Garden State and 4 Other Touching Indie Romantic Comedies for a Cozy Night
If you're tired of famous rom-com hits, check out these gentle and melancholic indie films.
A good movie can save any evening, whether you're spending time with company or alone. Instead of the classic tearjerkers about love and death, we suggest you pay attention to the other side of romantic cinema.
1. Trust, 1990
The plot of Trust is not easy to describe. It's not that indie director Hal Hartley makes complex films – it's that the ordinary situations in his movies take on a fantastical appearance.
Schoolgirl Maria is pregnant and tells her family that she plans to marry her football-playing boyfriend. She slaps her father, who falls dead. Seeking comfort, the girl turns to her boyfriend, but he is busy training.
Ultimately, the girl meets Matthew, who can fix anything and carries a grenade with him. Hartley's characters pursue strange goals, reflect on a mad world, and fall in love.
2. Garden State, 2004
Zach Braff's directorial debut is a comforting remedy for the blues. Although the 2000s became a haven for the manic pixie dream girl, this movie by the Scrubs star reminds us of a place we want to return to.
After his mother's death, Andrew returns home. Words that can describe the man's state are constant apathy and indifference to everything. He decides to stop taking antidepressants, which have become a part of his life.
In his hometown, Andrew meets former classmates, tries to have fun, and meets Sam, a girl with oddities and good taste in music.
3. Before Sunrise, 1995
A Frenchwoman and an American are seated together on a train. After exchanging casual glances, the passengers put down their books and enjoy each other's company. Jesse invites Céline to get off in Vienna and spend a magical evening together.
A stream of conversations, dizziness from euphoria, and awkward touches ensue as the two strangers gradually explore the city and each other. Before Sunrise is an example of a conversational movie that relies on the charm of its characters and the charisma of its actors.
4. Reality Bites, 1994
In 1994, Ben Stiller – not yet a famous actor or director – shot a touching comedy about love in the 1990s. The plot is simple: a group of college friends transitions into adulthood and faces its challenges.
The film centers on Lelaina, who embodies a quarter-life crisis. Like her friends, the girl worries about her frightening future, goes to unsuccessful job interviews, barely makes ends meet, and tries to understand her feelings.
Lelaina is an aspiring filmmaker – she shoots a documentary about her everyday life with friends.
5. Shithouse, 2020
Freshman Alex is lonely in college. He has no friends or girlfriend and doesn't get along with his roommate. One day, he decides to go to a party where he meets Maggie.
They walk around the city, talk nonstop, and arrange a funeral for a turtle. In short, they have the perfect date. At least, that's what it seemed to Alex until he encountered a cold attitude from Maggie the next day.