Colder weather is coming, which, to me, means more time spent under all the blankets in your house watching every movie on Netflix three times over. At some point, though, you run out of options, and that's where this list comes in. Luckily, I had an indie movie phase a few years back and can share a few of my personal favorites.
1. "Shortbus"
Admittedly, this is not a great movie to share with your whole family, since it follows the lives of sex club patrons. Specifically, the audience learns about a dominatrix, a pre-orgasmic sexologist and a suicidal gay man. My favorite thing about this movie is that it treats sex and sexual orientation as ever changing, and just a part of being human. Although raunchy in nature, this movie also delves into mental illness, the issues with monogamy and how we perceive ourselves.
2. "Devil’s Carnival"
The title pretty much explains this movie in itself. Perfect for the tiny group of people who love horror musicals, "Devil’s Carnival" takes place in a carnival in which sinners play games for a shot at redemption and are punished for their sins. We follow three different sinners through hell as they’re tormented by demon carnies in an attempt to repent and go to heaven.
3. "Alleluia! Devil’s Carnival"
This is sort of a bonus, since it is the second movie in the Devil’s Carnival trilogy, but I personally like this more than the first movie. In Alleluia, we learn the backstory of one of the carnies, The Painted Doll.
4. "Repo! The Genetic Opera"
"Repo" takes place in a future where organ failure is at an all time high. Using stolen organs, they replace the failing ones and put said transplants on a payment plan. However, when someone misses a payment, the repo man gets sent to repossess the organ, and by extension - their life.
5. "GBF"
This movie shows three different popular girls as they try to befriend the only "out" gay guy in their grade as a status symbol. I think it's a great coming of age movie for any queer teen, as it shows the disconnect that even straight allies have in the way they treat Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transexual+ people.
6. "Thanks For Sharing"
I first watched this movie when I began my quest to watch every movie starring Mark Ruffalo (which I have yet to finish, in case anyone wanted to know) and have watched it nearly five times since. Although focusing on sex addicts, this movie follows the lives of addicts in general, from alcoholics to orthorexics.
7. "Kings Of Summer"
Fed up by his parents’ overbearing attitude, a teenager decides to move into a treehouse in the woods with two of his best friends. Throughout the summer, he starts to realize that this maybe wasn’t the best idea, but, in a fit of teenage angst, is determined to prove his parents wrong. This movie is funny and heartwarming at the same time.
