Good indie horror/sci-fi films, on Netflix instant?
November 24, 2011 2:41 PM Subscribe
What are the best indie/avant/experimental/unusual/etc. films in the horror and sci-fi genres, currently available on Netflix instant?
I love films of this style - "small" films that are usually full of interesting ideas but low-budget and under the radar. Examples I've recently enjoyed in horror include "Pontypool" and the French film "They Came Back"; sci-fi examples would include "Primer" and "Special" (with Michael Rapaport).
The caveat: For horror, I'm not so much into the gore (which usually isn't a problem with this style of film, given the typically small budget). I also can't handle violence/threat against children, which tends to rule out a lot of J-horror.
So, what's good?
I love films of this style - "small" films that are usually full of interesting ideas but low-budget and under the radar. Examples I've recently enjoyed in horror include "Pontypool" and the French film "They Came Back"; sci-fi examples would include "Primer" and "Special" (with Michael Rapaport).
The caveat: For horror, I'm not so much into the gore (which usually isn't a problem with this style of film, given the typically small budget). I also can't handle violence/threat against children, which tends to rule out a lot of J-horror.
So, what's good?
I'm not sure what the overlap is with what's on Netflix Canada with Netflix instant, or if it really qualifies as "indie", but I think the film Code 46 is a great, overlooked piece of science fiction not too dissimilar from Primer (no emphasis on special effects, consequences explored of simple premise).
posted by neuromodulator at 3:30 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by neuromodulator at 3:30 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ink is another very good fantasy. It does feature a little girl in danger, but she is a strong and resourceful character--I think you would enjoy the story. One of the most unique fantasies I've seen.
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:32 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:32 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Rubber - a movie about a sentient tire called Robert who rolls through the desert making people's heads explode.
posted by scruss at 3:33 PM on November 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by scruss at 3:33 PM on November 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Moon is another excellent science fiction movie I watched on instant stream. Finally, The Fall is a stunningly beautiful fantasy.
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:36 PM on November 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:36 PM on November 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Repo Man for pure 1980's camp.
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:39 PM on November 24, 2011
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:39 PM on November 24, 2011
Hardware
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:23 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:23 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
A few from my Netflix queue might be up your alley (with the caveats that I haven't watched most of these, and it might be stretching to call some of them sci-fi/horror):
Intacto
Life on Mars (TV show, based on a UK show)
Enter the Void (Dir: Gaspar Noe)
Antichrist (Dir: von Trier)
Hardware
They Live
posted by Bron at 8:37 PM on November 24, 2011
Intacto
Life on Mars (TV show, based on a UK show)
Enter the Void (Dir: Gaspar Noe)
Antichrist (Dir: von Trier)
Hardware
They Live
posted by Bron at 8:37 PM on November 24, 2011
Stuck for horror.
Delicatessen for horror.
Pitch Black is pretty damn good, especially for sci-fi, but I don't know how "under the radar" it is - really has kind of a cult following.
Metropolis Restored.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:13 PM on November 24, 2011
Delicatessen for horror.
Pitch Black is pretty damn good, especially for sci-fi, but I don't know how "under the radar" it is - really has kind of a cult following.
Metropolis Restored.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:13 PM on November 24, 2011
Seconding The Fall. You might try Monsters (2010) as well.
posted by gudrun at 9:26 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 9:26 PM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not sci-fi, but Bronson is pretty damn awesome. Valhalla Rising, by the same director, is also not sci-fi, but it's also pretty damn awesome.
Creepshow is an utterly underrated 80s horror minor masterpiece. George Romero and Stephen King, each at their Romero-iest and King-iest.
In The Mouth of Madness is a divisive movie, but I happen to love it. It's John Carpenter in full meta mode. I'm a huge Carpenter fan in general, but that one might be my all-time favorite.
If you've never seen Videodrome, then you're in for a treat. Ditto for Naked Lunch.
Santa Sangre is a must-see.
Cronos is a should-see. Early work by Guillermo del Toro.
Dust Devil is a lot of fun. Interesting, atmospheric South African horror movie.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:53 PM on November 24, 2011
Creepshow is an utterly underrated 80s horror minor masterpiece. George Romero and Stephen King, each at their Romero-iest and King-iest.
In The Mouth of Madness is a divisive movie, but I happen to love it. It's John Carpenter in full meta mode. I'm a huge Carpenter fan in general, but that one might be my all-time favorite.
If you've never seen Videodrome, then you're in for a treat. Ditto for Naked Lunch.
Santa Sangre is a must-see.
Cronos is a should-see. Early work by Guillermo del Toro.
Dust Devil is a lot of fun. Interesting, atmospheric South African horror movie.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:53 PM on November 24, 2011
Night of the comet is a rad 80s scifiish sorta zombie movie. Not just badgood, actually really entertaining and the type of odd thing that is best discovered on instant watch.
posted by Betty_effn_White at 5:23 AM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Betty_effn_White at 5:23 AM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just watched the Norwegian film Trollhunter, which is quite great. Very fun.
posted by Ms. Toad at 7:22 AM on November 25, 2011
posted by Ms. Toad at 7:22 AM on November 25, 2011
It's not quite sci-fi (more like Murakami-esque magical realism), but the Japanese film Fish Story is my favorite Netflix Instant discovery of the past year. I don't want to say too much about it before you watch it, but it's about a long-forgotten punk song that ends up saving the world.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:08 AM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:08 AM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Pontypool is the best survival horror movie I've seen in a long, long time.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:19 AM on November 25, 2011
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:19 AM on November 25, 2011
early new year's resolution: read the whole damn question before you go babbling about word-zombies.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:19 AM on November 25, 2011
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:19 AM on November 25, 2011
Escape From New York and Omega Man are both on Netflix. Are these too obvious?
posted by shushufindi at 3:39 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by shushufindi at 3:39 PM on November 25, 2011
Came here to say "Rubber" - it's a b-horror movie and an absurdist play wrapped up in one. Surprisingly good cinematography, too.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 1:31 PM on November 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sarahsynonymous at 1:31 PM on November 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 3:25 PM on November 24, 2011