12 Films That Went From Indie Darling to Mainstream Hit

What makes indie films unique is that they’re produced outside the major film studio system, which means they aren’t financed or controlled by a big Hollywood studio. Smaller budgets and more creative freedom allow indie filmmakers to explore experimental storytelling, act as a launching pad for diverse voices, and challenge the status quo. Indie films come in all different genres, but because of their limited budgets, they focus on character development and storytelling rather than special effects and action sequences.

Their creative innovation and trailblazing approach to filmmaking have affected mainstream moviemakers, pushing the whole industry forward. Each year, one or more indie films break out from the circuit of small film festivals and make it to the big-time, earning critical acclaim at events like the Oscars. Some have become all-time classics we know and love. Below are 12 films that went from indie darling to mainstream hit and where to watch them on major streaming services.

This thoroughly weird musical horror about a couple stranded at a mansion filled with eccentric characters including a cross-dressing mad scientist and his Frankenstein muscle-man flopped at the box office. Too camp for audiences in 1975, cinemas marketed the film as a “midnight movie” and gave it nonstop replays in theaters around the world. A dedicated fan base started attending the midnight screenings, dressing up as characters and actively participating with call-outs, props, and reenactments. The unique phenomenon spread by word of mouth, building a cult following that gave “Rocky Horror” a new place in pop culture and one of the longest theatrical runs in history. As new generations pegged it as wildly forward-thinking in terms of gender, sexuality, and individuality, it became a banner of LGBTQ+ culture and an inspiration to everyone to let their freak flag fly.

Watch “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Disney+.

The semibiographical period piece “Amadeus,” which is about a fictional rivalry between the celebrated musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Italian composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), was a surprise success. The character study on genius, jealousy, ambition, and legacy garnered immediate critical praise for its exceptional writing, acting, directing, and musical score. It won eight Academy Awards, generating significant buzz and sparking many critics to name it one of the greatest films of all time. “Amadeus” not only achieved box-office success, but also sparked renewed interest in Mozart’s music and left a lasting mark on cinema. In 2010, the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) named it one of the 30 most significant independent films of the past 30 years.

Watch “Amadeus” on Amazon Prime Video.

Iconic psychological horror “The Silence of the Lambs” follows a young FBI trainee (Jodie Foster) hunting down a perverse killer with the advice of incarcerated cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). At the time, it was an unusual mix of horror, thriller, and police procedural, but it broke through its mid-budget origins to critical acclaim and a lasting legacy. After premiering at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival, it went on to win seven Academy Awards, including a sweep of all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was highly influential on suspenseful filmmaking, showing evidence of its memorable style in almost every thriller that came afterward.

Watch “The Silence of the Lambs” on DIRECTV.

“Donnie Darko” is an oddball surrealist sci-fi film about a troubled teenager struggling with hallucinations of a giant rabbit urging him to commit acts of violence. It’s a mind-bending exploration of fate, free will, and the meaning of life that transcended its initial limited release to become a cult classic. Despite minimal marketing and distribution, fan-made websites debating the film’s deeper themes and ambiguous ending garnered attention for the little-known film. A successful DVD release helped launch Jake Gyllenhaal’s career as a leading man. In 2004, a director’s cut of “Donnie Darko” was re-released, bringing the film back into the spotlight and attracting new fans.

Watch “Donnie Darko” on Shudder.

The story of a witty teenager’s unexpected pregnancy and complicated adoption was one of the most successful indie films of the 2000s. “Juno” is painfully cool while trying to be uncool, featuring music from the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian, and others you may not have heard of. Sharp and sardonic, “Juno” became a snapshot of an era that resonated with young audiences. It won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, and the critical acclaim it garnered allowed it to have a wider theatrical release. The film killed it at the box office, earning over $232 million on a $6 million budget. It paved the way for more realistic and nuanced portrayals of teenagers in film and television, and it continues to be an all-time favorite quirky drama.

Watch “Juno” on Hulu.

An orphaned boy from Mumbai uses his unbelievable life experiences to answer all the questions correctly on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” A co-production among the U.K., U.S., and India, the story of poverty, love, loss, and resilience had a limited theatrical release targeting independent cinemas and film festivals, but it quickly became the film of the year. It received critical praise for its unique storytelling, vibrant visuals, and powerful performances, winning eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Global recognition of the film sparked conversations about poverty in developing countries and interest in Indian cinema, paving the way for other international breakout hits.

Watch “Slumdog Millionaire” on Hulu.

Named one of the 30 most significant independent films of the past 30 years, “The Hurt Locker” follows an elite bomb-disposal unit during the Iraq War as the soldiers face danger, battle constant pressure, and wrestle with their moral purpose. Visionary director Kathryn Bigelow led the $11 million film to Oscars success. It won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and was widely praised for its intense and realistic portrayal of the Iraq War. The timely story resonated with audiences, many of whom had been personally affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Handheld camerawork and documentary-style filming contributed to the movie’s sense of authenticity and have been employed as cinematic devices in later indie films.

Watch “The Hurt Locker” on Amazon Prime Video.

Jennifer Lawrence’s breakthrough role in “Winter’s Bone” earned her a nomination as the second-youngest Best Actress competitor in Oscars history. The film is a gritty tale of a destitute Missouri teenager’s search for her missing drug-dealer father in an effort to save her family’s land while caring for her siblings and mentally ill mother. The raw portrayal of rural America took home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and, despite its limited theatrical release, it grossed $16 million on a $2 million budget. Word-of-mouth buzz surrounded the film, and Lawrence’s powerful performance set her up to become one of the biggest leading ladies in Hollywood.

Watch “Winter’s Bone” on Max.

The powerful tale of a young Black man coming of age while finding his identity and sexuality in a tough Miami neighborhood was a Best Picture winner no one saw coming (so much so that they read the wrong winner at the Oscars that year!). The $1.5 million small-scale picture first made a splash when it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, winning multiple accolades on the festival circuit. Surprising everyone with the memorable way it won an Academy Award, the film was catapulted into the spotlight and earned an extended theatrical release that grossed over $65 million. The film’s success was a springboard for celebrated actors Trevante Rhodes and Mahershala Ali, and it has been called one of the best films of the 21st century.

Watch “Moonlight” on Max.

Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut made an overnight name for her as the top female director in Hollywood. Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) is a Sacramento teenager battling the never-ending drama of senior year, finding her identity, and constantly clashing with her overbearing mother. The realistic portrayal of mother-daughter relationships hit close to home for many viewers, with critics calling it “one of the realest explorations of mother-daughter relationships ever put to screen.” It failed to win any of the five Academy Awards it was nominated for, but its extended theatrical release wildly exceeded box-office expectations and made Gerwig and Ronan two of the most in-demand names in the industry.

Watch “Lady Bird” on fuboTV.

“Parasite” was one of the most surprising indie crossovers of recent years. The genre-defying South Korean dark comedy thriller shocked film fans around the world when it became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It was the first film in 60 years to receive both Best Picture and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The only South Korean production to ever get the Academy’s attention, the story tells of a poor family who schemes their way into working for a wealthy family, uncovering secrets and dark desires that lead to a clash between the classes. The universal themes, including wealth disparity, class conflict, and upward mobility, resonated with audiences through the film’s dark humor, suspense, and social commentary. It fostered global interest in South Korean cinema and paved the way for other Asian productions to be critically recognized.

Watch “Parasite” on Max.

Last year, a surprise champion swept the floor at the Oscars ceremony, taking home seven of its 11 nominations and becoming the most-awarded film of all time. The absurdist sci-fi comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” follows an aging Chinese immigrant woman with a small business under threat from the IRS who discovers she can access parallel universes where her choices affect not just her life, but also the fate of the world. The film’s critical success made it popular among audiences, who identified with the relatable themes of family issues and existential anxiety. Critics applauded strong performances from the Asian-led cast, including Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who have since become some of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Jamie Lee Curtis delivered an equally memorable performance, enriching the film’s emotional depth and comedic elements.

Watch “Everything Everywhere All At Once” on Amazon Prime Video.