Have you ever had one of those mad Google-sprees where you’re desperately trying to find a quality film you haven’t already seen? At Slick Motive we do the hard work for you. We source and qualify the best list of creative, independent films with great story lines and very believable actors!

Following on from our previous Indie Watchlist article, this week I’ve picked out some of the best independent films to ever hit the big screen. Grab some snacks, put on your comfortable garms and make sure to check out these top picks below:

Get Out (2017) 

99% – Rotten Tomatoes
4.8 / 5 – Slick Motive Score 
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Marcus Henderson 

Suspenseful, thriller, Get Out is very gripping film with many unpredictable twists and turns throughout. The plot of this film starts fairly innocently with Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), travelling to Rose’s parents’ house for a weekend getaway. Chris believes that something strange is going on and the secrets of the family begin to slowly unravel scene by scene. It gets fairly intense, making you hold tightly onto your chair or even “sink into the floor” (LINK SPOILER ALERT). Great acting all-round, especially by the big man Daniel Kaluuya!

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)  

86% – Rotten Tomatoes
4.5 / 5 – Slick Motive Score
Director: David Fincher
Starring:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer 

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara smash this. It won an Oscar and it’s easy to see why. It’s a very intelligent, suspenseful film that keeps you engaged with ease. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) searches for a woman that has been either abducted or killed but gains help from an unlikely partner, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an epic but slightly troubled computer hacker. First time I saw this, I instantly knew it was a gem. It’s also a remake of an original film made in Sweden. The Swedish original was equally as gripping and the main female actor is much hotter too!

City of God (2003) 

80% – Rotten Tomatoes
4.2 / 5 – Slick Motive Score
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele 

City of God is definitely made of some pretty hard hitting stuff! Director, Fernando Meirelles does a great job of portraying the story and consequences of making certain life decisions throughout the film. Two guys, Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) and José “Zé” Pequeno (Leandro Firmino da Hora), living in a very violent neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil make very different choices throughout their life. One becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer! Some great quotes, outstanding acting and gripping scenes come out of this brilliant film. I felt shocked, excited and very surprised by some of the events that occurred. How do you even answer – “Where do you want to take the shot? In the hand or in the foot?”

Mulholland Drive (2001) 

83% – Rotten Tomatoes
4.2 / 5 – Slick Motive Score
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, Laura Harring 

Mulholland Drive was a trippy, dream film which blends and changes over time. Set in a slightly trippy style based in Los Angeles, a mysterious woman (Laura Harring) loses her memory after a car crash. She wanders the streets in a daze before resting in a local apartment. Betty (Naomi Watts), comes cross her and aids her in finding out her true identity. Having the First Miss USA of Hispanic descent as a main actress was great to see. Don’t look away for more than a few seconds though, as you may miss a key part of a scene change similar to what happens throughout Stranger Things! A truly great watch for fans of David Lynch’s immensely creative directorship!

The Raid (2012) 

85% – Rotten Tomatoes
4.7 / 5 – Slick Motive Score
Director: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais, Ananda George, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy  

Fast-paced, action thriller, The Raid is a very popular film which now has a strong fan base. There are also great sequels to this masterpiece of multiple martial art scenes. The main premise; A S.W.A.T. team, including a newer member, Rama (Iko Uwais) becomes trapped in a tenement run by a brutal crime lord, Tama (Ray Sahetapy) and his squad of killers. This is the type of film that deserves a class of it’s own! Heart-stopping, suspenseful scenes and knuckle cracking fight sequences make this one of our top independent action films to watch!

Got any independent film recommendations? Let us know via our contact page, we are all about sharing the sauce!