A Glean movie guide
Hidden Gems: Modern Indie Dramas
Quiet films with a loud impact.
Intimate, character-driven stories that skipped the mainstream spotlight.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Columbus
A visually stunning meditation on architecture and the unexpected bonds formed in quiet moments.
When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana - a small Midwestern city celebrated for its many significant modernist buildings. Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey, a young architecture enthusiast who works at the local library.
- 02
Short Term 12
A raw and deeply empathetic look at the lives of at-risk youth and the dedicated staff who care for them.
Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.
- 03
The Rider
A grounded, poetic portrait of a cowboy redefining his identity after a life-altering injury.
Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, and a gifted horse trainer, young cowboy Brady is warned that his riding days are over after a horse crushed his skull at a rodeo. In an attempt to regain control of his own fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of the United States.
- 04
Leave No Trace
A masterclass in subtle storytelling about a father and daughter living on the fringes of society.
A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Oregon, rarely making contact with the world. But when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own.
- 05
The Quiet Girl
A gentle and heart-wrenching Irish drama that finds profound beauty in silence and small gestures.
A quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with relatives for the summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.
- 06
First Cow
A slow-burn tale of friendship and frontier survival told with remarkable tenderness and a unique eye.
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
- 07
Mass
A powerful chamber drama that relies on four incredible performances to navigate the complexities of grief.
Two couples meet for a painful and raw conversation in the aftermath of a violent tragedy.
- 08
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
A visually poetic exploration of home, memory, and the changing face of a gentrifying city.
Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.
- 09
Blue Jay
An intimate, black-and-white conversation between former high school sweethearts that feels strikingly real.
Meeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts reflect on their shared past.
- 10
Reality
A tense, minimalist drama that uses real-life FBI transcripts to create a gripping, claustrophobic atmosphere.
Augusta, Georgia, United States, June 3, 2017. After running some errands, Reality Winner returns home, where she is approached by two men.
- 11
A Ghost Story
An experimental and hauntingly beautiful reflection on time, legacy, and the spaces we leave behind.
Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife, only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away.
- 12
Support the Girls
A sharp, slice-of-life character study that captures the dignity and stress of the working class.
Lisa Conroy is general manager at a highway-side 'sports bar with curves', Double Whammies. She nurtures and protects her employees fiercely - but over the course of one trying day, her optimism is battered from every direction. Double Whammies sells a big, weird American fantasy, but what happens when reality pokes a bunch of holes in it?