A Glean movie guide
Hidden Gems: The Best 2010s Indie Cinema
Beyond the blockbusters.
Discover the decade's most overlooked masterpieces and cult favorites.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Short Term 12
A raw and deeply moving look at the lives of at-risk youth and the people 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.
- 02
Coherence
A mind-bending sci-fi that proves you only need a great script and a single room to create massive tension.
Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead.
- 03
Blue Ruin
A stark and realistic subversion of the revenge thriller that prioritizes quiet tension over Hollywood spectacle.
When the quiet life of a beach bum is upended by dreadful news, he sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. However, he proves an inept assassin and finds himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.
- 04
Columbus
A visually stunning meditation on architecture and family that finds profound beauty 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.
- 05
Thunder Road
A tragicomic tour de force featuring one of the most unique and vulnerable lead performances of the decade.
A police officer faces a personal meltdown following a divorce and the death of his mother.
- 06
The Invitation
A masterclass in slow-burn paranoia that keeps you guessing until its chilling final moments.
Will and his new girlfriend Kira are invited to a dinner with old friends at the house of Will’s ex Eden and her new partner David. Although the evening appears to be relaxed, Will soon gets a creeping suspicion that their charming host David is up to something.
- 07
Swiss Army Man
A bizarre and surprisingly heartfelt journey that explores what it means to be human through a surreal lens.
Alone on a tiny deserted island, Hank has given up all hope of ever making it home again. But one day everything changes when a dead body washes ashore, and he soon realizes it may be his last opportunity to escape certain death. Armed with his new “friend” and an unusual bag of tricks, the duo go on an epic adventure to bring Hank back to the woman of his dreams.
- 08
Leave No Trace
A gentle yet powerful character study 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.
- 09
The Guest
A slick, neon-soaked throwback thriller that blends 80s style with modern genre-bending action.
A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
- 10
Safety Not Guaranteed
A charming and inventive time-travel comedy that focuses on the human connection behind the mystery.
Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.
- 11
A Ghost Story
A poetic and unconventional exploration of time, legacy, and the enduring nature of grief.
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
Frank
An eccentric and touching tribute to creativity and the struggles of living with a brilliant, troubled mind.
A young wannabe musician discovers he has bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.