Independent films have the ability to be innovative and to push boundaries because the creative forces behind them do not have to satisfy criteria laid down by major studios and production companies. This often means they are low-budget affairs and often do not reach mainstream audiences, but this does not take away from the fact that the independent scene has produced some very good films.
SHALLOW GRAVE An extremely dark comedy drama with great performances from Christopher Eccleston, Ewan Mcgregor and Kerry Fox, and directed to perfection by Danny Boyle. It focuses on a group of roommates who find a lot of money in the room of their new tenant who just happens to have died, and their consequent decisions about what to do with the body and what to do with the money. It has a wickedly funny ending.
TRAINSPOTTING Another film directed by Danny Boyle starring Ewan Mcgregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Kevin McKidd as a group of disaffected twenty-somethings use drugs to try to escape their Edinburgh existence.
DEAD MAN'S SHOES A stunning film from Shane Meadows and a brilliant performance from Paddy Considine. Considine plays a former soldier who returns home seeking vengeance against a group of people who abused his mentally impaired brother. It's a classic with a shockingly brutal ending.
RESERVOIR DOGS The film that introduced the world to Quentin Tarantino. It has an impressive cast list with the likes of Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth putting in stellar performances. A bank job goes wrong; could a mole be responsible for its failure?
MEMENTO A film that put Christopher Nolan on the map with a very simple yet effective story told backwards. It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard, who suffers from short-term memory loss and so cannot create new memories. He is forced to rely on the notes he writes himself and the tattoos on his body as he tries to uncover who murdered his wife.
CUBE A clever little sci-fi thriller following a group of unrelated people who wake up in a cube-shaped building with thousands of rooms and many traps. Using each of their skills (which they conveniently have) they try to negotiate these rooms and find an escape, but will human nature overwhelm their attempts to survive?
THE DESCENT An inventive little horror from Neil Marshall, director of Dog Soldiers. It begins with one of the main character's child and husband being killed in a dramatic car crash. Some time later she and her friends go on a trip which will involve caving. Not only do they have to confront the unknown creatures in the dark but also their inner demons.
THE EVIL DEAD A low budget, yet surprisingly effective horror from Sam Raimi who manages to utilise a multitude of camera techniques to great effect. The plot isn't as important as the atmosphere and the build-up of tension, as it basically focuses on a group of teenagers who go to a deserted cabin in the forest for a weekend away. Not exactly mind-blowing!
DONNIE DARKO A film that may give you a headache if you think about it too much. It follows Donnie Darko, an extremely troubled teenager, who sees a six foot rabbit called Frank who tells him that the world is going to end in twenty eight days. Is it all in his head or could his vision come true?
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM A powerful film about addiction with a soundtrack that complements it well. There are four intertwining stories of drug addiction as each individual is forced to face up to the reality of their situation. Great performances from Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn and Jennifer Connelly.
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