Top 10 Most Anticipated Indie Movies of 2014

Here is my "Top 10 Most Anticipated Indie Movies of 2014" list. The definition of "indie movie" for this list is anything getting an initial limited release or distributed by an independent production company, or a film most people just plain don't know about. If you want to see the list of major releases I am looking forward to, that list is here.

#10 I Origins - Director Mike Cahill's Another Earth was a much talked about indie film in 2011. He returns with I Origins, which won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at Sundance earlier this year. I Origins is about a molecular biologist and his laboratory partner who uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it. The sci-fi element is not different from Another Earth's, but I've heard that this movie approaches the science vs. faith debate in a much more subtle way. The movie stars Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, and Steven Yeun.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

#9 The Raid 2: Berandal - The Raid: Redemption was one of the most talked about indie films of 2011 due to its intense action and choreography. The sequel is hoping to top that. Keeping all the same major players, The Raid 2: Berandal will continue the story right where it left off on the first film. Reviews have already been mostly positive coming out of Sundance, so we can expect this one to knock our socks off. Sony Pictures Classics purchased the distribution rights to this one, so we'll see it in the U.S. very soon.
Release date: March 28, 2014
Trailer:


#8 Breathe In - Drake Doremus' Like Crazy was a film I totally connected with and listed at #4 on my top 20 of 2011 list. It won big at Sundance that year. Breathe In is his next feature which also played well at 2013 Sundance. The movie is about a happily married New York City music teacher who is drawn to a young British foreign exchange student. Scandalous! Felicity Jones from Like Crazy is in this along with Guy Pearce, Kyle MacLachlan, and Amy Ryan.
Release date: March 28, 2014
Trailer:


#7 Listen Up Philip - One of the highly praised film's at 2014 Sundance this year was Listen Up Philip, starring Elisabeth Moss and Jason Schwartzman. The movie plays like a novel, with voice over narration and an episodic structure. It's about a writer who can't find peace and quiet anywhere or with anyone.
Release date: TBD 2014
Trailer:


#6 Birdman - Yes, Birdman is about a superhero, but not THAT superhero. Michael Keaton plays an actor who has always been known as a superhero by the name of Bird Man. Now in his later years, he is trying to land a role in a big Broadway play. Keaton is supported by an all-star cast in Birdman, including Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Ryan. It is directed by 21 Grams and Babel director, Alejandro González Iñárritu. Fox Searchlight picked this one up.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

#5 Calvary - The Guard was one of my favorite movies of 2011. The collaboration between writer and director John Michael McDonagh and actor Brendan Gleeson is just perfect. Calvary re-teams the duo with the addition of The IT Crowd and Bridesmaids' Chris O'Dowd, Flight's Kelly Reilly, and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen. Gleeson plays a good-natured priest who is threatened to be killed during a confession. I'm hoping for some more really funny moments and a good time.
Release date: April 11, 2014 for the U.K., so hopefully not long after that for us in the U.S.
Trailer:


#4 The Skeleton Twins - SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play twins who cheat death on the same day. What's being called a dramedy, this movie has a lot going for it, including being co-written by the writer of The Wrestler and Black Swan and produced by the Duplass brothers. Sundance audiences gave a warm welcome to this movie.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

#3 Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter - Remember the money buried on the side of the road at the end of Fargo? Well, a Japanese office lady becomes obsessed with the movie and thinks the money is real. So, she leaves her mundane life in Japan and travels to the U.S. to try and find it. Weird, but fascinating concept, in my opinion. Kumiko is played by Rinko Kikuchi, who is slowly making her way to becoming a regular in American films after doing The Brothers Bloom and Pacific Rim.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

#2 Whiplash - Damien Chazelle's short film based on his Black List listed script was met with much praise at last year's Sundance Film Festival. It was enough to get investors to sign on to a full-length film, which he premiered at this year's festival and won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for the best dramatic film. Whiplash is about a young man (played by The Spectacular Now's Miles Teller) who struggles to become a top jazz drummer. J.K. Simmons plays the role of his musical teacher. Sony Pictures was the first to purchase the distribution rights to the film and we should see it out later this year.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...





#1 Boyhood - Richard Linklater's Before series is one of the greatest under-watched trilogies of all-time. His new feature film has a unique background in that it was filmed over the course of 12 years following child actor Ellar Coltrane's growing from when he was just seven years old. Boyhood premiered at Sundance earlier this year and was met with many critics saying that the wait was completely worth it. Seeing as how it currently has a 164-minute run time, we can expect to see a cut down version of this movie in limited release.
Release date: TBD 2014
Tease:

Runners up: Laggies, A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence.