Another year is coming to a close and I have to say that I’m hyped up about 2017. The films I’ve seen in development this year are looking awesome for release early next, but this post is about those amazing films that we’ve seen in 2016. Here are our Top Five Indie Films of 2016 in no particular order or significance.
- Sole Proprietor – This one was a really great film with outstanding audio and visual components, masterfully edited and put together with a solid story and a truly outstanding cast.
- Hush Money – Ah, Hush Money. Terrell Lamont’s masterpiece of a film that delighted us in every way. Its rich and deep story combined with flawless audio and visuals really brought us into the world and the acting and handling of the script kept us there.
- The Dust Storm – Every once in a while a film will come along and change your perception of a particular genre. The Dust Storm did that for me. It is a romantic drama, which automatically puts me on defensive, that tells a wonderfully dark and dramatic story which left me feeling great for the genre. The musical score and cinematography are wonderfully handled, even if there are a few instances of poor dialogue coverage.
- House of Purgatory – Man, I was thrilled to watch this movie. I love horror films and I’m a sucker for anything that even hints at throw-back horror but this one not only hinted at it, it blew it out of the water. The production quality of the film, once we were able to get our hands on a production release, not the ungraded version, was outstanding. The acting was superb and the story was a wonderful retelling of the haunted house.
- Dependent’s Day – Outstanding production quality, expertly crafted story, great acting, great music, and a hilarious plot makes Dependent’s Day an awesome pick for this list. Honestly, I thought this film was just great and I don’t really get those laugh-out-loud moments anymore but this one conjured them up in me. As a romantic comedy, I went in jaded but I came out of the experience happy and satisfied.
So there you have it, our Top Five Indie Films of 2016 and a great selection of indie films to watch over the holidays. Give these guys some support by checking out their films on VOD, streaming, or whatever platform they are available on. I personally want to see more from every one of these filmmakers and the only way that’s going to happen is if we show our support and solidarity for indie films but giving them praise and recognition for their hard work.
We still have a little bit of time left in the year to update this list but I’m pretty certain this one will remain solid throughout December. Of course, if something comes along to tickle our fancy and make us want to add it to the list of Top Five Indie Films of 2016, we’ll certainly come back and revise.