Despite their best efforts, some of the best films wind up making their way to the bottom of the proverbial bargain bin before the year is through. There are innumerable reasons why a film might fail to put people in seats during its run in theaters.
Limited releases, faithless studios concerned with backing a risky distribution, are just some obstacle Indie films face. If those challenges weren't difficult enough, some Indie films find themselves competing with multi billion-dollar franchises during their theater release — often relegating them to the background, regardless of the film's own qualities.
10 Sunshine Was Overshadowed By Its Competitors
Danny Boyle's Sunshine is an excellent science fiction horror film reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Alien. Set in the year 2057, the sun's dying power throws Earth into turmoil, prompts brave souls to embark on expedition to reignite the star's energy. While a completely competent and occasionally brilliant film, Sunshine failed to pick up much of an audience due to fierce competition. In July 2007 Sunshine contended with Transformers, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and The Simpsons Movie. Fans of Mr. Boyle's work should check this film out as it has lots to offer the investigative viewer including, a brilliant score by John Murphy.
9 Splinter Broke Apart Despite Its Best Efforts
2008's Splinter is a thrilling body-horror film. This short and simple story about a hostage situation gone awry after a parasitic virus turns up is one heck of a siege movie. Featuring smart, fleshed out characters and a creepy antagonist, this indie horror set a trend for later VoD and theatrical releases.
Releasing on October 31st, Splinter was unfortunately left in the dust while a slew of other films — such as Saw V and The Haunting of Molly Hartley — vied for top slot that Halloween night. For fans of The Thing and other siege films, Splinter is a must-watch movie.
8 From Beyond Went Too Far In A Few Places
Stuart Gordon's H.P. Lovecraft adaptation From Beyond features his regular lead Jeffrey Combs and a plethora of horrific otherworldly entities coming through wavelengths only one's pineal gland can detect. Madness and sexual depravity ensue in this stylish indie horror set against a mesmerizing purple backdrop.
Barely making back a quarter of its $4.5 million budget, From Beyond failed to find an audience — possibly due to the overall strangeness of its premise and the violence and sexual content which earned it an R rating. The film also contending with an October release, going up against Wes Craven's Deadly Friend and the Gene Simmons picture Trick or Treat.
7 Blue Ruin Couldn’t Rebuild Its Fallen Pieces
A deconstructive revenge thriller, Blue Ruin is director Jeremy Saulnier's second feature starring actor and childhood friend Macon Blair. After his father is murdered by a local crime family, Dwight's life falls apart. He endures many sleepless nights before discovery his father's killer has received parole. The everyman's everyman, Dwight embarks on an improvised and clumsy crusade of vengeance in this wonderful indie thriller. With bigger box office draws like Brick Mansions coming out around the same time, this quiet character study couldn't captivate the same audience and was sent to VoD shortly after its limited release.
6 The Lighthouse's Lights Went Out
One of the best films made in the 2010s and the second feature from visionary director Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse featured career-best performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. The plot is loosely based on an unfinished Edgar Allan Poe story and marries themes of European folklore with Hellenic myth.
Although a critical darling, The Lighthouse is a divisive film and isn't user-friendly. The Lighthouse released at the same time as more appealing films like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and the silly zom-com Zombieland: Double Tap. Its release in the UK during February 2020 was doomed to matinée attendees.
5 Primer Was At The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time
Shane Carruth's debut feature Primer is a short and effective psychological science fiction film. Made for $7,000, the film grossed over $500,000 and became a critical darling. The film is an inventive take on time travel, providing gritty realism to a high-concept story.
Released the same month as Team America: World Police and The Grudge, this 2004 mumblecore classic was sadly too subtle to be on anyone's radar. A shame to be sure, as Primer was brilliantly ambitious and achieved so much with so little.
4 What We Do In The Shadows Couldn't See The Light
The Kiwi spectacular is a faux-documentary about four vampires living in modern-day Wellington. The film is desperately funny and features the writing and improvising talents of Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement.
What We Do in the Shadows was too niche to be a big box office draw. With eyes being stolen away from it by 2015's Paddington and The Woman in Black 2: The Angel of Death, this quirky mockumentary would find itself popularized through word of mouth on home media.
3 Eden Lake Couldn't Keep Its Head Above Water
Eden Lake is a British horror film set in the wilderness and explores social anxieties prevalent in 2008. The bloody and difficult to watch folk horror-esque nightmare portrayed delinquent culture in the form of the film's hoodie gang — led by fresh-faced Jack O'Connell — as well as middle-class insecurities depicted by Michael Fassbender's role. Despite boasting David Julyan as its composer, this social horror film never landed much of an audience. With The Dark Knight Rises and Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army to contend with, Eden Lake was always going to be a sleeper hit for the home market.
2 Under The Silver Lake Went For A Dip And Never Came Out
A quirky and darkly funny neo-noir thriller, Under the Silver Lake follows Andrew Garfield as a thirty-something slacker living near Silver Lake, California. As he drifts in and out of life, he stumbles upon a strange conspiracy which may be connected to the celebrity crowd he hopes to rub shoulders with.
Under the Silver Lake was reminiscent of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and Daniel Clowes' Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron — focusing on paranoia and conspiracies related to America's unelected ruling class. The A24 film released one year later than planned, forcing it to compete with the ill-fated Hellboy reboot, Shazam, and Avengers: Endgame - one of the most successful cinematic ventures of all time.
1 The Guest Couldn't Stay For Long
From writer/director duo Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, The Guest is a thriller in the stylistic vein of earlier John Carpenter — right down to the font on its poster. The soundtrack is a collection of 80s synth rock bangers, and the story is suitably pulpy.
After losing their son Caleb in the Afghanistan conflict, the bereaved family struggles to hold on to any sense of unity. They're soon visited by David, who uses his unique brand of violence and intimidation to assist the family with their respective problems — never suspecting David may not be who he appears until it's too late. Unfortunately, this brilliant indie thriller went up against tough contenders in September 2017, Mother and IT.