last year, my hopes are considerably high for this one. [Nik]

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

(June 12th)

After winning both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards during its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was one of the first 2015 films we put on our highly anticipated list. Writer Jesse Andrews adapted the screenplay from his own novel, telling the story of a teenage filmmaker forced to befriend a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer. As the two slowly form a friendship, the teenager decides to make a short-film about his dying friend, putting his classic film parodies on hold. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl sounds like a mashup between The Fault in Our Stars and Be Kind Rewind, taking a heartfelt young adult story (minus the cheesy stereotypes) and presenting it with unique stylistic flourishes and Criterion Collection references. Fox Searchlight quickly bought the rights for the film after premiering to standing ovations and glowing reviews from Sundance, and the studio plans to release the film on June 12th. Until then, we’ll attempt to contain our excitement and stock up on tissues. [Dustin]

Dope

(June 19th)

With the accolades it picked up at this year’s Sundance—including a lovely little bidding war for its distribution before finally landing with Open Road Films—and as it prepares to close out the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, Dope hardly needs any more festival love before it opens June 19 (though it will get one last send off to theatrical release at the LA Film Festival). This vibrant film, directed by Rick Famuyiwa (The Wood, Brown Sugar), looks like the cool geeky-gangster ‘90s throwback movie I didn’t know I was waiting for. Starring Shameik Moore as Malcolm, a high-schooler trying to get by, keep his grades up, and make it into Harvard while traversing his rough Compton neighborhood, the film looks fast paced and clever. Like John Hughes took the wrong exit off the freeway and landed in the hood. The misadventures of a black teen and his friends, navigating the drug scene with nerdy hilarity just sounds fresh. And since teen tales have been needing a revamp for a while, this one looks like it’s got the smarts, the laughs, and sure as heck has the beats. We can’t wait to watch—and buy the soundtrack. [Ananda]

Tangerine

(July 10th)

Ever since seeing Sean Baker’s Starlet, I’ve been anxiously anticipating what he would do next. Starlet, for those who don’t know, is an odd couple tale about a young porn star who befriends an old woman she meets at a garage sale. Everything about Starlet screamed bad Sundance movie to me: the unlikely pairing, the unconventional hidden secret (She’s a porn star! Shock!), and the inevitable bonding of both characters despite their differences. And yet, Starlet completely won me over. Yes, it’s clichéd, but Baker, working on a low budget, has two incredible lead performances, along with a screenplay that brought out a winning, human side to the story. It was also gorgeously shot, with a look that could only be described as Californian. Tangerine looks like an entirely different and more abrasive experience, following two transgender prostitutes around Los Angeles on Christmas Eve as one of them hunts down her cheating boyfriend/pimp. The red band trailer promises a film full of frantic energy, sun-kissed visuals (Baker remarkably shot the whole thing on an iPhone, and even on a low budget he still nails the California look) and an earnest, humanistic portrayal of its characters. This summer is bound to be filled with big budgets and high concepts, but I won’t be surprised if this lo-fi work turns out to be this season’s true stunner. [C.J.]

Irrational Man

(July 17th)

I found myself in the minority last year as I very much enjoyed Woody Allen’s mystical rom-com Magic in the Moonlight, which starred Emma Stone and Colin Firth as a pair of illusionists stripping away each others’ guises on the French Riviera in the 1920s. I was charmed; sue me. Irrational Man, Allen’s annual movie offering this summer, stars Stone yet again, this time partnering up with another older man (though the gap is a bit narrower this time), Joaquin Phoenix. It’s a mystery drama about an existentially tortured philosophy professor (Phoenix) who falls for one of his students (Stone), who may be lifesaver that keeps him from drowning in his sea of alcoholism and depression. I loved the ebullience of Magic in the Moonlight, but it’ll be nice to see Allen tackle more turbulent material. His last drama, Blue Jasmine, was a face-melting showcase of star Cate Blanchett’s raw talent; with Irrational Man, it may be Phoenix’s turn to wow us. [Bernard]

Mr. Holmes

(July 17th)

Sometimes there is just a perfect role for an actor. That’s what we have with Mr. Holmes, another vision of the master sleuth—this time aged and retired, and played by Sir Ian McKellen. It’s been easy to take the veteran actor for granted recently, with a majority of his recent credits as Gandalf or Magneto. Don’t get me wrong, he’s more than dependable in those roles, but I’m excited to see him put away the staff and helmet and do something a little different. Sherlock Holmes has always been a character with a lot to offer for a smart and reserved performer, and McKellen will no doubt bring grace and wisdom. I also like the idea of setting the character in a small-set film, allowing the appeal to be more about character work than mystery. Mr. Holmes also pairs McKellen back with director Bill Condon, who has also been recently wrapped up in a franchise. Their collaboration on Gods and Monsters was perhaps the best work of both men—Condon won an Oscar for his script, and McKellen received his first acting nomination. Mr. Holmes may be too small to get much notice from the Academy, but it might be their best shots in a long while. [Aaron]

Southpaw

(July 24th)

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal stung me with his performance in 2013’s Prisoners, then he put me on the ropes in 2014 with the one-two punch of Enemy and Nightcrawler. With that kind of prowess, why wouldn’t his next role be that of a boxer? In the upcoming sports drama Southpaw, Gylenhall plays Billy Hope, a champion fighter who has it all until tragedy strikes his family, sending his life into an uncontrollable spiral. Reduced to nothing, Billy seeks redemption and prepares for a comeback with the help of trainer Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker). Gyllenhaal’s past film-to-film character transformations have been tremendous, and whatever he does will have my interest, but here he takes “commitment to craft” to the next level, with a physical transformation for the ages. He looks like an absolute beast in the ring, and if the trailer is any indication, his emotional intensity will be just as fierce. While I’m not convinced direction from hit-or-miss Antoine Fuqua equates to an Oscar win for Gyllenhaal (Fuqua directed Denzel Washington to Oscar glory as another kind of beast in 2001’s Training Day), I am convinced the actor has more than a fighting chance thanks to a screenplay written by the guy who created TV’s Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter. [Michael]

Unexpected

(July 24th)

Like several other films on this list, Kris Swanberg’s highest profile work yet, Unexpected, made its debut back in January at the Sundance Film Festival to a strong reception among critics and festivalgoers. The film stars Cobie Smulders as Samantha Abbott, a high school teacher in Chicago who discovers she is pregnant around the same time she finds out Jasmine, a student of hers played by Gail Bean, is also facing an unplanned pregnancy. In focusing on the friendship that forms between the two as they face a similar (and at times wildly different) situation, Swanberg has delivered a film that seems to have impressed a lot of people back in Park City, Utah. Hopefully this film (along with Andrew Bujalski’s Results) can also serve as a breakout towards many more interesting roles for Smulders, who has always shown a lot of potential but has until recently been mostly wasted on How I Met Your Mother and as Maria Hill, the most thankless role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unexpected also stars Anders Holm (Workaholics) and Elizabeth McGovern (Once Upon A Time in America), it is set to be released on July 24th. [Ryan]

The End of the Tour

(July 31st)

It’s easy to understand why a large portion of film journalists have responded so enthusiastically to The End of the Tour since the movie premiered at Sundance. Based on Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky’s book, this drama recounts the time Lipsky (here played by Jesse Eisenberg) spent interviewing the late author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel, in a performance several have already deemed “transformative”) during Wallace’s book tour for his iconic release “Infinite Jest.” Maybe that prospect of a writer interviewing a writer about writing holds a greater cachet if you’re already a Way Too Indie interviewer; however, considering that The End of the Tour comes from director James Ponsoldt, the movie’s qualities should appeal more broadly. Ponsoldt’s last two films, Smashed and its spiritual prequel The Spectacular Now, feature characters in varying levels of crisis struggling to articulate their true feelings. Tour has already been labeled “dialogue-heavy,” and Ponsoldt’s ability to steer scenes around natural yet increasingly tense conversations should serve Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel particularly well. An opportunity to hear Eisenberg and Segel exchange bits of introspective self-analysis could turn into a surprisingly poignant summer diversion. [Zach]

Sinister 2

(August 21th)

Any time a sequel is announced to a movie where all of the main characters were killed off at the end, you have to wonder what direction the filmmakers are going to venture in with the follow up. With Sinister 2, co-writers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill seem to be giving fans of the original exactly what they asked for. The highly-anticipated sequel will bring the original film’s comic relief character, fan favorite Deputy So & So (James Ransone), to the frontlines alongside series newcomer Shannyn Sossamon. Though Scott Derrickson isn’t returning to the director’s chair, his replacement is no slouch, and should be a familiar name to genre diehards. Director Ciaran Foy previously tackled a movie with lots of creepy children in 2012’s Citadel, so while he may have some pretty big shoes to fill, Foy may very well be the right man for the job. While it’s doubtful that Sinister 2 will sweep the Oscars, it looks to be a fun, creepy follow-up to one of the best wide-release horror films to come along in the past few years. [Blair]

The story behind indie filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie’s Heaven Knows What is simply fascinating (read our review). While researching a completely different project, the siblings unintentionally met a woman named Arielle Holmes, who they discovered lives a pretty interesting life on the streets of New York City. So they convinced her to write a memoir of her life and were so impressed with it that they decided to make a film out of it. The filmmakers knew from the very beginning they wanted Arielle to play herself in the film, despite the fact that she had never acted before. Because of this, Heaven Knows What provides a genuine portrait of the New York City street life.

I caught up with Josh, Benny, and Arielle at TIFF right after the North American premiere of Heaven Knows What to talk about their film. During our conversation, we touched on the invisible line between documentaries and feature films, how they blended professional and first-time actors, how long it took to accomplish a continuous 4 and a half-minute moving shot and much more.

How did the premiere here at TIFF last night compare to the one in Venice?
Benny Safdie: The European audience accessed the film in different ways. They loved it and felt it, but just being in a theatre with people that speak English is a different experience. Not that one was better than the other, it’s just different.

Arielle Holmes: Not everything gets translated properly because of subtitles.

Josh Safdie: They language is so nuanced, even in English. Europeans accessed it on a more emotional level. But I’m surprised in general that people find it such an intense, horrific movie. I’ve known Arielle now for about 15 months and it feels like a cakewalk.

You guys sort of just discovered this story while working on a different project, tell us how you met Arielle Holmes.
Josh: I met her not as a street kid but as diamond designer apprentice. As I got to know her a little better, her life story absorbed me and climaxed when she attempted to kill herself. That was when we shifted gears and left the other project on a shelf.

Arielle, even though this was based on your own life, was it difficult for someone who hasn’t acted before to portray it on screen?
Arielle: Honestly, it wasn’t for the most part. It wasn’t as strange as I thought it would be beforehand. It was like I was recreating another experience and new emotions.

Benny: A lot of time people say, “Oh, you’re just playing yourself.” And it’s not easy to re-access emotions and then tell them in a more heighten way. If you can do that, you can do anything.

Josh: After we finished principle photography, we knew we had to still shoot the end of the movie and we assumed we were going to get to it sooner than we did. As part of the agreement with us, she was going to go to rehab after shooting the film, but after three months passed and we knew we couldn’t ask her to come back and act in those scenes again. I knew that she was a performer from day one, but morally it didn’t feel right to ask that upon her.

As directors, how did you guys pull off such a seamless blend of professional and non-professional actors?
Josh: Well whenever we would include an actor, they were always introduced in character. Caleb Landry-Jones spent weeks getting into the character and really immersing himself. Arielle really set the bar for everyone else though. It’s important to create a vibe where everyone immediately feels comfortable on set. You don’t want to director someone, you want to see where they’re going and then tell them what they need to do.

Benny: I don’t look at it as blending actors and non-actors. I look at as a first–time actor who never got the chance fore. And this requires a little more work on our part. But when we approach a scene, we know that we have an anchor of an actor. Though we had to treat Maynard differently to get him to say his lines.

Josh: Yeah, we knew we only until a certain time at night before his alcohol intake was too much. You couldn’t go near him because he would start a fight with you.

Arielle: Then he would threaten to not give back equipment.

Josh: He didn’t know Caleb was an actor, he thought it was actually Ilya He went up to Caleb and said, “Hey, lets fuck these guys up and take their equipment.”

Really?
Josh: There’s a wide shot in that party sequence in the back of the band shell that if you pause it on your screen you can see him fighting his own shadow.

Coming off the wonderful sports documentary Lenny Cooke why did you decide to make this a feature film rather than a straight up documentary?
Josh: Streetwise was a big influence on us. I wanted to make a film that Polanski would be proud of and impress the Polish tragic scene. This film was never a reality to me. It was always an opera. We couldn’t get through that by presenting it as reality. We needed to twist things up.

When I saw The Wolf of Wall Street, I sent Scorsese a tweet asking why didn’t he cast the real Jordan Belfort. Because he’s sooo interesting. If you watch one interview with the real Jordan Belfort you’ll see this guy is filled so many nuance details that even Leonardo DiCaprio couldn’t [match].

Benny: A lot of times documentaries are looked at as a separate thing. Oh, that’s a documentary. But they can be movies as well. Documentaries tend to be a social thing, like something that you can learn from. With Lenny Cooke we were going against that idea. We wanted it to be a real movie, so in a way were fictionalizing a lot of reality.

You guys crossed that line in Lenny Cooke, with the edited part when Lenny goes back in time to talk to his younger self.
Benny: Yeah, we took a lot of liberties with the editing and the ending. So in Heaven Knows What, we took the source material and fictionalized it, really heightening it. We changed things to make you feel a certain way.

Yeah. You’re right. If you think about it, the difference between documentary and a feature movie isn’t all that different after all.
Josh: Exactly. I mean The Wolf of Wall Street was a documentary. Basically any biopicture is a documentary. Take Taxi Driver. What’s happening there? It’s essentially a documentary on Paul Schrader’s time as a taxi driver in New York City, it just indulges in his fantasies. I think every movie is a documentary. I think you could make an argument that Lord of the Rings is a documentary. Documenting emotions that happen in that moment that will never happen again.

Considering this mostly takes place on the streets and is based on true events, I was surprised by the lack of handheld cinematography.
Benny: Yeah, that was a conscious decision. It would have made too much sense to do handheld. It would have given off a different vibe. Doing on a tripod allowed us to counteract what the world was given us.

The majority of the film was shot up close but there are a few wide shots too.
Josh: Yeah. I actually had a long talk with our cinematographer Sean before we started the movie and told him you have to push me to go wider sometimes. So every once in a while he would look at me and ask if we should go wide now.

Benny: There was one wide shot that was added late, which is when they leave the first pharmacy that they steal from, and it adds suspense because you’re not sure if [the store owners] are going to come out.

My favorite shot of the film is the opening one in the psych ward—long continuous take, no audible dialog, set against disorienting synth music.
Josh: Yeah, it’s a 4 and half minute shot.

Benny: Art department wise, it took a full day to get. It took us about 4 hours to get the shot.

Josh: We’ve been dying to work with a proper Steadicam operator for a while.

Benny: It was funny because each person wanted to out-do the other guy, I can go on a bigger lens, etc. It just got better and better.

Without giving too much away, why did you choose end the story where you did?
Josh: It’s strange because we had a totally different scripted ending. I remember the first time I told Arielle about this story she was like, “Okay. I guess that works.” That meant a lot to me that she wasn’t really into that ending. So we knew it wasn’t right. We knew we needed to go as far as possible with the Arielle nightmare and then come back to Mike’s character.

Arielle always talks about how much she hates repetition in her writing. We always thought that was ironic because that lifestyle is all repetition. But that’s why she goes back to Mike, it’s the same old thing.

Arielle: When I was in that lifestyle I didn’t realize how repetitive it was. Even though you’re doing the same thing every day, you still have the little subtle dramas that go on.