(via Shutterstock)
One of the things I love about indie films is the time they take to really tell a story.
That’s not to say that more mainstream, blockbuster fare doesn’t, but smaller, more dramatic films like the three spotlighted here take the time to let the characters and narrative breathe and often carry far more emotional impact as a result.
Losing yourself in their quiet, nuanced depths is a joy and I hope that all these make their way to Australia at some point …
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
An elegantly interwoven triptych that contemplates the essence of humanity across 3 moments in time. A Neanderthal family, displaced from their home, struggles to survive, protect the children, and use primitive tools. In the present day, Claire (Rashida Jones), a driven post-grad anthropologist studying ancient proto-human remains, begins a relationship with a fellow student (Daveed Diggs). And centuries later, on a spaceship bound for a distant planet, Coakley (Kate McKinnon) and a sentient AI computer confront a disease afflicting the ship’s oxygen-producing plants. The artful, poetic way the film’s storylines intersect creates a profound, philosophical meditation on how we experience love, loss (of parents and children), mortality and the need for connection — with each other, the natural world, and technology …In the Blink of an Eye is directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Andrew Stanton, a Pixar Animation Studios regular and director of the movies A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, John Carter, and Finding Dory previously, plus TV eps of Stranger Things, For All Mankind, 3 Body Problem most recently. The screenplay is written by Colby Day (Spaceman, For All Mankind). It’s produced by Jared Goldman. This initially premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (courtesy First Showing)
In the Blink of an Eye premieres on Hulu via Disney+ on 27 February.
(courtesy IMDb)
SNAPSHOT
Set in Wellington in 2003, the film centres on three women living under one roof as the delicate balance of their family begins to unravel. When a grandmother’s mind starts to fail, a teenage girl and her single-mother filmmaker are drawn into a journey that will redefine love, responsibility and what it means to let go. Caterpillar marks Preston Crayford’s, move into feature filmmaking, building on short films Here Now, Imposter and Falling Up and an acting career that has included roles in A Remarkable Place to Die and Underbelly: Razor. It is produced by Georgina Conder and Andrew Marshall, and was made with the support of Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga/the New Zealand Film Commission. (courtesy if.com.au)
Caterpillar opens in New Zealand on 14 May.
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
Based on a true story, Tow follows Amanda Ogle (Rose Byrne), a woman living out of her aging Toyota Camry on the streets of Seattle. When her car — her only lifeline — is stolen and impounded, Amanda is thrust into a relentless legal battle against an indifferent system. What begins as a fight to reclaim her car evolves into a deeply human story of resilience, dignity, and the power of one woman’s voice in the face of systemic failure. Tow is directed by the filmmaker Stephanie Laing, director of the movies Lady Secret, Irreplaceable You, and Family Squares previously, plus tons of TV work including eps of Physical, Your Friends & Neighbors, The Better Sister, and Palm Royale most recently. The screenplay is by Jonathan Keasey & Brant Boivin. Produced by Brent Stiefel, Stephanie Laing, Samantha Nisenboim, Rose Byrne, Danyelle Foord, Josh Ricks. This premiered at the 2025 Santa Barbara & Tribeca Film Festivals. (courtesy First Showing)
Tow opens in select US cinemas on 20 March.