The best indie films of 2018

• 06 Nov, '18
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The dark nights are a great excuse to curl up in the [private cinema](https://www.iconinc.co.uk/locations/leeds-the-glassworks/whats-included) with a bunch of friends and a load of snacks. We’ve rounded up the hottest independent films (that everyone is raving about right now) to give you some inspiration for your cosy night in.

Eight Grade

Cringe alert! This brilliantly honest and heartfelt comedy, written and directed by Bo Burnham, is bound to cause flash backs to your early teenage years. It’s so relatable, it’s unreal. You’ll be sucked into thirteen year old, Kayla’s world from the get go so hold on tight as she works out how to survive the last week of middle-school.

Jordan Ross on Twitter

Just watched #EighthGrade. What a beautiful film. Elsie Fisher is a STAR. Her performance brought back feelings, thoughts &memories I had as a kid that I didn't even remember having. Meanwhile, Josh Hamilton in this is one of my all-time favorite movie dads. Well done @boburnham https://t.co/s3kx6VonGw

Like the sound? Check out the trailer:

Eighth Grade Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie

Check out the new trailer for Eighth Grade starring Emily Robinson! Let us know what you think in the comments below. ► Watch Eighth Grade on FandangoNOW: https://www.fandangonow.com/details/movie/eighth-grade-2018/MMVF922997095F06B7384CB7C6118A2077B7?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc US Release Date: 2018 Starring: Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Elsie Fisher Directed By: Bo Burnham Synopsis: A teenager tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school.

Mandy

Red and Mandy lead peaceful lives in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest but this is a thriller so things are about to take a turn for the worst. When Mandy crosses paths with a cult leader, Jeremiah, he wants her for himself but she rejects him and so he murders her. Que Red’s violent revenge. It’s surreal and it’s well worth a watch – you’ll be transfixed. But if you’re squeamish, this isn’t the film for you. Intrigued? Here's a critic's review:

Director Panos Cosmatos's second feature "Mandy" is an epic tale of heavy metal, demons, and blood.

Some films need to be seen and experienced to be believed; where rumor becomes hype and gives way to the possibility of a false god or a new revelation. As with all things, where you fall depends on how well you connect with the message. In the case of Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow),...

Isle of Dogs

Yet another impressively imaginative film from Wes Anderson, this stop-motion animated film follows a boy in search of his lost dog. The story is set in Japan – there’s been an outbreak of canine flu and all dogs have been banished to a secluded island. Filled with emotive themes of friendship and political comment, Isle of Dogs is quirky, heart-warming and beautifully animated. Try the trailer for size:

ISLE OF DOGS | Official Trailer

Isle of Dogs is released in UK cinemas March 30 2018. ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots.

The Death of Stalin

Is it possible to turn the horrors of the past into something hilarious? If you’re Armando Iannucci it is. This satirical gem is by no means just for history buffs so don’t be put off by the subject matter. The Death of Stalin is full of witty one-liners and black comedy as Stalin’s Council of Ministers scrap and struggle to become the next Soviet leader, following his death. Want to know more? Take a look at this review:

'The Death of Stalin' is brilliant madness

"The Death of Stalin," a scathing comedy about the insanity that followed the death of the brutal Soviet dictator, is both hilarious and timely.

We the Animals

If you’re a bit of a film nerd then you’ll kick yourself for not having watched We the Animals yet. Critics have been going crazy for this artfully shot movie, likening the filming style to classical oil paintings. The storyline is hard hitting – about three brothers caught up in their parents’ unpredictable relationship – but the film feels dreamy and nostalgic at the same time. The acting is second to none too, which makes the brothers’ hardships all the more emotive. Somebody pass us the tissues! Wrap your eyes around the trailer:

'We the Animals' - Trailer

Based on the novel by Justin Torres, 'We the Animals' follows the rough and tumble childhood of three brothers of white and Puerto Rican descent in the 1980s.

Madeline’s Madeline

Take a walk in someone else’s shoes for 90 minutes. Madeline’s struggle with mental illness is presented through an anxiety-inducing soundtrack and visual collaging effect, which are used to help you experience the world from her perspective. The film follows her journey as she’s accepted into a prominent theatre company and her illness is then exploited, ‘for the sake of art’, by the company’s director. Prepare to see the lines of fantasy and reality blurred before your very eyes.

★★★★ 'Madeline's Madeline' is a stunning, one-of-a-kind movie - The Boston Globe

Josephine Decker's edgy, borderline-experimental drama is about a mentally ill teenage girl, her fraught mother, and a theater coach with exploitive tendencies.

Take a peek at the trailer:

Madeline's Madeline - Official Trailer HD - Oscilloscope Laboratories

Madeline (newcomer Helena Howard) has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theater troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director (Molly Parker) pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother (Miranda July) into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur.

So switch off that study brain and switch on your private cinema! That’s [IconInc](https://www.iconinc.co.uk/) life for you. Be sure to let us know which film is your favourite by tagging #iconinc on Instagram. You might even win a free night’s stay at any Roomzzz aparthotel across the country.