National Board of Review: Top Ten Independent Films

The following is a list of the Top 10 Independent Films chosen annually by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, beginning in 2006.

Lists

2000s

2006: 10 Items or Less Akeelah and the Bee Bobby Catch a Fire Copying Beethoven A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Half Nelson The Illusionist Lonesome Jim Sherrybaby Thank You for Smoking

2007: Away from Her Great World of Sound Honeydripper In the Valley of Elah A Mighty Heart The Namesake Once The Savages Starting Out in the Evening Waitress

2008: Frozen River In Bruges In Search of a Midnight Kiss Mister Foe Rachel Getting Married Snow Angels Son of Rambow Wendy and Lucy Vicky Cristina Barcelona The Visitor

2009: Amreeka District 9 Goodbye Solo Humpday In the Loop Julia Me and Orson Welles Moon Sugar Two Lovers

2010s

2010: Animal Kingdom Buried Fish Tank The Ghost Writer Greenberg Let Me In Monsters Please Give Somewhere Youth in Revolt

2011: 50/50 Another Earth Beginners A Better Life Cedar Rapids Margin Call Shame Take Shelter We Need To Talk About Kevin Win Win

2012: Arbitrage Bernie Compliance End of Watch Hello I Must Be Going Little Birds Moonrise Kingdom On the Road Quartet Sleepwalk with Me

2013: Ain't Them Bodies Saints Dallas Buyers Club In a World... Mother of George Much Ado About Nothing Mud The Place Beyond the Pines Short Term 12 Sightseers The Spectacular Now

2014: Blue Ruin Locke A Most Wanted Man Mr. Turner Obvious Child The Skeleton Twins Snowpiercer Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Starred Up Still Alice

2015: '71 45 Years Cop Car Ex Machina Grandma It Follows James White Mississippi Grind Welcome to Me While We’re Young

2016: 20th Century Women Captain Fantastic Creative Control Eye in the Sky The Fits Green Room Hello, My Name Is Doris Krisha Morris from America Sing Street

2017: [1] Beatriz at Dinner Brigsby Bear A Ghost Story Lady Macbeth Logan Lucky Loving Vincent Menashe Norman Patti Cake$ Wind River

2018: [2] The Death of Stalin Lean on Pete Leave No Trace Mid90s The Old Man & the Gun The Rider Searching Sorry to Bother You We the Animals You Were Never Really Here

2019: [3] The Farewell Give Me Liberty A Hidden Life Judy The Last Black Man in San Francisco Midsommar The Nightingale The Peanut Butter Falcon The Souvenir Wild Rose

2020s

2020: [4] The Climb Driveways Farewell Amor Miss Juneteenth The Nest Never Rarely Sometimes Always The Outpost Relic Saint Frances Wolfwalkers

2021: [5] The Card Counter C'mon C'mon CODA The Green Knight Holler Jockey Old Henry Pig Shiva Baby The Souvenir Part II

2022: [6] Armageddon Time Emily the Criminal The Eternal Daughter Funny Pages The Inspection Living A Love Song Nanny To Leslie The Wonder

2023: All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt All of Us Strangers BlackBerry Earth Mama Flora and Son The Persian Version Scrapper Showing Up Theater Camp A Thousand and One

2024: Bird A Different Man Dìdi Ghostlight Good One Hard Truths His Three Daughters Love Lies Bleeding My Old Ass Thelma

2025 [7] : The Baltimorons Bring Her Back Father Mother Sister Brother Friendship Good Boy If I Had Legs I’d Kick You The Mastermind Rebuilding Sorry, Baby Urchin

References

1. National Board of Review best film of 2017 announced|EW.com
2. National Board of Review Names 'Green Book' Best Film of 2018 - Variety
3. National Board of Review 2019 Winners|IndieWire
4. 2021 National Board of Review Winners and Analysis - Variety
5. National Board of Review Winners 2021:|IndieWire
6. Top Gun: Maverick Named Best Movie of 2022 by National Board of Review - The Hollywood Reporter
7. "NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW NAMES 2025 HONOREES". National Board of Review. 3 December 2025.

External links

• National Board of Review of Motion Pictures: Top 10 Independent Films