Independent Dramas on Netflix
Last updated May 14, 2025
Terri
2011 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsThis poignant coming-of-age tale follows Terri, an overweight orphan who, while struggling to find acceptance with his peers, forms an unlikely friendship with his vice principal, who also knows all too well what it's like to be alone.
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Being Flynn
2012 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsA young man employed at a Boston homeless shelter comes upon his long-lost, destitute and alcoholic father while at work one evening in this subtle, emotionally charged drama based on the acclaimed memoir by poet and playwright Nick Flynn.
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Price Check
2012 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsFor Pete, settling down with a wife and son meant giving up his unstable musical career to work for a third-rate supermarket chain. A reform-minded new boss plans to make an executive out of Pete, who realizes he still harbors dreams of music fame.
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Not Fade Away
2012 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsInspired by the music of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, three 1960s high-schoolers form a rock band in the New Jersey suburbs. James Gandolfini co-stars in this debut feature from "Sopranos" creator David Chase.
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Pieta
2012 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsKang-do, an enforcer for a loan shark in a destitute area of Seoul, is unrelentingly brutal in his collection of debts. But when a mysterious woman appears and claims that she is his mother, Kang-do finds himself developing a hunger for human warmth.
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It Runs in the Family
2003 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsThe Gromberg family is one of the most powerful families in New York City -- but hidden beneath a veneer of perfection is a wealth of dysfunction. Three generations of Douglas thespians star in this touching drama about the ties that bind.
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My Summer of Love
2004 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsMona is tired of her working-class roots, and Tamsin is bored with her pampered lifestyle. When their opposite worlds collide unexpectedly, the girls sense an immediate attraction. But can their unusual friendship survive their differences?
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Lie with Me
2005 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsHappily unattached, the sexually voracious Leila satisfies her desires with a host of rapidly changing bed partners, unconcerned about the emotional consequences. But that all changes when she meets an artist looking for a deeper commitment.
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Margaret
2011 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsAfter witnessing a fatal bus crash, a young woman comes to believe that she inadvertently played a part in the tragedy. As she tries to deal with her feelings, she becomes emotionally abusive to those around her, and to herself.
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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
2009 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsCorrupt Detective Terence McDonaugh -- whose bad habits include painkillers, reckless sports gambling and accepting sexual bribes -- investigates the murder of five Senegalese illegal immigrants in New Orleans.
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My Year Without Sex
2009 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsIn the wake of a near-fatal brain aneurysm, a thirtysomething mom and her affable hubby enter a period of doctor-ordered abstinence while they raise their two children. Coping with myriad problems in the bedroom and out, they have a year to remember.
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Womb
2010 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsRecently widowed Rebecca (Eva Green) attempts to surmount her unbearable heartache by having her deceased husband cloned. This morally controversial decision, however, ushers the unyielding woman down a difficult path she never expected.
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The Dry Land
2010 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsGrappling with repressed memories of his combat experiences in Iraq and struggling with the tedium of ordinary home life, an American war vet tries to break out of his isolation by embarking on a road trip with a buddy from the Army.
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The Myth of the American Sleepover
2010 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsFacing personal and interpersonal crossroads on the last night of summer vacation, four high school friends wander the streets of suburban Detroit, each taking the first tentative steps into the world of adulthood in this thought-provoking drama.
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Nurse.Fighter.Boy
2008 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsAs her compassionate adolescent son Ciel (Daniel J. Gordon) hones his magic skills, hard-working single mother Jude (Karen LeBlanc) battles sickle cell anemia and falls for an aging boxer of few words (Clark Johnson), who struggles to eke out a living fighting in illegal brawls. Written and directed by Charles Officer, this touching love story features soulful songs from the likes of The Maytones, Mikey Dread and The Shieks.
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About Cherry
2012 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsDetermined to escape her past, 18-year-old Angelina moves to San Francisco, where she becomes Cherry, an innocent-but-sexy adult film star. Her provocative new life brings fame, money, and acquaintances who have a variety of motives.
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Gimme the Loot
2012 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsTwo talented graffiti artists from the Bronx are stung when a rival outfit covers their own illustration with a portrait of the Mets' Home Run Apple. They turn their outrage into a daring plan to tag the real Home Run Apple at the Mets ballpark.
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The Wise Kids
2012 | NR | 2.9 out of 5 StarsIn a Baptist church community, three teenage friends contemplate the next stage of life. There's Brea, an introspective pastor's daughter; hyperactive Laura, a devout believer; and Tim, a gay teen navigating his faith as he prepares for college.
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Lianna
1983 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsLianna becomes fed up with her marriage to her cheating husband and begins an affair with Ruth, her night school professor. But Lianna's joy at finding a new life and love soon disintegrates as the people around her start to treat her differently.
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The Puffy Chair
2005 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsWhen Josh (Mark Duplass, whose brother Jay directs) finds the perfect birthday present for his father, he decides to deliver it in person. But with his high-maintenance girlfriend (Kathryn Aselton) and granola brother (Rhett Wilkins) along for the ride, Josh's road trip turns into a bigger journey than anyone anticipated. This indie romantic dramedy was an audience favorite at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
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Friends with Money
2006 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsWriter-director Nicole Holofcener's bittersweet tale examines the evolving lives of four female friends living in Los Angeles: married and financially secure Jane (Frances McDormand), Franny (Joan Cusack) and Christine (Catherine Keener), and their single friend Olivia (Jennifer Aniston). As the friends move from one group event to the next, married life starts showing cracks for Jane, Franny and Christine, while Olivia struggles to find herself.
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Far North
2007 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsSaiva (Michelle Yeoh) lives a tough existence in the Arctic wasteland, hunting for food and other necessities. Her only human contact is with Anja (Michelle Krusiec), a woman she raised from infancy. The arrival of a wounded soldier, Loki (Sean Bean), tests both women's loyalty and resolve. Neither, it seems, is prepared for the man's impact on their lifelong friendship. Award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia directs this visually stunning epic.
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Afterschool
2008 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsBullied prep school loner Robert (Ezra Miller) captures his classmates' various escapades on video, but when he winds up filming two girls fatally overdosing on cocaine, his footage plays a role in the emotional fallout within the school community. As the students and faculty at the sheltered academy try to cope with the tragedy, many spiral into despair. Antonio Campos directs this film, which explores the ethics of voyeurism.
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Easier with Practice
2009 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsDespite his brother's (Kel O'Neill) company, Davy Mitchell (Brian Geraghty) becomes bored and disillusioned during a road trip to promote his unpublished novel -- until an unexpected phone call from stranger Nicole (Kathryn Aselton) leads to life-changing phone sex. Soon, Davy is full of joy due to the amusing and intimate phone relationship he forges with Nicole in this drama based on Davy Rothbart's autobiographical article for GQ.
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The Imperialists Are Still Alive!
2011 | NR | 2.8 out of 5 StarsAs her new romance with handsome Javier (José María de Tavira) blossoms, French artist Asya (Élodie Bouchez) copes with her ex-boyfriend's disappearance, worries about her brother's safety in Beirut, and experiences a variety of bizarre adventures around New York City. Written and directed by Zeina Durra, this quirky drama also stars Karim Saleh, Karolina Muller, Marianna Kulukundis and Rita Ackerman.
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