Often Overlooked: Some Good "B" and Other Excellent "Alternative" Movies
This is a list of low-budget, no-name, alternative movies, but movies that someone seemed to actually put work and passion into. These are GOOD B-movies. (Sorry, you will not find Birdemic on this type of list.)
And yes, I recognize that many will say, "Hey, that's an art-house movie, not a B-movie!" I admit having a particular definition of "B-movie"... for me, it's a non-mainstream movie, created on a budget, and not really seen by the masses. Not necessarily the same definition everyone has. Still, I think you will find some movies on here that you enjoy if you like thoughtful, non-mainstream movies, so call them what you will.
And yes, I recognize that many will say, "Hey, that's an art-house movie, not a B-movie!" I admit having a particular definition of "B-movie"... for me, it's a non-mainstream movie, created on a budget, and not really seen by the masses. Not necessarily the same definition everyone has. Still, I think you will find some movies on here that you enjoy if you like thoughtful, non-mainstream movies, so call them what you will.
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- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.Pay little attention to the movie order on these. Some of these I have not seen for years, so listing them objectively in perfect quality order was difficult. I am objectively trying to put the better ones near the top and the lesser B-movies near the bottom, but that's about as far as I can go on the rankings really.
- DirectorGez MedingerRobin SchmidtStarsMiranda RaisonSam KeeleyElarica JohnsonFive young people wake up dead. Washed up by the tide they scramble to an abandoned beach house, soon realising that the perpetual night and blasts of pain suggest this is some version of hell. Between in-fighting and attacks by a demonic shadow creature, they recall the collapse of the nightclub that brought them here - and begin seeing hope of a second chance in the cabin's two mysterious paintings...Very good, independent-style movie that takes you off guard.
- StarsRob LoweAndre BraugherDonald SutherlandWriter Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot and discovers that it is being terrorized by vampires.Everyone's seen the classic '70s Salem's Lot, but what about the 2004 mini-series? Opinions will vary, but this is a superior movie, imo.
- DirectorSteve De JarnattStarsAnthony EdwardsMare WinninghamJohn AgarA young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.A great '80s movie... is it an apocalyptic story or no? You can't be sure, and that's what makes this frantic almost real-time story excellent. Oh, and the fact that Anthony Edwards was a pretty boy with hair.
- DirectorMike CahillStarsBrit MarlingWilliam MapotherMatthew-Lee ErlbachOn the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
- DirectorZal BatmanglijStarsBrit MarlingAlexander SkarsgårdElliot PageAn operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities changing dramatically after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.Another Brit Marling movie. This lady is making a name for herself in quality, low-budget movies. How long will it be before she breaks into the mainstream? Wait, I think she already has.
- DirectorKurt WimmerStarsChristian BaleSean BeanEmily WatsonIn an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.Can a movie starring Christian Bale be considered a B-movie? I'm not sure, and this one is either love it or hate it. I loved it.
- DirectorMike CahillStarsMichael PittSteven YeunAstrid Bergès-FrisbeyA molecular biologist and his laboratory partner uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it.Yet another Brit Marling movie. No, I'm not a Marling fanboy... she just keeps getting involved in quality movies.
- DirectorPatrick LussierStarsJennifer KrollJason Scott LeeCraig ShefferA group of medical students discover the body of the infamous count. Soon, they find themselves in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous conflict when a shadowy figure offers them $30 million for the body so that he may harvest his blood.This played off the somewhat-successful Dracula 2000 movie to try to gain an audience, but in reality, you don't need to watch that one. This is a completely different movie. It does end on a cliffhanger that I had to wait a long time to see--but you don't! See Dracula III: Legacy right below...
- DirectorPatrick LussierStarsJason Scott LeeStephen BillingtonDiane NealIn the near future, Uffizi and Luke travel to the remote reaches of war torn Romania to rescue Elizabeth and finish the vampire once and for all. Along the way, they encounter TV news journalist and a corps of rebels trying to fight the vampire uprising which plagues their country.The sequel to Dracula II. Another fun romp with a classic B-movie series.
- DirectorAaron HannMario MiscioneStarsAllegra MastersAimee McKayAshley KeyHeld captive and faced with their imminent executions, fifty strangers are forced to choose the one person among them who deserves to live.Surprisingly good low budget movie. I suspect if you liked Cube, you will like Circle. It had a similar feel in some ways.
- DirectorJohn V. SotoStarsJacqueline McKenzieMyles PollardShannon BerryA particle physicist grieving over the loss of her husband in a car crash travels to a parallel world to find him again, with dire consequences for her family.This movie covers very familiar sci-fi territory, but it does a really good job with it, even though it does get a little cliched about 50 minutes in.
- DirectorBob SwaimStarsRob LoweMeg TillyKim CattrallA recently orphaned heiress meets a young racing yacht captain in the Long Island Hamptons. He shows interest in her, but love may not be the reason.Not really a B-movie or alternative, but certainly often overlooked, this Rob Lowe/Meg Tilly product of the '80s was a great story.
- DirectorKeith GordonStarsNick NolteSheryl LeeTony RobinowAn American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.Based on a Kurt Vonnegut classic, this movie is very solid, although this is another that is not a B-movie, and probably not really alternative, either.
- DirectorMarc FurmieStarsJai KoutraeTodd LasanceKendra AppletonFollowing a near-fatal accident, David Chamberlain makes an unprecedented discovery that will not only determine the fate of his family, but of mankind.A very well-done B-movie that is a tad slow. You can't really pick on the quality/production value of the work. but boy, it really could have been pepped up a bit. The payoff is at the end for this one.
- DirectorZak HilditchStarsJessica De GouwNathan PhillipsDavid FieldA self-obsessed young man makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, but ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father. Their relationship ultimately leads him on the path to redemption.
- DirectorRobert RadlerStarsEric RobertsJames Earl JonesSally KirklandA team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country - can they overcome their rivalry and work together to win?This one isn't for everyone, but if you like '80s action flicks, this one was a cut above with a lot of heart and a little bit of cheese on the side. The end was especially tough on the old ticker. And seeing Chris Penn again as a young man is always nice.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJennifer O'NeillStephen LackPatrick McGoohanA scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.A Cronenberg masterpiece.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsJames Le GrosReggie BannisterAngus ScrimmMike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, meets with Reggie, and discover his dreams (the events of the original film) are real, and they both journey to find and stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.Low budget horror/action that deviated from the original, Phantasm II was a fun ride in the same vein as Army of Darkness.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsReggie BannisterA. Michael BaldwinBill ThornburyMike and Reggie continue to hunt the mysterious Tall Man, discovering along the way that the invasion has already begun.
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsBruce CampbellChase MastersonC. David JohnsonAliens in human disguise commandeer a rural airport during a snowstorm. To survive, the people trapped inside must determine which of their own is not of this Earth.A good old Bruce Campbell movie that is a lot of fun.
- DirectorVic SarinStarsKirk CameronBrad JohnsonJanaya StephensThe Biblical prophecy of Armegeddon begins when the Rapture instantly takes all believers in Christ from the Earth. A reporter left behind learns that the Anti-Christ will soon take power.Way better than the Cage remake.
- DirectorBill CorcoranStarsKirk CameronBrad JohnsonClarence Gilyard Jr.After the Rapture and the revealing of the identity of the Antichrist, a group of converts form the Tribulation Force, a secret society with the sole purpose of converting non-believers to Christianity.Part 2 to Left Behind. Not bad.
- DirectorCraig R. BaxleyStarsLouis Gossett Jr.Kirk CameronBrad JohnsonThe world falls into chaos as Nicolae Carpathia detonates nuclear devices across the globe and stages multiple devastating attacks against both the Tribulation Force and an international militia, led by U.S. President Gerald Fitzhugh.Part 3 to Left Behind and the final movie in the series.
- DirectorEric EnglandStarsNajarra TownsendCaroline WilliamsAlice MacdonaldAfter being drugged and raped at a party, a young woman contracts what she thinks is an STD; but, it's actually something much worse.If you have a weak stomach, don't eat before you see this little horror gem.
- DirectorScott SpeerStarsBella ThorneRichard HarmonDermot MulroneySet ten years after an apocalyptic event that killed millions and left the world inhabited by ghosts.
- DirectorJoseph J. LawsonStarsDominique SwainJake BuseyJoshua Michael AllenResearchers in Antarctica are abducted and dragged underground by a team of Nazi survivors planning the revival of the Third Reich.Not one of the best movies on this list, I admit, but still an enjoyable romp. Jake Busey as a scientist? Quite a stretch.