This month, WatchMojo attended the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. We got a chance to check out the hottest upcoming indie films and curated a list of our top five favorites. These unconventional, fearless flicks aren’t afraid to push boundaries and—whether they’re comedy, crime, action, family drama, or all of the above—are sure to take you on a wild ride. Here are our Top 5 Indie Films to Watch Out for:
#5: Tragedy Girls
Tyler MacIntyre’s horror comedy Tragedy Girls provides a wonderfully fresh take on the high school slasher with the story of Sadie (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla (Alexandra Shipp), BFFs who take to serial murder in order to boost their social media followers. Both an absurd and bloody romp as well as a rare and authentic look at female friendship, Tragedy Girls is a truly unique film that won’t disappoint.
#4: 68 Kill
Trent Haaga (Chop [2011]) presents a punk twist on a heist gone wrong with 68 Kill. The crime comedy thriller follows Chip (Criminal Minds star Matthew Gray Gubler), an unambitious septic tank cleaner who naively agrees to help his gorgeous yet deranged girlfriend, Liza (AnnaLynne McCord), steal 68 thousand dollars from her sugar daddy so they can escape the monotony of their trailer trash lifestyle. What ensues is a wild night of drugs, sex, mayhem, and murder as the plan goes hopelessly awry. Check out our exclusive interview with Haaga and Gubler here.
#3: Good Time
Robert Pattinson stars in Benny and Josh Safdie’s Good Time as Connie, a bank robber trying desperately to break his cognitively challenged brother out of a prison hospital. Shot on film, Good Time is a visual feast; rendering the New York streets where the film unravels in vibrant colour. Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never provides a pulsating and memorable score, which scooped up the prize for best soundtrack earlier this year at Cannes. Don’t miss this daring crime drama, which is complete with stunning imagery, touches of dark humour, and authentic performances.
#2: Bitch
Triple threat Marianna Palka showcases her talent as the writer director and principal actress of Bitch, a ferocious family drama. The film follows housewife Jill (Palka) as she suddenly and inexplicably starts turning into a vicious dog following a suicide attempt. Bitch is both an absurd family comedy as well as a raw critique of the perils of domesticity, presented through a fierce feminist lens. Jason Ritter also gives a stellar performance starring opposite Palka as a cheating husband who must confront his own domestic ideals.
#1: Mayhem
Joe Lynch’s Mayhem is a blood-soaked catharsis for the modern-day office worker. Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) stars as Derek, a frustrated lawyer in a corporate office which has been infected with a contagious virus. As the infection causes the afflicted to lose their inhibitions, Derek and his co-workers begin to act out their deepest, most violent instincts. The film is wonderfully insane, and will have those frustrated by the monotony of nine-to-five cheering in their seats.
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