10 Best Indie Movies Of 2016 (So Far)

Determining exactly what defines an independent film nowadays is no simple task. In the past, any movie that was made outside of the conventional Hollywood system was considered independent, though the line between indie and mainstream movies seems to get thinner with every passing year.

Yet, while the distinction between the two has indeed become blurred, real indie films still exist in 2016 - those few that are not only made outside of the studio system, but made to go directly against it.

Hollywood's irritating habit of constantly softening blows and wrapping everything up in a neat little package has crept into indie filmmaking, and movies that adhere to their model while purporting to be indie are often showered with praise - Silver Linings Playbook, for example. In a time when the industry finds itself in the throes of reboot-mania and many continue to question its originality, it is important to remember the value of truly independent films.

Indie filmmakers are not bound by the restraints that come with working on big studio productions, where a clear formula has to be followed and the right number of boxes ticked. Without restrictive guidelines that are ultimately based on maximizing profit and setting up potential sequels, directors are free to be innovative and bring their own undiluted visions to the screen.

The following films have provided us with a much-needed break from Hollywood's inherent predictability this year, proving that indie film is alive, well and ready to offer viewers an alternative to studio-approved storytelling.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%

Set in a very near-future New York, microbudget techno-drama Creative Control follows overworked advertising executive David (writer/director/star Benjamin Dickinson) as he gets involved in a high-profile marketing campaign for a new generation of augmented reality glasses. His interest in the device soon becomes an obsession as he takes to using them to escape his otherwise mundane life.

Feeling trapped in his relationship with his yoga teacher girlfriend, David decides to use the glasses to develop a life-like avatar of Sophie, all-round dream girl and partner of his best friend. Before long, fantasy and reality begin to blur for David, and he risks losing everyone that cares about him for the sake of his imagination.

The premise is most definitely reminiscent of 2013's Her (both are technically sci-fi films but the heart of both movies is the people themselves rather than the technology they use), though in place of the vivid near-future Los Angeles Spike Jonze paints we are taken to a black and white New York. The film has a crisp, polished look that almost belies its roots as an independent film, though the content (described by some critics as Nouveau Brooklyn) is unashamedly indie.

While it teeters on the edge of becoming a love letter to NYC hispter culture at times, Dickinson knows when to reel in the pretentiousness and concentrate on an issue becoming more and more prevalent with every passing year - our complicated and potentially dangerous relationship with technology.