Independence Day: Top Independent Films This Summer

This summer is already full of highly anticipated films coming out, big-budget blockbusters that movie-goers cannot wait to see. Ironman 3 and The Great Gatsby have already come out, and The Hangover 3 and Star Trek will hit theaters before the end of the month.

But what about those lower budget films, films that may have a better storyline but less money to create that story. These films that may not be released nationally, but can only be seen in select theaters. Here is a list of the independent films coming out this summer that we at LTCL are most excited about.

1. The To Do List – The To Do List uses the desire that most every high schooler wants to take care of before going to college: to be sexually experienced. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Rec) is the protagonist; she plays a slightly awkward teenager who has never been romantically involved with any guy. Plaza’s character, a scholar and over-achiever, creates a list of sexual activities that she wants to accomplish before heading off to college. The cast has a good amount of big names: Bill Hader (SNL), Connie Britton (ABC’s Nashville), Donald Glover (Childish Gambino, Community), and Andy Samber (The Lonely Island, formerly SNL). Just from the trailer, this movie looks like it captures the awkwardness of inexperienced teens pretty well, with the deadpan humor only Plaza can create. Release date: August 16.

2. The English Teacher – This film seems to be the perfect combination of emotions that can only be labeled as a rom-com-dram. An English teacher’s former student comes back to the small town he grew up in, having failed in New York as a playwright. His former teacher, Ms. Sinclair (Julianne Moore) convinces him to produce his play at the high school. The pair run into roadblocks from both the school, who claim the play has too mature of content to be produced at a high school, as well as the playwright’s father (Greg Kinnear) who wants his son to give up his dream of writing plays to attend law school. The release date is May 17.

3. Don Jon – Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer) makes his directing and screenwriting debut, as well as stars, in this film about the stereotypical ladies man. Jon has one problem, though; he is addicted to porn. Despite being about to get any girl he wants, he decides to go on a personal journey to fulfill his increased and unsatisfiable sexual desires. Scarlett Johansson and Juliane Moore play women that Jon meet on his journey who provide him with more important lessons than sex. The film debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival and is set to be released nationally on October 18. Here is a link to the trailer.