10 Independent Films In 2014 That Could Appeal To Mass Audiences

Because not everyone wants explosions and comic book sequels...

Too often, people don't watch great films not because they'd be uninterested in the subject matter, but because they have no idea of their existence. This is really the core reason why people go see Hollywood movies: people know of them. Especially having seen the advertisements in between something like the action of the Super Bowl. There are so many great films that fly under the radar, even when they play to the sensibilities of common audiences. In short, they can do Hollywood better than Hollywood. This list is comprised of upcoming limited-release films that have the subject matter that would fit the taste of any widely-released movie. It€™s important to not only promote cinema most people never get to hear of, but also show them that even in the most narrow of cinematic tastes, there is room for everyone to grow.

10. Boyhood

Shot over a period of 12 years, Richard Linklater's film Boyhood tells the story of young Texan boy before and after the crumbling of his parents' marriage. Almost serving as a companion piece to his long-running Before series, Linklater is known for his incredibly dynamic and realistic films, taking the everyday and making it extraordinary. Just recently premiering at the Sundance film festival to rave reviews, A.A. Dowd, reporting for the AV Club, wrote that the film "feels like the first of its kind... without precedent." Linklater made his name with Dazed and Confused, a seminal film about growing up, and with Boyhood, it seems like he has perfected it. Why It Has Mass Appeal: Marvel Studios has built an entire business model on long-running, serialised films, telling stories that continue on for years. Boyhood took more than a decade to realise. Now that's an event. Why It Won't Get A Wide Release: Hollywood tends to sell comforting fantasies over verisimilitude. Linklater's cinematic realism - extending now to realistic depictions of time - doesn't fit the current studio model.
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Marcello Ferrara is an avid stuff enthusiast. You can press a button to follow him on twitter.